Favourite British TV Dramas
by kerryhasell | created - 01 Jul 2020 | updated - 02 Jul 2020 | PublicMy favourites of the ones that I have watched.
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1. The Fall (I) (2013–2016)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A seemingly cold but very passionate policewoman goes head to head with a seemingly passionate father who is in fact a cold serial killer in this procedural out of Belfast. The only thing they share is their common complexity.
Stars: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, John Lynch, Aisling Franciosi
Votes: 119,488
2. Dublin Murders (2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In the Dublin Murder Squad, Garda detectives Rob Reilly and Cassie Maddox investigate murder cases that tap into Ireland's past and also touch on their own personal lives.
Stars: Sarah Greene, Killian Scott, Michael D'Arcy, Eugene O'Hare
Votes: 11,972
3. Derry Girls (2018–2022)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy
The personal exploits of a 16-year-old girl and her family and friends during the Troubles in the early 1990s in Northern Ireland.
Stars: Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Tara Lynne O'Neill, Kathy Kiera Clarke
Votes: 57,975
4. Marcella (2016–2021)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Marcella Backland left the Metropolitan Police for the sake of her family, only to have her husband leave her. She returns to her job on the murder squad, investigating a case that seems disturbingly familiar to her.
Stars: Anna Friel, Ray Panthaki, Jack Doolan, Jamie Bamber
Votes: 37,149
5. Hinterland (2013–2016)
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A noir crime drama set in Aberystwyth, Wales, where troubled DCI Tom Mathias solves murders while searching for redemption.
Stars: Richard Harrington, Mali Harries, Alex Harries, Hannah Daniel
Votes: 15,106
6. The Last Kingdom (2015–2022)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Drama, History
As Alfred the Great defends his kingdom from Norse invaders, Uhtred--born a Saxon but raised by Vikings--seeks to claim his ancestral birthright.
Stars: Alexander Dreymon, Eliza Butterworth, Arnas Fedaravicius, Mark Rowley
Votes: 165,352
7. Shetland (2013– )
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A local police team investigate crimes within the close knit island community of Shetland.
Stars: Alison O'Donnell, Steven Robertson, Douglas Henshall, Lewis Howden
Votes: 25,782
8. Peaky Blinders (2013–2022)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
A gangster family epic set in 1900s England, centering on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby.
Stars: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle, Helen McCrory
Votes: 647,876
9. Black Mirror (2011– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Featuring stand-alone dramas -- sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales that explore techno-paranoia -- "Black Mirror" is a contemporary reworking of "The Twilight Zone" with stories that tap into the collective unease about the modern world.
Stars: Wunmi Mosaku, Monica Dolan, Daniel Lapaine, Hannah John-Kamen
Votes: 638,881
10. Taboo (2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Adventurer James Keziah Delaney returns to London during the War of 1812 to rebuild his late father's shipping empire. However, both the government and his biggest competitor want his inheritance at any cost--even murder.
Stars: Tom Hardy, David Hayman, Jonathan Pryce, Oona Chaplin
Votes: 148,836
11. The Crown (2016–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History
Follows the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped Britain for the second half of the 20th century.
Stars: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Matt Smith
Votes: 256,311
12. The Stranger (I) (2020)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The secrets and lies of suburban families are made public by the appearance of a stranger.
Stars: Richard Armitage, Hannah John-Kamen, Siobhan Finneran, Jacob Dudman
Votes: 60,829
13. The English Game (2020)
TV-14 | 47 min | Drama, History, Sport
The story of the invention of football and how it quickly rose to become the world's most popular game by crossing class divides.
Stars: Edward Holcroft, Kevin Guthrie, Charlotte Hope, Niamh Walsh
Votes: 17,030
14. Safe (2018)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
After his teenage daughter goes missing, a widowed surgeon begins uncovering dark secrets of the people closest to him.
Stars: Michael C. Hall, Amy James-Kelly, Amanda Abbington, Freddie Thorp
Votes: 52,023
15. Criminal: UK (2019–2020)
TV-MA | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A cat-and-mouse drama, which focuses on the intense mental conflict between detectives and suspects. The stories take place within the confines of a police interview suite.
Stars: Katherine Kelly, Lee Ingleby, Rochenda Sandall, Shubham Saraf
Votes: 21,409
16. Paranoid (2016)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The murder of a female GP in a rural playground in front of numerous witnesses draws a group of detectives into an ever-darkening mystery that takes them across Europe, aided by mysterious notes sent by the "Ghost Detective".
Stars: Indira Varma, Robert Glenister, Dino Fetscher, Christiane Paul
Votes: 10,304
17. Rebellion (2016–2019)
TV-MA | 258 min | Drama, History, War
Rebellion is a five part serial drama about the birth of modern Ireland. The story is told from the perspectives of a group of fictional characters who live through the political events of the 1916 Easter Rising.
Stars: Michael Ford-FitzGerald, Jordanne Jones, Brian Gleeson, Jaelynne Wallace Ruane
Votes: 4,532
18. The Witcher (2019– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.
Stars: Freya Allan, Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Eamon Farren
Votes: 569,038
19. Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.
Stars: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey
Votes: 2,280,250
20. Downton Abbey (2010–2015)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Romance
A chronicle of the lives of the British aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early twentieth century.
Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Brendan Coyle
Votes: 224,597
21. Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
The original surreal sketch comedy showcase for the Monty Python troupe.
Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle
Votes: 78,714
22. Fawlty Towers (1975–1979)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
Hotel owner Basil Fawlty's incompetence, short fuse, and arrogance form a combination that ensures accidents and trouble are never far away.
Stars: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth
Votes: 100,033
23. Line of Duty (2012–2021)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Drama series following the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anti-corruption unit.
Stars: Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar, Craig Parkinson
Votes: 70,007
24. Yes Minister (1980–1984)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
The Right Honorable James Hacker has landed the plum job of Cabinet Minister to the Department of Administration. At last he is in a position of power and can carry out some long-needed reforms, or so he thinks.
Stars: Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne, Derek Fowlds, Diana Hoddinott
Votes: 16,515
25. Yes, Prime Minister (1986–1987)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
James Hacker was propelled along the corridors of power to the very pinnacle of politics - Number 10.
Stars: Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne, Derek Fowlds, Diana Hoddinott
Votes: 12,888
26. House of Cards (1990)
TV-14 | 57 min | Drama
The schemes of a ruthlessly ambitious British politician who will stop at nothing to get to the top.
Stars: Ian Richardson, Susannah Harker, Miles Anderson, Alphonsia Emmanuel
Votes: 15,060
27. Happy Valley (2014–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Yorkshire-based crime drama centering on the personal and professional life of Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood.
Stars: Sarah Lancashire, Siobhan Finneran, James Norton, Rhys Connah
Votes: 64,419
28. Edge of Darkness (1985)
53 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When his daughter Emma is murdered, cop Craven discovers that she was in a GAIA group of activists occupied with exposing Northmoor nuclear waste storage facility for illegal activities.
Stars: Bob Peck, Joe Don Baker, Charles Kay, Ian McNeice
Votes: 4,158
29. Luther (2010–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
John Luther is a brilliant homicide detective with a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods and personal demons put him at odds with his team.
Stars: Idris Elba, Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley, Warren Brown
Votes: 154,133
30. Broadchurch (2013–2017)
TV-MA | 1,143 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.
Stars: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan
Votes: 127,017
31. MI-5 (2002–2011)
TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The missions of MI-5, the UK's domestic intelligence organization.
Stars: Peter Firth, Hugh Simon, Nicola Walker, Rupert Penry-Jones
Votes: 18,341
32. Doctor Who (1963–1989)
TV-PG | 25 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
The adventures in time and space of the Doctor, a Time Lord who changes appearance and personality by regenerating when near death, and is joined by companions in battles against aliens and other megalomaniacs.
Stars: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker
Votes: 39,491
33. Years and Years (2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
As Britain slowly turns into a dictatorship throughout the years, the lives of a typical busy family from Manchester converge on one crucial night in 2019.
Stars: Anne Reid, Rory Kinnear, Jessica Hynes, T'Nia Miller
Votes: 33,072
34. Silent Witness (1996– )
TV-14 | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A team of exceptional forensic pathologists and scientists investigate heinous crimes and use their skills to catch the people responsible.
Stars: Emilia Fox, David Caves, William Gaminara, Tom Ward
Votes: 12,686
35. The Forsyte Saga (2002–2003)
TV-PG | 276 min | Drama, History, Romance
Chronicles the lives of three generations of the upper-middle-class British family, the Forsytes, from the 1870s to 1920.
Stars: Damian Lewis, Rupert Graves, Gina McKee, Amanda Root
Votes: 6,538
36. Outlander (2014– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Claire Beauchamp Randall, a nurse in World War II, mysteriously goes back in time to Scotland in 1743. There, she meets a dashing Highland warrior and gets drawn into an epic rebellion.
Stars: Caitríona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin
Votes: 178,837
37. Foyle's War (2002–2015)
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
As WWII rages, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front; investigating crime on the south coast of England. Later series, see the retired detective working as an MI5 agent in the aftermath of the war.
Stars: Michael Kitchen, Honeysuckle Weeks, Anthony Howell, Ellie Haddington
Votes: 18,227
38. The Storyteller (1987–1989)
TV-Y7 | 24 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
An old storyteller tells European folk tales to his sarcastic dog.
Stars: John Hurt, Brian Henson, Frederick Warder, David Greenaway
Votes: 4,994
39. The Storyteller: Greek Myths (1991)
TV-PG | 24 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
A storyteller in a labyrinth tells his dog the stories of Perseus and Medusa, Icarus and Daedalus, Theseus and the Minotaur, and Orpheus and Euridyce.
Stars: Michael Gambon, Brian Henson, Steve Varnom, Derek Jacobi
Votes: 1,862
40. The Avengers (1961–1969)
TV-14 | 50 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A quirky spy show of the adventures of eccentrically suave British Agent John Steed and his predominantly female partners.
Stars: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Honor Blackman, Linda Thorson
Votes: 8,878
41. Misfits (2009–2013)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A group of young offenders doing community service gets struck by lightning during a storm and start to develop superpowers.
Stars: Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Joe Gilgun, Iwan Rheon, Lauren Socha
Votes: 107,213
42. Death in Paradise (2011– )
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Cultures collide when British Detective Inspector is transferred from England to the Caribbean island of Saint Marie to head the island's police department.
Stars: Elizabeth Bourgine, Don Warrington, Danny John-Jules, Joséphine Jobert
Votes: 27,882
43. Sherlock (2010–2017)
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The quirky spin on Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth pitches him as a "high-functioning sociopath" in modern-day London. Assisting him in his investigations: Afghanistan War vet John Watson, who's introduced to Holmes by a mutual acquaintance.
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs, Rupert Graves
Votes: 996,456
44. Bodyguard (2018)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Troubled war veteran turned Police Officer David Budd is assigned to the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Protection Branch.
Stars: Richard Madden, Sophie Rundle, Vincent Franklin, Ash Tandon
Votes: 147,503
45. The Tudors (2007–2010)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance
A dramatic series about the reign and marriages of King Henry VIII.
Stars: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Anthony Brophy, James Frain
Votes: 81,102
46. Sex Education (2019–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A teenage boy with a sex therapist mother teams up with a high school classmate to set up an underground sex therapy clinic at school.
Stars: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey
Votes: 350,603
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