Take a deep breath when diving into the deep end of criminal dramas with television’s “Luther.”

“Luther” is a detective mini-series that’s on BBC and BBC America. This show features Idris Elba as titular character John Luther, a fearless, battle-weary detective working to take down psychotic criminals. Even when the characters’ backs are against the wall, Luther has a plan to save the day.

The mini-series premiered in North America last week on BBC America. As a fan of police procedural and British dramas, it was a show I couldn’t miss. Once the first episode finished, I could not wait until the next — that night, I finished the mini-series online.

Police procedurals became a thing of the past after my first viewing of “Luther.” The series escalated the distinct feeling of a “Law and Order”-type show and brought out a quality of “Breaking Bad.” If “Luther” was an American-produced show, I have little doubt it would be seen on channels like AMC or HBO.

Flow was one of the many great things the creators of “Luther” were able to accomplish. There was never a dull or empty moment throughout the episodes. With the active dialogue and charismatic actors, the show succeeded in drawing me in.

As a fan of dialogue-driven shows, this series did not disappoint. The characters’ language was intelligent while easy to follow.

Dialogue is often only as good as the performers allow it to be, and the actors are fantastic. Over the past few years, Elba has become one of my very favorite actors. He is both an intimidating rugged man, but also emotional and relatable in his roles. Elba is in movies like “Thor” and “Pacific Rim,” and is showing up more and more in large Hollywood productions for a good reason.

“Luther” has quickly made it on my list of favorite dramas on television, and it is easily one of my favorite mini-series. The best word to describe this series is charismatic. “Luther” is a series that can pull you in and keep you running with it.

There is no time to pull over for a breather in this fast-paced psychological crime drama.