When it comes to Netflix, it has built its reputation on presenting people with original series that you won’t see on any other network. Not only that, but Netflix offers American fans TV shows from all over the world. Whereas it used to be impossible to see international television, Netflix has made it a standard affair.
This includes several excellent TV series from the United Kingdom and Britain in particular. Netflix has signed deals to show British television series, they have partnered with the BBC to co-produce great television shows, and has gone abroad to license shows made in the U.K. Here are the 10 best British TV shows on Netflix right now.
THE CROWN
It all started with The Crown. It might not have been the first British series, but it was the best critically acclaimed British series on Netflix. Premiering in 2016, The Crown tells the story of the rise of Queen Elizabeth II.
What made the show interesting was that it moved through her life and recast when she aged. Claire Foy portrayed the Queen in the first two seasons, with Olivia Colman taking her place in the third. In its first two seasons alone, The Crown picked up 26 awards nominations, and it is still going for two more seasons.
SHERLOCK
The stories of Sherlock Holmes have gone back decades, with movies coming based on the detective almost as soon as cinema began. Based on the novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat went at their Sherlock series very differently than other Netflix series.
This British series came in short seasons of only three episodes. However, they were all feature film-length episodes. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Sherlock Holmes with Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson, his associate.
BLACK MIRROR
When looking at popular British series on Netflix, no one mentions Black Mirror because the series does not showcase the British aspects of the storylines as much as it creates stories that seem very familiar to American series like The Twilight Zone.
The difference between Black Mirror and shows like The Twilight Zone is that the latter uses a lot of fantasy in its stories, but Black Mirror is all about the fear of technology. With critically acclaimed episodes like “San Junipero” and the genre-bending film Bandersnatch, Black Mirror has picked up several award nominations.
THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD
When it comes to British television and movies, they have their own form of comedy, and it isn’t always comfortable. When it comes to The End of the F***ing World, it gets very black and very funny all at the same time. Imagine if you took Bonnie & Clyde and made it a little more comedic.
James (Alex Lawther) is a psychopath, a teenager who wants more than anything to be a serial killer. However, when he picks out the classmate that he wants to kill, James finds out that she is almost more deranged than he is. That is Alyssa (Jessica Barden), and the two go on a murderous rampage together.
BROADCHURCH
Fans of British television knows all about Broadchurch star David Tennant, as he is a former Doctor on Doctor Who. The show also stars Olivia Coleman, who went on to star in The Crown as the second Queen Elizabeth II. The two actors star in a mystery British series on Netflix.
When a young boy is murdered in a small, quiet town, two detectives set out to find the killer. There are a ton of twists, and as expected from anything starring Tennant, a lot of cracking dialogue and brilliant acting. This is not a binge-worthy show and is pretty dark, but worthy.
THE INBETWEENERS
The Inbetweeners is a comedy series that is as awkward as you might expect from a TV show set in a high school. The show’s title represents what you will get in the series, as these are not the popular kids, and they are not the nerds. They are the kids living somewhere in between.
The series stars four teenage boys who go through all the pains of a high school student who doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere, except with each other. The show picked up two NAFTA nominations for Best Situation Comedy. Netflix has all three seasons available.
EXTRAS
Ricky Gervais is a British star who has mastered the role of a television superstar. He was in the British version of The Office and the more recent Netflix series After Life. However, one of his greatest creations was Extras.
Gervais and Stephen Merchant created this series about extras working in the entertainment industry and their plights, achievements, and accomplishments. The series had a ton of cameo extras throughout the two seasons of the series. Netflix has all 13 episodes for fans to watch.
MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS
When one thinks of British comedy television, it began with the most celebrated comedy troupe in British history with Monty Python. The series Monty Python’s Flying Circus brought the funnymen’s comic sensibilities to television. Fans who love their movies will find everything they love in this series.
There were four seasons, and 45 episodes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Netflix has the series on its streaming service. From the Spanish Inquisition to The Lumberjack Song, it is all here for fans to relive or discover for the first time.
PEAKY BLINDERS
Peaky Blinders has been a massive success for both the BBC and for Netflix, where it also airs. The series is a historical drama where Cillian Murphy gets to chew up every scene he appears in as Tommy Shelby, who is the leader of the Peaky Blinders.
This British TV show takes place in England following the First World War as Tommy, and his gang starts to capture more and more power. For American fans of classic mobster tales, this is an excellent look at the same genre, but with a British background. Tom Hardy also has a role in the series, which has picked up 16 BAFTA nominations and won Best Drama Series for its fourth season.
THE IT CROWD
Running for five seasons, The IT Crowd is a former Channel 4 comedy series that has since found its way onto Netflix. Created by Graham Lineham, who also created the popular Father Ted, The IT Crowd features three staff members of an IT department of a business and their manager, who knows nothing about IT.
Each season of The IT Crowd featured six episodes and initially ran from 2006-2010, with a follow-up special coming in 2013. The series received several awards nominations over the years, winning both the BAFTA for Female Performance and Male Performance in a Comedy Programme in 2014.
