Matt Berry has a voice that sounds like mahogany dipped in expensive whiskey. It’s a boom. A roar. In the Year of the Rabbit TV series, that voice is weaponized against the grime of 1887 London.
If you haven't seen it, you're missing out on something profoundly stupid in the best possible way.
The show dropped in 2019. It feels longer ago, doesn't it? Channel 4 in the UK and IFC in the States teamed up to bring us Detective Inspector Rabbit. He’s a drunk. He has one eyebrow that seems to have a life of its own. He’s also the most hardened copper in a Whitechapel that looks like it was decorated with mud and misery.
What Was Year of the Rabbit Actually About?
Basically, it's a parody.
It takes every trope from Sherlock Holmes and Ripper Street and kicks them down a flight of stairs. Rabbit is the veteran. He's seen it all. Then he gets paired with Wilbur Strauss, played by Freddie Fox. Strauss is a posh, bright-eyed nerd who probably hasn't ever seen a dead body that wasn't at a funeral.
Completing the trio is Mabel Wisbech, played by Susan Wokoma. She’s the daughter of the police chief (played by the legendary Alun Armstrong) and she wants to be the first female police officer. She's also significantly smarter than the two men she's stuck with.
The Year of the Rabbit TV series doesn't care about being historically accurate. It cares about being funny.
The Tone is Everything
Most Victorian dramas are "prestige." They want to show you the plight of the working class. They want to show you the fog. This show shows you the fog, but then has Matt Berry scream at it. It's profane. It’s loud. It’s got a weird, pulsing energy that reminds you of The IT Crowd if it were set in a cholera ward.
I remember watching the pilot and thinking about how the dialogue felt like a machine gun.
"I've got more experience in my little finger than you've got in your whole... little finger."
That’s a Rabbit-ism. It’s nonsense. But in the moment, it feels like high art.
Why We Only Got One Season (The COVID Curse)
This is the part that sucks.
Channel 4 actually renewed the show for a second season. Scripts were written. People were ready to go. Then 2020 happened. The pandemic didn't just delay the Year of the Rabbit TV series; it killed it. Because it was a co-production, the logistics of getting international funding and schedules to align during a global shutdown became a nightmare.
In early 2021, the news broke. Channel 4 pulled the plug.
It wasn't because people didn't like it. The ratings were decent. The critics mostly enjoyed the absurdity. It was just a victim of timing. It’s one of those "what if" shows that fans still complain about on Reddit every few months. Honestly, I’m one of them.
Breaking Down the Cast Chemistry
The magic wasn't just in the writing by Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil. It was the trio.
- Matt Berry (DI Rabbit): He’s doing a version of the character he plays in everything, but it works perfectly here. He is a man out of time.
- Freddie Fox (Wilbur Strauss): Fox plays the "straight man" but with a weird, desperate edge. His adoration for Rabbit is pathetic and hilarious.
- Susan Wokoma (Mabel): She is the anchor. Without her, the show would just be two idiots shouting. She brings a necessary sharpness.
They also had incredible guest stars. Keeley Hawes showed up as a mysterious figure from a secret society. Sally Phillips was a terrifying Bulgarian princess. Paul Kaye played a rival detective who was even more unhinged than Rabbit.
The show felt lived-in. The costumes were actually great. The sets looked expensive. That’s probably why it was so easy to cancel—it cost a lot of money to make London look that disgusting.
The Whitechapel Context
We’ve seen Whitechapel a thousand times.
From From Hell to Penny Dreadful, the East End of London is a cinematic staple. But the Year of the Rabbit TV series treats it like a playground. It mocks the obsession with Jack the Ripper. It mocks the Victorian "Elephant Man" tropes.
It’s a satire of how we view history.
Most people get wrong that they think this is a "cop show." It's not. It's a workplace comedy where the workplace happens to be a precinct surrounded by cutthroats and Victorian cults.
Why You Should Still Watch It in 2026
Even though it’s a "dead" show, it’s worth the six-episode binge.
It’s tight. There’s no filler. You can finish the whole thing in a Saturday afternoon and feel like you've actually gained something, even if that something is just a few new creative ways to swear at your neighbors.
The Year of the Rabbit TV series represents a specific moment in British comedy. It was bold, it was weird, and it didn't feel the need to explain itself.
Where to Stream It
Availability shifts, but generally:
- In the UK: Check All 4 (Channel 4’s streaming service).
- In the US: It usually lives on IFC or AMC+.
- Globally: It often pops up on Amazon Prime for purchase or via the BritBox add-on.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you've finished the series and you're feeling that empty void where Season 2 should be, here is what you do next.
First, go watch Toast of London. It’s Matt Berry at his most "Matt Berry." If you want the Victorian vibe with a similar sense of humor, Quacks is another short-lived British gem that focuses on early surgeons.
Second, check out the writers' other work. Riley and Cecil worked on Veep and Black Books. You can see the DNA of those shows in the rapid-fire insults Rabbit hurls at his subordinates.
Finally, stop waiting for a revival. It’s been years. The sets are gone. The actors have moved on to massive projects. Freddie Fox is everywhere, and Matt Berry is busy being a vampire in What We Do in the Shadows. Just enjoy the six episodes we have. They are perfect, chaotic, and wonderfully foul-mouthed.
Stream it. Laugh at the eyebrow. Move on.
