What is the best British TV show of all time?

Gritty crime dramas, sharp political satires, beloved comedies, and genre-defining sci-fi — Britain's TV tradition is remarkably diverse. Cast your vote for the greatest!

1

Fawlty Towers

John Cleese's 1975-79 sitcom about a hapless hotel owner in Torquay, considered one of the greatest comedies ever made.

2

Doctor Who

The BBC's long-running sci-fi series begun in 1963 following a time-traveling alien exploring the universe in a police box.

3

Sherlock

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss's 2010-17 modern reimagining of Sherlock Holmes, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in a contemporary London.

4

Fleabag

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's award-winning 2016-19 dark comedy about a messy, sharp-witted woman navigating grief and family dysfunction in London.

5

Peaky Blinders

Steven Knight's acclaimed 2013-22 crime drama following the brutal Shelby crime family in post-WWI Birmingham.

6

Black Mirror

Charlie Brooker's anthology series exploring the dark side of modern technology, debuting in 2011 and becoming a global sensation.

7

The Crown

Peter Morgan's lavish Netflix drama chronicling the reign of Queen Elizabeth II across multiple decades and cast generations.

8

Downton Abbey

Julian Fellowes' beloved 2010-15 period drama set in an Edwardian country estate navigating class, war, and changing times.

9

The Office (UK)

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's 2001-03 cringe mockumentary about a deluded middle manager and his painfully ordinary Slough office.

10

Monty Python's Flying Circus

The Pythons' groundbreaking 1969-74 sketch series that permanently rewired British comedy and influenced generations of writers.

11

The Thick of It

Armando Iannucci's 2005-12 razor-sharp political satire following spin doctors and ministers in a chaotic Westminster government.

12

Happy Valley

Sally Wainwright's tense 2014-23 Yorkshire crime thriller following a tenacious police sergeant tracking down a psychopathic ex-convict.

13

Killing Eve

The 2018-22 spy-thriller cat-and-mouse series pairing Villanelle, a glamorous assassin, with the obsessive MI5 officer pursuing her.

14

Line of Duty

Jed Mercurio's 2012-21 police procedural following a ruthless anti-corruption unit investigating bent officers in a fictional UK force.

15

Broadchurch

Chris Chibnall's 2013-17 gripping murder mystery set in a small seaside town where a child's death tears apart an entire community.

16

Luther

Neil Cross's 2010-19 psychological crime drama starring Idris Elba as a brilliant but tormented London murder detective.

17

Spaced

Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright's cult 1999-2001 sitcom about two strangers who fake being a couple to rent a flat in London.