Let’s be honest, if James Norton’s in it, we’re watching it. Period. Whether he’s collaring criminals, dodging bullets, or delivering emotional damage with just one tortured look, the man’s a walking, talking “add to my list” button.
From crime thrillers to costume dramas, Norton’s blessed our screens with performances that are equal parts brilliant and bingeable. So if you’re wondering where to start, or simply just need an excuse to re-watch everythingggg, then here’s some of his best TV roles. Spoiler: they’re all excellent, obviously!
Happy Valley
Stream on BBC iPlayer
Set against the backdrop of West Yorkshire, Happy Valley is a crime drama that’s as raw as it’s riveting. We follow Sergeant Catherine Cawood a no-nonsense sergeant—still reeling from her daughter’s tragic death eight years earlier, she’s holding things together (just) while raising her grandson. When the man she holds responsible for her daughters suicide walks free from prison, Catherine’s world tilts on its axis as she becomes consumed by the idea of confronting him, unaware of the dangerous criminal organisation he’s involved in…
James Norton takes on the roll of Tommy Lee Royce, shedding his usual charming demeanour to deliver a chilling performance that will leave you both captivated and creeped out. The portrayal is so compelling, you’ll find yourself checking your own moral compass.
Playing Nice
Stream on ITVX and STV Player
A parent’s nightmare comes true in this psychological thriller. Set against the stunning Cornish landscape, two families discover that their toddlers were switched at birth in a hospital mix-up and face the horrifying dilemma of what to do now. With hidden motives at play, how far can each couple trust the real parent of their child?!
James Norton brings the charm and the menace as Miles—a man who might be a grieving father or something far more unsettling, depending on which side of the truth you're standing!
Grantchester
Stream on ITVX and STV Player
This compelling crime drama follows Sidney Chambers, a jazz-loving Anglican vicar with a nose for trouble a tendency to land right in the middle of it! Teaming up with Detective Geordie Keating, the duo solve crimes, challenge social norms, and occasionally question their faith against the backdrop of village teas and smouldering secrets!
Throughout seasons 1-3, Norton brings quiet and emotional to depth as Sidney, the vicar-turned-detective with a complicated past, a questioning heart, and a knack for finding trouble between sermons.
McMafia
Stream on U and BBC iPlayer
McMafia dives into the slock, high-stakes world of global organised crime, following Alex Godman, a British raised son of Russian exiles who’s tried his whole life to avoid his family’s shady past. But when violence hits too close to home, Alex is drawn into a dangerous underworld of money laundering, power plays, and moral grey zones that span continents!
James Norton swaps vicars and villains for velvet jackets and very expensive problems as Alex Godman—a man in torment between doing what’s right, protecting his family, and becoming exactly what he swore he wouldn’t.
War & Peace
Stream now on BBC iPlayer
War & Peace follows the intertwined lives of several aristocratic families and individuals in the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars as the navigate love, loss and history in the making! Packed with love triangles, existential dread, and the occasional duel, if you enjoy a historical drama (and of course James Norton) the you can’t miss War & Peace!
In this drama, Norton gives us peak period drama as Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, a dashing officer with a tragic past and heart guarded like a fortress! Disillusioned by high society and scarred by personal loss, Andrei is all shimmering intensity and slow-burn emotion!
The Trial of Christine Keeler
Welcome to sex, secrets and scandal in swinging ‘60s London! The Trial of Christine Keeler unpacks the real-life firestorm that was the Profumo Affair highlighting how Christine Keeler, a young model and dancer who’s relationships with powerful men sparked a media frenzy and government meltdown.
James Norton stars as John Profumo—the smooth-talking, scandal-prone cabinet minister whose affair with Keeler kicks off one of the biggest political crises of the 20th century. He’s magnetic, calculating, and just slippery enough to make you understand exactly how he got away with it… for a while.
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