Best BBC shows: All the best dramas on BBC iPlayer

This war drama from Steven Knight proved hugely popular when its first season debuted back in 2022, and in January 2025 its returning, with the full season 2 box set becoming available on iPlayer on New Year's Day.

In the meantime, now's the perfect time for a rewatch or to catch up on season 1. The series, which charts the creation of the SAS during the Second World War, gives a punk rock edge to proceedings, with some head-banging needle-drops and some incredible action.

The cast, including Connor Swindells, Jack O'Connell, Dominic West and Sofia Boutella, all put in strong, compelling performances, while some of the real-life stories it dramatises are so remarkable you'll be sent back to the history books to confirm they are correct. – James Hibbs

It's a big time for the hugely popular Paradise franchise. Not only has new spin-off Return to Paradise recently become available on BBC iPlayer, but Death in Paradise and it's first spin-off Beyond Paradise are both returning for their annual Christmas specials.

Beyond Paradise has become just as much of a hit as its predecessor since its debut, as it follows up with Kris Marshall's Humphrey and his fiancée Martha. Humphrey is often cited as DIP's best ever lead detective, and it's easy to see why – Marshall lends the character such goofy charm and likeability that no matter what he's doing, he's always worth watching.

Thankfully, what he is doing is solving murders, surrounded by engaging characters and in a gorgeous coastal setting in Devon. With a few twists on the format and more family drama, but still enough of the format to make the show recognisable, this one is a real treat for cosy crime fans. - James Hibbs

Having first landed on our screens with season 1 back in 2022, Cheaters was a bit of a word-of-mouth comedy hit that brought up questions of morality while making us laugh simultaneously.

After a cancelled flight leads to two strangers indulging in a drunken tryst, they're astounded to learn that once back home in London, they're actually neighbours who are living with their respective partners. Cue plenty of awkwardness that only notches up tenfold the more their lives become integrated as the couples start to spend more time together. Now, we're back in the messy fold of things when relationship lines are drawn as we pick up a few months after the season 1 finale.

A bit of an anti-romcom, the episodes are short and snappy – never more than 15 minutes – which makes for the perfect binge watch in among the more gritty dramas on iPlayer. – Morgan Cormack

With the original series of Wolf Hall having first aired almost a decade ago, it's safe to say that this next instalment has been more than a little anticipated. If you're a history fan or an avid reader of Hilary Mantel's hit novel of the same name, then it's time to get acquainted with this acclaimed drama.

The new season picks up right after where the first left off, continuing to follow Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance), at the court of King Henry VIII of England (Damian Lewis). In the aftermath of the death of Anne Boleyn, we're introduced to Henry's third Queen, Jane Seymour, but Cromwell is stuck between doing what is right versus doing what he has to do to survive.

Once again, a star-studded cast assembles to bring this historical tale to life and with episodes airing weekly, it sure is the kind of drama to hunker down with on a weekend evening. - Morgan Cormack

This legal drama took on an anthology format in its second season, with each new run focussing on a new high profile cast, with a new set of characters, a new cast and a new city.

While the first season starred Tracy Ifeachor and Céline Buckens and focussed on an arrogant, wealthy student accused of murder, the second run starred Adeel Akhtar and Michael Socha, and centred on a police officer accused of murdering a prominent climate change activist in a hit and run.

If you're looking for high octane thrills, this may not be the series for you. However, if you're looking for nuanced character portrayals, interesting and insightful discussions about some of the most hot-button topics, and excellent acting, then you really can't go wrong. Socha and Akhtar's back and forths are particularly powerful in season 2, with both giving the performances of their careers. - James Hibbs

There's something about a decades-spanning love story that is just fitting to get stuck into on these longer, colder nights, and Mr Loverman is just the tonic. The new eight-part series follows the relationship between Barrington Jedidiah Walker (Lennie James) and Morris De La Roux (Ariyon Bakare), who keep their love a secret.

This series is home to plenty a flashback as we go back in time to Antigua, when the pair were teenagers, through to their elderly years spent as friends in London. While Barrington's wife suspects he's cheating on her, she's looking for clues in all the wrong places. While this is a bit of a slow burn of a series, Mr Loverman won't waste any time in pulling on all your emotions and heartstrings. – Morgan Cormack

With season 4 now being confirmed, us Industry fans are in for another dose of the stressful, financial drama, but for now all three current seasons are available to watch on iPlayer. While the first season very much deals with our cohort of graduates entering the heady world of Pierpoint, this recent third season sees each of the main group off on their own journeys and tangents.

Akin to the stress levels reached when watching something like The Bear, Industry manages to propel you through the world of finance while also plunging you headfirst into Harper (Myha'la), Yasmin (Marisa Abela) and Robert's (Harry Lawtey) complicated lives.

The third season of the show is one of the strongest yet, throwing up plot twists and shock moments you don't expect, as well as leaving the door open for many more glorious episodes. - Morgan Cormack

Sometimes, you don't always want to dive into the grittiest of dramas. Rather, sometimes it's about being transported to the glossy world of professional tennis, high-flying families and a mysterious disappearance.

This series, which is based on the Liane Moriarty book of the same name, introduces us episode-by-episode to each member of the Delaney family. They're at the centre of the tennis world in West Palm Beach, with Joy and Stan taking the choice to retire from their tennis academy.

But when Joy vanishes one day, suspicion soon starts to tear at the seams of this family. Much like the novel it's based on, this is a series that is a light watch, easy to binge and packs enough twists and turns to keep you hooked. - Morgan Cormack

This comedic drama stars David Mitchell as an unintentional and unwilling detective, John, who goes undercover in the Cambridge police force to find out more about the disappearance of his twin brother James.

Mitchell is very much playing to type here, but that's no bad thing. Not only is he perfect in the role, but his whole sensibility permeates through the series, helping to both ground it and also constantly remind us that what is happening is thoroughly absurd.

A strong supporting cast also help to bolster the series, which at times falls into formulaic murder mystery drama tropes, but for the most part is a refreshing take on the genre, and proves to be an utterly bingeable box set. - James Hibbs

Based on the hit YA novel of the same name, it's safe to say that there were many book fans who were anticipating this release when it landed on our screens in July. Recently landing on Netflix US, the series has continued to go down a storm as it follows Pip Fitz-Amobi, a 17-year-old who is on the hunt for a killer.

Played by Wednesday's Emma Myers, we follow Pip as she comes up against long-standing secrets in her close-knit community but strives to find out the truth about what really happened to local schoolgirl Andie Bell five years ago.

While you may go into this series thinking it may be skewed for a younger viewer, this six-parter is perfectly paced kind of drama that'll leave you lapping it up in no time, no matter your age. - Morgan Cormack

Kin follows a Dublin crime family facing a seemingly impossible gangland war as their reserves and resources hit an all-time low. Will the importance of family triumph over the tide of betrayal and sin?

The series stars beloved actors such as Daredevil star Charlie Cox as recently-released Skinner family sibling Michael and Game of Thrones actor Aidan Gillen as the struggling Frank.

The drama boasts a bevvy of Irish talent across the board – with the rest of the cast rounded out by the likes of Peaky Blinders star Emmett Scanlan, The Tudors actress Maria Doyle Kennedy, and the illustrious Ciaran Hinds. Unmissable. – Lewis Knight

Small Axe is an anthology series from the critically acclaimed filmmaker Steve McQueen and follows a number of different stories about West Indian immigrants living in London during the 1960s up to the 1980s. The director helmed all five episodes of the series, but worked with Alastair Siddons and Courttia Newland on the stories for each chapter. Each chapter is a stunning illustration of how institutional racism has affected Black communities in the United Kingdom for decades., although Lovers Rock was seen as both a cultural celebration and a transfixing period tale of romance. The series starred an impressive array of actors, with performances from Letitia Wright and John Boyega being praised by critics across the globe for their roles in the episodes Mangrove and Red, White, and Blue respectively. John Boyega won a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor, and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Leroy Logan, the founder of the Black Police Association. – Eammon Jacobs

Persistent sleepwalker Lorna Brady (Ruth Wilson) wakes one morning to find a corpse in her house. So, might she be responsible for the woman’s demise? And could Lorna also be linked to another case of untimely death being investigated by Dublin-based Detective Colman Akande (Daryl McCormack)?

Those are the central questions that run through this woozy and unsettling six-part thriller. But also hanging over it like a heavy shroud is the feeling of guilt, both on a personal and institutional scale, with Lorna’s deep-rooted trauma tied to Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries, the details of which are gradually shaded in for those unaware of this macabre scandal.

David Brown

Shaking up the regular format of many of the crime dramas we know and love, The Gone has its feet in both Ireland and New Zealand as we follow detectives from each country who are determined to get to the bottom of a missing couple's case.

Ronan Garvey (Simon Mead) and Sinead Martin (Rachel Morgan) seemingly vanish from a remote town in New Zealand, and that's where Dublin detective Theo Richer (Richard Flood) comes in. Despite resigning from the Garda after two decades of service, Theo is called in to help with the case - and when he travels to the other side of the world, he's faced with a small town that holds its own dark secrets. Surely, nobody just disappears without a trace... or can they? – Morgan Cormack

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has returned to his Birmingham roots once more for this new drama, which is set in the city during the 1980s, during the era of ska and two-tone music. It follows Dante, an aspiring poet who decides to form a band and put his words to music, while his family are also caught up in the dangerous political environment at the time.

Its blend of elements, themes and storylines might not suit everyone, but the series is earthy and authentic, with some impressive performances and a soundtrack to die for. Knight's projects have always got style and This Town is no different, but there is also an emotional core running through it which makes it worth checking out. - James Hibbs

Released back in 2021, Dopesick was always on course to be a thought-provoking and stark look at the American opioid crisis. While recently released Painkiller also tackled the same subject matter, Dopesick was a cut above and delivered stellar performances from Michael Keaton, Rosario Dawson and Kaitlyn Dever.

Rather than using medical jargon and confusing terms, Dopesick follows the lives of a local doctor, a young woman growing up in the Virginia mining community, a DEA agent investigating the rise in OxyContin use and a Purdue sales representative to tell a harrowing tale of addiction, greed and deceit. At eight episodes long, the series is far from the easiest of watches due to its heartbreaking stories, but is certainly gripping - and will leave you thinking for days after. – Morgan Cormack

This new drama doesn’t quite fit into your archetypal genre boxes, but is an ambitious series that forces you to take notice of its messaging. Across the three episodes, we see how the civil uprising in Port Talbot starts to envelop the Driscoll family in different ways. From a father who doesn’t initially want to be involved due to historical ties to a son whose previous numb state of mind is finally fired up after the unrest, we see how the series of events changes all their lives.

A directorial debut from Michael Sheen, who is otherwise known for his roles in Staged and Good Omens, the new series is also written by James Graham (Sherwood) and documentarian Adam Curtis. – Morgan Cormack

Can Shetland survive post-Jimmy Perez? Well, based on the first cases to feature his successor Ruth Calder (Ashley Jensen), I’d say yes. She very quickly forges a strong partnership with show stalwart Tosh (Alison O’Donnell) that feels like Scott and Bailey in scarves and sweaters. But let’s not forget that this is a series that’s always been as much about the scenery as its central character — and for those wanting more of those wild and windswept landscapes, all previous Douglas Henshall-starring episodes are available now. – David Brown

If you’re a fan of The Tourist, you’ll likely be a fan of this six-part drama which comes from the Williams brothers – who are at the helm of both. The drama is led by Daisy Haggard (Back to Life) and Paterson Joseph (Peep Show) who find themselves at the centre of a quickly unravelling chain of criminal events when a major stash of cocaine is washed up in their seaside town and they take it.

Hoping to sell it on for some serious cash, the pair soon find out that it’s not that easy to penetrate the world of organised crime and soon find themselves being hunted by the very people who want their precious cargo back. Not your typical BBC drama, this one is peppered with dark humour and plenty of tension that’ll keep you hooked. – Morgan Cormack

Silent Witness is one of the longest-running police procedurals in the UK, and for good reason. Now in its 27th season and with Emilia Fox at the helm as Dr Nikki Alexander, the series has featured a revolving cohort of various detectives, forensic pathologists and investigators all dedicated to solving grisly cases that seem more complicated than the last. It’s genuinely astounding that the show hasn’t burnt out of ideas yet, but somehow, every season is filled with surprisingly confounding mysteries. Whether it’s unearthing the crimes of convicted serial killers or the assassination of a US diplomat, there’s a distinct variety in every single case.

And if you like a side of gore with your “whodunnits”, you’re in for a bloody treat. There’s severed limbs, internal organs and autopsies galore. And yet, it never feels over the top. If anything, it still feels remarkably grounded and timely. Although there’s been plenty of cast members over the years, and a stand-out performance comes from Liz Carr as Clarissa Mullery – a forensic examiner who happens to be a wheelchair user. Silent Witness didn’t just relegate her to a helpful member of the supporting cast, instead she was constantly a key part of the investigation, often providing answers where others stumble. Does the format occasionally get a little repetitive? Of course, but that makes its stories no less entertaining. – Eammon Jacobs/Morgan Cormack

The thrilling crime drama from World Productions returns for its second run with stars Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie.

The first outing of the blockbuster show followed murderous actions in the isolated environment of a submarine, leading Amy Silva (Jones) on a gripping race against time to discover the truth, while her on-off lover Kirsten Longacre (Leslie) grappled with their relationship difficulties whilst also pursuing avenues in the investigation.

The second run moves the action from Scotland to a fictional Middle Eastern country with which the UK has been developing a military drone programme. Topical and tense, this is BBC thrilling drama at its very finest. – Lewis Knight

This thriller, based on the Jack Caffery novel by Mo Hayder, comes from Steven Moffat’s production company Hartswood films and it shows – there are people held against their will and two parallel timelines, just like Inside Man, and a chilling figure in a gas mask, just like Doctor Who’s The Empty Child.

However, other than those surface-level aspects, Wolf is a truly unique drama, especially in its tone. The series jumps between genres, featuring elements of horror, thriller, crime drama and even comedy to tell its story of a detective haunted by his past and a family being terrorised, unaware as to why.

Ukweli Roach is phenomenal as detective Jack, making sure his storyline is just as compelling as the other, while Sacha Dhawan and Iwan Rheon are clearly having huge fun as the mysterious captors of a wealthy family. – James Hibbs

Back in the early 2000s, millions of viewers paid Sunday-evening visits to the picturesque Glenbogle estate. Almost 25 years on, this easy-going drama about a young laird is now online, so it’s possible to head to the Highlands whenever you like.

It remains escapist fare with the bonus of a twinkly-eyed role for Richard Briers. And those seeking further Scottish misadventures can find them in the Robert Carlyle-starring Hamish Macbeth, which is also part of the BBC comedy drama box sets that have been rescued from the archives.

David Brown