Critical: Between Life and Death. Mr Ed Fitzgerald O’Connor in Critical: Between Life and Death. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Netflix UK has delivered some powerful new documentaries this year for global audiences. Grenfell: Uncovered has quickly climbed to the top of the charts, diving into the tragic 2017 fire in London. Next up is Critical: Between Life and Death, a major new docu-series set to arrive in July, offering unprecedented access to one of the world’s leading emergency medical services. Here’s your first look, release date, and everything else you need to know.
First unveiled last summer by Jake Kanter for Deadline, the series was initially developed under the working title of Critical, a six-part series that the trade notes, “the action is being captured on portable single cameras and bodycams.”
Per Netflix, Critical: Between Life and Death offers unique access to the London Major Trauma System, a top network of hospitals, air ambulances, and paramedics that serve over 10 million people. From the creators of the award-winning 24 Hours in A&E, this gripping new docu-series captures the real-life drama and tough decisions faced by trauma teams treating the city’s most serious cases.
The series follows NHS staff at every stage of the emergency response, from life-saving actions at the roadside and critical A&E care to surgery and rehabilitation. Viewers will hear from frontline responders whose efforts have improved survival rates by over 50%. Their extraordinary skill and commitment stand out in this moving account.
Filmed across various parts of the NHS, Critical: Between Life and Death highlights:
- Paramedics and the London Ambulance Service
- Emergency room staff and trauma teams
- Specialist surgeons in high-pressure operating theatres, including staff from St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust
- Air ambulance crews flying by helicopter and transporting patients to hospitals
- Emergency call handlers who coordinating life-saving efforts behind the scenes
Critical: Between Life and Death is written and directed by Jermaine Blake, with executive production by Spencer Kelly. Louise Bartmann and Rebecca Arnold serve as co-executive producers, while Mahi Iftikhar and Andrew Fitzpatrick are series producers. The Garden produces the series, the UK production company that has produced numerous series in this wheelhouse before, including 24 Hours in A&E for Channel 4, Police: Hour of Duty for Channel 5, and Inside the Operating Theatre for UKTV.
The new series is due out on Netflix globally on July 23rd, 2025, we’re told.
What’s on Netflix has reached out to Netflix for additional details on the series.
Critical: Between Life and Death. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Critical: Between Life and Death. Pete Kingsley in Critical: Between Life and Death. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Critical: Between Life and Death. Mr Ibrahim El-Daly in Critical: Between Life and Death. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Critical: Between Life and Death. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Critical: Between Life and Death. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Critical: Between Life and Death. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Are you excited for Netflix’s new documentary series Critical? Let us know in the comments down below.
