Netflix Viewers Are Discovering A ‘Hidden Gem’ British Crime Thriller With A Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score — And Both Seasons Can Be Binged In One Night
A gripping British crime thriller from more than a decade ago has found a new audience on Netflix — and viewers are already pushing it towards the top of the streaming charts.
Originally broadcast on ITV in 2014, Prey has resurfaced after arriving on Netflix and quickly climbed to No. 2 on the UK TV chart.
Its sudden comeback is particularly impressive considering the series is neither new nor especially long.
There are only six episodes across two seasons, with three episodes in each, making it an unusually easy crime drama to race through.
And for anyone who needs another reason to press play, Prey also boasts a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
John Simm Is A Detective Suddenly Accused Of Murder
The opening season centers on DS Marcus Farrow, played by Life on Mars and Grace star John Simm.
Farrow is an experienced and respected Manchester police officer whose life is suddenly destroyed when he finds himself at the center of the kind of investigation he would normally be trying to solve.
His ex-wife and one of his sons have been murdered.
Even worse, the evidence points directly towards him.
Rather than simply waiting for the justice system to decide his fate, Farrow goes on the run.
But escaping the police is only half of his problem.
He must somehow investigate the crime himself, discover who was really responsible and clear his name while former colleagues attempt to hunt him down.
The official synopsis sets up the dilemma: “When Farrow is found at the scene of a brutal crime, with all the evidence pointing towards him, his world collapses.”
It continues: “Now on the run, Farrow is not just trying to evade capture. He is determined to clear his name.”
That creates a simple but relentlessly effective premise — a detective who understands exactly how police investigations work suddenly forced to use that knowledge against the people trying to catch him.
Viewers Are Calling It A ‘Gem’
The show’s return has prompted viewers who missed it during its original ITV run to discover it for the first time.
And some appear surprised that it escaped their attention for so long.
“I can’t believe that I just found this gem,” one IMDb viewer wrote.
They praised the “outstanding acting from virtually everyone,” along with the “non-stop action” and “great storyline.”
“Every character is so believable, so real,” they added. “Three episodes, so well done!”
Another viewer described the series as “worth the time and a good binge watch,” before declaring: “Brits do it best!”
A third praised the quality of the production, writing: “A great drama – it is nice to see ITV being able to now compete with the BBC with high-quality dramas.”
The Three-Episode Format Keeps Everything Moving
Part of Prey‘s renewed appeal may be its compact structure.
Instead of asking viewers to commit to eight, ten or more episodes before reaching a resolution, each season tells its story across just three installments.
That leaves little room for unnecessary detours.
The first season can effectively be watched like an extended thriller, following Farrow’s attempt to remain ahead of the police while piecing together the truth about the crime that destroyed his family.
The second season then introduces a different central story while retaining Rosie Cavaliero’s DS Susan Reinhart as an important link between the two.
Together, both seasons amount to only six episodes.
For viewers tired of crime dramas requiring weeks of commitment, that makes Prey particularly suited to a weekend — or potentially even a very long one-night binge.
Season 2 Introduces Another Life On The Run
Although Simm leads the first season, Prey does not simply repeat Marcus Farrow’s story in its second run.
Philip Glenister takes on a central role as prison officer David Murdoch.
Glenister’s presence also creates an interesting connection for fans of Life on Mars, where he famously starred alongside Simm.
MyAnna Buring joins him as Jules Hope, while Nathan Stewart-Jarrett plays DC Richard Iddon.
Rosie Cavaliero returns as DS Susan Reinhart, providing continuity as the series shifts its focus to a new case.
That structure allows Prey to preserve its central idea — ordinary professional lives suddenly being consumed by desperate circumstances — without stretching one mystery beyond its natural conclusion.
The Supporting Cast Is Packed With Familiar Faces
Beyond Simm and Glenister, the series features an impressive collection of actors who have subsequently become familiar across major British and international productions.
Craig Parkinson, known for Line of Duty and Grace, plays DI Sean Devlin.
Benedict Wong appears as DS Ashley Chan, years before roles including Netflix’s 3 Body Problem brought him to an even larger international audience.
Adrian Edmondson plays Assistant Chief Constable Warner.
Cavaliero, who appears in both seasons as Susan Reinhart, has more recently been seen in productions including Kaos and The Power of Parker.
Combined with Buring and Stewart-Jarrett, it gives the relatively short series a remarkably deep ensemble.
A Decade Later, Prey Is Finding Its Second Life
The success of Prey on Netflix is another example of an older television drama finding an entirely new audience through streaming.
When the series originally appeared on ITV in 2014, viewers had to follow Marcus Farrow’s increasingly desperate situation as it unfolded on television.
Netflix changes that experience considerably.
All three episodes can now be consumed almost as a single movie, while the entire two-season run is short enough for viewers to complete without committing to another sprawling crime franchise.
Its 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, strong audience comments and rapid rise to second place on Netflix UK’s TV chart suggest plenty of people are taking advantage.
For anyone who missed Prey the first time around, its combination of murder mystery, manhunt and conspiracy comes without the usual ten-hour commitment.
Just six episodes stand between viewers and the entire story.
Prey is available to stream on Netflix, ITVX and Prime Video.