Blue Lights: A full recap of series one

BBC police drama Blue Lights was the talk of 2023 when it was released in March that year — and it's easy to see why. Fans of the BAFTA-winning show are now tucking in to the THIRD series, after it dropped on BBC iPlayer in September 2025, while airing weekly on BBC One.

Following three rookie cops as they learn to police the streets of Belfast, the first series was a huge hit, addressing some serious issues with plenty of edge-of-your-seat drama thrown in for good measure.

If you're yet to catch up on series two and three but need to refresh your memory on what's happened so far, here's a recap of Blue Lights season one...

SPOILER ALERT

What happened in Blue Lights season one?

SPOILER ALERT

Series one began with the introduction of three rookie police officers, who join the force in Belfast. We followed Grace Ellis (Siân Brooke), Annie Conlon (Katherine Devlin) and Tommy Foster (Nathan Braniff) as they navigated their first few months on the beat from Blackthorn police station, in an area blighted by organised crime.

The newbie officers were joined by mentors and serving cops Stevie Neil (Martin McCann) and Gerry Cliff (Richard Dormer).

As well as various other unravelling storylines throughout the series, the show is centred around the McIntyre family, who are heavily involved in drug dealing and other dangerous exploits. The head of this criminal family is James McIntyre, played by John Lynch. He's joined by his son Mo (Michael Shea) and wife, Tina (Abigail McGibbon).

While the police attempt to dismantle the McIntyre gang, we discovered the MI5 are using James as an informant in exchange for protection, therefore allowing him and his family to continue their life of crime.

Throughout the series, we see newbie, Grace, deal with the struggles of being a single mother and police officer, while her son, Cal is wrongfully arrested, bringing up wider issues of racial profiling.

Meanwhile her colleague, Annie, faces increasingly violent death threats due to differing religious views — and ends up moving in with Grace to keep her family safe from harm.

Fellow rookie, Tommy, was thrown in at the deep end of policing, after being fast-tracked into his position through his education level. He later decides to withdraw his fast-track and rise up through the ranks like his colleagues.

The historical tensions of Northern Ireland continue to play a part throughout this modern-day series — and we see the police face hostility from various members of the public.

How did Gerry die in Blue Lights season one?

Perhaps the most shocking scene from season one is the shooting of beloved police officer, Gerry, who found himself caught in the crossfire of a McIntyre drug deal, and ends up getting killed. It's this sad turn of events which sends shockwaves through the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and left the team determined to bring down the McIntyres.

Despite frustrating push backs from the seemingly sinister MI5, the season culminates in the arrest of James and Mo McIntyre, as they tried to escape prosecution for their involvement in Gerry's death and other crimes.

The series ends with James's wife, Tina, taking over the reins with the continued covert assistance of MI5.

Do Grace and Stevie get together?

In the final scenes of series one, we see the developing romance between widower, Stevie and new cop, Grace, finally blossom — as they shared Stevie' home-baked lunch in his squad car.

It's after the pair struck up a close friendship during their time buddied up — sharing banter and baked goods. Initially appearing incredibly mysterious in the early part of the series, Stevie soon admitted he was still very much grieving following the loss of his wife, Sarah.

Grace, who is a single mother, found comfort in Stevie's company too.

Is Jen related to Nicola in Blue Lights?

Yes, Jen Robinson (Hannah McClean) is related to assistant chief constable, Nicola Robinson (Andrea Irvine) in the show — they're mother and daughter. The top cop encouraged her daughter to follow in her footsteps and become a police officer when Jen was not sure it was the right career path for her.

At the end of series one, Jen decided to leave the force and become a solicitor.

Watch the trailer:

When did it air?

The first series of Blue Lights aired on BBC in March 2023.

How many episodes were in Blue Lights season one?

There were six episodes in the first season.

How can I watch Blue Lights season one?

You can watch all episodes back on BBC iPlayer.

Did Blue Lights win a BAFTA?

Yes, series two of Blue Lights won a BAFTA in 2025!

Now check out all the Blue Lights filming locations (from season 1-3):

Now read:

Everything you need to know about BBC's crime drama Blue Lights

Everything you need to know about series 2 of Blue Lights

Blue Lights star Siân Brooke says series 3 is the best one yet

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