'Masterclass' detective drama hailed 'perfect example' is free to watch now

The detective thriller is made up of just three episodes, making it the ultimate weekend binge.

By Katie Palmer, Senior TV Reporter for Screen Time

The series stars a younger Douglas Henshall (Image: ITV)

Fans of detective dramas are in for a treat as a binge-worthy thriller is available to stream for free now.

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The star-studded series, led by acting legend Sheridan Smith, originally aired on ITV back in 2015 and it is made up of three 60-minute episodes.

Now available to stream on ITVX alongside many others, the thriller follows Smith as PC Jo Gillespie and she shares the screen with the likes of Matthew McNulty, Douglas Henshall and Kenny Doughty.

Black Work is the series in question, and it sees policewoman Jo Gillespie's world get thrown into turmoil when her husband Ryan (Doughty), an undercover policeman, is shot dead in mysterious circumstances.

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She makes it her mission to get to the bottom of who murdered him and has to confront difficult truths about her family life and her marriage.

Sheridan Smith leads the star-studded cast (Image: ITV)

Black Work was made by Endeavour producers Mammoth Screen and it was filmed across West Yorkshire.

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Writer Matt Charman opened up ahead of the show's original run about having Smith in the lead role, saying: "Sheridan Smith is a dream to write for because as an actress there’s really nothing she can’t do.

"Black Work is a story that pushes her to the limit – it makes her character Jo Gillespie doubt herself, her family, her friends, everything she’s always taken for granted in her search for her husband’s killer."

Fans took to IMDb reviews to share their thoughts on the three-part series, with one calling it a "masterclass in pacing".

They added: "This is a perfect example of how pacing and keeping the audience engaged from start to finish should be done. I'm giving it a 10 because so many shows take a beautifully written script and ruin it-but not this one.

Fans have hailed the series a "perfect example" (Image: ITV)

"The level of suspense and the constant guessing around the 'who, what, where, and why' was handled brilliantly, right up until the final 10 minutes of the last episode. Genius!"

One called actress Smith "our finest actress", adding: "Sheridan keeps this show from being worth a watch and turns it into an excellent three-part series...her emotion about Ryan's death will bring tears to your eyes.

"A top effort from ITV with tension-filled moments and genuine shocks and twists, and though it wobbles a bit towards the end and the last episode loses the plot a bit, this is one of the best dramas on TV in 2015 so far and is headlined by the unbeatable force of nature that is Sheridan Smith."

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A final fan shared: "She has her critics, she has her fans, personally I adore Sheridan Smith, and for me she is the standout, I think she's wonderful throughout, she's well supported by Geraldine James, Matthew McNulty and plenty more acting talent.

"It's a good story, it's a topsy-turvy rollercoaster ride, you are made to question and doubt, you are made to wait until the very end."

Black Work is available to stream on ITVX

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