The 35 Best British TV Shows You Need to Binge This Year
It's time to spice up your Netflix queue with a few programs from across the pond.
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It's easy to get caught up in addicting American dramas, but sometimes there's nothing better than a really good British TV show. True television lovers often look across the pond for the juiciest programs to binge watch, and thanks to the ubiquity of streaming, British TV shows are easier to access than ever before. There's a whole world of television out there that touches on everything from Queen Elizabeth's early reign to time-traveling lovers, so here's a list of some of the best British TV shows available to stream right now.
Bridgerton
Bridgerton is a steamy, candy-colored adaptation of Julia Quinn's much loved series of romance novels, which center around the Bridgerton family of siblings, and their quest to find love. To make things a bit more interesting, there's an anonymous gossip columnist in town named Lady Whistledown chronicling the scandals and triumphs of 18th-century life.
How to watch: Bridgerton is available to stream on Netflix.
Vanity Fair
We're living in the era of the Hollywood remake, and one classic tale recently reimagined for the small screen is William Makepeace Thackeray's 1847 serial novel, Vanity Fair. Olivia Cooke stars in the series, which tells the story of Becky Sharp, an orphan determined to improve her station in life—by any means necessary.
How to Watch: Vanity Fair is available to watch on Amazon.
Derry Girls
This Irish show is definitely not British, but it deserves a spot on this list. The show follows five teenagers during the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland in the 90s. It's sweet, heartfelt, and really, really funny.
How to Watch: Derry Girls is on Netflix.
I May Destroy You
Set in London, I May Destroy You is created by Michaela Coel, who also stars as novelist Arabella. After she is sexually assaulted, she struggles to work on her second novel.
How to Watch: I May Destroy You is streaming on Max.
The Night Manager
In this thriller adapted from John le Carré's novel, ex-British soldier Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) is recruited by MI-6's Angela Burr (Olivia Colman) to infiltrate the inner circle of an arms trader (Hugh Laurie). Season one aired in 2016, but five years later, a second season is rumored to be in the works.
How to Watch: The Night Manager is on Prime Video.
Sex Education
This irreverent British teen comedy follows Otis (Asa Butterfield), whose mom (Gillian Anderson) is a sex therapist, but it also focuses on the the students, staff, and parents of the fictional Moordale Secondary School. The fourth and final season is coming out this September.
How to Watch: Sex Education is on Netflix.
Killing Eve
Sandra Oh scored a Golden Globe for her performance as Eve Polastri, a British intelligence agent obsessed with finding Villanelle, a psychopathic female assassin, in this BBC America series.
How to Watch: Killing Eve is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
The Bodyguard
This political thriller starring Richard Madden (a.k.a. Game of Thrones's Robb Stark) captured the British imagination in 2018, and now it's available to stream stateside. Madden's character plays the titular bodyguard, who is assigned to protect a high-profile British politician. The show follows the pair as they navigate a particularly complicated political landscape.
How to Watch: The Bodyguard is available on Netflix.
A Very English Scandal
Hugh Grant stars in this BBC docudrama about the Jeremy Thorpe scandal. Thorpe, played by Grant, was a British politician in the 1970s, who was arrested on charges that he conspired to have his lover, Norman Scott, murdered during a time of widespread homophobia in the United Kingdom.
How to Watch: A Very English Scandal is available on Amazon.
The Miniaturist
When Jessie Burton's novel The Miniaturist was first put up for sale, it prompted a bidding war between publishers. Now, the mysterious story of Petronella (Nella) Oortman and her doll house has been adapted into a three-part miniseries.
How to Watch: The Miniaturist is available on Amazon.
More: The True Story Behind the Cabinet House in The Miniaturist
Victoria
One of many royal period dramas on this list, Victoria centers around the young Queen Victoria in the early years of her reign. Season three, which premiered in January 2019, explored revolutions across Europe, and how Victoria's relationships with parliament, her husband Prince Albert, and her people change after she has children. The show has been on hiatus, but fans are still hoping for a season four.
How to Watch: Previous seasons of Victoria are available on Amazon.
The Crown
The Crown explores Queen Elizabeth II's life from the 1940s onward, chronicling her early reign. This fall, the sixth and final season will premiere, so catch up now with seasons one through five. A perfect historical drama ripe for binge-watching.
How to Watch: The Crown is available to watch on Netflix.
Ted Lasso
Now, I'm not sure if Ted Lasso actually counts as a British TV show, but it's set in London, so we'll allow it. This Apple TV+ series about an unqualified American football coach who is recruited to manage a soccer team, is more than its premise: it's funny and sweet, and a welcome escape.
How to watch: Ted Lasso is available to stream on Apple TV+
Outlander
This steamy drama, which is adapted from a book series by Diana Gabaldon of the same name, follows former World War II nurse Claire Randall as she unexpectedly travels back in time to 18th-century Scotland. Season seven is airing now, so there's plenty to catch up on.
Men in Kilts
If you've already binge-watched every episode of Outlander and still want more of the Scottish landscape, consider tuning in to Men in Kilts, a new travel show hosted by Outlander's own Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish. The show follows the two actors as they take a roadtrip through their homeland, exploring Scotland's history, culture, and traditions.
How to Watch: Men in Kilts is available to stream on Starz.
All Creatures Great and Small
Based on a much-loved book series by Alf Wight, the show follows James Herriot as he joins the fictionalized farming community of Darrowby Village and begins caring for its animals, and earning the respect of his eccentric, but ultimately kind-hearted employer, Siegfried Farnon. Come for the stunning landscapes and impeccable costuming, stay for a gentle story of slow-burning romances and sweet puppies and surprise birthday parties.
How to Watch: All Creatures Great and Small is available on Amazon Video.
Broadchurch
David Tennant isn't just famous for his role as the tenth Doctor. In Broadchurch, he co-stars as DI Alec Hardy alongside Olivia Colman's DS Ellie Miller. The show follows Hardy as he bickers with Miller while also trying to solve the case of an 11-year-old boy whose body washed up on the shore of a beach in a small Dorset community.
How to Watch: Broadchurch is available on Prime Video with PBS Masterpiece.
As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects
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