Vigil is a mini television series consisting of one season only aired on BBC for the first time on 29 August 2021. It is mainly a crime-thriller or a police procedural somehow similar to the BBC series The wire. Vincent Ward directs the show, and the cast consists mainly of new faces, including Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie, and Shaun Evans. If you are here to find out how you can watch Vigil in the US and Canada for free, then read on.
How to watch Vigil in the US & Canada
Vigil season 1 is available for free streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK. If you are in the United Kingdom, then all you need is an active BBC account to stream Vigil online for free. For the people in the United States and Canada, here is what you need to do to watch Vigil for free:
1- Get ExpressVPN for BBC iPlayer (30day money-back guarantee)
2- Download the VPN app on your device
3- Select a British IP address from the country list
4- Now open bbc.com/iplayer on your browser
5- Search Vigil on BBC from the US & Canada
6- Enjoy the show

Can you have a BBC iPlayer account from US and Canada
BBC iPlayer is only accessible in the UK, if you are based in the US or Canada, then you have to use a VPN to get a BBC iPlayer account. Follow these steps to get an iPlayer account from the United States:
- Get ExpressVPN for BBC iPlayer (30-day money-back guarantee)
- Connect to a British IP address (UK – Dockland)
- Open BBC.co.uk in your browser or click here
- Click on Sign in which is located in the top left corner
- It will redirect you to another page, now click on register now
- Select your age (Below 16 or Above 16)
- Add your date of birth, email ID, and password
- Select the United Kingdom as your country and add “E16 1AD or E16 2AF” as the postal code for Dockland
- Verify your email address
- Done! now you have access to BBC iPlayer in the US & Canada.
Vigil release date
The first season of Vigil was released on August 29, 2021, in the United Kingdom on BBC. The series is also streaming on Peacock in the US and on Crave in Canada.
The series had six episodes that streamed on BBC on a weekly basis. Vigil has been nominated for different awards and won the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series in 2022. If you like watching British series watch Sherlock, Great Expectations, Call the Midwife and Am I Being Unreasonable? on BBC.
Vigil- Trailer
Vigil- Plot
“Vigil” is a 2021 police crime thriller six-part series that is set aboard a top-secret nuclear deterrent Royal Navy submarine. The series follows a high-pressure (no pun intended) murder investigation that leads to the top government agencies getting involved.
Amy Silva is a Detective Chief Inspector who is flown in onto the HMS Vigil, a ballistic missile submarine, to investigate the death of Craig Burke, who appears to have OD’d on heroin. It’s a cruel irony as Silva is shown to be dealing with PTSD about an accident in which her car plunged into a reservoir, and when she had to choose between saving her fiance or her daughter, she chose the latter.Â
In the submarine, Silva is in an uncertain, hostile environment where no one is ready to accept that Burke’s death was anything but an OD. The further she delves into the investigation, she discovers deception and dishonesty every step of the way. What makes her job even more difficult is the lack of resources at her disposal and the uncooperative submarine crew.
If you watch the series, you’ll understand why some have called it a claustrophobic thriller, because not only is Silva dealing with the investigation in an environment where the power dynamics aren’t in her favor but also one which is triggering her trauma.
Vigil is a perfect example of a storyline that is perfectly on point with the pace, fast but not too fast. The series gives you time to absorb and immerse yourself in the emotional drama while also making sure that the sense of urgency and panic never leaves you. With just the right among of drama to go with the crime-thriller sub-genre, the storyline is intense. Our verdict? Well, if you’re a fan of mystery and thrillers, but can’t sit through multiple drawn-out seasons, then this is perfect for you.
Vigil- Ratings
The show has an excellent rating of 7.4 out of 10. It has a lot of potential, which is promising considering that it’s only in its pilot season. The first episode didn’t have any flaws, and the thrill factor continued until the last episode.
The cast of Vigil
The story and direction were topnotch, but what took “Vigil” to a whole new level was the masterful acting. The main cast was led superbly by Suranne Jones as DCI Amy Silva, Adam James as Lieutenant Commander Mark Prentice, and Rose Leslie as DS Kirsten Longacre. Rose is best known for her work in Game of Thrones, The Good Fight, and Death on the Nile.
Joining the cast is Shaun Evan as Elliot Glover and Paterson Joseph as Neil Newsom. Of course, our victim in this whole series, Craig Burke, played by Martin Compston, did an impeccable job as well.
What else can you watch with a VPN?
Here is a list of content you can stream with a VPN.
- Fire Island
- P-Valley season 2
- Orville Season 3
- Peaky Blinders
- Love Island 2022
- Real Housewives of Dubai
- Showtrial
- You Don’t Know Me
- Conversation with Friends
- Doctor Who
- The Tourist
- The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration
Wrap Up
Still, wondering where to watch Vigil for Free? The complete series is available on BBC in the United Kingdom, if you are located outside the UK and want to watch Vigil then we highly recommend ExpressVPN to unblock BBC iPlayer in the US and stream your favorite British content on iPlayer.