Mint BBC Review: Charlotte Regan’s Glasgow Crime Romance
If you’ve been scanning the spring TV schedules for something with a bit of grit, our Mint BBC review might be the nudge you need. Charlotte Regan’s first full television series lands on BBC One from Monday 20 April at 9pm, with all eight episodes dropping on BBC iPlayer from 6am the same day. It’s equal parts crime drama and love story, and it’s probably the boldest British commission of the spring.
In This Article
- What is Mint and why should you care?
- Is the Mint BBC review verdict positive?
- How Mint compares to other recent UK crime dramas
- How to watch Mint in the UK
- Loyle Carner's acting debut
- Is Mint worth watching?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- When does Mint start on BBC One?
- Who stars in Mint on BBC One?
- How many episodes is the Mint BBC series?
- Is Mint based on a true story?
Regan already earned a BAFTA nomination for her debut feature Scrapper back in 2023, so expectations are sky high. The good news is that Mint doesn’t try to repeat that quieter trick. This one’s louder, wetter, and a lot more Glasgow.
What is Mint and why should you care?
Mint is an eight-part crime drama set in and around Glasgow’s criminal underworld. Emma Laird plays Shannon, the daughter of one of the city’s dominant crime families. Ben Coyle-Larner, better known to most of us as rapper Loyle Carner, plays Arran, a young member of a rival clan.
They fall for each other. Nobody in either family is particularly pleased about it. You can probably guess the rest, though Regan makes sure the familiar bones get dressed up in something far more interesting than a Romeo and Juliet retread.
The supporting cast is properly stacked. Sam Riley, Laura Fraser, Lewis Gribben, Connor Newall and Lindsay Duncan all feature, which tells you something about the level of confidence the BBC has in this one. Fraser and Duncan in particular anchor the older generation of the two families with real menace.
Is the Mint BBC review verdict positive?
Short answer: yes, with caveats. Regan’s visual style is instantly recognisable. Grainy close-ups, neon glare on rain-slick pavements, and a soundtrack that leans heavily on UK rap and grime. If you’ve watched Scrapper you’ll know the flavour. It’s slightly rougher around the edges here, and that feels deliberate.
The dialogue has a genuine bite to it. There’s a black-comic streak running through the whole thing that stops it from tipping into grim-for-grim’s-sake territory. You’ll laugh more than you expect, and the laughs almost always land just before something properly unpleasant happens.
My main reservation, after the preview episodes, is pacing. Eight hours is a lot of real estate for what’s essentially one love story and two family arcs. Episodes three and four sag a touch in the middle. Push through them though and the back half rewards the patience.
How Mint compares to other recent UK crime dramas
It’s tempting to drop the Peaky Blinders comparison straight away. Mint’s scale is smaller though, and the tone is much more intimate. If you enjoyed our take on The Immortal Man, think of Mint as the scrappier, low-budget cousin with better jokes and worse manners.
It sits closer in spirit to early Top Boy than to the more operatic BBC dramas of the last decade. The Glasgow setting is also a proper refresh. Too much recent British crime drama has been locked into London or Manchester, and it’s genuinely exciting to see a Scottish city getting this kind of prestige treatment.
How to watch Mint in the UK
The first two episodes go out back-to-back on BBC One at 9pm on Monday 20 April. All eight episodes drop on BBC iPlayer from 6am that same day, so if you’re the binge-watching type you can polish off the lot in a weekend.
You’ll need a valid TV Licence to watch live on BBC One or to use iPlayer. The licence still sits at £174.50 a year as of April 2026. If you don’t already have one, iPlayer is still one of the strongest arguments for paying it.
Subtitles and audio description are available from launch. There’s no confirmation yet of an international distribution deal, though Deadline has reported that sales conversations are active for North America and Europe.
Loyle Carner’s acting debut
This is the first major acting role for Ben Coyle-Larner, and on the basis of the early episodes it won’t be his last. He brings the same quiet intensity that runs through his music. There’s a stillness to his performance that plays well against Laird’s more volatile turn as Shannon.
Casting a musician in a lead dramatic role is always a gamble. Plenty of them have flopped. Carner doesn’t. If you’re into UK TV crossover moments, this is one of the year’s more satisfying ones.
Is Mint worth watching?
If you’ve got time for one new British drama this month, Mint is the one. It’s not perfect, and the middle stretch wobbles, but the performances are sharp, the setting feels fresh and Regan has a point of view you rarely see on BBC One. For fans of our mystery and drama binge guide, it’s a clear addition to the spring list.
Anyone who enjoys a bit of homegrown cinema should also find plenty to like. The DNA here feels closer to our list of the best British films to watch than to most glossy TV imports. For extra background, the series also has a detailed Wikipedia page tracking cast, crew and production notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Mint start on BBC One?
Mint begins on Monday 20 April 2026 at 9pm on BBC One, with the first two episodes airing back-to-back. All eight episodes are available on BBC iPlayer from 6am that day.
Who stars in Mint on BBC One?
Mint stars Emma Laird as Shannon and Ben Coyle-Larner, better known as Loyle Carner, as Arran. The supporting cast includes Sam Riley, Laura Fraser, Lewis Gribben, Connor Newall and Lindsay Duncan.
How many episodes is the Mint BBC series?
Mint runs for eight episodes in total. All episodes are available on BBC iPlayer from launch day, so viewers can choose to watch weekly on BBC One or binge the whole series in one go.
Is Mint based on a true story?
No. Mint is an original fictional drama written and directed by Charlotte Regan. It draws on the broad textures of organised crime in British cities but the characters, families and storylines are all invented for the series.
Mint airs on BBC One from Monday 20 April 2026 at 9pm. All eight episodes are on BBC iPlayer from the same day.
Charlotte Regan continues to have one of the most distinctive voices in British film, and Mint lands somewhere between Scrapper’s warmth and something bleaker. The Glasgow setting earns its screen time rather than feeling like a backdrop. Did anyone else feel the final 20 minutes rushed a bit, or was that deliberately destabilising?