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Season 1 – Legends

Play trailer 2:16 Poster for Season 1 – Legends May 2026 Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
97% Tomatometer 32 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
As drugs flood the streets of '90s Britain, a team of civil servants is thrust undercover to topple the gangs behind it; inspired by an untold true story.

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Legends — Season 1

Legends — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Legends gets the basics of the crime genre right, bringing in clear-cut drama to a daringly real tale and imbuing its narrative with the right balance of respect and spectacle.

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Audience Says

Fueled by sharp pacing and genuinely unexpected twists, Legends leans into its ironclad cast and stands as the new British series we didn’t know we needed.

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Critics Reviews

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Graeme Blundell The Australian Jun 2
...it’s a sharp, elegantly engineered drama based firmly on fact. And it’s presented in a hard, tough, move-it-along-at-all-costs fashion, no sense of that “historical nostalgia” that’s meant to make us feel warm and fuzzy about the past. Go to Full Review
Wenlei Ma The Nightly (AU) May 20
It’s an extraordinary story that has been well served by this satisfying show. It could even be legendary. Go to Full Review
David Opie Empire Magazine May 17
4/5
Legends is tightly wound from the get-go, a true-crime drama that sets itself apart through its top-tier cast and thrills rooted in the grimy greys of drug-ravaged Britain. Go to Full Review
Jack Seale Radio Times 1d
5/5
It’s a thriller, not a novelistic slow-burn character piece like The Sopranos or The Wire, but Forsyth finds time to explore the motivations and inner conflicts of the bad guys, as well as reminding us what the operation is ultimately all about. Go to Full Review
James Delingpole The Spectator May 28
When it works well, which it does mostly, you get a sense of how nerve-wracking it must have been and how hard not to give away your cover -- aka your ‘legend’. Go to Full Review
Andrew Murray The Upcoming May 28
4/5
A stellar ensemble cast leads the charge in this tightly paced thriller. However, the show’s social commentary doesn’t quite hit its mark. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Tris M @Yoder68 23h Utterly compelling series based on an incredible true story of poorly paid and chronically under-resourced Customs officers making the Thatcher Government look good despite being hampered by them at every turn. For those of us from the UK the story is eerily familiar from the superficial press coverage at the time. The characters are complex and entirely believable, the plot twists are unexpected and honour the spirit of the audacious operation, the script is just about flawless (which is incredibly rare!), and the results they achieved are difficult to comprehend. This is one of the finest Tv series I've seen for a while, and I can't recommend it highly enough. See more B M @GlenFord 2d Coogan, Squires and Burke are extremist in their political support for terrorism. Was looking forward to this series but I can't watch anything they do. See more Stephane D @StephDB 3d Sadly I had to watche it dubbed. The story is actually good but there is far too much telling rather than showing. I often wondered how this or that happened and we got to a specific point beside "Magic". Eventually I had to piece back together what was happening on the screen into a book in my mind and that was a good book. But as a television show they really missed the mark. It was realized like some of the worst Netflix show despite the great actors present in this serie. See more Kara S @Pookierara 3d Loved this! Great to highlight a true story! Good acting, funny, thrilling! Highly recommend! See more Paolo F @XKP-Producer Jun 2 This is one of the best crime series I have watched in recent years. What impressed me the most is its strong sense of realism. Unlike other excellent shows such as Money Heist, which often embrace spectacle and larger-than-life situations, Legends feels grounded and believable from start to finish. The cast deserves special praise. The actors look like ordinary people rather than perfect Hollywood stars, which makes their performances even more convincing. Their authenticity helps create a deeper connection with the characters and makes the story feel real. In a way, their normality becomes a unique kind of beauty. With its realistic approach, excellent acting, and compelling story, Legends is a series that kept me engaged throughout and left a lasting impression. Highly recommended. See more Susan F @RT51586432 Jun 2 I watch a great deal of British crime dramas. I highly recommend this series. Tom Burke is an extraordinary actor and he does an amazing job in this series. He can express more with a look than many writers can say in words. Don't miss it! You won't be sorry. See more Read all reviews
Legends — Season 1

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired May 7, 2026 Could You Offer More? As drug deaths surge in '90s Britain, the government turns to a veteran customs investigator to recruit a novice unit for an unprecedented covert mission. Details Episode 2 Aired May 7, 2026 Alliance Customs recruit Guy faces tests that threaten to blow his cover; the team in Liverpool chase the scent of a suspicious bakery. Details Episode 3 Aired May 7, 2026 This Is Liverpool A volatile alliance puts Guy at the heart of a high-risk smuggling deal; the Legends in Liverpool embark on a surveillance mission that ends in trouble. Details Episode 4 Aired May 7, 2026 The War on Drugs Cracks start to appear in both gangs as tensions, pressure and paranoia run high; Kate looks to exploit a possible weakness in Carter's armor. Details Episode 5 Aired May 7, 2026 Old Kings While Kate chases a murky trail of corruption, a potential meeting with a feared drug lord sends Guy, Bailey and Don on a dangerous overseas mission. Details Episode 6 Aired May 7, 2026 Legends Never Die Betrayal, distrust and ambition put the entire mission and the Legends, at risk; can they stop an unprecedented heroin shipment from reaching Britain? Details

Season Info

Director
Brady Hood, Julian Holmes
Creator
Neil Forsyth
Executive Producer
Ben Farrell, Richard Bradley
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date
May 7, 2026