Unforgotten (2015– ) User Reviews

Touching and honest

[gmorgan51-158-682165 · 9/10 · 30 October 2015]

I am really blown away by this series. The writing is excellent, and, as a lover of mysteries, the plot is riveting. Each episode builds on the previous episode. The chronology of events and the characters make sense. Notwithstanding dramatic license, the people seem real, with strengths and weaknesses we can all recognize and relate to. The acting is phenomenal.

Also, I was not aware that issues of race were as prevalent in England as I have recently learned. As an African-American, I always considered Europe to be, historically, much more tolerant of racial differences than in the US. Apparently, that was, and is, not the case.

Finally, I can appreciate the sensitivity and thoroughness with which the police, led by the character played by Nicola Walker, are conducting the investigation into Jimmy's death. The scenes and dialogs with his mother are not only touching, but ring so true of how a parent who has lost a child would feel and react and live. I have first-hand experience of that unspeakable state. Thank you, Chis Lang.

This is really very well watching. It's captivating

[jonnithomas · 9/10 · 3 November 2015]

yes, it's a murder and a 'whodunit' but it is so much more than that.

the characters are well directed and acted and feel totally believable. the detective work builds as the story unfolds and leaves you wanting to know what happens next.

it's not like any wam bam cop story from the US which may not be to everyone's taste. it's just far more realistic and solid with each character 3d. there's some humour and some sadness and lots of realism. the characters are real people, they don't have ridiculous hair, teeth and smiles or know things in a semi mystical way. they work it out and have hangovers and sometimes cry. You know, like real life.

I thoroughly recommend that you watch this.

Nicola Walker is a gift

[FIoret · 9/10 · 21 August 2018]

Excellent series but it wouldnt be the same without Nicola Walker. Her compassion and sympathy isnt just seen its felt. Each season gets better and better.

Simple and Thrilling!!

[pramodsmenon · 10/10 · 1 November 2015]

May be British shows are for a specific type of audience. I cant figure how they pick any genre and just transform it into a beautiful story with emotions and personalities. The focus for most shows is on how people think and do what they do. I have to say Unforgotten hits the right mark. Starting with the pilot, they showed a hint of each character - Simple and normal people you would meet everyday and end it by making them all people of interest in a 40 year old case. And how the show has developed since then with marvelous twists and turns, powerful performances and a real and beautiful London in the backdrop. I have reached only till the fourth episode as of now, and I have to say it is easily one of the best crime dramas I've ever seen.

Brilliant

[heibeinh · 10/10 · 27 April 2018]

This is an absolutely brilliant series with superb acting! We are fans of British crime shows & are ecstatic that there will be a season 3. I have been a Nicola Walker fan since MI5, and to see how she has perfected her craft is quite amazing. Bravo!

The epitome of British crime dramas; not a wasted episode

[golo348 · 10/10 · 9 February 2017]

I've become hooked on British crime drama ever since a fortuitous viewing of "Foyle's War" (still one of my all-time favourites). Seeing the first episode of "Unforgotten" (Series 1) was enough to whet my appetite for more so I was thrilled to see what they would do with another season and another plot line that slowly and methodically (but not pedantically) plays out across all six episodes. What comes across in both series is that your past can pop up at the most inopportune moments. Play it for dramatic effect and you will understand why "Unforgotten" is such a powerful and mesmerizing crime drama series. Above all, it's the humanity of the characters that draws you in and keeps you interested in what will happen to them when the past rears its ugly head--sometimes with disastrous consequences!

Nicola Walker rocks!

[thegulls1 · 9/10 · 2 May 2018]

We enjoyed Ms. Walker in Spooks (Mi5) and River. She seems ageless. In some of her roles, she look like your aunt, while sometimes being very pretty (I mean that in a good way). In this entry, she leads a homicide team checking out, in the first two seasons, 2 separate cold cases. We get to know Nicola's character, and most others quite well (a Hallmark of Brit cinema).

As well as good conflict & character development, the show benefits from crisp pacing (6 episodes of 45 mins instead of 8x65). If you are a binge watcher (thank you Netflix and BritBox), you can sample a season in 2 days without booking off work! We found Season 2's storyline superior to the first one. There is a whodunit element to the series, but, as I wrap up Season 2, I can honestly say the writers have played it close to the vest. Enjoy!

Footnote: Both seasons involve cases involving 'deviant' sexual behaviour, which is not shown, but discussed, as related to the crimes being investigated. Hence, proceed at own risk.

Storytelling doesnt get much better than this

[innperu · 10/10 · 30 March 2021]

This series is incredible and its a must see Writing and acting are a pleasure to watch and listen to.

Superb and wonderful and very thought provoking .

Television at its best and why do the British make such good programs across the board.

Flawless

[laurakelly591 · 5 September 2018]

Hands down the best British crime drama I've ever seen.

It grew on me - and then it didn't

[per-181 · 6/10 · 15 March 2023]

I came across this series on Britbox purely by chance. I usually don't watch stuff with Nicola Walker, since she always gives off very depressed vibes. Don't get me wrong, she's an excellent actress - and Unforgiven actually suited her.

To begin with, I found it excruciatingly slow and confusing, with several parallel and seemingly unconnected storylines. 3 star material.

But soon it started to make sense, not least by showing huge respect to the victims. It also demonstrated that good detective work is about the tiny details and not giving up, describing the procedure seriously and solemnly. Really captivating, and very well executed! Closing in on 9 stars.

Jump to series 5, and the admiration is gone. Now we are left with a very annoying new boss - and even Sunny has changed his personality to being almost as rude and impatient as she is. Throw in a big dollop of Tory-bashing and feeling sorry for the poor muggers and junkies and thieves every ten minutes or so, and there is not much left of the once impressive quality.

In short, Series 1-4 is 9 stars, series 5 is 2. Lets say 6 on average. Skip Series 5 and you will be very pleased.

Truly a UK Crime Drama at its best

[nancyldraper · 10/10 · 7 April 2021]

(Review at the end of Season/Series 3) Nicola Walker is a brilliant actor! So it is not surprising that this is an exceptional series. Don't expect a fast paced, shoot 'em up, action car chase police drama. If that is your favourite fare, you probably won't like this drama. But if you like a well crafted story that reels you in until you are sitting at the edge of your seat, with multi-faceted performances from an excellent cast, portraying believable characters living out the consequences of their own choices, you will love this series. At the end of Series 3, I elevated my rating from a 9 (superb) to a 10 (brilliant) out of 10 and it now is on my Top 40 TV Series list. The finale of this past season felt like a series finale, but the writer (Creator/Executive Producer - Chris Lang) of the show has since teased out that, should the audience wish, there may be a 4th. Already garnering critical success and BAFTA attention, I think the audience is not ready for DCI Cassie Stuart/Nicola Walker or DS Sunil' Khan/Sanjeev Bhaskar to retire. {Police Procedural}

(Review after the end of Season/Series 4). Fantastic, if heartbreaking, finale.. Chris Lang, did you have to be so brutal. Straight 10s for the whole series. Truly a jewel in the crown of UK Crime Dramas.

Excellent writing and character development

[lhollan · 7/10 · 25 August 2022]

If you are attracted to shows that draw you to characters, this is excellent. The writers weave complex plots that one can pull together emotionally and that culminate in a meaningful way. I would have given this series a higher star score, but Nicola Walker becomes a burden to watch. She grows to be an unpleasant person whose life seems to be consistently under a dark cloud--and I think the actor brings far too much angst to the character. Aside from that strain, the series is well worth it, at least through series three.

Outstanding

[hjvbfx · 9/10 · 29 March 2021]

Outstanding crime drama which has held my interest across all four series. Nicola Walker, Sanjeev Bhaskar and all the regular cast have created believable characters and the guest actors in each series have maintained the high standard of acting. If you're looking for a crime series to watch I recommend this one. It's up there with Line of Duty and The Bridge - all different but all equally well acted with interesting storylines. Don't miss it!

Different cop series

[SunnyDaise · 8/10 · 30 March 2021]

Because of personal experiences, I usually avoid brutal/graphic shows and movies, but Unforgotten handles these issues better than most so I always watch. Exploring just one case per season works well. It's such a multi-faceted show, covering a much wider range of topics and isn't stereotypical, so comes across more realistically to me. If you want something similar but real-life, watch The Pembrokeshire Murders.

Review after series 4: a down to earth, exceptionaly well written police show about more realistic investigation proceedings than most other cop shows. Its focus is on realism

[mickman91-1 · 8/10 · 14 December 2021]

Review after series 4: I struggle with a lot of cop shows because they are so full of stereotypes and predictable components and overdone storylines. What makes Unforgotten the wheat separate from the chaff then? It is in the writing. The show's USP is that it doesn't aim for dramatic action (eg Luther / Bodyguard), nor emotional poignancy (eg The Missing), nor the sex lives of the coppers (eg The Fall). Its focus is on the realistic process of crime solving and the thought processes that coppers go through in order to solve crimes and also to evidence them to the prosecution service. So the writing has to be watertight, and it manages to achieve this. Every element of the case logically moves forward based on clues and theories that the viewer has been privy to, and as a viewer you can follow it all believably and enjoy this process with the coppers at a realistic pace and with realistic stumbling blocks, wrong turns, luck, and outcomes. So this is really clever and really appreciated.

However, this could be the case but the production not be that great, but actually the production, characterisation, and acting are all great too. It is really enjoyable to watch. It is slower and more intellectual than most other cop shows but certainly not dragging nor dull because of it. Though we find out very little about the coppers lives until later series, they are realistic coppers acted well with a really pleasant working relationship that makes you get behind them and enjoy spending time with them.

Finally, the other really impressive thing which allowed me to watch it all without rolling my eyes, is that the writers also clearly tried their very best to stay away from predictable tropes and predictable storylines. And I don't mean that you just didn't see who the murderer was etc, I mean the investigations have unique outcomes that are not all tied off nicely with a bow as many shows are, but that are realistic and double edged, as I imagine real cop work is, because much of life is.

The only thing that I was disappointed in was the end of series 4. It didn't have precedence in the storyline and came out of nowhere and was clearly motivated by the actors career choices outside of the show. Hopefully series 5 will continue the exceptional quality. The only reason it doesn't get 10 is because 10/10 is reserved for my very favourite things that have infinite rewatch value and emotional impact.

Like wringing out an emotional towel!

[syoris · 6/10 · 4 July 2021]

Very good acting but if you love every other scene an emotional one, if you love your hardened detectives getting all emotional at almost every briefing, if you love cases being solved and evidence being discovered by sheer blind luck, then this is the show for you.

Seen on BBC & Netflix for years and ignored... How I wasted part of my life

[EversonMovies · 10/10 · 6 April 2021]

My title seems over dramatic, but actually it is spot on. I have always seen the poster artwork on ITV and Netflix , watched the trailer a few times but never gave it ago ( i partly put this down to British TV not being the best at creating trailers). But my god this is up there (season 1 anyway) as probably the best boxset I have seen. If you are fan of the likes britishy type of dramas of, Doctor Foster, The bodyguard, Thirteen, Luther , The nest, Liar, Happy valley.. Then this is up your alley.ot is unreal. Just watch it and you can thank me later 😁

EDIT: So we have just watched season 2 & 3 in the space of 4 days...that's right it's that good. Honestly watch this hidden gem which I still don't understand why it is, but sometimes people just don't know an amazing thing.

A rare series that gets better and better

[briantoconnor_5 · 10/10 · 7 August 2018]

Excellent series that continues to grip. Great cast and great script. Watch it and you will not be disappointed

Fantastic!

[ccoll516-950-727860 · 10/10 · 8 July 2018]

I have really gotten into British mystery.. Unforgotten is superior in every way. I strongly recommend it.

Nicola Walker at her best

[JP_Nielsen · 10/10 · 17 February 2019]

Textured and rich, emotionally intelligent, terrific storytelling. Terrific storytelling as the lead detectives pull on the threads of intertwined lives, and dormant secrets are exhumed. I've come to expect everything good from Nicola Walker, and once again she delivers. I've been a huge fan since Spooks/MI-5, and I'm glad to find another bingeworthy series - this time with her in the driver's seat. Season 1 was definitely worth my while (and probably yours too) and looking forward to a rainy weekend with Season 2...

Another British masterpiece...

[panevi · 9/10 · 1 April 2021]

Seriously guys ..this is exceptionally flawless..sensitive and carefully written..bravo..!!!!!!!

I Love Nicola Walker !

[jennfinn · 9/10 · 8 December 2023]

The first time I tried watching Unforgotten I thought it was a little boring but then I gave it another try and ended up binging all 5 seasons. Nicola Walker is an absolute treasure as DCI Cassie Stuart who is determined to find justice for cold case victims.

Each season pretty much plays out the same way, they find the remains of someone who has been dead for several years and they identify them. As the investigation proceeds we get glimpses of four or five people who could've possibly killed the victim. All five seasons have this exact same premise which sounds like it wouldn't work but it actually does.

I had absolutely no clue what was going to happen at the end of S4 and I cried my eyes out.

Excessive Melodrama

[brian-btapple · 6/10 · 15 December 2021]

There is quite a bit of excellent acting in this first season, but the overwrought drama is just too much. The story is interesting with many plot points which may or may not be related to each other or to the central crime. I never got a sense of who DCI Stuart really was, despite being on screen most of the time. There are numerous questionable elements such as would a very large police unit really spend that much time investigating a 40 plus year old skeleton with little more than a car key to go on. The unit regularly performs miracles of investigation. I kept watching because of the really fine acting, though I'm not sure I'll watch any further seasons. Technically it's very good, with direction, sets, cinematography and soundtrack all well done. Were the story a bit more believable and the drama less oppressive I'd have given this an 8 or 9. Flawed but enjoyable.

OMG

[gmorgan51-158-682165 · 9/10 · 6 August 2018]

Just watched the fourth episode of Season 3. Chris Lang has done it again. I love this series. It's not just the wonderful story line, or the intriguing plot, or the perfect dialogue, or how easily relatable the characters are - all of those things are there for me. It's the acting! The acting is so damned good! How does Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar and the whole cast convey so much in a look, or a shrug, or in a thousand other ways? Did they learn by experience, is it the writing, or the sets, or the directing, or whatever else goes into producing a television series? I suspect it's all these things and much, much more. I'm certainly not a critic, and not much of a writer, but Unforgotten is superior television.

Excellent in all Respects

[bshaef · 9/10 · 12 April 2018]

Watched the first episode on public tv channel today and have to say this is one of the most well plotted and told shows that I have seen in a long time. I look forward to watching the remaining Season 1 and Season 2 episodes. The actors are brilliant and the writers deserve a double A+ for the story.