While streaming has largely led to people all over the world watching television regardless of nationality, British TV has its own flair beyond the accents of the characters which makes it stand out from the rest — unique humor which differs from the world (especially that of Americans), shorter seasons of television, and dialogue, cinematography, and color palettes that give the audience a sense of Britishness, along with the general ways in which the characters conduct themselves and performances are crafted.
Updated December 20th, 2022: MovieWeb is always on the lookout for the best films and television in order to make our lists the most comprehensive and authoritative as possible. Thus, if you are a fan of British television, check out this updated list of the best British TV shows of all time.
British television has been a favorite to Anglophiles and even casual fans for decades, and countless British shows have spawned massively successful American series, from The Office to Big Brother. Whether it be comedy, period drama, mystery, or dark thriller, each genre can reflect a facet of British society, especially in the best of these shows.
Though we already have lists of the best British comedy shows and some of Acorn’s best detective shows in the U.K., there is only room for so many series in a best-of list (and the following does not include news shows or the many funny British panel shows). Amidst the vast litany of British TV, here are some favorites among audiences and critics.
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18 Mr. Bean
Universal Pictures
With Rowan Atkinson taking the lead as Bean, this British sitcom has been an all-time favorite among comedy fans for decades. The show follows a childish protagonist who, due to his simplistic nature, tends to create unusual and needlessly difficult scenarios out of basic, everyday tasks. The popularity of Mr. Bean lies in the uncomplicated nature of the sitcom, which takes slapstick and silent-era comedy and updates it for a modern audience in a very simple but pure and delightful way.
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The daily life of Mr. Bean adds much-needed laughter to the viewer’s life. Even with almost no dialogue, the show gained fame across the globe. In more recent news, Rowan Atkinson has confessed that playing Mr. Bean is stressful and exhausting, and as such, his next Mr. Bean movie will likely be an animated feature. Meanwhile, fans can watch the actor flex his comedy chops once again after quite some time with Atkinson’s new series Man vs. Bee.
17 The Office UK
BBC Two
The Office starring Ricky Gervais and Martin Freeman aired from 2001-2003 and inspired the immensely popular American remake starring Steve Carell. The synopsis of the British version is largely the same as that of its American counterpart (the latter of which essentially replicated its pilot), but it’s a tonally different show, with much more cynicism and cringe. Gervais plays the obnoxious and foolish manager of the Wernham Hogg paper company, David Brent, who has agreed to participate in an office documentary.
Martin Freeman stars as Tim Canterbury, who shares the same will-they-or-wont-they tension with co-worker Dawn Tinsley (Lucy Davis) as the American version’s Jim and Pam. Despite its 14-episode run, the show was lauded with awards and praise, including two Golden Globes and a BAFTA. It not only helped launch the careers of several of its stars, but essentially redefined comedy for the 21st century, shifting the sitcom into more mockumentary styles.
16 Only Fools and Horses
BBC
David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst star as South London trader brothers Derek “Del Boy” and Rodney Trotter in the hilarious sitcom Only Fools and Horses, in which the mismatched duo attempt to become powerful millionaires through various get-rich-quick schemes that always go comically awry. The series debuted in 1981 and though it initially was met with little fanfare, eventually went on to become ratings gold and amassed a passionate fan following, spawning seven universally lauded seasons.
The celebrated program went on to set the record for the highest UK audience for a sitcom episode in 1996, attracting a whopping 24.3 million viewers for its Christmas special. Only Fools and Horses also had a profound impact on British pop culture, with many of Del Boy’s sidesplitting catchphrases becoming go-to expressions within the English language. In a 2004 BBC poll, the comedy was voted as Britain’s Best Sitcom and remains a beloved hit.
15 Skins
All3MediaCompany Pictures
Skins is a gritty teen drama with an infusion of comedy that became quite popular across the globe, with MTV coming up with an American remake of this British show. What gave Skins worldwide recognition is the show’s ability to display typical and otherwise banal teenage problems in a comical but realistic manner.
This show was a game changer for teen dramas, laying the foundation for many TV series that presented the controversial but honest topics which many teenagers face, the ones adults have always felt too awkward to address. Thus, Skins remains an all-time favorite amongst viewers who grew up and learned with it.
14 Misfits
E4
Misfits is yet another unconventional TV show about youth that made its way to the U.S. However, Misfits was broadcast on Logo in its original form in the States rather than a remake, to the delight of many fans. The story follows a group of young convicts who gain supernatural powers whilst they were serving their sentence.
What makes Misfits stand out from the famous American superhero shows of its time (Heroes, Arrow, Smallville) is its incorporation of humor by making the superpowers comical. In this way, the show was truly ahead of its time; currently, satirical superhero titles (The Boys, Deadpool, Peacemaker) are pretty commonplace. Regardless of its influence, Misfits remained an incredibly exciting and fun show throughout the entirety of its run.
13 The Crown
Netflix
Created by Peter Morgan, The Crown is a historical drama piece that gained much popularity on Netflix. The show follows the whole reign of the current monarch of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II, while giving the viewers an idea of what goes on behind the closed gates of the palace. The inclusion of some award-winning stars like Olivia Colman, Helena Bonham Carter, Claire Foy, and Gillian Anderson alongside more novice actors like Emma Corrin makes the drama exceptional, with these actors serving some of the best performances.
It doesn’t get more quintessentially British than the monarchic power structures of royalty, and The Crown is unique in how it chronicles multiple generations of the royal family, employing different actors along the way. In recent news, Humayan Saeed has been confirmed to star in season five of The Crownplaying Princess Diana’s companion, Dr. Hasnat Khan. Considering the tabloid scandals and intense drama of this period in Queen Elizabeth II’s life, the fifth season is sure to be incredibly gripping.
12 Spaced
Channel 4
Back when comic books were relegated to the realm of nerds, before various mediums of geekiness (video games, superhero movies, manga) became mainstream, common, and successful, and before Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright introduced the world to Shaun of the Dead and other films, there was Spaced.
Extremely ahead of its time, Wright directs this fast-paced, hyperactive, hilarious blend of genres, incorporating horror, sci-fi, and romance cliches into what’s essentially a working-class sitcom about two people (Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson) and their friends (British comedy royalty Nick Frost, Mark Heap, Julia Deakin). Spaced gave these people a start, and though short-lived, remains one of the funniest, coolest, and most original TV shows of all time.
11 Utopia
Endemol Shine UK
Arguably one of the most underrated television series of all time, Utopia is a paranoid conspiracy thriller about a shady government agency hunting down a rare graphic novel that may contain incriminating evidence and scientific codes, and the die-hard fans who stumble across the comics and get involved in a massive, dangerous conspiracy. The two-season show is simultaneously dark and morbid as hell but also visually vibrant and bright, with incredible cinematography and music.
Its narrative twists and turns are brilliant, as are its performances, especially Fiona O’Shaughnessy as the mysterious butt-kicking loner Jessica Hyde, Adeel Akhtar as the off-the-grid conspiracy-theory believer Wilson Wilson, and the great Neil Maskell as Arby, the intimidating, mentally disturbed assassin. This is yet another British series that Americans have tried to remake, but even Gone Girl’s Gillian Flynn and HBO couldn’t make it work; the original 2013 Utopia is a true masterpiece.
10 Killing Eve
IMG
Killing Eve is a devilishly entertaining British spy drama about an MI6 agent on the hunt for a maniacal yet surprisingly likable assassin called Villanelle. Jodie Comer is brilliant in the role of the sociopathic Villanelle, giving her an endearing quality that viewers can’t help but root for. Sandra Oh is dryly funny but quietly intense as always in her role as MI5 agent Eve Polastri, whose personal life falls to shambles when she begins to obsess over catching the elusive assassin.
Despite Villanelle and Eve’s toxic relationship, the two lead actresses still managed to captivate audiences with their undeniable chemistry, winning every TV award imaginable. Killing Eve quickly rose to become one of the BBC’s most popular shows, and as it aired on BBC America, became arguably the biggest British show in the States of the past several years. Killing Eve’s fourth and final season was released on the BBC in February 2022.
9 Downtown Abbey
Another historical drama series that is set in a massive estate, Downton Abbey has received many accolades throughout its long run, gaining the title of the “highest critical review ratings for a TV show” at the time in the Guinness World Records. The show details the lives of an entitled family and follows their relationships as they encounter significant historical events like the sinking of the Titanic and World War One.
Putting well-written fiction within historical realities has become a favorite way of depicting culture and historical moments (especially very English ones), and Downton Abbey does it better than almost any other show. The inclusion of Dame Maggie Smith is always a definite plus point, too.
8 Blackadder
BBC Worldwide
Co-created by Richard Curtis (the Love Actually and Notting Hill director who had his hand in several of the best UK comedy shows, including Not the Nine O’Clock News, The Vicar of Dibley, and Spitting Image) and Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean, The Thin Blue Line), Blackadder is rightfully considered to be an important TV masterpiece. The series was split into multiple period pieces, following the titular scoundrel Edmund Blackadder through different parts of history.
Maintaining the same characteristics, each season places him in a different ridiculous context (the British Middle Ages of the 15th century, the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the Regency Era, World War I) and follows his scheming, arrogant ways. It’s an immensely clever historical show, and one of the first great British comedies.
7 The Thick of It
One of the most important television series of the 21st century, The Thick of It fundamentally transformed political comedy and introduced the world to some major talent; its creator (the great Armando Iannucci) and writers would go on to garner even more success with the very similar American series Veep, and its breakout star, Peter Capaldi, would go on to become Doctor Who.
The hilariously profane The Thick of It essentially follows the misadventures and mistakes of various government agencies and political spin doctors as their miscommunications and screw-ups lead them down the road to disaster and ultimately illegal activities. The Thick of It was infamous for its extremely imaginative and inventive (and constant) use of curse words, and developed its ensemble cast of characters wonderfully towards a gripping conclusion that was surprisingly dramatic and profound for a comedy series.
6 Planet Earth
BBC One
Planet Earth was a massive hit with both audiences and critics and went on to win numerous prestigious accolades including a Peabody Award and four Emmys, as well as the Science and History award from the Royal Television Society Programme. The series spawned multiple spin-offs and sequels like Planet Earth Part II and Frozen Planet, with The Guardian placing it on their list of the 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century.
5 Fleabag
BBC Studios
Fleabag is a hilarious but profound show that centers around a young woman who attempts to handle life’s misfortunes with sardonic debauchery and witty hedonism (along with some epic fourth-wall breaks). The series is written by, created by, and stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and the show is the adaptation of a one-woman play she wrote in 2013.
The show connects to the audience by making the viewer the protagonist’s best friend, as Waller-Bridge breaks the fourth wall in a way that’s actually psychologically and emotionally resonant rather than just a self-indulgent meta technique. Waller-Bridge takes it even further in the second season and uses this very metafictional device as a way to explain her character’s alienation and possible mental health issues. Fleabag is a brilliant, devastating, and comically profane series that effectively reignited international audience’s passion for British television.
4 Peaky Blinders
With inspiration from the real-life notorious gang that was active in Birmingham in the 1890s, Steven Knight created Peaky Blinders with what he calls the image of “smoke, booze and (these) immaculately dressed men…” Using this strong backdrop, the show serves up nothing less than one of the most exciting gangster stories on television, perhaps second only to The Sopranos.
Cillian Murphy’s performance as the protagonist Thomas “Tommy” Shelby is phenomenal and went on to grab the attention of every single viewer. The darkness of the show may be excessive for some, but Peaky Blinders is important for eschewing the fancy, overly costumed fluff of many British period dramas in favor of something real lurking in the heart of working-class, historical England; this is the England of the people, not of the aristocrats and royalty seen on so much British television.
3 Sherlock
Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes is exactly what mystery and crime drama fans needed for so long. With Martin Freeman playing Doctor John Watson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s infamous duo has been brought to life in modern-day England. What makes this version of Sherlock Holmes brilliant is the added humor, the modernization of the setting and character traits, and the energetic visual storytelling. Cumberbatch’s Holmes is not the typical detective that Sir Doyle portrayed. Rather, he is anti-social and often regarded as a psychopath, and Freeman’s John Watson is an anxious veteran with PTSD.
Sherlock contains the perfect amount of adventure, drama, and comedy, balancing each epic episode out with excellent performances and gripping, invigorated takes on classic characters. The show launched Cumberbatch into international stardom and remains one of the best television shows of all time.
2 Monty Python’s Flying Circus
A legendary and groundbreaking series from the Monty Python comedy troupe, Monty Python’s Flying Circus used surrealism and absurdism to deconstruct social customs, political and religious hypocrisy, and bourgeois values. Composed of the brilliant John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Micheal Palin, Monty Python thrived on non-sequiturs, controversy, silliness, and warped absurdism for their anthology sketch show. Before Saturday Night Live, MadTV, and In Living Color, Monty Python’s Flying Circus broke the sketch comedy mold and influenced the world of comedy and television in the process.
1 Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British cultural phenomenon. This sci-fi show has been running strong since 1963, gathering a large fan base for decades; after a 15-year hiatus, the show returned in an energetic, internationally adored form in 2005. With time machines, Time Lords, and a character with a mysterious past, Doctor Who has combined the most unusual elements in science-fiction, British comedy, and the tradition of British mysteries to create something entirely unique.
Interestingly, but not shockingly, this show has found its place in the Guinness Book of World Records multiple times. Titles like “Most Expensive Dalek” are cute, but some titles are truly representative of how massively popular and important the show has been, like the “Longest-Running Science-Fiction TV Series” and the “Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Doctor Who Characters.”
