Recently released on DVD is 'Luther,' the dark psychological crime drama starring Idris Elba as John Luther, a man struggling with his own terrible demons who might be as dangerous as the depraved murderers he hunts.

Also cast in the series are Ruth Wilson, Steven Mackintosh, Indira Varma, Saskia Reeves, Warren Brown, Paul McGann, and Dermot Crowley.

Luther is a detective working for London's serious crime unit. A dedicated copper, Luther is also a genius. He is dazzling, obsessive, possessed and sometimes dangerous in the violence of his fixations. But Luther has paid a heavy price for his dedication; he recently suffered a mental breakdown following the traumatic investigation into child serial killer Henry Madsen.

On his return to duty, Luther struggles to balance the psychological demands of his work while trying to save his marriage to wife Zoe. Luther and Zoe met and fell in love in college, but their relationship has been under pressure for a long time. Luther has never been able to prevent himself from being consumed by the darkness of the crimes he investigates, which has pushed his wife away. With Luther, the job always comes first and his dedication is a curse and a blessing -- an albatross around both their necks.

The BBC has renewed 'Luther' for a second series for 2011.

In related news, Elba will be taking over Morgan Freeman's role as Alex Cross, the popular forensic psychologist in author James Patterson's best-selling thrillers.

'Cross' will be the third Patterson novel to be turned into a movie.