There are plenty of crime dramas available to stream, but TV fans say one BBC series feels different to anything they have watched recently. It has a modern setting, an international story and a lead character who is pulled into a world he never planned to be part of.

The show also has a strong audience score of 88%. Many people who have watched it say they were surprised by how quickly they got through the episodes. It first aired several years ago but is now being discovered by new viewers on BBC iPlayer. For anyone looking for a crime drama that is tense, detailed and character-driven, this is the one many people recommend.

The series is McMafia. It's a British crime drama that follows Alex Godman, played by James Norton.

He is the son of a former Russian mafia boss who has tried to build a quiet life in London, but events push him back toward the criminal networks his family once knew.

The show is inspired by journalist Misha Glenny's book McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld.

It was created by Hossein Amini and James Watkins and produced by the BBC with AMC Networks and Cuba Pictures.

It aired on BBC One in 2018. Filming took place in locations including London, Croatia, Qatar, Mumbai, Prague, Cairo, Belgrade and Tel Aviv.

The cast includes David Strathairn, Juliet Rylance, Merab Ninidze, Aleksey Serebryakov, Maria Shukshina, Faye Marsay and David Dencik.

Viewer reaction has been extremely positive. One person said: "I don't think I've seen an entire English production like this one.

"And I'm so glad I've seen this one, otherwise, I would have missed a lot. I would like to commend all the actors and the production staff who participated in this series. Job well done. Don't dare miss this one."

Another added: "It's one of the best shows I've seen. It's a masterpiece and completely mesmorises you from the start. It's gripping stuff.

"I have to say that I didn't intend to binge watch the entire 8 episodes, but it just happened."

A third wrote: "Love, love, love. Finally they use actors that can actually speak the language they are supposed to.

"Russians spoke Russian and Israelis spoke Hebrew and so on. It makes it so much more believable and authentic. Acting is superb."

Someone else commented: "Wow! What an amazing series. Carefully crafted story-telling and directing and all-round top notch film-making. Edge of the seat thriller."

All eight episodes of McMafia are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.