A brand new five-part crime thriller airing on the BBC and starring Sheridan Smith has been praised as ‘gritty’ and ‘actually tense’, with viewers hooked instantly.
The TV sequence has been described as ‘unexpectedly’ good (Picture: BBC / Factor Photos)
A gripping new BBC crime thriller sequence could possibly be about to develop into your newest obsession.
If you happen to’re on the hunt for a contemporary present to get caught into, then look no additional than BBC One and BBC iPlayer – as a result of a brand-new sequence has already been hailed as one of many best programmes of 2026.
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The five-part sequence options Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha, and in accordance with viewers on social media, it’s each compelling and “unexpectedly humorous”. With simply 5 episodes, it makes for the perfect binge-watch this weekend – notably in the event you’re after a “high-stakes” drama full of rigidity and laughs in equal measure.
TV and movie critic Emily took to TikTok to bathe reward on the brand new sequence, entitled The Cage, urging followers of crime dramas to “get this one in your watch record” immediately.
She mentioned: “We now have a brand-new high-stakes crime thriller that the BBC have simply dropped, starring Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha. So in the event you love a superb crime thriller, then undoubtedly get this one in your watch record.”
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The Cage is ready towards the backdrop of a Liverpool on line casino, the place two on line casino staff named Leanne (Smith) and Matty (Socha) uncover that they’ve every independently hatched a plan to rob the exact same protected.
Emily defined: “It is all about two staff who’re each secretly stealing from the identical protected with out realizing that the opposite exists. What begins off as a fast strategy to make more money turns into one thing much more harmful when their lives collide, pulling them right into a state of affairs involving crime, strain, and people who they actually don’t need to be concerned with. From then on, every little thing simply retains spiralling.”
The TV critic admitted she is but to finish the sequence, however confessed to being completely “hooked” after simply a few episodes.
She continued: “I’ve watched the primary two episodes up to now, and I’m hooked. It is actually tense, gritty, unpredictable, and you’ve got this fixed sense that one thing may go flawed at any second, which actually raises the stakes. It additionally actually leans into desperation and unhealthy choices, and the way shortly issues can spiral, even in the event you assume you could have a plan.”
The Cage was penned by Tony Schumacher, the inventive thoughts behind the BBC police drama The Responder, which featured Martin Freeman as a police officer demoted from his inspector position who takes on a succession of evening shifts in Liverpool metropolis centre.
@whatemwatches
A model new HIGH-STAKES crime thriller has simply dropped on BBC – The Cage!! So get it in your watchlist!! #whattowatch #newreleases #thrillerseries #tvseries
authentic sound – Emily | Movie & TV
Becoming a member of Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha in The Cage are Barry Sloane, Geraldine James, and Sue Jenkins. The manufacturing was helmed by director Al Mackay and was shot on location throughout Liverpool and Merseyside in early 2025.
Viewers commenting on Emily’s video had been divided of their opinions of the sequence. Some revealed they’d already watched it and located it moderately “sluggish”, whereas others described it as “unexpectedly” spectacular.
One particular person mentioned: “Watched it all around the previous two nights, actually, actually good. Would advocate it.”
Another person posted: “That is actually good. Unexpectedly, it was fairly humorous in components.”
Nevertheless, not everybody was gained over, with one viewer writing: “I’ve watched the primary episode, [and] it must get higher. I’ll attempt yet one more, but when it hasn’t grabbed me, that shall be me carried out.”
A fourth shared: “Watching it now. [It’s] a bit sluggish.”
The Cage is out there to look at in full on BBC iPlayer now.
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