The best British shows on Netflix run the gamut from reality shows to documentaries, dramas, horror, and everything in between. Many have won awards — including Black Mirror, The Crown, and Baby Reindeer — while others fly under the radar. If you’re looking for a good British show to watch, Netflix is home to tons of them.
If you think you’ve watched them all, think again. This curated list pulls from the best the streaming service has to offer — with many of these shows starring actors you might be familiar with from other American projects, like Wednesday’s Emma Myers in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and The White Lotus’ Theo James in The Gentlemen. Others feature relative unknowns, proving that the U.K. has some of the most talented actors and storytellers around.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new shows to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, best shows on Hulu, best shows on Amazon Prime Video, the best shows on Max, and best shows on Disney+.
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Red Rose (2022)
A British horror show for a modern world, Red Rose is about a group of friends preparing to graduate high school and head off to college. Before doing so, they want to have one last summer of debauchery. When one of the smartphone-obsessed teens downloads an app called Red Rose, it takes over, making cruel demands and threatening terrifying consequences if they aren’t met.
Set in Bolton, England, the BBC series has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critics score and familiar names behind it. Red Rose was created by Michael and Paul Clarkson, who worked on shows like The Haunting of Bly Manor, and it’s produced by Eleven Films, the same company behind Sex Education. Judy Berman of Time Magazine applauds the series for its “keen observations about young people, social media, and surveillance without getting pedantic.” Red Rose is a fresh, modern, tech-savvy take on the horror genre.
Heartstopper (2022)
A British coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama, Heartstopper pulled on viewers’ heartstrings when it premiered in 2022. The series, based on the Alice Oseman webcomic and graphic novel of the same name, follows Charlie (Joe Locke), who falls in love with his classmate, Nick (Kit Connor). While Joe has been recently outed, Kit is a rough-and-tumble rugby player who hasn’t quite figured out his sexuality.
The show has been praised for its portrayal of members of the LGBTQ+ community, maintaining an average 98% Rotten Tomatoes score for its three seasons. Critics praise the show’s sensitivity and charm, as well as its depiction of both sides of the coin: a young man open and confident in his sexuality and another who is still trying to understand his feelings, but accepts them.
The Great British Bake Off (2017)
Get ready to salivate, take notes, and be impressed with the competitors in this lighthearted baking competition series that highlights amateur bakers with oodles of talent. In every episode of The Great British Bakeoff, contestants partake in three rounds featuring a signature bake, a technical challenge, and a showstopper to show off their skills. They’ll often have to create baked goods they may have never tackled before and, with the technical bake, get only simple instructions they need to interpret to the best of their abilities. Someone goes home each week until a winner is crowned.
As the home bakers furiously complete the tasks, the hosts travel throughout the room, providing colorful commentary and even sampling the goods. From elaborate three-tiered cakes to delicious tarts and mouth-watering cookies, The Great British Bakeoff is a wonderful show for those who love to bake. Hearing the personal backstories of the competitors is heartwarming, too, from young men following a passion to grandmas showing how they can still run circles around a younger generation.
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2024)
Coming out of the gate as a surprise hit, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is based on the Holly Jackson mystery crime novel of the same name. The plot centers around Pip Fitz-Amobi (Wednesday’s Emma Myers), a high schooler who decides to run her own investigation into the disappearance/presumed murder of a teenage girl five years earlier. She’s not just doing this for kicks; she’s also using the work as part of her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), a program in England and Wales designed to help prepare students for post-secondary education or their future career.
Following its release on Netflix in August 2024, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder rose up the viewing charts and earned positive reviews. Erin Maxwell of LA Weekly/Village Voice says it combines “teen drama with crime procedurals to create a riveting series made endearing by solid performances from its young cast.”
Love Is Blind: UK (2024)
Sometimes, all you need (or want) is a lighthearted reality TV show, and Love is Blind has fit the bill for many with its six American seasons to date. With the first U.K. version coming out in summer 2024, fans were enamored with the cast. Whether love is blind or if it isn’t doesn’t seem to matter: they’re all gorgeous, put together, and ready to find “the one.” The cast meets one another in private pods, just like with the U.S. version, only able to talk to one another without seeing what the other person looks like. The show follows the same format as the U.S. edition, with couples building emotional connections, deciding if they want to propose, meeting in person for the first time, then planning a wedding that either ends in “I dos” or “I don’ts.”
Love is Blind: UK has been compared to the first version of Love is Blind U.S. with a more authentic feel and characters and couples fans want to get behind. But make no mistake, there’s still plenty of juicy drama, controversial cast members, and awkward love triangles. Power through season 1 and it will leave you excited to know that the show has been renewed for a second season.
Cunk on... (2018)
Earning an impressive 100% Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh rating, Cunk on…, also referred to as Cunk on Earth, is a British mockumentary by Charlie Brooker (Black Mirror) that stars Diane Morgan (After Life) as Philomena Cunk, an investigative reporter who, in a style similar to characters like Sasha Baron Cohen’s alter egos Ali G and Borat, asks absurd questions of her worldly interview subjects. These include everyone from historians to archeologists, composers, and other subject matter experts.
The character first appeared on the TV review series Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe, and her deadpan comedic style was a hit, resulting in this dedicated series. There’s just one season with five episodes. Cunk on Earth is a fun watch as Cunk presses experts on serious topics like world history, the Industrial Revolution, and the Space Race with the most ridiculous statements and inquiries.
Bodkin (2024)
OK, it’s technically an Irish series, but Bodkin was created by British writer Jez Scharf. Will Forte shines in this dark comedy thriller about Gilbert Power (Forte), a podcaster from America who travels with his assistant, Emmy Sizergh (Robyn Cara), to a small town in Ireland called Bodkin. He’s looking into the cold case of three people who went missing. Along the way, he begins to work with Dubheasa “Dove” Maloney (Siobhan Cullen), a London-based investigative journalist.
It sounds dark and ominous, and the premise is. Buot Bodkin also injects elements of humor, joining the list of many other new shows that poke fun at our obsession with true crime and whodunit mysteries. It’s fun, eccentric, and well-acted. If you love shows like Only Murders in the Building and Based on a True Story, and if you’re a fan of Forte’s other work, Bodkin will be up your alley.
The Gentlemen (2024)
If you were mesmerized by Theo James’ performance in the second season of The White Lotus, you’ll love him even more after watching The Gentlemen. The Guy Ritchie action comedy serves as a spinoff to Ritchie’s 2019 movie of the same name. James stars as Edward Horniman, a former United Nations peacekeeping officer who inherits a 15,000-acre estate, along with the title of Duke of Halstead, following his father’s death. What Horniman quickly learns, however, is that the land is being used to grow marijuana, and is part of a massive empire run by a criminal syndicate.
Thrust into the criminal underworld he knows nothing about, Horniman must try to navigate the murky waters while maintaining his prestigious position in a house that is on the verge of breaking down. Faced with danger at every turn, Horniman is forced to partake in the illegal activities if he wants any hope of escaping from the syndicate’s clutches. The Gentlemen is a violent, action-packed series with plenty of humorous moments to break up the tension.
Baby Reindeer (2024)
A sleeper hit for Netflix, this British drama thriller turns Scottish writer, actor, and comedian Richard Gadd’s autobiographical one-man show into a miniseries for the small screen. Gadd, who portrays himself in the series (under the fictional character name Donny Dunn) was stalked and harassed in his 20s by a woman in her 40s. Baby Reindeer presents an interesting twist on the usual harassment story that typically portrays the male as the perpetrator and the female as the victim. It’s eye-opening and tragic, but also cleverly presented in a way that grips you right from the start.
The dark story is delivered with small bites of humor, but this is a tale that’s painful to watch at times, and it’s all the more impactful since it’s rooted in a true story. With a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh critic’s score, the seven-episode season is a welcome surprise for those who hit play not expecting much from the series.
Call the Midwife (2012)
81%
8.5/10Set in the East End of London in the late ’50s and ’60s, it follows a group of nurse midwives as they deal with major historical moments, discoveries, and periods in time and how they impacted the job, from the Baby Boom of the late ’50s, to poverty, post-war immigration, the introduction of gas for pain relief, and birth defects, along with other social issues like teen pregnancy, adoption, and miscarriages.
The period drama, which aired on BBC in 2012, was originally based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, who worked with a convent in London. But as it continued for nine seasons, other topics were explored based on the sourcing of historical materials.
Inside the World's Toughest Prisons (2016)
7.1/10U.K. journalist Raphael Rowe takes viewers inside some of the roughest, toughest prisons from around the world, talking with both prison guards and prisoners themselves about what life is like behind bars. Rowe himself knows a thing or two about the subject and the hardships, having served 12 years in prison for a crime until finally being released and acquitted.
The British series originally aired on Channel 5 in the U.K., after which Netflix commissioned the subsequent seasons of this fascinating docuseries. Stream all seven seasons to date.
Robbie Williams (2023)
If you love Robbie Williams, you’ll want to check out this docuseries that chronicles his life, career, and rise to stardom. With more than two decades under his belt as a singer, Williams is one of the most successful U.K. recording artists of all time, if not the most successful. This four-part docuseries was perfectly time alongside the 25th anniversary of his solo career: Williams first rose to fame as a member of the pop group Take That. After five years with the band, he debuted his first solo album in 1996; the rest is history.
Becoming a pop culture icon at just 16 years old when Take That took off, Williams has had his share of struggles, from tabloid drama to coming-of-age in the spotlight. He gets intimate in Robbie Williams about his road to recovery, suffering from alcohol and substance abuse as well as mental illness. Robbie Williams is a candid look inside the life of one of the best-selling U.K. artists ever. Any fan of Williams will want to check it out.
World War II: From the Frontlines (2023)
This isn’t your garden-variety sensationalized docudrama. World War II: From the Frontlines features archival footage that has been enhanced, along with voices of those involved, bringing viewers into World War II in ways they may have never experienced before. There’s something about seeing these images and videos in full color. Narrated by John Boyega, the six episodes of World War II: From the Front Lines are gripping, emotional, and educational.
Thanks to the wonders of technology, old footage has been remastered and audio-enhanced so you can experience the terror, heartache, and sadness from a deeper perspective, even if it still doesn’t compare to what it was like to truly be there. Most impactful, in fact, are the accounts from those who survived the front lines and lived to tell about it.
Beckham (2023)
If you thought you knew David Beckham, the docuseries Beckham provides additional insight into the kind of man the English football icon is, along with the challenges he has faced in his personal life and career. The docuseries provides an intimate look into Beckham’s career, from training as a child to becoming one of the most hated men in England following a heated mistake during a game. Seeing the love in Beckham’s eyes as he watches his old matches on television is evidence of his true passion for the game.
Beckham dives into his personal life as a husband and father as well. You’ll gain a different perspective of his much-publicized courtship with now-wife Victoria Beckham. She was a member of the Spice Girls, one of the biggest pop girl groups in the world, at the time they began dating. Beckham is a well-made docuseries that manages to include humor and heart, while delivering an inspiring story about overcoming obstacles and possessing strength of character.
The Crown (2016)
84%
8.6/10The Crown finally comes to an end in its sixth and final season that focuses on the era of Prince Charles (Dominic West) and Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki). Delivered in two parts, the final season will explore the years between 1997 and 2005. This involves pivotal moments like Tony Blair as Prime Minister, Prince William’s early relationship with Kate Middleton, Prince Charles’ wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles, and, most notably, the tragic death of Princess Diana.
Imelda Staunton reprises her role as Queen Elizabeth II while the sprawling cast will include newcomers including Ed McVey as Prince William during his college years and Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton.
Top Boy (2011)
8.4/10With five seasons to date, three produced by Netflix, the British crime drama Top Boy is set in a fictional Summerhouse estate in London where a young and troubled man gets involved in the criminal underworld involving drugs, murder, and an intense struggle for power and money. With British rapper and songwriter Ashley Walters (Asher D) heading up the cast, Letitia Wright (Black Mirror, Black Panther) among the recurring characters, and Drake an executive producer, it unsurprisingly has a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Be warned — Netflix has made it a little complicated to watch Top Boy in its entirety. The first two seasons stream on Netflix under the title Top Boy: Summerhouse (linked below), while the latest seasons are found separately as just “Top Boy”.
Sex Education (2019)
81%
8.3/10Launched in January 2019, the British drama Sex Education has been called heartfelt and surprisingly wise. It stars Asa Butterfield as a socially awkward teenager who is ambivalent about sex, largely due to his mother (Gillian Anderson) being a sex therapist.
Netflix reports that Sex Education had more than 40 million viewers after it launched on the site. The series concludes with its fourth and final season.
Black Mirror (2011)
8.8/10While Black Mirror eventually morphed into a “Netflix original,” Charlie Brooker’s brilliant dystopian series first premiered on Channel 4 in the U.K. Most episodes look at dire, worst-case scenarios regarding our relationship with technology and modern reliance on it.
With six seasons to date, this isn’t the type of show you’ll be able to binge-watch quickly. But you can watch in any order and are guaranteed to see your jaw drop by the end of each episode. It’s compelling, thought-provoking television.
Treason (2022)
In this spy miniseries, Sir Martin Angelis (Ciaran Hinds) is the former chief of MI6, who is hospitalized following a poisoning. His deputy chief, Adam (Daredevil‘s Charlie Cox), takes over. When Adam deciphers a secret code and meets with a former lover and ex-SVR operative, Kara (Olga Kurylenko), he discovers a sinister plot to help catapult him to the top position in the government organization.
Adam has a difficult decision to make: continue aiding Kara in her mission, risking his now already compromised career in the process, or refuse to help. But Kara isn’t going to take no for an answer, and when Adam realizes his family is in danger too, he has no choice but to play ball. Treason is a thrilling ride through five episodes and a great one to watch for any fan of the espionage genre.
Man vs. Bee (2022)
If you’re in the mood for a good laugh and you’re a fan of Rowan Atkinson, check out his latest, Man vs. Bee, a British comedy he also co-wrote. He stars as Trevor Bingley, a down-on-his-lock man who is house-sitting a mansion when he meets his worst enemy: a bee. The plot sounds ridiculous, but it’s filled with plenty of hijinks and slapstick humor.
You’ll get the same humor you’d expect from the iconic actor who has become synonymous with his most popular character, Mr. Bean. The physical comedy, contorted facial expressions, and general hilarity will bring a sense of familiarity to existing fans and introduce new ones to Atkinson’s unique form of comedy.
Derry Girls (2018)
8.4/10Inside Man (2022)
64%
6.6/10The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself (2022)
72%
7.6/10Peaky Blinders (2013)
8.8/10Criminal: UK (2019)
65%
7.6/10The Last Kingdom (2015)
78%
8.4/10Cuckoo (2012)
7.2/10The Stranger (2020)
62%
7.3/10Traitors (2019)
6.6/10Giri/Haji (2019)
7.9/10Crazyhead (2016)
7.3/10After Life (2019)
60%
8.4/10Attenborough's Life in Colour (2021)
8.3/10Outlander (2014)
76%
8.4/10Nadiya Bakes (2020)
The English Game (2020)
62%
7.9/10The Ripper (2020)
7.1/10Secrets of Great British Castles (2015)
The Innocents (2018)
70%
6.3/10Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969)
8.8/10Crashing (2016)
73%
7.7/10Collateral (2018)
74%
6.8/10Bodyguard (2018)
79%
8.1/10Dracula (2020)
75%
6.8/10Lovesick (2014)
8.1/10The End of the F***ing World (2017)
8.1/10Related Topics: Netflix | Hulu | Amazon Prime | More Streaming Services
