BritBox's Police Procedural 'Granite Harbour' Has Grit, But Lacks Polish

BritBox’s new police procedural Granite Harbour is a BBC–Scottish production that originated with Adriel Leff (Moving On) and former Derbyshire police chief Kul Muhay. Directed by Gary Williams, and written by Leff, Sarah Deane, and Tara Hepburn, it premiered last December in the U.K, and despite inevitable comparisons with Shetland (tight-knit police department, great setting) was well received. If anything, the series seems to have more in common with Karen Pirie (2022) sharing some familiar tropes –– an urban setting, a fish-out-of-water original thinker, and a crime inspired by revenge, greed, and jealousy.

There’s a lot to like about the series, but it’s damaged by uneven pacing and wobbly characterizations. Main character Davis Lindo (Romario Simpson) is likable and complex, and his growing friendship with DS Lara “Bart” Bartlett (Hannah Donaldson) is well drawn. The series looks gorgeous. The grace of ancient granite buildings, the wide skies and piercing light of northern Scotland, and the beauty of sea and shore are all breathtaking. As Bart says:

A lot of people come [to Aberdeen], all they see is the granite, the grayness. They don’t really look, or listen, or feel the city. They’re not interested in scratching below the surface or getting under the skin of it. All they want to know is what they can take, what the city can give them. And it is a good place with good people. I know we don’t get to see a lot of that, not in the job. But it’s there, that goodness.