Netflix viewers will soon get the chance to watch Sherlock star Amanda Abbington in Cuffs – the Brighton-set police drama that caused a stir when it was axed after just one series.
Originally airing on BBC One back in 2015, the show was created by Julie Gearey, the writer behind hits like Prisoners’ Wives and Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Rather than focusing solely on crime-of-the-week cases, Cuffs dug into the messy, often chaotic personal lives of the officers themselves.
Netflix has been quietly stacking its library with standout British dramas lately, from Responsible Child to its follow-up Adolesence, and Cuffs is the latest to join the lineup.
Here’s what you need to know about its arrival on the platform, who stars in it, and the storylines that kept fans hooked.
Why was Cuffs axed? Is there a series 2?
BBC One dropped Cuffs after just one series. While it got decent reviews, the ratings apparently weren’t high enough to convince the BBC to order more. Understandably, its fans and the cast were disappointed by the decision.
Strictly star Amanda Abbington wrote at the time on social media: “End of an era. And we are all gutted. Thanks to a wonderful cast, crew and fans. No series two. Sad day.”
Star Ashley Walters told Digital Spy he was “upset” by the decision. “They were dropping Cuffs to make way for new drama and I thought Cuffs was a new drama. So I don’t know what the ins and outs of it were but to be honest, the way I work, I just like to keep it moving.”
What is Cuffs about?
If you’re old enough to have enjoyed classic ITV show The Bill, then you’ll understand a bit about the format of Cuffs. It follows a group of cops and we get to know them well. As well as you can in one series, anyway.
There are serious cases, like an incident involving an elderly farmer’s wife and a shot gun. But Cuffs also highlights the funnier side of policing. So, we see the cops trying to deal with naturists fighting on the beach!
Writer Julie Gearey at the time of release promised the show has a lot of action. “There’s stunts, there’s car chases, there’s fights,” she said.
She also revealed that she spent two years gathering material for Cuffs. She said: “I researched the series by talking to serving officers. And we also did ride-alongs with them, took them to the pub, got them drunk, got them to tell all their best stories.”
Amanda Abbington leads the cast of Cuffs on Netflix
Amanda Abbington, best known for playing Watson’s wife Mary in Sherlock, plays lead character DS Jo Moffat. At the time, Amanda described Jo as being a “really good CID officer”.
But divorced Jo is secretly having an affair with Robert, her Chief Superintendent. “She’s having an affair with the chief, which is a terrible, terrible thing, and she hates it,” explained Amanda. “It’s doing her no good, and she feels really bad about it.”
But she does have a good relationship with Carl, a detective constable. The pair are great friends.
Following Cuffs, Amanda has been seen in multiple series including Desperate Measures, The Family Pile and Inside No. 9. She also took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2023, but left under a cloud. She subsequently accused Giovanni Pernice of abuse.
Ashley Walters is PC Ryan Draper
Ashley Walters plays PC Ryan Draper, who’s in charge of mentoring new rookie cop Jake. Jake happens to be the Chief Super’s son, but Ryan doesn’t let that stop him from putting Jake in his place. At home, Ryan is a single dad to his two children.
Ashley said at the time he was attracted to Cuffs because it showed cops as human beings with personal lives. “They’re not just robots that go out there, catch criminals and put them in jail,” he said.
Ashley added that Ryan was quite different to the gangsters and bad boys he normally played. He said that Ryan tries to do everything by the book. “He’s one of those guys that finds it really hard to have fun, and to let himself go.”
Ashley is best known for playing drug dealer Dushane in Top Boy. He also recently played DI Luke Bascombe in Adolescence, one of the best series on Netflix right now.
Who else is in the cast of Cuffs?
- SAS Rogue Heroes’ Jacob Ifan is PC Jake Vickers.
- The Day of the Jackal’s Eleanor Matsuura is PC Donna Prager.
- Emmerdale’s Alex Carter is Lino Moretti.
- Changing Ends star Shaun Dooley is PC Carl Hawkins.
- Poldark’s Peter Sullivan is Chief Superintendent Robert Vickers.
- Motherland’s Paul Ready is DI Felix Kane.
- Extraordinary’s Robbie Gee is PC Inspector Graham Webb.
- Coronation Street’s Bhavna Limbachia is PC Misha Baig.
- Passenger’s Claire Burt is Debbie Vickers.
- Viewpoint’s Andrew Hawley is Simon Reddington.
Reviews for Cuffs on Netflix
Despite being axed after just one series, Cuffs received some decent reviews. It was far from being acclaimed, but people did generally like it.
The Guardian said that although there were too many cases going on at once it was “bright and breezy”. It concluded that Cuffs was a nice alternative to all the grim cop dramas out there.
The Independent praised Amanda Abbington’s acting but thought Cuffs was a “bit soapy”. But if you like soaps – and millions do! – then you will see this as a good thing!
However, The Daily Mail gave it a terrible review. The critic felt the show’s jokes fell flat and that the plots failed to “mean anything”.
Cuffs on Netflix is most likely to appeal if you’re after a lighter cop drama.
What’s the release date for Cuffs on Netflix?
Cuffs arrives on Netflix on Friday, November 28, 2025, with all eight hour-long episodes dropping at once.
It isn’t streaming anywhere else right now, so Netflix will be the only place to revisit – or discover – the series.
Read more: Shetland series 10 episode 3 recap as we have more questions over Eadie Tulloch’s murder
Cuffs comes to Netflix on Friday, November 28, 2025.
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