If you’ve been drawn in by Channel 4’s thriller Tip Toe, there are several David Morrissey dramas that offer the same mix of tension, unease and strong performances. Morrissey has built a reputation for playing complex, unsettling characters in stories that move between psychological drama, crime investigation and true-crime-inspired television.
One of the standout options is Gone, an ITV six-part psychological drama that follows a disturbing missing-persons case. Morrissey plays Michael Polly, a local headteacher whose wife disappears, placing him at the center of a growing police investigation. The story becomes a tense cat-and-mouse game between Michael and detective Annie Cassidy, played by Eve Myles. The series is designed for binge-watching, with each episode deepening the mystery and raising suspicion around everyone involved.
For viewers who prefer detective fiction, Thorne remains one of Morrissey’s best-known crime roles. He stars as DI Tom Thorne, a detective drawn into a series of grim and brutal cases involving serial killers. Based on novels by Mark Billingham, the drama focuses on highly suspenseful investigations and disturbing crimes, with Morrissey’s performance anchoring the show. The series spans two three-part runs, each built around a new case and fresh set of murders, making it an ideal choice for fans of dark procedural storytelling.
Another intense ITV drama is The Long Shadow, which tells the true story of the hunt for serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, also known as the Yorkshire Ripper. The series explores the five-year police investigation while also focusing on the victims, their families and the officers involved in the case. With a cast that includes Morrissey, Toby Jones, Katherine Kelly and Jill Halfpenny, the drama presents a harrowing look at one of Britain’s most notorious criminal investigations. Its strength lies in balancing the procedural elements with the human cost of the crimes.
Morrissey also plays a major role in Sherwood, a BBC drama inspired by real events in Nottinghamshire. Set against the legacy of the 1984-85 miners’ strike, the series follows a community still marked by old divisions when two murders reopen long-standing tensions. Written by James Graham, Sherwood combines crime drama with social history, showing how unresolved conflicts can shape a town for decades. The first season centers on the killing of former union activist Gary Jackson, while the second season moves to the present day and introduces new families whose lives become entangled with the Sparrow family.
Taken together, these four dramas show the range of David Morrissey’s television work. Whether the appeal is psychological suspense, police investigation, true crime or community drama, each series delivers a different kind of gripping weekend viewing.
