Waking the Dead (TV series)

Waking the Dead is a British television police procedural crime drama series, produced by the BBC, that ran for nine series from 2000 to 2011. The series focuses on a Cold Case unit of the London Metropolitan Police Service tasked with reinvestigating unsolved murders, rapes, and other serious crimes.

The core team is led by Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd, a driven and often abrasive officer, who frequently butts heads with his colleagues. The team utilizes forensic science, particularly forensic psychology and profiling, to uncover new evidence and re-examine old clues that were previously overlooked.

Key elements of the show include the complex and often troubled personalities of the team members, their dedication to justice for the victims and their families, and the intricate and psychologically challenging nature of the cold cases they investigate. Each episode typically spans two parts, focusing on a single case.

Recurring themes within the series include the ethical dilemmas faced by the team in their pursuit of justice, the long-lasting impact of crime on victims' families, and the psychological toll that working on such disturbing cases takes on the investigators. The show is notable for its gritty realism, its focus on character development, and its exploration of the dark side of human nature.