DI Ray
DI Ray
Now Showing

DI Ray

6.9
Yr 2022
Rt 45m
Status Canceled
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

DI Ray is set in Birmingham and follows Leicester-born Rachita Ray, a police officer who takes on a case that forces her to confront a lifelong personal conflict between her British identity and her South Asian heritage.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 63 /100

Critical reception for DI Ray was mixed, with reviewers praising its focus on systemic racism, police bias, and personal identity, while expressing reservations about its conventional crime-procedural mechanics. Critics noted that the central premise—exposing institutional microaggressions and tokenism—gave the series a topical and distinctive edge over standard police procedurals.

Parminder Nagra's lead performance as Rachita Ray was widely singled out for praise, with reviewers highlighting her ability to bring grounded humanity and sharpness to the role. However, multiple critics pointed out that the surrounding investigation often felt slow-moving, by-numbers, or weighed down by tropes too familiar to the genre.

“Nagra hits uncomfortable, all-too-human notes – acid, seething, deflated – reminiscent of Sarah Lancashire in Happy Valley.”

“DI Ray is a unique crime drama exposing police prejudice”

“Promising start let down by baggage too familiar from other police shows.”

“Parminder Nagra breathes life into this dull detective drama”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

ITVX
UK
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Next Signal

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Why fans love it

DI Ray tackles the tensions of modern policing in Birmingham through a lens that moves beyond typical procedural beats. By centering on a protagonist navigating the friction between her professional duty and the assumptions projected onto her South Asian heritage, the show turns the investigation into a test of institutional bias.

Parminder Nagra anchors the series with a grounded performance, portraying the exhaustion that comes with being an outsider in one's own department. The narrative keeps its focus tight on how systemic prejudice influences everyday police work and personal identity. It presents a look at the cultural complexities within a British city that remains relevant long after the credits roll.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 13
Longest run 10 eps
Show 67 more
Jamie Bamber as DCI Martin Hunter 5 episodes Bhavik C. Pankhania as Tariq 1 episode Helen George as Annalie 1 episode Sabrina Pui Yee Chin as PCSO Amanda Hay 1 episode Maanuv Thiara as PS Tony Khatri 3 episodes Manpreet Bachu as Kabir Kapoor 2 episodes Ryan McKen as Navin Kapoor 2 episodes Phil Nice as Customer 1 episode Che Cartwright as PC Rob Wellington 1 episode Demelza O'Sullivan as PC Debs Knott 3 episodes Dúaa Karim as Mona Aziz 2 episodes Siddiqua Akhtar as Salma Aziz 2 episodes Shaheen Khan as Mrs. Kapoor 2 episodes Simon Nagra as Mr. Kapoor 1 episode Dominic Allen as Navin's Solicitor 2 episodes Lucky Sanghera as Anjuli Kapoor 2 episodes Kerena Jagpal as Nadiya 1 episode Sakuntala Ramanee as Smita Kapoor 1 episode Zoe Gibbons as Witness 1 episode Ezra Faroque Khan as Dev Ray 2 episodes Shobu Kapoor as Debo Ray 4 episodes Viss Elliot Safavi as Zehra Abidi 2 episodes Amy Anderson as Waitress 1 episode Rick S. Carr as Magnus Tranter 3 episodes Elizabeth Bennett as Susan Hunter 1 episode Paul Copley as Terry Hunter 1 episode Lloyd Thomas as Security Guard 2 episodes Narayan David Hecter as Thao 2 episodes John Hicks as Paramedic 1 episode Yasmin Allam-Pinnock as Paramedic 1 episode Craig Painting as Doctor 1 episode Jan Le as Min 1 episode Georgia Goodman as Yen 1 episode Gabriel Mullally as Milo Milne 2 episodes Lucy Phelps as Laura Milne 2 episodes Zaynah Thompson as Holly Milne 2 episodes Nicola Alexis as Dr. Sylvia Clacy 2 episodes Rowena King as Maureen Groves 2 episodes Patrick Baladi as DI Patrick Holden 5 episodes Lauren Drummond as Suzie Chapman 6 episodes Dinita Gohil as Amara Dhawan 4 episodes Taha Rahim as Ravinder 'Rav' Mochani 4 episodes Michael Socha as Dave Chapman 6 episodes Tony van Silva as Frank Chapman 2 episodes Naomi Yang as Hiroka McGregor 5 episodes Kiera Thompson as Joey Chapman 2 episodes Tamla Kari as Lucy Chapman 4 episodes Heather Forster as Amy Chapman 3 episodes James Daffern as Nick Henderson 2 episodes Cian Barry as Ethan Henderson 4 episodes Syreeta Kumar as Sharan Mochani 5 episodes Debra Penny as Second Forensics Officer 2 episodes Priyasasha Kumari as Priya Mochani 4 episodes Angela Bull as Claire Doyle 2 episodes John Vernon as Lou Kirkby 3 episodes Jamie Bell as Stevo Miller 3 episodes Ella Dunlop as Dawn Hughes 2 episodes Aroop Shergill as Sajna 3 episodes Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry as Ballistics Officer 2 episodes Jordan Pearson as Degsy 2 episodes Victoria Howell as Child Support Worker 2 episodes Holly Laura Platt as DS Claire Evans (uncredited) 3 episodes Manish Gandhi as Shiv Basra 2 episodes Johndeep More as Interpreter Kulwant 2 episodes Jonny Lavelle as Ali 3 episodes Heather Coombs as Lisa Kirkby 2 episodes Ravi Multani as DS Peter Perez 3 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Creator
Producer
Keyword Cloud

Keywords

asian racism
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
May 02, 2022
Status
Canceled
Episode Runtime
45 minutes
Origin
GB
TMDB Votes
38