Weekend Buff

Blue Lights (2023-2026)

The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland until 2001. The RUC was hated by the Catholic population as it was correctly seen as a sectarian force of the British Government. It was dissolved after the Police Act of 2000 was passed, establishing the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The new agency was more representative of the population with Catholics and Protestant officers each making up half of the manpower allotment.

Blue Lights (2023- 2026) is a British television drama that portrays policing in Belfast. The first season tells the story of three new recruits in the PSNI. The show struck home to me as I have family in Northern Ireland and have seen the improvements in the area though many visits over the years.

The first season shows the difficulties and problems of policing in Belfast. In many ways these officers face the same challenges of rookies in any large city in the United States. In other ways they have their own unique obstacles.

The three new officers come from different backgrounds, each bringing their own personal stories to the job. They face crimes common to urban policing, severe manpower shortages (the PSNI is much smaller than the RUC), and the internal politics of any police agency. The Belfast rookies also face the specter of sectarian violence, personal threats that have been an ongoing issue since the days of The Troubles, and the mistrust of the public that still lingers from years of oppression.

The Belfast officers in Blue Lights are portrayed as disparate in dedication and competence that you would see in many police agencies. There is some cowardice and corruption on the force, balanced by courage and commitment shown by most of the cops. Rookie mistakes and naïve idealism are on display here as with any new officers around the world.

The show does rely a bit too heavily on typical police tropes that are worn, such as an episode on policing on a full moon night, and the superstition to never say the “Q” word (quiet). It also has some brief glimpses of the typical Hollywood wokeness, but they do not overwhelm the show as we see in many American dramas.

Each Blue Lights episode has an individual theme, but the series maintains the underlying narrative of the fight against an organized crime gang that is plaguing the community. Officers put their lives on the line to combat the gang while trying to pull younger members out of a life of crime. A long-term investigation is progressing, but the street cops begin to doubt the honesty of the investigators.

The series is less action-packed compared to many American police dramas. Not every episode ends with a wild shootout or murder arrest. But from a cop’s perspective, that restraint gives the show credibility. Real policing, especially in places marked by sectarian conflict, is rarely explosive every night. It’s persistent, it’s draining, and it’s complicated. It can go from weeks of calm, to bursts of significant violence. Blue Lights captures that and that’s what makes it a compelling drama.

You can catch Blue Lights on Amazon Prime or Apple TV with a subscription to BritBox. You can get a 7-day free trial to catch the 18 episodes. You can also pay per season for $17 each. This weekend, enjoy a wee bit of Northern Ireland with this well done look at policing across the pond.

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