Cooper & Fry, 9pm tonight on 5

Crime drama fans can enjoy another trip to the mysterious Peak District tonight as Cooper & Fry returns to Channel 5 for a repeat showing of the gripping detective drama.

Based on the bestselling crime novels by Stephen Booth, the series follows two very different detectives who must put their differences aside to investigate disturbing crimes in the heart of Derbyshire.

Starring Robert James-Collier and Mandip Gill, the atmospheric drama combines intriguing murder mysteries, striking countryside locations and a complicated working relationship between its two central characters.

The good news for viewers who have already enjoyed the first series is that there is more to come, with a second series confirmed for 2027.

But what time does Cooper & Fry start tonight, which channel is showing it and what can viewers expect from the episode?

What time is Cooper & Fry on tonight?

Cooper & Fry is on tonight, Friday 13 November, at 9pm on Channel 5.

The programme is a repeat showing, giving viewers another opportunity to catch up with the crime drama or revisit the opening investigation.

Here are the key television details:

• Programme: Cooper & Fry
• Date: Friday 13 November 2026
• Start time: 9pm
• Channel: Channel 5
• Genre: Crime drama / detective mystery
• Based on: The bestselling novels by Stephen Booth
• Main cast: Robert James-Collier and Mandip Gill
• Setting: The Peak District, Derbyshire
• Series two: Expected in 2027

What is Cooper & Fry about?

Set against the atmospheric landscape of the Peak District, Cooper & Fry follows detectives Ben Cooper and Diane Fry as they investigate a series of unusual and often unsettling crimes.

Although they share the same goal of solving cases, the two detectives have very different personalities and approaches to police work.

Ben Cooper is closely connected to the Derbyshire countryside and its communities, while Diane Fry brings a more guarded and methodical approach to investigations.

Their contrasting styles frequently create tension, but they must learn to work together if they are going to uncover the truth.

The drama is based on Stephen Booth’s popular novels, which are renowned for combining traditional detective mysteries with the folklore, history and distinctive atmosphere of the Peak District.

Tonight’s Cooper & Fry episode: A body is discovered on a Derbyshire farm

The repeat episode sees the mismatched detectives called into action after a body is unearthed on a Derbyshire farm during renovation work.

What initially appears to be a disturbing discovery soon develops into a complex investigation, with Ben and Diane forced to work together to establish exactly what happened.

The case takes them into the heart of a rural community where secrets, local history and long-held beliefs could hold the key to the mystery.

However, getting to the truth will not necessarily be straightforward.

Ben and Diane have contrasting investigative methods, and their differences threaten to complicate an already challenging case.

As they begin piecing together the evidence, the detectives must overcome their personal differences and learn to trust one another.

The discovery also introduces viewers to the show’s distinctive atmosphere, where the beauty of the countryside sits alongside unsettling secrets and disturbing crimes.

Who stars in Cooper & Fry?

The drama is led by two familiar television faces.

Robert James-Collier as DC Ben Cooper

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Best known for playing Thomas Barrow in the hugely popular period drama Downton Abbey, Robert James-Collier takes on the role of detective Ben Cooper.

His other television credits include The Inheritance. In Cooper & Fry, he plays a detective with deep connections to the local community and an understanding of the traditions and folklore surrounding the area.

Mandip Gill as DC Diane Fry

Mandip Gill plays Diane Fry, Ben’s new colleague and very different investigative partner.

The actress is perhaps best known for playing Yasmin Khan in Doctor Who. She has also appeared in Hollyoaks and Can You Keep a Secret?.

Diane is a more guarded character whose approach to policing often clashes with Ben’s instincts, creating an interesting dynamic at the centre of the drama.

Other familiar faces include:

• Lorcan Cranitch as DI Hitchens, known for Blue Lights.
• Charlotte Bradley as Isobel Cooper, who has appeared in The Dry and Arctic Circle.

The supporting cast helps bring the fictional Derbyshire community to life, with its complicated relationships and secrets playing an important part in the investigations.

Where was Cooper & Fry filmed?

Although the drama is set in the beautiful Peak District, viewers might be surprised to discover that much of the series was actually filmed in Ireland.

Production took place in and around Dublin and County Wicklow, with the Irish countryside providing the landscapes needed to recreate the atmospheric Derbyshire setting.

Filming locations included:

• Bray, County Wicklow: A coastal town south of Dublin.
• Glendalough: A spectacular glacial valley surrounded by mountains and woodland.
• Newtownmountkennedy: A small town in County Wicklow.
• Lough Dan: A picturesque lake in the Wicklow Mountains.
• Cloghleagh Forest: Woodland providing atmospheric rural backdrops.
• Ballymore Eustace: A historic town in County Kildare.

The production also used locations around Dublin and other parts of County Wicklow and County Kildare.

The scenery is an important part of the programme’s appeal. Open countryside, isolated farms, woodland and winding rural roads help create the feeling of a community where everyone knows one another but not everybody is telling the truth.

The fictional town of Edendale, where the detectives work, is at the centre of the stories. It is not a real Peak District town but a fictional setting created for Stephen Booth’s novels and brought to life for television.

Will there be a Cooper & Fry series two?

<badge color=”success”>Confirmed for 2027</badge>

Yes! Channel 5 has officially recommissioned Cooper & Fry for a second series following the success of its debut run.

The new series will once again star Robert James-Collier as Ben Cooper and Mandip Gill as Diane Fry, with the unlikely detective partnership returning for another collection of mysterious and unsettling murder investigations.

Series two will consist of eight episodes and is based on four of Stephen Booth’s bestselling novels:

• The Devil’s Edge
• Fall Down Dead
• One Last Breath
• The Murder Road

The new stories will take the detectives deeper into the folklore and dark history of the Peak District, while also exploring their developing friendship and complicated personal lives.

The returning cast includes Lorcan Cranitch as DI Hitchens and Charlotte Bradley as Isobel Cooper.

There will also be several new additions, including:

• Pollyanna McIntosh-Goldthwait as DI Kim Armstrong, known for The Walking Dead and Vikings: Valhalla.
• Scott Graham as DC Gavin Murfin, whose credits include Vikings and Redemption.
• Kathy Rose O’Brien as Liz Petty, known for Small Town, Big Story and Deadly Cuts.

The second series has been filmed and is scheduled to arrive on Channel 5 in 2027.

Fans can therefore look forward to plenty more mysteries, unexpected developments and strange goings-on in Edendale.

What makes Cooper & Fry worth watching?

One of the biggest attractions of Cooper & Fry is the relationship between its two central characters.

Rather than simply presenting another conventional police partnership, the series explores what happens when two detectives with very different personalities and investigative instincts are forced to work together.

The contrast between Ben’s local knowledge and Diane’s more sceptical approach provides plenty of tension, while the mysterious countryside setting gives the drama a distinctive identity.

Stephen Booth’s original novels have attracted a loyal readership thanks to their atmospheric storytelling, unusual mysteries and strong sense of place.

The television adaptation brings those ingredients to the screen, combining traditional detective drama with elements of psychological mystery and local folklore.

For viewers who enjoy atmospheric British crime dramas, Cooper & Fry offers an intriguing alternative to more familiar police procedurals.

Cooper & Fry on Channel 5 tonight

Whether you are watching for the first time or revisiting the opening investigation, tonight’s repeat is a chance to enjoy the detective partnership that has already secured a second series.

With a mysterious discovery on a Derbyshire farm, two detectives struggling to find common ground and the haunting atmosphere of the Peak District, there is plenty to keep crime drama fans entertained.

And with series two confirmed for 2027, there is even more reason to get acquainted with Ben Cooper and Diane Fry.

Cooper & Fry is on 5 tonight, Friday 13 November, at 9pm.

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