A new British series on Netflix is generating strong critical attention just weeks after its debut, arriving at a moment when the platform has been searching for its next major UK hit following the record-breaking success of Adolescence.
Legends, which premiered on Netflix on May 7, stars Tom Burke, Steve Coogan, Tom Hughes, Aml Ameen, Jasmine Blackborow, Hayley Squires, Douglas Hodge, Johnny Harris, and Charlotte Ritchie of the sitcom Ghosts. The six-part series dramatizes the true story of British undercover Customs investigators who went deep into the drug underworld during the 1990s.
According to Collider, critics have given the show a near-perfect 96% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers have called it a glossy, big-budget drama filled with adrenaline and a genuinely excellent crime drama that pulls the viewer in.
The series arrives in the wake of two British Netflix titles that set extremely high expectations. Baby Reindeer put a unique British story at the top of the Netflix charts, and Adolescence followed as the streamer's flagship British discovery, winning four Golden Globes, eight Emmys, and countless other awards. Adolescence logged 555 million hours of viewing and became the most-watched UK title in Netflix history.
Not every British series has managed to live up to that standard. Earlier in 2026, the dystopian series Unchained, starring Molly Windsor, Fra Fee, Asa Butterfield, Siobhan Finneran, and Christopher Eccleston, came and went without generating much critical attention.
Legends has a better shot, based on early indicators. Its Rotten Tomatoes score places it just one percentage point below Adolescence, a comparison that will likely shape audience expectations as the show finds its audience in the weeks ahead.
