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{{Short description|British police procedural TV series (1991–2006)}}
{{for-multi|the American series|Prime Suspect (American TV series)|the police term|Prime suspect|other uses|Prime suspect (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Prime Suspect titles.png
| country              = United Kingdom
| language             = English
| genre                = [[Police procedural]]
| caption              = ''Prime Suspect'' title
| runtime              = 100 minutes
| creator              = [[Lynda La Plante]]
| starring             = [[Helen Mirren]]
| composer             = [[Stephen Warbeck]]
| channel              = [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1991|04|07|df=y}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|2006|10|22|df=y}}
| num_series           = 7
| num_episodes         = 15
| list_episodes        = List of Prime Suspect (British TV series) episodes
| company              = [[ITV Granada|Granada Television]]/[[ITV Studios|ITV Productions]]<br>[[WGBH-TV|WGBH Boston]]
}}

'''''Prime Suspect''''' is a British [[police procedural]] television series devised by [[Lynda La Plante]]. Broadcast on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] between 1991 and 2006, it stars [[Helen Mirren]] as Jane Tennison, one of the first female [[Detective Chief Inspector]]s in [[Greater London]]'s [[Metropolitan Police Service]], who rises to the rank of [[Detective Superintendent]] while confronting institutionalised sexism within the police force.

Mirren won 3 consecutive [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actress#1990s|British Academy Television Awards for Best Actress]] between 1992-94, 2 [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie]], and in 2006, the British public ranked her number 29 in ITV's poll of [[TV's 50 Greatest Stars]].<ref name="ITV poll">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5142726.stm|title=ITV to salute '50 greatest stars'|date=3 July 2006|publisher=[[BBC News]]|access-date=14 March 2025}}</ref>

==Plot==
''Prime Suspect'' focuses on a no-nonsense female Detective Chief Inspector (DCI), Jane Tennison (played by [[Helen Mirren]]), who is an officer in the Metropolitan Police, initially at the fictional [[Southampton Row]] police station.

The series follows her constant battles to prove herself within a male-dominated profession in which many of her colleagues are determined to see her fail, though she has the support of her boss, [[Chief superintendent|Detective Chief Superintendent]] Mike Kernan ([[John Benfield]]), and the loyalty of [[Detective Sergeant]] Richard Haskons ([[Richard Hawley (actor)|Richard Hawley]]).

In later series, Tennison is reassigned to rotating duties, including a vice squad in Soho and a gang squad in Manchester. She is promoted to Detective Superintendent in series 4 and retires from policing at the end of series 7.

==Cast==
===Main cast===
* [[Helen Mirren]] as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, initially of Southampton Row Police Station in Central London, later Detective Superintendent in series 4. Mirren has described Tennison as "extremely directed, ambitious, talented and very uncompromising. Therefore she is deeply frustrated by her job; the way her sex is a barrier."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/primesuspect12345/primesuspect1.html |title=''Masterpiece Theatre: Prime Suspect 1'' |publisher=[[PBS]]|via=pbs.org |access-date=10 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106203416/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/primesuspect12345/primesuspect1.html|archive-date=6 November 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[John Benfield]] as Detective Superintendent Michael Kernan (series 1–4), Tennison's supervisor, later Detective Chief Superintendent
* [[Richard Hawley (actor)|Richard Hawley]] as [[Detective Constable]] Richard Haskons (series 1–4), later Detective Sergeant and Detective Inspector
* [[Tom Bell (actor)|Tom Bell]] as Detective Sergeant Bill Otley (series 1, 3, 7)
* [[Jack Ellis (actor)|Jack Ellis]] as [[Detective Inspector]] Tony Muddyman (series 1–2, 4)
* [[Craig Fairbrass]] as Detective Inspector Frank Burkin (series 1–2)
* [[Mossie Smith]] as [[Constable]] Maureen Havers (series 1, 4)
* [[Ian Fitzgibbon]] as Detective Constable Jones (series 1–2)
* [[Philip Wright (actor)|Philip Wright]] as Detective Constable Lillie (series 1–3)
* [[Andrew Tiernan]] as Detective Constable Rosper (series 1–2)
* [[Gary Whelan]] as Detective Sergeant Terry Amson (series 1)
* [[Stephen Boxer]] as Detective Chief Inspector Thorndike, later Detective Superintendent (series 2–4)
* [[Stafford Gordon]] as Commander Traynor (series 2–4)
* [[Mark Strong]] as Detective Inspector Larry Hall (series 3, 6), later Detective Chief Superintendent in series 6
* [[Robert Pugh]] as Detective Sergeant Alun Simms (series 6–7)

===Supporting cast, including notable guest stars===
{{div col}}
* [[John Forgeham]] as Detective Chief Inspector John Shefford (series 1)
* [[Tom Wilkinson]] as Peter Rawlins (series 1), Tennison's divorced live-in boyfriend
* [[Zoë Wanamaker]] as Moyra Hanson (series 1), George Marlow's common law wife
* [[Ralph Fiennes]] as Michael (series 1)
* [[John Bowe (actor)|John Bowe]] as George Marlow (series 1)
* [[Maxine Audley]] as Doris Marlow (series 1) 
* [[Colin Salmon]] as Detective Sergeant Bob Oswalde (series 2)
* [[George Harris (actor)|George Harris]] as Vernon Allen (series 2)
* [[Lloyd McGuire]] as Sergeant Calder (series 2)
* [[Peter Capaldi]] as Vera/Vernon Reynolds (series 3)
* [[Andrew Woodall]] as Detective Inspector Brian Dalton (series 3)
* [[David Thewlis]] as James Jackson (series 3)
* [[James Frain]] as Jason Baldwin (series 3), an adult child abuse victim
* [[Struan Rodger]] as Superintendent Halliday (series 3)
* [[Chris Fairbank]] as Detective Chief Inspector David Lyall (series 3)
* [[Ciarán Hinds]] as Edward Parker-Jones (series 3), the manager of a community centre
* [[Kelly Hunter]] as Jessica Smithy (series 3), a reporter
* [[Jonny Lee Miller]] as Anthony Field (series 3), an adult victim of child abuse 
* Mark Drewry as Detective Inspector Ray Hebdon (series 3)
* [[Danny Dyer]] as Martin Fletcher (series 3), a homeless street boy
* Jeremy Colton as David Driscoll (series 3)
* [[Stuart Wilson (actor)|Stuart Wilson]] as Dr Patrick Schofield (series 4), a psychologist whom Tennison consults, and then dates
* [[Anthony Daniels]] as a pathologist (series 4)
* [[Sophie Stanton]] as Detective Sergeant Christine Cromwell (series 4)
* [[Beatie Edney]] as Susan Covington (series 4), a young mother whose child is kidnapped
* [[Robert Glenister]] as Chris Hughes (series 4)
* [[Lesley Sharp]] as Anne Sutherland (series 4)
* [[Jill Baker]] as Maria Henry (series 4), a lawyer
* [[Kelly Reilly]] as Polly Henry (series 4), Maria's daughter
* [[Christopher Fulford]] as Detective Chief Inspector Tom Mitchell (series 4)
* [[Tim Woodward]] as George Marlow (series 4)
* [[Joyce Redman]] as Doris Marlow (series 4)
* [[David Ryall]] as Oscar Bream (series 2,4)
* [[Marc Warren]] as Detective Constable Andy Dyson (series 4)
* [[Steven Mackintosh]] as Clive Norton {{aka}} "The Street" (series 5)
* [[David O'Hara]] as Detective Sergeant Gerry Rankine (series 5)
* [[Marsha Thomason]] as Janice Lafferty (series 5)
* Ray Emmet Brown as Michael Johns (series 5)
* [[John McArdle]] as Detective Chief Superintendent Ballinger (series 5)
* Julia Lane as Detective Inspector Claire Devanney (series 5)
* [[Liam Cunningham]] as Robert West (series 6)
* [[Ben Miles]] as Detective Chief Inspector Simon Finch (series 6)
* [[Sam Hazeldine]] as Detective Constable David Butcher (series 6)
* [[Barnaby Kay]] as Detective Constable Michael Philips (series 6)
* [[Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė]] as Jasmina Blekic (series 6)
* [[Tanya Moodie]] as Detective Constable Lorna Grieves (series 6)
* [[Velibor Topic]] as Dusan Zigic (series 6)
* [[Oleg Menshikov]] as Milan Lukic/Dragan Yankovich (series 6)
* [[Clare Holman]] as Mrs Lukic (series 6)
* [[Frank Finlay]] as Arnold Tennison (series 6)
* [[Phoebe Nicholls]] as Shaw (series 6)
* Rad Lazar as Kasim Ibrahimovic (series 6)
* [[Gary Lewis (actor)|Gary Lewis]] as Tony Sturdy (series 7)
* [[Stephen Tompkinson]] as Sean Philips (series 7)
* [[Laura Greenwood]] as Penny Philips (series 7)
* [[Eve Best]] as Linda Philips (series 7)
* [[Brendan Coyle]] as DCS Mitchell (series 7)
* [[Robbie Gee]] as Detective Inspector Traynor (series 7)
* [[Ellie Kendrick]] as Melanie (series 7)
* Russell Mabey as Detective Inspector Cox (series 7)
* [[Carolyn Pickles]] as Pauline Hammond (series 7)
{{div col end}}

== Episodes ==
{{Main|List of Prime Suspect (British TV series) episodes}}
{{:List of Prime Suspect (British TV series) episodes}}

==Concept and development==
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2018}}

===Themes===
The first series features [[sexism]] in the workplace as a significant subplot and a barrier to the investigation. Sequels have tended to downplay this theme, relying on straight procedure or on other subplots, such as [[institutional racism]] in ''Prime Suspect 2'' or [[child sexual abuse]] and [[prostitution]] in ''Prime Suspect 3'', but they continue to demonstrate the determination of some of Tennison's male peers and those in upper echelons to see her fail.

Tennison's difficulty in achieving a balance between her work and her life outside the job, and her difficulty in maintaining stable relationships, are recurring themes within the series. Towards the end of ''Prime Suspect 3'' she arranges to have her pregnancy terminated. As the series progresses, she increasingly relies on alcohol to help her cope. This culminates in the final episode of the series in her attending meetings of [[Alcoholics Anonymous]], where she finally acknowledges and confronts her addiction.

===Setting===
''Prime Suspect'' is set mostly in London and surrounding areas, but series 5 is set in Manchester.

===Production===
Every series of ''Prime Suspect'' except series 4 follows a single case and runs around 3{{frac|1|2}} hours (excluding commercials). It has usually been shown in two or four parts. ''Prime Suspect 4'' is an exception at slightly over five hours, with three separate cases.

The first five series were produced annually from 1991 to 1996, until Mirren left the role, supposedly to avoid typecasting (according to a [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] interview). She returned to play the character in 2003 and again in 2006.

''Prime Suspect'' was produced by [[ITV Granada|Granada Television]] for the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] network. Series four to seven were co-produced by [[WGBH-TV|WGBH Boston]] for its ''[[Masterpiece Mystery]]'' anthology series.

===Music===
The first five series were scored by the [[Academy Award]]-winning composer [[Stephen Warbeck]], who was nominated for a [[BAFTA TV Award]] for ''Prime Suspect'' series one. Rob Lane composed the music for Series 6. [[Nicholas Hooper]] won a [[BAFTA TV Award]] for his score for Series 7.

==Reception and impact==
''Prime Suspect'' was voted 68th in the list of [[100 Greatest British Television Programmes]] as compiled by a poll given by the [[British Film Institute]], and in 2007 it was listed as one of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME''."<ref name="Time 100">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1651341_1659192_1652529,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028100904/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1651341_1659192_1652529,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 October 2007 |title=The 100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME'' |first=James |last=Poniewozik |author-link=James Poniewozik |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=4 March 2010 | date=6 September 2007}}</ref> The series has won multiple [[BAFTA Awards]], [[Emmy Awards]], and a [[Peabody Award]].

===Awards and nominations===
''Prime Suspect'' won the [[BAFTA TV Award]] for Best Drama Serial over ''[[G.B.H. (TV series)|G.B.H.]]'' in 1991.<ref name="baftagate">{{cite news|title=Confusion becomes the BAFTA prime suspect|first=Melinda|last=Wittstock|work=[[The Times]] |location=London |date=8 April 1992|page=1}}</ref> Afterwards, four of the seven voting members of the jury raised a discrepancy to jury chairperson [[Irene Shubik]],<ref name="baftagate2">{{cite news|title='Fibs' slur incenses BAFTA award judges|first=Melinda|last=Wittstock|work=The Times |location=London |date=2 May 1992|page=18}}</ref> and later signed a public statement declaring that they had voted for ''G.B.H.'' to win.<ref name="baftagate"/> BAFTA Chairman Richard Price stated that the ballot papers passed on to him by Shubik had shown four votes for ''Prime Suspect'' and three for ''G.B.H.''<ref name="baftagate"/> Price claimed that the ballot papers could not be recounted as they had subsequently been destroyed.<ref name="baftagate2"/> ''Prime Suspect'' won Best Drama Serial once more for series three, and was nominated four other times.<ref name="BAFTA">{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/keyword-search?keywords=prime+suspect|title=BAFTA Awards Search: ''Prime Suspect''|publisher=[[BAFTA TV Awards]]|via=awards.bafta.org|access-date=10 September 2018}}</ref> The series won the [[Primetime Emmy Award]] for Outstanding Miniseries three times, and was nominated twice more.<ref name="Emmy">{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominations/award-search?search_api_views_fulltext=Prime%20Suspect&submit=Search&field_celebrity_details_field_display_name=&field_show_details_field_nominee_show_nr_title=&field_show_details_field_network=All&field_show_details_field_production_company=All&field_nominations_year=1949-01-01%2000%3A00%3A00&field_nominations_year_1=2018-01-01%2000%3A00%3A00&field_award_category=All&page=1|title=Awards Search: ''Prime Suspect''|work=Television Academy |publisher=[[Emmy Awards]]|access-date=10 September 2018|via=emmys.com}}</ref>

Mirren won three [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actress|BAFTA TV Awards for Best Actress]] for the role, and has been nominated three other times.<ref name="BAFTA"/> She won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie]] twice, with four additional nominations.<ref name="Emmy"/>

''Prime Suspect 3'' was awarded a [[Peabody Award]] in 1993 for its realistic scenes and dialogue.<ref name="Peabody">{{cite web |url=http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/mystery-prime-suspect|title=''Mystery! Prime Suspect'' (1993)|publisher=[[Peabody Awards]]|access-date=10 September 2018|via=peabodywards.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.libs.uga.edu/darchive/peabody/peabody.html|title=Peabody Awards Archives|via=libs.uga.edu|access-date=10 September 2018}}</ref> Writer/creator [[Lynda La Plante]] received an [[Edgar Award]] from the [[Mystery Writers of America]] for series one in the category of Best TV Feature or Miniseries. The following year, [[Allan Cubitt]] won in the same category for series two. ''Prime Suspect'' was later nominated for series three and six.<ref name="Edgars">{{cite web |url=http://theedgars.com/awards/ |title=Search the Edgars Database: ''Prime Suspect''|publisher=[[Edgar Awards]]|access-date=10 September 2018|via=theedgars.com}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable style="width:100%"
! Series
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! {{abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
| rowspan=13 |Series 1 (1991)
| rowspan=9 |[[British Academy Television Awards]]
| [[British Academy Television Award for Best Mini-Series|Best Drama Serial]]
| [[Christopher Menaul]], [[Lynda La Plante]], [[Don Leaver]]
| {{won}}
| rowspan=9 align="center" |<ref name="BAFTA"/>
|-
| rowspan=2 |[[British Academy Television Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| [[Helen Mirren]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Zoe Wanamaker]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[Tom Bell (actor)|Tom Bell]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Editing: Fiction|Best Film or Video Editor – Fiction]]
| Edward Mansell
| {{won}}
|-
| [[British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Photography & Lighting: Fiction|Best Film or Video Photography – Fiction]]
| Ken Morgan
| {{won}}
|-
| [[British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Sound: Fiction|Best Sound – Fiction]]
| Ray French, Brian Saunders, John Rutherford, Paul Griffiths-Davies
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Production Design|Best Design]]
| Roy Stonehouse
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Original Music|Best Original Television Music]]
| [[Stephen Warbeck]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Edgar Awards]]
| Best TV Feature or Miniseries
| Lynda La Plante
| {{won}}
| align=center |<ref name="Edgars"/>
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[Royal Television Society Programme Awards|Royal Television Society Awards]]
| Best Single Drama
| ''Prime Suspect''
| {{won}}
| rowspan="3" align=center| <ref>{{Cite web |date=February 2011 |title=Awards Archive |url=https://rts.org.uk/sites/default/files/file/PDF%27s/Awards/Awards_Archive_February_2011.pdf |access-date=11 March 2022 |website=[[Royal Television Society]] }}</ref>
|-
| Performance Award
| Helen Mirren
| {{won}}
|-
| Writer's Award
| Lynda La Plante
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=7 |Series 2 (1992)
| rowspan=4 |[[British Academy Television Awards]]
| Best Drama Serial
| Paul Marcus, John Strickland, [[Allan Cubitt]]
| {{nom}}
| rowspan=4 align=center |<ref name="BAFTA"/>
|-
| Best Actress
| Helen Mirren
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Film or Video Editor – Fiction
| Edward Mansell
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Sound – Fiction
| Nick Steer, John Rutherford, John Thomas, John Senior, Jaquie Ophir, John Whitworth
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=2 |[[45th Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy Awards]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series|Outstanding Miniseries]]
| [[Sally Head]], [[Paul Marcus]]
| {{won}}
| rowspan=2 align=center |<ref name="Emmy"/>
|-
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special]]
| Helen Mirren
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Edgar Awards]]
| Best TV Feature or Miniseries
| Allan Cubitt
| {{won}}
| align=center |<ref name="Edgars"/>
|-
| rowspan=9 |Series 3 (1993)
| rowspan=4 |[[British Academy Television Awards]]
| Best Drama Serial
| Paul Marcus, David Drury, Lynda La Plante
| {{won}}
| rowspan=4 align=center |<ref name="BAFTA"/>
|-
| Best Actress
| Helen Mirren
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Film or Video Editor – Fiction
| Edward Mansell
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Design
| Chris Truelove
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[46th Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy Awards]]
| Outstanding Miniseries
| Sally Head, Paul Marcus
| {{won}}
| rowspan=3 align=center |<ref name="Emmy"/>
|-
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special
| Helen Mirren
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special|Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or Special]]
| Lynda La Plante
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Peabody Award]]
| ''Prime Suspect''
| {{won}}
| align=center |<ref name="Peabody"/>
|-
| [[Edgar Awards]]
| Best TV Feature or Miniseries
| Lynda La Plante
| {{nom}}
| align=center |<ref name="Edgars"/>
|-
| rowspan=5 |Series 4 (1995)
| rowspan=4 |[[British Academy Television Awards]]
| [[British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series|Best Drama Series]]
| Paul Marcus
| {{nom}}
| rowspan=4 align=center |<ref name="BAFTA"/>
|-
| Best Actress
| Helen Mirren
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Photography & Lighting: Fiction|Photography and Lighting – Fiction]]
| David Odd
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Sound – Fiction/Entertainment
| Nick Steer, John Rutherford, John Senior, John Whitworth
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[48th Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy Awards]]
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special
| Helen Mirren {{small|(for "Scent of Darkness")}}
| {{won}}
| align=center |<ref name="Emmy"/>
|-
| rowspan=3 |Series 5 (1996)
| [[British Academy Television Awards]]
| Best Actress
| Helen Mirren
| {{nom}}
| align=center |<ref name="BAFTA"/>
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[49th Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy Awards]]
| Outstanding Miniseries
| Gub Neal, [[Rebecca Eaton]], Lynn Horsford
| {{won}}
| rowspan=2 align=center |<ref name="Emmy"/>
|-
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special
| Helen Mirren
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=9 |Series 6 (2003)
| rowspan=2 |[[2004 British Academy Television Awards|British Academy Television Awards]]
| Best Drama Serial
| David Boulter, Peter Berry, Tom Hooper
| {{nom}}
| rowspan=4 align=center |<ref name="BAFTA"/>
|-
| Best Actress
| Helen Mirren
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[2004 British Academy Television Craft Awards|British Academy Television Craft Awards]]
| [[British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Editing: Fiction|Editing – Fiction/Entertainment]]
| St John O'Rorke
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Sound – Fiction/Entertainment
| Simon Okin, Ben Baird, Nick Roberts
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[56th Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy Awards]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series|Outstanding Miniseries or Movie]]
| David Boulter, Rebecca Eaton, Andy Harries
| {{nom}}
| rowspan=3 align=center |<ref name="Emmy"/>
|-
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
| Helen Mirren
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries Movie or a Dramatic Special]]
| Tom Hooper
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Edgar Awards]]
| Best TV Feature or Miniseries
| Peter Berry
| {{nom}}
| align=center |<ref name="Edgars"/>
|-
| [[Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards]]
| Make Up Design - Drama
| David Myers
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-craft-and-design-winners-2004|title=CRAFT & DESIGN AWARDS 2004|website=[[Royal Television Society]]|date=24 January 2011 |accessdate=8 February 2023}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan=12 |Series 7 (2006)
| [[2007 British Academy Television Awards|British Academy Television Awards]]
| Best Drama Serial
| Andrew Benson, Philip Martin, Frank Deasy, Andy Harries
| {{nom}}
| rowspan=4 align=center |<ref name="BAFTA"/>
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[2007 British Academy Television Craft Awards|British Academy Television Craft Awards]]
| [[British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Writer: Drama|Best Writing]]
| Frank Deasy
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Original Music
| [[Nicholas Hooper]]
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Editing – Fiction/Entertainment
| Trevor Waite
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=4 | [[59th Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy Awards]]
| Outstanding Miniseries or Movie
| Andrew Benson, Philip Martin, Frank Deasy, Andy Harries
| {{nom}}
| rowspan=4 align=center |<ref name="Emmy"/>
|-
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
| Helen Mirren
| {{won}}
|-
| Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie
| Frank Deasy
| {{won}}
|-
| Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie
| Philip Martin
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[64th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film|Best Miniseries or Television Film]]
| Andrew Benson, Philip Martin, Frank Deasy, Andy Harries
| {{nom}}
| rowspan=2 align=center |<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/tv-show/prime-suspect-final-act |title=Golden Globe Awards for ''Prime Suspect: The Final Act''|publisher=[[Golden Globe Awards]]|access-date=10 September 2018|via=goldenglobes.com}}</ref>
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film|Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film]]
| Helen Mirren
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Royal Television Society Programme Awards|Royal Television Society Awards]]
| Drama Serial
| ''Prime Suspect''
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="2" align=center| <ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-03-16 |title=Royal Television Society - Latest news |url=http://www.rts.org.uk/Information_page_+_3_pic_det.asp?id=5726 |access-date=2022-03-04 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070316100816/http://www.rts.org.uk/Information_page_+_3_pic_det.asp?id=5726 |archive-date=16 March 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| Best Actor - Female
| Helen Mirren
| {{won}}
|-
|}

===Influence on other programmes===
Many observers have viewed ''Prime Suspect'' as the inspiration for female characters in American TV series, particularly noting strong similarities between this series in general—and the character of Jane Tennison in particular—and the later American series ''[[The Closer]]'', starring [[Kyra Sedgwick]] in the role of Deputy Chief of Police Brenda Leigh Johnson. Critics noted the similarities between the series in a stronger way during the first seasons of ''The Closer'', with one 2006 article in ''USA Today'' calling ''The Closer'' "an unofficial Americanization" of the British series,<ref>{{cite web|last=Bianco |first=Robert |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2006-06-11-closer-saved_x.htm |title=Call 911 for TNT's 'Saved'; 'Closer' still beats strong  |work=[[USA Today]] |date=12 June 2006 |access-date=2012-11-17}}</ref> and a later reviewer noting that, "When ''The Closer'' was first shown, critics were quick to compare it to ''Prime Suspect''...[and] there's something in that...."<ref>{{cite news|last=Bernhard |first=Brendan |url=http://www.nysun.com/arts/who-needs-david-caruso/56841/ |title=Who Needs David Caruso? |newspaper=[[The New York Sun]] |date=19 June 2007 |access-date=2012-11-17}}</ref>

In interviews Sedgwick has acknowledged that ''The Closer'' owes "a debt" to ''Prime Suspect'', and that her admiration for that show and for Mirren were factors that first interested her in the role.<ref>{{cite web |first=Hal| last=Boedeker |url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/tvguy/2007/07/25/kyra-sedgwick-t/ |title=Kyra Sedgwick: ''The Closer'' owes a debt to ''Prime Suspect'', but don't look for 'my idol' Helen Mirren on the show |newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|publisher=[[Tronc]]|location=Orlando, Florida|date=25 July 2007 |access-date=13 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907233530/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/tvguy/2007/07/25/kyra-sedgwick-t/ |archive-date=7 September 2015 }}</ref> According to Sedgwick, ''Prime Suspect'' was one of the shows that "paved the way" for ''The Closer'',<ref>{{cite news|first=Neda|last=Ulaby |author-link=Neda Ulaby|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128414212 |title=Power Player: Kyra Sedgwick Returns In ''The Closer'' |publisher=NPR |work=NPR Morning Edition |date=12 July 2010 |access-date=17 November 2012}}</ref> and her manager got her interested in the series by saying that it was "a little bit like ''Prime Suspect''."<ref>{{cite news|first=James |last=Poniewozik|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1647464,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307122436/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1647464,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 March 2008 |title=Antiheroine Chic |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |publisher=[[Meredith Corporation]]|location=New York City|date=26 July 2007 |access-date=17 November 2012}}</ref><ref>[http://www.fancast.com/tv/The-Closer/1813/966634443/The-Closer---James-Duff-And-Kyra-Sedgwick-On-Recruiting-Kyra/videos Taped interview with Kyra Sedgwick, along with other cast members and creators of ''The Closer'', Fancast.com.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317043141/http://www.fancast.com/tv/The-Closer/1813/966634443/The-Closer---James-Duff-And-Kyra-Sedgwick-On-Recruiting-Kyra/videos |date=17 March 2009 }}</ref> Sedgwick is quoted as saying that the Tennison character did become her inspiration in some ways for her portrayal of Brenda Leigh Johnson.<ref>{{cite web|last=Heffernan |first=Virginia |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/10/arts/television/10clos.html |title=''The Closer''{{'}}s Kyra Sedgwick, a Study in Nuance |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |location=new York City|date=10 July 2006 |access-date=17 November 2012}}</ref>

Reviewers in American papers, including the ''[[Christian Science Monitor]]'', have noted that ''The Closer'', while not a direct remake of the British series, "owes" much to it,<ref>{{cite web|first=Gloria |last=Goodale |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0712/The-Closer-opened-doors-for-women-and-for-basic-cable |title=''The Closer'' opened doors for women – and for basic cable |newspaper=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |date=12 July 2010 |access-date=2012-11-17}}</ref> or that it "echoes many of the elements" of it.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stanley |first=Alessandra |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/10/arts/television/10susp.html |title=Swan Song for a Tough Old Bird |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=10 November 2006 |access-date=2012-11-17}}</ref> One ''The New York Times'' article refers to ''The Closer'' as a "direct descendant" of ''Prime Suspect'', although less hard-hitting than the original:

{{blockquote|There is one show, however, that is a direct descendant, however different its tone might be: ''The Closer'', on which Kyra Sedgwick’s Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson obsesses over her cases, tramples feelings and battles the old-boy network. Her vice, however, is candy; no booze or one-night stands. If you want the hard stuff, you need to head back to ''Prime Suspect''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hale |first=Mike |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/arts/television/05prime.html |title=A Complete Look at a Complex Character |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=3 September 2010 |access-date=2012-11-17}}</ref>}}

Other reviewers have also made the point that the differences between Tennison and Johnson are as important as their similarities:

{{blockquote|But then there's the locker-room pissiness of her [Johnson's] all-male department, which she navigates like an estrogen version of ''Prime Suspect''{{'s}} Jane Tennison. (That's not a running gag error, either: Sedgwick plays Johnson as if her toughness, intelligence and wit blossomed naturally from her Southern femininity, whereas Helen Mirren plays the dogged Tennison as if womanhood were a liability.)<ref>{{cite web|last=Abele |first=Robert |url=http://www.laweekly.com/2005-06-23/film-tv/wounded-souls/ |title=Wounded Souls |publisher=LAweekly.com |date=23 June 2005 |access-date=13 June 2014}}</ref>}}

[[NBC]] picked up [[Prime Suspect (American TV series)|an adaptation]] of the British series for the 2011–2012 season.<ref>{{cite web|last=Seidman|first=Robert|title=NBC Announces Fall Premiere Dates – ''Chuck'', ''Grimm'' Premiere 21 October; Early Premiere for ''Parenthood''|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/07/06/nbc-announces-fall-premiere-dates-chuck-grimm-premiere-october-2-early-premiere-for-parenthood/97330/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709194646/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/07/06/nbc-announces-fall-premiere-dates-chuck-grimm-premiere-october-2-early-premiere-for-parenthood/97330/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 July 2011 |publisher=[[TV by the Numbers]] |date=6 July 2011|access-date=10 September 2018}}</ref> It was taken off the schedule after 13 episodes were produced.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2011/11/nbc-unveils-midseason-schedule-moves-whitney-up-all-night-rock-center-harrys-law-194918/|title=NBC To Give ''Harry's Law'' Full-Season Order; ''Prime Suspect'' Gone?|access-date=10 September 2018|date=14 November 2011|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie}}</ref>

===Spoofs===
In 1997, a short spoof episode ''Prime Cracker'' was produced for the [[BBC]]'s biennial [[Red Nose Day]] charity [[telethon]] in aid of [[Comic Relief (charity)|Comic Relief]]. A [[Crossover (fiction)|crossover]] with ITV stablemate crime drama ''[[Cracker (British TV series)|Cracker]]'', the spoof starred Mirren and ''Cracker'' lead [[Robbie Coltrane]] as their characters from the respective series, sending up the perceived ultra-seriousness of both shows.

''[[Dead Ringers (series)|Dead Ringers]]'' featured a parody with Queen [[Elizabeth II]] in the lead role, as a reaction to Helen Mirren's portrayal of her in the 2006 film ''[[The Queen (2006 film)|The Queen]]''.

==Prequel series==
{{Main|Prime Suspect 1973}}
A six-part prequel, ''[[Prime Suspect 1973]]'', was announced in 2015 by [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]], based on the book ''Tennison'' by [[Lynda La Plante]], adapted by Glen Laker. It tells the story of a 22-year-old Jane Tennison as a probationary WPC in [[Hackney, London]], investigating her first murder case.<ref>{{cite web|title=''Prime Suspect'' prequel sees return of Jane Tennison on ITV|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jun/18/prime-suspect-prequel-sees-return-of-jane-tennison-on-itv|website=[[The Guardian]]|date=18 June 2015|access-date=20 August 2015}}</ref> The series began airing on 2 March 2017. The role of Tennison is played by [[Stefanie Martini]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Tennison cast list: Stefanie Martini to play the young Jane Tennison in ''Prime Suspect'' prequel|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-07-18/doctor-thorne-star-stefanie-martini-to-play-the-young-jane-tennison-in-prime-suspect-prequel|website=[[Radio Times]]|access-date=18 July 2016}}</ref> In June 2017, ITV confirmed that the series had not been recommissioned for a second series.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a831313/prime-suspect-1973-wont-return-itv/|title=Prime Suspect 1973 won't return for a second series|date=2017-06-21|work=[[Digital Spy]]|access-date=2017-06-22|language=en}}</ref>

==Home media==
On 1 October 2013, [[Netflix]] made the Series 1–6 available online for streaming.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/10/whats-new-on-netflix-this-month-october-2013.html |title=What's New on Netflix Streaming This Month: October 2013 |author=Cruz, Gilbert |date=1 October 2013 |work=[[vulture.com]] |access-date=2 October 2013}}</ref> On 27 August 2013, Acorn Media released the entire series in a seven-disc [[Blu-ray Disc]] set. Each disc contains the individual programme, upscaled to 1080p HD and converted to 16:9 Widescreen (apart from season 4 episode 1 which remains in 4:3 aspect ratio). Bonus material includes a 50-minute behind-the-scenes special, a 23-minute ''Series 6'' behind-the-scenes featurette, a photo gallery and cast filmographies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Prime-Suspect-Complete-Collection/18543 |title=Prime Suspect – Blu-ray Disc Release of the 'Complete Collection' Starring Helen Mirren |author=Lambert, David |date=6 June 2013 |work=[[TVShowsOnDVD.com]] |access-date=19 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610104542/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Prime-Suspect-Complete-Collection/18543 |archive-date=10 June 2013 }}</ref>

The DVD format of the series was released in 2010 by ITV Studios/Global entertainment. It has an overall running time of 1,437 minutes approximately, and encompasses ten discs, with each Series set on one disc except the triple-episode Series 4, which is set over three discs. As with the Blu-ray production, the final disc contains a Behind-the-Scenes of Series 7.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/493056/index.html ''Prime Suspect''] at the [[British Film Institute]]'s [[Screenonline]]
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q1518758|0098898}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''Prime Suspect''
|list =
{{EmmyAward Limited Series}}
{{Producers Guild of America Award for Best Long-Form Television}}
{{TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials}}
}}
{{Lynda La Plante}}

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