Karen Pirie
Season 1 Premiere:
Sep 25, 2022
Metascore
Generally Favorable
76
User score
Generally Favorable
6.6
My Score
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All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
76
85% Positive
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
15% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Oct 2, 2025
80
Karen Pirie continues to be a refreshing detective series because of its enthusiastic main character and format that really lets the show’s writers dig into the characters both past and present.
Jul 21, 2025
80
While 90-minute episodes may arguably be too long for this sort of show, it's hard to deny that they're excellently structured here, and that the season as a whole never outstays its welcome.
Oct 25, 2022
80
Karen Pirie is a pretty straightforward entry in the genre of British/Scottish police mysteries. But the first season presents a solid, twisty case and the title character is refreshingly young and not grizzled. Those two factors make the show an engaging watch.
Oct 24, 2022
80
It’s quite smart, but the best thing might be to just ignore all of that stuff anyway and concentrate on McDermid’s tightly plotted story.
Oct 24, 2022
80
Despite appearing to retread old ground of the murder of a young woman who was on her way home, Karen Pirie, with its distinctly female-driven lens, feels relevant and self-aware, with an understanding of the effects of trauma that is not always catered for by this kind of show.
Oct 24, 2022
70
Karen's search for answers leads to one of the most dramatic climaxes I've seen since Broadchurch. [24 Oct - 6 Nov 2022, p.7]
Jul 21, 2025
60
Three two-hour episodes drag it out when it could have been done more satisfyingly in half that time, and the quality drops off. There were also points in the middle where I had to keep reminding myself who the supporting characters were.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.6
70% Positive
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
9% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
22% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
Oct 27, 2022
10
Great series. Much less paint by numbers than the usual BBC crime drama, with a bit of humor squeezed in. After a bit, it's not that difficult to guess who the culprit will be in the end, but it's a lot of fun and it's quite clever how it gets there. Well worth the watch.
Oct 28, 2022
8
Excellent story. Well acted, Ms Lyle did an excellent job of being a normal, hard working, intelligent officer. Pace moved along nicely. A bit of typical UK social propaganda, but not much and wasn't dwelled on much so it could be ignored. All in all we'd give it a: "well worth watching."
Production Company:
- ITV - Independent Television
- World Productions
Initial Release Date:Sep 25, 2022
Number of seasons:2 Seasons
Rating:TV-14
Awards
BAFTA Awards, Scotland
• 2 Wins & 4 Nominations
Broadcast Awards, UK
• 1 Nomination
Edgar Allan Poe Awards
• 1 Nomination
