- Mint is a new BBC romantic crime drama created by Charlotte Regan.
- It follows Shannon, daughter of a crime boss, who falls for a rival family member.
- The series blends forbidden love with shifting power inside a crime dynasty.
- Set to stream on BBC iPlayer between April and May, release date TBC.
Forget the predictable Valentine’s Day lineup. The most intoxicating romance heading to screens this year is wrapped in crime, family power struggles and a heavy dose of danger. The BBC has unveiled a first look at Mint, a new romantic crime drama created by Scrapper director Charlotte Regan, and it already feels like essential viewing.
Set to land on BBC iPlayer between April and May, with an exact date still to be confirmed, Mint pairs a bruising crime saga with the breathless intensity of first love. It is a bold mix, and if anyone can make it sing, it is Regan. Her debut feature proved she has an instinct for balancing grit with warmth, and this new series looks set to stretch that talent even further.
The cast alone is enough to spark serious anticipation. Emma Laird leads the ensemble, joined by Ben Coyle Larner, Sam Riley, Laura Fraser, Lewis Gribben and Lindsay Duncan.
It is a line up packed with performers who know how to bring emotional complexity to morally messy worlds. That matters here because Mint is not just flirting with crime drama tropes. It is diving headfirst into them.
A Crime Family at War With the Heart
At the centre of the story is Shannon, daughter of a dominant local crime boss named Dylan. Growing up in the shadow of power has shaped her world, but it has not dulled her hunger for something softer. She wants love. Real love. The kind that sweeps you up and rewrites your future.
Enter Arran, a newcomer to town and, inconveniently, a member of a rival crime family. Their connection is instant and all consuming. It is the sort of reckless, electric romance that feels destined for disaster, especially when loyalties are inherited and betrayal can carry serious consequences.
Yes, the echoes of Shakespeare are impossible to ignore. Two young lovers caught between warring factions. Families defined by pride and control. A community watching closely. But this is no period tragedy. It is contemporary, distinctly British and soaked in the tension of organised crime. The swords have been replaced by strategy and muscle, but the stakes feel just as high.
What elevates the premise is the way the show promises to shift focus away from standard crime politics. Early in the series, Dylan steps down from his position at the top of the family for reasons that remain unclear. His second in command, Sam, takes over, but his leadership style begins to unsettle the delicate balance of power.
Yet rather than centring purely on the mechanics of succession, Mint leans into the emotional fallout. We are drawn into the private lives of Shannon’s family. Her mother Cat. Her older brother Luke. Her formidable grandmother Ollie. This is a crime story, yes, but it is also about legacy, identity and the cost of loyalty.
Charlotte Regan’s Signature Grit
Charlotte Regan’s fingerprints are already visible in the first look footage. There is a playful edge to the framing, a sense of mystery that feels almost mischievous. But beneath that sits vulnerability. Regan has a knack for finding humanity in unexpected places, and that sensibility could give Mint a real advantage in a crowded streaming landscape.
Romance and crime are not strangers, but they rarely share equal billing. Too often one becomes a backdrop for the other. Here, they appear intertwined. Shannon’s love story is not just a subplot. It is the emotional engine driving the narrative forward.
That balance could make Mint one of the most distinctive British dramas of the year. The BBC has long championed projects that refuse to sit neatly in one genre box, and this series feels cut from that same cloth. It has the potential to satisfy crime fans hungry for tension while also delivering the aching intensity of a love story that feels urgent and real.
Why Mint Could Be the Breakout Drama of 2026
Timing helps. Audiences are increasingly drawn to stories that blur lines. We want romance that feels dangerous and crime dramas that reveal something tender underneath the brutality. Mint seems poised to deliver both.
There is also something refreshing about centring a young woman inside a crime dynasty and allowing her emotional life to take priority. Shannon is not just a bystander to violence or a pawn in someone else’s game. Her choices matter. Her desires disrupt the status quo.
If the finished series captures even half the energy hinted at in the first look, it could easily become one of the year’s most talked about releases on BBC iPlayer. For now, the wait continues. But between Regan’s creative vision and a cast this strong, Mint already feels like a show worth circling on the calendar.
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