We were looking for shows that grip us, thrill us and exercise our brain cells.
We’ve judged them purely as crime dramas, not as dramas full-stop. The Wire, for example, is probably a better series overall than Inspector Morse but as a crime drama alone, Morse is superior. Cosy crime such as Midsomer Murders and Death in Paradise missed out on the basis of quality alone. We were looking for shows that grip us, thrill us and exercise our brain cells. Shows that bring to life the battle between cops and criminals.