But even before the rise of the streaming, there were some classic British TV shows that really earnt their place on any list of best British TV shows of all time. Here we take a look at some of our top homegrown series, whether you missed them the first time round or you feel inspired to devote a whole weekend to re-watch binging. We won’t judge. (In fact, we’d actively encourage it.)
How To Choose Which TV Series To Watch Next
Before we get to the nitty gritty of the best UK drama series, first a question: what is the best way to choose what to watch next? After all, we are faced with innumerable decisions daily and, with the huge array of choice on offer on our screens, deciding on the next show can seem like it’s yet another thing to add to the pile – just at the moment when we want to put our feet up, tune in and switch off.
Random Decision Maker’s blog has some good advice. First up, read the reviews. The internet is bursting with reviews – professional and non-professional alike – that will give you a steer. Find the critics you like, and their opinions will often chime with your own.
Do also ask for recommendations. Do you have a friend or colleague whose tastes you tend to share? Mine them for tips and then sit back and enjoy. Once you know what you’re looking for, watch some pilot episodes for yourself (other people’s opinions, after all, are not your own and even people whose tastes you generally share don’t always like exactly what you like).
Finally, as the blog suggests, if all the above fails, simply go random. Like in the old days of four channels and a zapper, just flick around and see what takes your fancy.
Best UK TV Shows
Peaky Blinders
Featuring Cillian Murphy, Sam Claflin, Sophie Rundle and the late, great and much missed Helen McCrory, if you missed Peaky Blinders first time round, now is the moment to correct that oversight. Following the antics of a gangster family of Irish Traveller and Romani origins in the 1900s, boss Tommy Shelby oversees a gang who sew razor blades into the peaks of their caps (hence the title). Set in Birmingham, it is the creation of Steven Knight, which premiered on BBC2 in 2013 before moving to BBC1 for its fifth and sixth series. Netflix then acquired the rights to release the show in the States and around the world. The final series was shown in 2022, and there is now a spin-off film in the works. We can’t wait. Watch it on Netflix.
Doctor Who
Over the many decades that Doctor Who has graced our screens travelling through time and fighting Daleks, predicting who will be the next Doctor has become as much of a national pastime as forecasting the next Bond. Beginning with William Hartnell in 1963, there have now been thirteen travelling Time Lords traversing the universe in the TARDIS. Widely regarded as one of the best UK TV series, it has become more than just a television show: it is a cultural phenomenon that first garnered a cult following and then followed it up with a mainstream one. The series appeared to have ended in 1989, but was later revived in 2005 – with renowned writer Russell T Davies as producer – since which time it has been produced by BBC Wales in Cardiff. The latest Time Lord, Jodie Whittaker acted in three series, and was the first-ever female Doctor. Watch it on iPlayer.
Only Fools And Horses
Remember the scene when Del Boy falls through the bar at his local? It is surely one of the most iconic in all of British television. And iconic scenes don’t tend to emerge from shows that are not equally so. Following the get-rich-quick antics of south London ‘fly’ trader Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter (David Jason) and his younger brother, Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst), the series was written by John Sullivan and broadcast on BBC1 from 1981 to 1991. Although it has since been acclaimed to the skies and is considered one of the best TV series UK, the show wasn’t an immediate hit. Despite lukewarm beginnings, in 2004 it was voted Britain’s best sitcom and, in 1996, the very last instalment holds the record for highest UK audience for a sitcom episode ever. Fun fact: Jim Broadbent was originally considered for the role of Del Boy, and although the part went to David Jason, he appears in a few episodes as DCI Roy Slater. Hands down, one of the most popular British TV shows of all time. Watch it on Britbox.
The Crown
Everyone has an opinion on The Crown. An opulent and lavishly sweeping look at the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, some adore the drama; others, meanwhile, object to the liberties taken with the facts as we know them. And then there are those who are in between: the ones who loved the early series with Claire Foy but fell out of love with it as the timeline moved on and the actors were swapped out for starrier names. Written principally by Peter Morgan (who also wrote 2006 film, The Queen), there have been five series, with one more in the works that is set to be the last, taking the story up to the Queen’s reign in the 21st-century. Whichever way you slice it and whatever camp you fall into, this is surely one of the best British dramas to watch – liberties taken and all. Watch it on Netflix.
Fleabag
A tragicomedy that had all the makings of an instant classic from the get-go, Fleabag is one of the best UK series of all time precisely because its protagonist, played by writer of the show Phoebe Waller-Bridge, has no filter. Sarcastic, angry and deeply flawed, Waller-Bridge communicates directly with her audience by addressing the camera to share her insecurities and side-swipes, inviting us to share in her secrets. And, pleasingly, the confessions are not the cutesy stuff of Miranda Hart (who also uses the same device); Fleabag’s are somewhat darker – namely that she feels responsible for her best friend’s death after she slept with her boyfriend. It has a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, not least for its blistering take on modern womanhood and its look at how the titular Fleabag uses sex to disassociate from her life and deal with the grief she feels for her friend as well as her late mother. Looking for the best UK TV series? This is one without doubt. Watch it on iPlayer.
Fawlty Towers
John Cleese plays Basil Fawlty, a hotelier who can barely contain his distaste for his guests. His wife, played by Prunella Scales, is having none of his nonsense, while Polly and Manuel (Connie Booth and Andrew Sachs) play his long-suffering, much abused staff. In each episode, there is some escalation of absurdity while the whole operation crumbles around its proprietor and Mr Fawlty manages to insult everyone who has the misfortune to come into contact with him. Written by Cleese and Booth, there were just twelve episodes spread over two seasons, first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 and 1979. In 2000, it topped the BFI’s list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes. And in 2019, it was named the greatest ever British TV sitcom by a panel of comedy experts in the Radio Times. And, for many, the discipline inherent in keeping it at just two seasons was one of the great things about it. Now, though, in 2023, John Cleese has done what he claimed he never would, and a new series – written with his daughter – is in the works. Many of FT’s mega fans are sceptical, worried that the vehemently anti-woke Cleese will, decades later, tarnish the reputation of this cultural behemoth. It remains, of course, to be seen. But we’d recommend a re-watch of the original as a reminder of how just how great it was – one of the best, if not the best UK series ever. Watch it on Amazon.
The Office
The Office was a game-changer when it hit our screens on BBC2 in 2001. At first, no one could quite work it out. Who was this toe-curlingly cringey and pathetic David Brent, puffing himself up while being mocked by his – largely depressed – colleagues in a paper supplies office in Slough? Slowly it dawned that Brent was, in fact, a creation – that of the then-unknown Ricky Gervais who played him, and Stephen Merchant, who did not star. Two six-part series were made, as well as a two-part Christmas special. Social clumsiness, fumbling, awkward office romances, pitiful one-upman-ship and bullying, it might have seemed a peculiarly British brand of humour. And yet it has translated spectacularly, with a hugely popular American remake starring Steve Carell as Brent’s counterpart that many people also regard as a classic. The original remains one of the most popular UK TV shows, with its Metacritic score standing at 98 out of 100. Continue watching right to the end of the series, by which time the unthinkable happens: the David Brent character actually becomes sympathetic. Watch it on iPlayer.
Sherlock
In January of this year, Sherlock writer and showrunner, Steven Moffat, went on Radio 4’s Today programme and said that if Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (who played the titular Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, respectively) were to come back, he’d write more episodes in an instant. It was, after all, the show that launched the two actors to mega-stardom (with Freeman on a roll, having also starred in The Office), as well as that of the brilliant and now ubiquitous Andrew Scott who played the flamboyantly evil Moriarty. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s canonical mysteries, it was produced by the BBC with Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Sue Vertue and Rebecca Eaton as executive producers. The charismatic acting, the slick writing, and the excellent directing saw it rocket up the ranks to become one of the most famous British TV shows exported across the globe, winning a host of Emmys, BAFTAs and Golden Globes. Watch it on iPlayer.
The Thick Of It
Satirising the corridors of power, The Thick Of It is based on the inner workings of modern government via the fictional Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship. The sharp writing – which comes courtesy of Armando Iannucci with Will Smith, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche, Jesse Armstrong, Ian Martin, Roger Drew and Sean Gray – features a bumbling, out-of-touch minister, his advisors and the party’s spin doctor. The 21st century’s answer to Yes Prime Minister, it ran from 2005 to 2012 and starred Peter Capaldi, Roger Allam, Chris Addison, Rebecca Front and Chris Langham. It has scooped a host of BAFTAs – and deservedly so. As Den of Geek says of it, ‘What makes The Thick Of It so watchable is the feeling that what you’re watching could well have happened at one point or another behind the scenes at Westminster. Even the minor characters are perfectly drawn and everybody gets at least one good line, with classic quotes popping up in virtually every line of dialogue. Yes Minister may have set the bar for political sitcoms but The Thick Of It adds gratuitous swearing and a group of utterly unlikeable yet immensely watchable characters.’ Watch it on Britbox.
Planet Earth
No list of greatest-ever British TV shows would ever be complete without Planet Earth. Its presenter and narrator David Attenborough arguably remains our greatest national treasure, his calm, soothing voice having gently educated us over many decades about the natural world and, now, the perils it faces. Made over four years and across 130 countries, the extraordinary footage – which aired on the BBC in 2006 – is spectacularly shot and so it should be. It was the most expensive nature documentary ever made at the time, and the first to be filmed in high definition. Deservedly, it won four Emmys – and there have since been two follow-ups: Planet Earth II and III. Watch it on iPlayer.
Summary
Britain abounds with brilliant TV shows to watch and is bursting with home-grown talent. The canon is being added to all the time, but if you’re looking for the best of the best, start with this list and then go on from there.
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