Key Highlights
- Netflix’s new 6-part crime thriller ‘Legends’ adapts a real 1990s British drug war story.
- Steven Coogan and Tom Burke lead the cast as Customs officers turned undercover agents.
- The show explores two criminal underworlds: Liverpool and London.
- Alexander Skarsgård’s Mylonas is standout performance, bringing a chaotic competence to his role.
Netflix’s ‘Legends’ Delves Into 1990s British Drug Trade
The title sequence of Netflix’s new series ‘Legends,’ premiering May 7, 2026, drops viewers into the heart of a 1990s British drug war. Created by Neil Forsyth, who previously wrote and directed The Gold, ‘Legends’ turns forgotten history into gripping TV.
Steve Coogan and Tom Burke lead an ensemble cast as Customs officers turned undercover agents in a laughably ridiculous but surprisingly effective operation. The premise is that the British government took Customs officers out of their day jobs, gave them basic training, and sent them undercover into some of Britain’s most dangerous heroin gangs.
Two Undercover Operations
The show splits its narrative into two distinct criminal underworlds: Liverpool and London. In Liverpool, Kate (Hayley Squires) and Bailey (Aml Ameen), a mismatched pair of gung-ho and methodical Customs officers respectively, trail a distribution network that runs through bread delivery trucks and backstreets.
Meanwhile, in London, Guy (Tom Burke) infiltrates the Turkish heroin operation working out of Green Lanes. The recruitment poster Don Clark (Coogan) tapes up in office bathrooms asks a simple but compelling question: “Could you offer more?”
A Greek Gangster to Remember
One standout performance comes from Alexander Skarsgård as Mylonas, a Greek expatriate fresh out of prison. He brings a kind of chaotic competence that is both charming and dangerous on-screen. His character’s role in the series provides a welcome contrast to the show’s otherwise dense plot.
While the plot is densely packed with names and cross-pollinated criminal hierarchies, ‘Legends’ does a good job of balancing tension with character development. The central villain, Declan Carter (Tom Hughes), is written more as a caricature than a fully realized person, which can be frustrating for viewers who might have preferred a deeper emotional connection.
A True Story Told with Conviction
Neil Forsyth’s scripts mine real comedy out of the absurd setup without ever losing the tension. The ’90s period detail feels lived-in instead of nostalgic, and the soundtrack does a lot to immerse viewers in the time and place.
‘Legends’ is ambitious in scope, tackling an entire criminal economy from top to bottom. It might be the most watchable crime drama Netflix puts out this year, offering a unique perspective on how another country wrestles with its version of the War on Drugs.
Netflix’s ‘Legends’ premieres May 7, 2026, and it might just be worth tuning in for a fresh take on classic crime thriller tropes.
