Criminal Record

(Apple TV+)

Two of Britain’s most under-rated actors clash in this fabulous crime-thriller.

Created by Vera screenwriter Paul Rutman, the eight-episode police procedural focuses on a pair of detectives at the opposite ends of their careers, who suddenly find themselves on a collision course when an anonymous tip-off calls into question a historical murder conviction.

It is an absorbing watch, made all the more compelling by the decision to pit former Doctor Who and The Thick Of It star Peter Capaldi up against The Good Fight’s Cush Jumbo.

Both Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Hegarty and Detective Sergeant June Lenker are flawed, complicated characters, the dynamic thespian duo making the most of the dramatic meat they are presented with to really deliver performances that stay with you long after the credits roll.

This is a rare opportunity to see a darker side of Capaldi, the sullen, but savvy Hegarty making great use of the Scottish actor’s hangdog expressions and wild eyes, while Jumbo is Criminal Record’s heart, soul, conscience and moral compass, although one that’s not without her own brushes with internal authority.

Assigned to follow up on a domestic violence case “that needs a woman’s touch”, Lenker listens intently as the emergency line call includes a claim that the alleged current perpetrator stabbed his former girlfriend many years ago. It’s a crime that a man is currently doing 24 years in prison for and yet the vastly experienced call handler is convinced by her story. While her boss suggests simply dropping original investigator Hegarty a line about this new information, Lenker finds an excuse to go and see him in person instead.

Consistently gripping, whether in the more action-orientated scenes, or simply the cat-and-mouse style escalating contretemps between Lenker and Hegarty, Criminal Record might just become a true summer addiction.