You Pick BestYouPickBest

What is the best British TV show of all time?

by YPB Team

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 — ranked #11
    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 — ranked #22
    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 — ranked #33
    Sherlock
    Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss's 2010-17 modern reimagining of Sherlock Holmes, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in a contemporary London.
  4. Fleabag — ranked #44
    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 — ranked #55
    Peaky Blinders
    Steven Knight's acclaimed 2013-22 crime drama following the brutal Shelby crime family in post-WWI Birmingham.
  6. Black Mirror — ranked #66
    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 — ranked #77
    The Crown
    Peter Morgan's lavish Netflix drama chronicling the reign of Queen Elizabeth II across multiple decades and cast generations.
  8. Downton Abbey — ranked #88
    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) — ranked #99
    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 — ranked #1010
    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 — ranked #1111
    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 — ranked #1212
    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 — ranked #1313
    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 — ranked #1414
    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 — ranked #1515
    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 — ranked #1616
    Luther
    Neil Cross's 2010-19 psychological crime drama starring Idris Elba as a brilliant but tormented London murder detective.
  17. Spaced — ranked #1717
    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.

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first!