When it comes to the best shows available right now, you’ll find many of them on Netflix. The same can be said for some of the best British shows. Netflix offers a wide selection of British shows. These include Netflix originals ,as well as shows for which Netflix has streaming rights, and even a few technically American shows set in the U.K.
Think shows like Black Mirror, The Crown, Top Boy, Sex Education, and, most recently, Baby Reindeer. If you’re looking for something new and exciting to watch, the best British shows on Netflix span every genre, from comedy to thriller, drama to docuseries and even popular animated kids’ shows. Have a look at these picks for the best British shows you’ll find on the streaming service.
Looking for something other than Britain’s best? We’ve also put together guides to the best movies on Netflix and the best shows on Netflix, as well as a recap of what’s new on Netflix.
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Baby Reindeer2024
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Peppa Pig2004
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Call the Midwife2012
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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.
Peppa Pig (2004)
If you have toddlers, chances are you hear Peppa Pig’s distinct English accent (and loveable snort) at least once a day in your home. The series premiered 20 years ago, but Peppa Pig remains a popular choice for preschoolers who love to follow the anthropomorphic piglet and her family through various adventures.
The British animated series aired for eight seasons, four of which are available to stream (seasons 3 through 6). With episodes ranging from 19 to 23 minutes each, it’s just enough time to keep your toddler busy while you do a quick chore or answer a call. The positive messaging about topics like acceptance, kindness, and family bonding mean Peppa Pig is a favorite with parents, too. Just don’t be surprised if your child or grandchild ends up picking up a slight English accent after watching this show.
Call the Midwife (2012)
Set 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)
U.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.
Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father (2017)
If you know and love comedian Jack Whitehall, you’ll delight in seeing him travel the world alongside his father Michael. This hilarious series is one part travel documentary and one part road trip comedy. Beautifully contrasting Jack’s happy-go-lucky personality is his rather rigid dad, making for a hilariously dynamic duo that could easily have starred in their own scripted comedy.
Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father is as much about the father-son bonding as it is about the exciting experiences they partake in, which include everything from attending an elephant polo match in Bangkok in season 1 to visiting Germany’s highest mountain, Zugspitze, in season 2. Along the way, Michael delivers nuggets of wisdom to his son while Jack helps expand his father’s horizons to try things he never thought he would.
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.
Last Tango in Halifax (2012)
In this BBC One British comedy-drama, two widowers in their 70s are reunited thanks to the wonders of grandchildren and Facebook. While they knew and were attracted to one another in the 1950s, they never acted on it. Now’s their chance. Alan (Derek Jacobi) has always been secretly in love with Celia (Anne Reid), while Celia spent decades in an unhappy marriage.
A feel-good story that proves finding love has no age limit, Last Tango in Halifax also examines how later love can be complicated when you add involvement from your respective families, including grown children. A refreshing love story with a comedic twist, Last Tango in Halifax arguably paved the way for shows like Grace and Frankie, both being successful pushbacks against ageism on television.
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)
The 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)
With 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”.
White Gold (2017)
Quietly flying under the radar, White Gold had two seasons, released two years apart. The British sitcom stars Ed Westwick as Vincent Swan, a slimy double-glazed windows salesman who rips people off and engages in questionable sales tactics to meet quotas. Meanwhile, he’s less than stellar to his wife and kids.
Obsessed with wealth and status, his two friends and co-workers are Inbetweeners’ James Buckley and Joe Thomas as Brian and Martin. While Brian is just as underhanded as Vincent, Martin struggles with his moral compass and cheats customers out of their hard-earned money to do shoddy work with second-rate products. The mid-1980s Corringham, Essex setting and the characters you love to hate make White Gold a worthy watch.
Heartstopper (2022)
A British coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama, Heartstopper pulled on viewers’ heartstrings when it premiered in 2022. The series, which is 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 a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score for its inaugural season. Critics praise the show’s sensitivity and charm, as well as its depiction of both sides of the coin: a young man who is open and confident in his sexuality and another who is still trying to understand his feelings, but is also accepting of them.
Sex Education (2019)
Launched 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)
While 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)
Inside Man (2022)
The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself (2022)
You Don't Know Me (2021)
Peaky Blinders (2013)
Criminal: UK (2019)
The Last Kingdom (2015)
Marcella (2016)
Cuckoo (2012)
Stay Close (2021)
The Stranger (2020)
Requiem (2018)
Traitors (2019)
Sick Note (2017)
Giri/Haji (2019)
Crazyhead (2016)
After Life (2019)
Attenborough's Life in Colour (2021)
Outlander (2014)
The Irregulars (2021)
The One (2021)
Nadiya Bakes (2020)
Behind Her Eyes (2021)
The English Game (2020)
The Ripper (2020)
Secrets of Great British Castles (2015)
The Innocents (2018)
Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969)
Crashing (2016)
Collateral (2018)
The Great British Bake Off (2010)
Bodyguard (2018)
Dracula (2020)
Lovesick (2014)
The End of the F***ing World (2017)
Get Even (2020)
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