Now that people are streaming more and more hours of TV, it's crucial we have as many recommendations as possible at our fingertips.
And while you may well have cranked through Netflix's biggest originals, its most addictive reality shows, and even its most underrated shows, we're willing to bet there are a few avenues you've yet to explore.
From crude comedy to coastal crime, there's a whole host of UK shows ready to stream on Netflix, whether you're more interested in the Royal Family or the Shelby Family.
We've handpicked the best of Netflix's UK offerings, in no particular order, for your next streaming session. Tea and biscuits at the ready...
1. Sex Education
What's it about?
Despite his own lack of experience, the son of a sex therapist inadvertently becomes a source of advice for his college peers.
Why should you watch it?
Like Lovesick, which also features in this list, Sex Education is a show that wildly surpasses its slightly silly-sounding premise. This is largely down to creator Laurie Nunn's complex characters and strong writing combined with an excellent cast (which includes Gillian Anderson absolutely nailing her role as the aforementioned therapist, and a slew of A+ performances from the show's younger stars led by Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, and Ncuti Gatwa). Ultimately, the show has all the kind of things you look for in a comedy/drama about high-school age teens: plenty of awkwardness, plenty of gloriously ridiculous situations (as well as very serious ones) and a poignant emotional core. – Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor
2. The Crown
What's it about?
The British Royals are a family that’s had more drama and dilemmas than you’ve had hot dinners. The Crown kicks off right before Queen Elizabeth II ascends to the throne and follows her trajectory from princess to queen, and the trials and tribulations that cropped up throughout her reign.
Why should you watch it?
The drama! The intrigue! The suspense! But in all seriousness, you don’t have to be a Royalist to be completely gripped by this show. There’s a kind of unflinching, warts-and-all quality to this dramatisation of the real-life events that went on behind the scenes at Buck House. In the first two seasons, Claire Foy plays a young Queen Elizabeth getting to grips with her role as sovereign. In Season 3, the regal baton is passed to Olivia Colman, who plays a middle-aged Queen grappling with other challenges. If anything, watch for the standout performance from Helena Bonham-Carter as an imperious and troubled Princess Margaret, struggling to come to terms with life outside of the limelight. Season 4 moves into the love triangle between Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and Camilla Parker Bowles. After watching, you won’t look at the Royals in the same way again. – Rachel Thompson, Senior UK Culture Reporter
3. Black Mirror
What's it about?
All the dark and difficult places our rapidly advancing technology might lead us to.
Why should you watch it?
Charlie Brooker's anthology sci-fi drama is absolutely bursting with ideas. That's one of the great things about it — even if you're not a huge fan of the topic explored in one episode, chances are you might well enjoy the next. Robots, social media, video games and the future are grief are just some of the subjects that get touched upon in Black Mirror, and each exploration is as disturbing as it is thought-provoking. Possibly not a show to watch if you're in an anxious mood, but perfect if you want to embrace some good ol' existential terror. – SH
4. Derry Girls
What's it about?
Set in the '90s in Northern Ireland during the Troubles (sectarian conflict between nationalists and unionists), Derry Girls follows teenagers Erin, Clare, Michelle, and Orla, who attend Our Lady Immaculate convent school in the town of Derry. And yes, there's James too.
Why should you watch it?
Created and written by Lisa McGee, who grew up in Derry, the show examines what daily life during the Troubles was like, and presents a fresh, stereotype-shaking portrayal of Northern Irish women.
As Mashable's Rachel Thompson writes, "An inaccurate — and extremely irritating — TV and film stereotype is doing a disservice to the women of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Often, in TV and films, female characters from the island of Ireland are portrayed as victims. But, Derry Girls...is turning that tired-out trope on its head." Plus, the soundtrack is packed with '90s nostalgia. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor + RT
5. Chewing Gum
What's it about?
Created, written, and starring the BAFTA award-winning Michaela Coel (who created one of the best TV shows of 2020 in I May Destroy You), Chewing Gum is a hilarious comedy following 24-year-old virgin Tracey Gordon, who is doing her best to learn about the world, handle her bubbling sexuality amid a strictly religious household, all while honouring the almighty Beyoncé.
Why should you watch it?
As Mashable's Jess Joho writes in her review, Chewing Gum "spotlights one of the boldest and most earnest comedic voices of our time" in Coel. "This underrated Netflix show almost certainly flew under your radar, premiering in the UK in 2015 before quietly releasing overseas on Netflix in 2016. But make up for that now, by enjoying the inimitable, batshit brilliance of Chewing Gum — which always comes back to its rare, candid, loving portrayal of a vibrant immigrant and working class community," she writes.
"The real heart of Chewing Gum lies in each member of the ensemble, though, populating her neighborhood with electrifyingly dynamic characters — each one more outlandishly lovable than the last. Its singular brand of comedy lies in Coel's sense of empathy, finding the shared humanity among a wide variety of very specific and disparate people." — SC + Jess Joho, Staff Writer
6. Downton Abbey
What's it about?
Set in the grand eponymous Yorkshire estate, Julian Fellowes' Downton Abbey follows the lives of the Crawley family and their domestic staff, and all the horny romance, powerful gossip, and hierarchical politics that comes with the post-Edwardian era.
Why should you watch it?
It's all about the characters, upstairs and down. From the tenacious Crawley sisters Lady Sybil, Lady Mary, and Lady Edith (Jessica Brown Findlay, Michelle Dockery, and Laura Carmichael), to the marvellously sharp and fiercely loyal Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith), and the steadfast and highly nostalgic Mr Carson (Jim Carter), the residents of Downton and beyond are woven into six seasons of flirty courting, proposals, scandalous indiscretions, broken and kept engagements, advantageous (and some not) marriages, tragic deaths, births, and of course, opulent dinner parties. Like The Crown, the real history surrounding the events of the show is also fascinating to watch — the six seasons are set between 1912 and 1926 and see historic events such as the outbreak of World War I, the sinking of the Titanic, the Spanish flu, the Irish War of Independence, and more affecting the lives at Downton. — SC
7. Feel Good
What's it about?
Written and created Mae Martin and Joe Hampson, Feel Good sees Martin playing Mae, a stand-up comedian who falls for George, a teacher, who has only ever dated men before. Building relationships, growing up, breaking free of emotional dependency, and managing addiction — Martin and Hampson make all of it funny, sad, relatable, romantic, and beautiful in this semi-autobiographical comedy drama.
Why should you watch it?
First of all, yes Mae Martin is Canadian. Yes, this was once a Channel 4 show that is now a full-on Netflix production. But Feel Good counts on this list as it was entirely filmed and mostly set in the UK with a mainly British cast, and it's so damn bloody excellent we're including it, alright?
Season 1 brings the complex rom-com energy you need in your life, and Season 2 basically picks up where we left off, pushing Mae and George’s story along into new territory and exploring the complicated nature of empathy and handling inner pain. Mae digs deeper into their past trauma and its impact on present relationships, George (the hilarious Charlotte Ritchie) works on finding time for her own power while supporting Mae, and Mae's parents (the incredibly deadpan Lisa Kudrow and charming Adrian Lukis) return to try meeting them halfway. You will watch it in a day.* — SC
8. Peaky Blinders
What's it about? The Peaky Blinders are a local gang and family business quietly running Birmingham, England after World War I. They’re led by the formidable and captivating Tommy (Cillian Murphy), whose demons only seem to grow.
Why should you watch it? It feels blasphemous to call Peaky Blinders a gangster show or a crime drama, because none of those storylines, while they may provide visceral fight scenes set to rock music, come anywhere near the gripping heartbeat of Tommy and the Shelby family. Murphy has put nothing but his best foot forward since day one, backed up by a solid cast of supporting players (most notably Helen McCrory as the endlessly alluring Aunt Polly). The production and cinematography are nothing short of arresting, immersing us so fully in the harshness of this world that it’s jarring to leave. – Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter
9. Lovesick
What's it about?
After discovering he has chlamydia, a 20-something garden designer has to contact all of his previous sexual partners to inform them.
Why should you watch it?
If you think the plot summary of Lovesick sounds ridiculous, just wait until you hear what the show was originally titled: Scrotal Recall. Yep. When the comedy/drama moved from Channel 4 to Netflix, though, it was (thankfully) renamed. "I mean, technically the name made sense in a funny way, but actually it completely mis-sold it in terms of tone and what we were trying to do," actor Antonia Thomas, who plays central character Evie, told Paste Magazine. That pretty much hits the nail on the head, too — Lovesick isn't just a silly comedy. It's a smart, often poignant portrayal of tangled friendships and relationships. – SH
10. The End of the F***ing World
What's it about?
Alyssa and James (Jessica Barden and Alex Lawther) hit the road across England, as James believes he's a murderous psychopath and Alyssa just wants to get the hell out of her home.
Why should you watch it?
It's Bonnie and Clyde for millennials! There's nothing more anxiety-inducing than watching James and Alyssa make questionable life choices while on the run, but it's equally relatable in this respect. As Mashable's Jess Joho writes, "Millennials seem to vacillate between two polarizing #moods: unspecified rage, and a seemingly psychopathic disassociation. That's what James and Alyssa, the teen leads behind Netflix's new dark comedy series The End of the F***ing World, embody. Their personas of unbridled fury and panicked dispassion are quickly revealed to be the defenses of two deeply traumatized brains. But, like, same." — SC + JJ
11. Top Boy
What's it about?
Created by Ronan Bennett, Top Boy originally centred around the fictional Summerhouse public housing estate in Hackney, London, and drug dealers Dushane and Sully (Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson). In the revived series, they return to London and take on gang leader Jamie (Lover's Rock star Micheal Ward) for market dominance.
Why should you watch it?
Top Boy goes back a decade. The original series (titled now as Top Boy: Summerhouse) aired in the UK on Channel 4 from 2011 to 2013 before it was cancelled. Then, Drake revived the show for Netflix and launched a new season in 2019. It picked up where the original series left off, and brought back Walters and Robinson to reprise their roles. The new series recruited directors including Candyman's Nia DaCosta, Monsters and Men's Reinaldo Marcus Green, and Pure's Aneil Karia. The incredible Top Boy cast includes Black Panther star Letitia Wright as Chantelle, Doctor Strange star Benedict Wong as Vincent, Sex Education's Kadeem Ramsay as Kit, Noughts + Crosses' Jasmine Jobson as Jaq, and UK artists Little Simz and Dave as Shelley and Modie. — SC
12. Crashing
What's it about?
A group of 20-somethings live as "property guardians" in an old hospital.
Why should you watch it?
If you want to spy what Phoebe Waller-Bridge was up to before Fleabag, watch Crashing. PWB's first ever TV commission, the six-part series aired in 2016 on Channel 4. It also stars Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey, who starred alongside Waller-Bridge on Broadchurch — that's also on this list. This show is absolutely tailor-made for people who've lived with housemates or roommates. It's six episodes filled with casual sex and burgeoning love, drunken dinner parties, drunken actual parties, and just a general sense of trying to put one foot in front of the other. — SC
13. The Durrells
What's it about?
Based on Gerald Durrell's autobiographies about living with his family on the island of Corfu, Greece in the '30s, The Durrells is a comedy drama following Louisa Durrell (Keeley Hawes), who moves her children — Larry (Josh O'Connor), Margo (Daisy Waterstone), Gerry (Milo Parker), and Leslie (Callum Woodhouse) — to a new life far from Bournemouth, England.
Why should you watch it?
If you can't get yourself to a Greek island anytime soon, watch this show. Aside from the setting being sweet nectar for your locked-down eyeballs, the performances are so utterly delightful and hilarious you'll never want to leave the series. A mainstay on this roundup, Keeley Hawes is characteristically excellent as the determined, unshakeable Louisa Durrell, while you'll want to both punch and hug The Crown's Josh O'Connor as the insufferable Larry. — SC
14. Sherlock
What's it about?
An eccentric (but brilliant) detective solving crimes in England's capital.
Why should you watch it?
When you think of onscreen performances of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved detective Sherlock Holmes, does anyone but Benedict Cumberbatch come to mind? Truly wiping the cold slab clean with his version of the frustratingly brilliant crime-solver and self-described sociopath, Cumberbatch is reason enough to watch the BBC's beloved series of Sherlock, created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss.
Lucky for you, there's also long-suffering sidekick John Watson played with exasperated relatability by Martin Freeman, and machiavellian archenemy Jim Moriarty played by a chillingly playful Andrew Scott. Each episode, loosely based on Conan Doyle's stories, offers up a new case for Sherlock and Watson to solve, with the tiniest of clues always changing the game by the final reveal. — SC
15. Skins
What's it about?
The messy lives of sixth form students in the UK city of Bristol.
Why should you watch it?
Unlike fellow show about sixth form students The Inbetweeners, Skins isn't just an out-and-out comedy — it also contains a fair bit of drama and darkness. One of the interesting things about Skins is its structure — every two seasons we get a new group of characters, following them on their two-year journey through college and injecting the show with a batch of fresh faces. The same issues and themes crop up throughout, though, with the show refusing to shy away from topics like bereavement, mental illness and suicide. Does it get slightly far-fetched every now and then? Yes. But at its best (as it is in the first two seasons), it's an engaging and poignant study of complex characters navigating a difficult chapter in life. – SH
16. Broadchurch
What's it about?
In a quiet seaside community on England's south coast, a little boy turns up dead at the base of the cliff. As two detectives dig into the case, the town unravels around them.
Why should you watch it?
We could write a whole article about how great Broadchurch is — and actually, back in 2017, we did! Our opinions haven't changed a bit since. If you like moody crime shows and watching Olivia Colman's brilliant acting (who doesn't?), then this is one for you. The entire cast is amazing, in fact, and the writing (from current Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall) is on point throughout. Fair warning, the show isn't exactly light viewing, but if you're in the mood for some gritty whodunnit drama, you'll be right at home. – SH
17. The Fall
What's it about?
A crime drama set in Northern Ireland, The Fall sees Gillian Anderson in the lead role as detective superintendent Stella Gibson, hot on the heels of serial killer Paul Spector, played by Jamie Dornan.
Why should you watch it?
If you love a cat-and-mouse police procedural, The Fall must be on your list. Gillian Anderson is absolutely riveting as the complicated Gibson, brought to the city of Belfast from the Metropolitan Police to review a previous investigation. Dornan plays the terrifying Spector with a chilling degree of normalcy, in a role that precedes his similarly controlling role in 50 Shades of Grey. — SC
18. The Great British Bake Off/Baking Show
What is it?
A reality TV series in which contestants compete through the delicious medium of bakery.
Why should you watch it?
At the risk of making a fairly terrible pun, Bake Off has all the right ingredients — tension, humour, and (perhaps most critically of all) a healthy handful of baked goods. It's one of those shows that's a glorious mixture of tense and relaxing. You can feel the nerves sweating off the contestants as they desperately will their doughy creations to rise in time, but it's all okay because you're watching from the comfort and safety of your own sofa. Hey, you may even be inspired to get the baking tray out yourself. – SH
19. Bodyguard
What's it about?
A former Army veteran with PTSD takes on the role of principal protection officer for the UK's Home Secretary.
Why should you watch it?
If you think actor Richard Madden looks familiar in this show, it's probably because you last saw him getting pasted into oblivion at everyone's least favourite Game of Thrones wedding. Poor old Madden doesn't have a much easier time of it in Bodyguard, either — although we'd be lying if we said his struggles don't make for some addictive viewing. Jed Mercurio's pacey series is everything you'd expect from a police thriller, with twists, tension and explosions aplenty. But what makes it even better is how well drawn the characters are. – SH
20. Line of Duty
What's it about?
Yep, another Jed Mercurio show for you. Bent coppers beware, as Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), DC Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure)and DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) are here to bring the might of Anti-Corruption Unit 12 (AC-12) down on you.
Why should you watch it?
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and the wee donkey, Line of Duty is all anyone can talk about in the UK. When the sixth season of Jed Mercurio's beloved police corruption drama landed on BBC in March 2021, Twitter exploded over the awaited "bent coppers" line delivered by Hastings. Although the final episode polarised fans, Season 6 of Line of Duty was undeniably one of the shows that had people glued to their sets during yet another lockdown in the UK (but as it does every season, really). There are seriously excellent performances across the seasons too from some of Britain's best actors, including Thandiwe Newton as DCI Roseanne Huntley, Keeley Hawes as DI Lindsay Denton, and Lennie James as DCI Tony Gates.* — SC
* Asterisks indicate the writeup is adapted from another article.
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