Finding your next obsession
Finding your next obsession

Strangers is a 1978–82 ITV police procedural created and principally written by Murray Smith, based on characters created by Kenneth Royce in his novel series and subsequent 1977–78 television adaptation The XYY Man. Don Henderson and Dennis Blanch reprise their roles, respectively, of Detective Sergeant (DS) George Bulman and Detective Constable (DC) Derek Willis. A group of police officers are brought together from across the country to the north of England. There, the fact that they're not well-known gives them the advantage to infiltrate where a more familiar local detective could not. Despite being based around a comparatively small team of detectives, a regular feature in its early years is that few episodes feature the entire team, with most using just two or three regulars in any major role.
LUXEN Decision Guide
A tension-led series where questions, pressure, investigation, or shifting trust can keep the story moving from episode to episode.
Best fit
Who it is for
Best suited to viewers who want an ongoing hook and a reason to keep watching the next episode.
Commitment
Long-form commitment · 5 seasons
Use the season and episode count to judge how much time you want to invest.
Start here
Read the synopsis.
Read the synopsis first, then decide whether the longer arc is worth the commitment.
The series

7 episodes
1978

5 episodes
1979

7 episodes
1980

6 episodes
1981

7 episodes
1982
Cast
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