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Dalgliesh

Dalgliesh is a British crime drama television series based on the Adam Dalgliesh novels by P.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Dalgliesh is a British crime drama television series based on the Adam Dalgliesh novels by P. D. James. Created and written by Helen Edmundson, it stars Bertie Carvel as the detective-poet Inspector Adam Dalgliesh. The series premiered in November 2021 on Acorn TV in the United States and on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom.

Premise

The series follows Inspector Adam Dalgliesh as he investigates complex murders in 1970s England. The character is portrayed as an intelligent and introspective detective-poet.

Production

Dalgliesh was created and written by Helen Edmundson and is based on the long-running mystery novels by P. D. James. The series is a United Kingdom production with English as its original language.

Broadcast history

The series premiered on Acorn TV in the United States on 1 November 2021 and on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom on 4 November 2021. It later became available on additional platforms and broadcasters in some regions.

Reception and format

Dalgliesh is presented as a mystery and drama series and is typically described as a crime drama. Source listings identify multiple seasons and a continuing run from 2021 onward.

Key facts

  • The series adapts P. D. James’s novels featuring detective-poet Adam Dalgliesh.
  • Bertie Carvel stars as Inspector Adam Dalgliesh.
  • Helen Edmundson created and wrote the series.
  • It first aired on Acorn TV in the United States and on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom in November 2021.
  • As of the available source information, the series has three seasons and 18 episodes.
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Canadian context

Canadian viewers may know the series through international streaming and broadcaster availability, but the source set provided does not confirm a specific Canadian distributor or release date.

Frequently asked questions

What is Dalgliesh?
Dalgliesh is a British crime drama television series based on P. D. James’s Adam Dalgliesh novels.
Who stars as Adam Dalgliesh?
Bertie Carvel stars as Inspector Adam Dalgliesh.
Who created the series?
Helen Edmundson created and wrote the series.
When did it first premiere?
It premiered in November 2021, first on Acorn TV in the United States and shortly after on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom.
What is the series based on?
It is based on the Adam Dalgliesh novels by P. D. James.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalgliesh_(TV_series)
    Supports: Series title, genre, creator, source material, star, country, language, number of series, number of episodes, and premiere dates.
  2. Rotten Tomatoes — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/dalgliesh
    Supports: Genre, premise, original language, release date, and network listing.
  3. TV Guide — https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/dalgliesh/1000956726/
    Supports: Series run, season count, platform availability, and premise.
  4. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13430420/
    Supports: Release date, country of origin, language, and series synopsis.
  5. PBS — https://www.pbs.org/show/dalgliesh/
    Supports: Platform availability and series identification.