BBC’s ‘gritty’ new Sheridan Smith crime thriller hooks viewers from first episode

A new five-part crime thriller airing on the BBC and starring Sheridan Smith has been praised as ‘gritty’ and ‘really tense’, with viewers hooked immediately.

The TV series has been described as ‘unexpectedly’ good (Image: BBC / Element Pictures)

A gripping new BBC crime thriller series could be about to become your latest obsession.

If you’re on the hunt for a fresh show to get stuck into, then look no further than BBC One and BBC iPlayer – because a brand-new series has already been hailed as one of the finest programmes of 2026.

The five-part series features Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha, and according to viewers on social media, it is both compelling and “unexpectedly funny”. With just five episodes, it makes for the ideal binge-watch this weekend – particularly if you’re after a “high-stakes” drama packed with tension and laughs in equal measure.

TV and film critic Emily took to TikTok to shower praise on the new series, entitled The Cage, urging fans of crime dramas to “get this one on your watch list” without delay.

She said: “We have a brand-new high-stakes crime thriller that the BBC have just dropped, starring Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha. So if you love a good crime thriller, then definitely get this one on your watch list.”

The Cage is set against the backdrop of a Liverpool casino, where two casino employees named Leanne (Smith) and Matty (Socha) discover that they have each independently hatched a plan to rob the very same safe.

Emily explained: “It’s all about two employees who are both secretly stealing from the same safe without knowing that the other exists. What starts off as a quick way to make extra money turns into something far more dangerous when their lives collide, pulling them into a situation involving crime, pressure, and people that they really do not want to be involved with. From then on, everything just keeps spiralling.”

The TV critic admitted she is yet to complete the series, but confessed to being thoroughly “hooked” after just a couple of episodes.

She continued: “I have watched the first two episodes so far, and I am hooked. It’s really tense, gritty, unpredictable, and you have this constant sense that something could go wrong at any moment, which really raises the stakes. It also really leans into desperation and bad decisions, and how quickly things can spiral, even if you think you have a plan.”

The Cage was penned by Tony Schumacher, the creative mind behind the BBC police drama The Responder, which featured Martin Freeman as a police officer demoted from his inspector role who takes on a succession of night shifts in Liverpool city centre.

Joining Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha in The Cage are Barry Sloane, Geraldine James, and Sue Jenkins. The production was helmed by director Al Mackay and was shot on location across Liverpool and Merseyside in early 2025.

Viewers commenting on Emily’s video were divided in their opinions of the series. Some revealed they had already watched it and found it rather “slow”, while others described it as “unexpectedly” impressive.

One person said: “Watched it all over the past two nights, really, really good. Would recommend it.”

Someone else posted: “This is really good. Unexpectedly, it was quite funny in parts.”

However, not everyone was won over, with one viewer writing: “I’ve watched the first episode, [and] it needs to get better. I will try one more, but if it hasn’t grabbed me, that will be me done.”

A fourth shared: “Watching it now. [It’s] a bit slow.”

The Cage is available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer now.