Detective Inspector Tommy Lynley reports for duty in the new ‘Lynley’ remake
A classic British detective, reimagined.
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries was and still is a British TV classic. Starring the dashing Nathaniel Parker as DI Thomas Lynley and the fiercely intelligent Sharon Small as DS Barbara Havers, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries explored issues of ethics, class, and gender that still pervade British society today while the formidable duo solved a string of troubling crimes.
This show was destined to be resurrected once more, whether as a reboot of the old series or a completely new remake. As it turns out, it’s the latter; the BBC and BritBox have teamed up to bring viewers a brand-new version of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Get ready for Lynley.
Introducing the cast of Lynley
Lynley, currently filming on location in Ireland, will introduce Leo Suter (Vikings: Valhalla) as DI “Tommy” Lynley and Sofia Barclay (Ted Lasso) as DS Barbara Havers. As was the case in the original Lynley series, Detective Inspector Tommy Lynley comes from an aristocratic upbringing, while Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers was raised in a working-class household. This will undoubtedly lead to them butting heads, but in the end, their shared breadth of knowledge will make them an invaluable crime-solving duo.
Joining Suter and Barclay will be Daniel Mays (Magpie Murders) as senior detective DCI Brian Nies, Niamh Walsh (The English Game) as Helen Clyde, an estate agent and Lynley’s love interest, Michael Workeye (My Lady Jane) as Tony Bekele, a “tech specialist,” and Joshua Sher (Vera) as Simon St. James, one of the police’s forensic scientists.
What will the new Lynley be about?
Though the show’s plot details are being kept tightly under wraps, BritBox has shared a teasing description with The Mary Sue of what to expect from the remake:
“Tommy Lynley is a brilliant police detective but an outsider in the force—simply by virtue of his aristocratic upbringing. He is paired with Barbara Havers, a sergeant with a maverick attitude and a working-class background. With seemingly nothing in common and against all odds, the mismatched duo of Lynley and Havers become a formidable team, bonded by their desire to see justice done. His brain and her spirit—his knowledge and her instincts. It is only through working side by side do they both find where they truly belong.”
As the show is currently filming, we’d expect the four-part series to premiere sometime in late 2025, though an exact release date has yet to be confirmed. The show will be available on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the U.K. and BritBox in the U.S. and Canada. The previous series, which ran for six seasons, is available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer and BritBox. The Lynley books by Elizabeth George, which inspired both series, have been translated into over 30 languages. George will also serve as an executive producer on the remake.
Lynley was created by Vienna Blood and Sherlock’s Steve Thompson. Ed Bazalgette (Marie Antoinette, The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die) will serve as the show’s lead director, and Suzanne McAuley (Magpie Murders, Love/Hate) is credited as the series producer.
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