Copyright Screen Rant
British TV has been around as long as the television itself, although Britain was swiftly overtaken as the frontrunner of small-screen programming by the United States in the immediate postwar period. Since then, the United Kingdom’s contribution to television has been dwarfed by its counterpart across the pond. Nevertheless, British TV shows continue to hold cultural sway across the world. Whether it’s outstanding BBC dramas or game-changing streaming miniseries, Britain has continued to produce small-screen masterpieces for the past 80 years. The country arguably punches above its weight with its impressive televisual output, given the budgetary limitations British TV productions are constrained by. If the best British movies of all time is a monumental collection of classics, then Britain’s greatest TV series number an even more imposing list of artistic achievements. In fact, there are too many to fit into a single list, regardless of how long it is. Fans of various absentees are right to feel aggrieved, but not every great show could make it. The likes of Slow Horses, The Thick of It, Merlin, Life on Mars, The Night Manager, Broadchurch, Cunk on Earth, Brass Eye, Shameless, The Royle Family, Dad’s Army, Hancock’s Half Hour, Shaun the Sheep, and Thomas the Tank Engine deserve honorable mentions nonetheless. His Dark Materials 2019–2022 Coming more than a decade after a big-screen adaptation of Philip Pullman’s magnum opus didn’t quite work out, HBO’s His Dark Materials is perfect from start to finish. It actually gets stronger as it goes on, with the climactic scene between Lyra and Will a genuine heartbreaker. James McAvoy leads a formidable cast of acting titans at their best, too. Baby Reindeer 2024 Put simply, Baby Reindeer is among Netflix’s best shows of all time, a funny, terrifying and searingly painful watch that makes us think differently about the world without trying to. This warped tale of an aspiring comedian and his stalker is based on Richard Gadd’s real-life experiences, and it shows. SAS: Rogue Heroes 2022–Present When it comes to TV war dramas set in the 20th century, perhaps only Band of Brothers can top SAS: Rogue Heroes for engrossing action blended seamlessly with exquisite period details. The ensemble cast are a credit to Steven Knight’s gripping take on the early years of Britain’s most revered military unit. Peep Show 2003–2015 Succession creator Jesse Armstrong put his name on the map with this sitcom that breaks every rule in the book, not least with its groundbreaking camera format. Peep Show’s best episodes are triumphs in the kind of bleak, cringing agony that’s so funny it makes even the most incurable optimist turn to misanthropy. Inspector Morse 1987–2000 A classic detective show superior to almost anything out there today, Inspector Morse brought the keen intellect of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot into the TV age with effortless grace. John Thaw’s central performance helped make the title character one of the most beloved icons of the small-screen crime genre. Downton Abbey 2010–2015 TV shows don’t get more British than this upstairs-downstairs drama par excellence. Downton Abbey has added three movies to its six seasons since the TV series concluded a decade ago, thanks in large part to its adoring fans across the Atlantic, who can never seem to get enough of Hugh Bonneville and co. Blackadder 1983–1989 Among the best sitcoms on Britbox today, none is quite as unique as Blackadder. A historical comedy spanning over five centuries yet somehow featuring the same characters, the only thing as outrageous as the show’s hamming up of history is its passion for hyperbolic similes. Sex Education 2019–2023 A coming-of-age comedy-drama with big differences, Sex Education has brought us some of the best characters in any teen TV show ever made. A key success story among Netflix’s original series of the late 2010s, it teaches us just as much about friendship, identity and parenting as it does about sex and sexuality. Luther 2010–2019 Masterpiece detective show Luther is the grittiest police drama of recent years from any country. It sees Idris Elba performing at his intimidating best as the wonderfully complex title character, whose obsessive dedication to his work is a double-edged sword. The Avengers 1961–1969
