Best BBC shows: All the best dramas on BBC iPlayer

After Happy Valley came to an end, fans were bereft, unsure where they would next see a crime drama of its pedigree in the near future. Then came The Gold.

Don’t get me wrong, the two are totally different beasts, in many ways they could not be more different. Where Happy Valley was a deeply character-based story, this was all about themes, about its exploration of Britain’s class-system in the ’80s.

The series dramatises the extraordinary true story of the Brink’s Mat robbery, featuring real-life figures alongside fictional and composite characters. It’s a complex, twisting narrative, which manages to deftly explain an elaborate situation and features some exceptional performances from the likes of Jack Lowden and Hugh Bonneville – James Hibbs

Screenwriter Sarah Phelps has adapted plenty of Agatha Christie works, and at the heart of this tragic true story she’s moulded into a four-part drama is a real-life antagonist as calculating and callous as any Christie killer. The pre-titles sequence states this is in memory of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin. The deaths of these elderly neighbours, in 2015 and 2017 respectively, were not initially thought to be suspicious. But one man was suspiciously close to both.

Timothy Spall conjures sympathy in spades as the quiet, fragile Peter – a well-respected scholar who lives a solitary and deeply religious life that only begins unravelling once he meets new student Ben (Eanna Hardwicke, exuding cold charm). Emotionally vulnerable, Peter is overwhelmed as the two embark on a relationship. But soon, Peter is having dizzy spells and hallucinating. Unbeknown to the host, he’s welcomed a parasite into his home. – Frances Taylor

Writer Jack Thorne is adept at tackling emotive subjects with depth and authenticity, creating stories that shine a powerful light into dark – and often uncomfortable – corners. Following the likes of National Treasure, Kiri and Help, his latest is this considered, devastating four-parter starring an outstanding Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen.

Nicci (Horgan) and Andrew (Sheen) are parents to Marnie (Niamh Moriarty), who has a rare form of congenital muscular dystrophy. When her already-deteriorating health falls further, it prompts doctors to say that her care should be withdrawn. Her parents vehemently disagree, and the case ends up going to court.

Although there are some superfluous subplots along the way, the final episode’s denouement is as commanding, moving and unbearable as television can get. – Frances Taylor

Those who have followed the career of director Shane Meadows will recognise many of his hallmarks here. There’s the semi-improvised dialogue and that familiar focus on the left-behinds in society. But what’s entirely new is the setting – 18th century Yorkshire, a time when the weavers who feature in this wild true-life story are facing obsolescence thanks to the merciless force of the Industrial Revolution. What follows is a tale of resistance and forgery, masterminded by the mysterious David Hartley (the magnetic Michael Socha), who’s home for the first time in seven years with a stab wound in his gut and a dark secret in his soul. – David Brown

Idris Elba may be a global movie star these days, but he still found time to film five series of this smash-hit BBC One show. Luther sees Elba as the dedicated, obsessive and occasionally violent DCI John Luther, a genius murder detective whose brilliant mind is not immune to the darkness of his job. The series starts with him unable to imprison psychopath and murderer Alice Morgan, leading the two to solve crimes together while he fights his own terrible demons.

Luther has been a smash hit for the BBC over the last decade, with Elba repeatedly garnering rave reviews every time a new season premiered, and the dark tone credited with giving the show more weight and gravitas than most police procedurals. Critical praise has been unanimous – indeed the biggest criticism has been the length of the show, with only twenty-one episodes produced over five seasons.

Elba is the powerhouse of this series, but he’s joined by some fine company. His Dark Material’s Ruth Wilson makes a particularly memorable turn as psychopathic nemesis and companion Alice Morgan, with The Death of Stalin’s Dermot Crawley as the razor-sharp DCI Martin Schenk and comedian Michael Smiley as “Deadhead” Benny Silver. – Daniel Furn

A series that needs no introduction, but we’ll give it one anyway.

Happy Valley stars Sarah Lancashire as Yorkshire police sergeant Catherine Cawood. When we meet her in season 1, she’s investigating former prisoner Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), whom she believes is responsible for the death of her daughter. The rivalry between these two incredible characters continues for two more outings, the last of which was released earlier this year and brought the story to a dramatic conclusion.

Indeed, Happy Valley season 3 was hailed as some of the best British television ever made, adding yet more prestige to the career of screenwriter Sally Wainwright – also known for Last Tango in Halifax and Gentleman Jack.

If you somehow missed its original run, do yourself a favour and watch now.

In what must have been the easiest commissioning decision of the year, the BBC has ordered a second series of this bracing Belfast-set procedural. And no wonder, as this first run is an admirably unvarnished take on life in the police force. It also feels, thanks to its febrile location, as though the daily patrols of officers can go horribly awry in an instant – a factor that keeps viewers on their toes during the tense interactions between those in unform (Richard Dormer and Sian Brooke, above centre, being two notable standouts) and the career criminals in their sights.

David Brown

BBC iPlayer has both versions of Gossip Girl, labelled according to their original years of broadcast: the influential 2007-12 series about overprivileged, hugely unlikeable teens in New York, and the two-series reboot, which debuted in 2021. The new show still features Kristin Bell in a narrating role as the titular, all-seeing blabbermouth, but now instead of her reading a blog by an unknown student at a Manhattan private school, “Gossip Girl” is an Instagram account run by a teacher. In season two, an uneasy pact between the snitch and the school’s top influencer soon cracks.

Jack Seale

A recent acquisition from HBO Max, Search Party went down a storm in the United States for its biting portrayal of millennial culture. The story kicks off as listless 20-something Dory (Arrested Development’s Alia Shawkat) takes it upon herself to track down an acquaintance from her college years, who has recently been declared missing.

Along for the ride is oblivious boyfriend Drew (John Reynolds) and egotistical friends Elliot (John Early) and Portia (Meredith Hagner). Together, the gang get to the bottom of the perplexing mystery – but in doing so, land themselves in even greater danger.

Search Party delivers on gripping drama – not least through a powerhouse performance from Shawkat – but also delights with its witty satire on the vapid trends of the social media generation. Perfect for those who like a blend of light and dark storytelling.

Oh His Dark Materials, you brilliant piece of fantasy you. Based on the bestselling books by Phillip Pullman the series follows 13-year old Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen) who embarks on a dangerous journey through a parallel world to uncover the mystery surrounding Dust and how it affects different dimensions in the universe. It’s a riveting adventure that sweeps audiences up along with Lyra in a grand storyline that never compromises its scale to fit the small screen. The series from writer Jack Thorne struck the perfect blend between realism and fantasy, as Lyra’s world feels familiar to our own but also is vastly different.

And while the first season of His Dark Materials felt a little constricted by setting up all these different characters and plot points about parallel worlds, the second season was so much fun as the cosmic stakes got even bigger. Truthfully, this works so much better than the misaligned cinematic adaptation from 2007. It’s a testament to the stellar cast that all the animalistic Daemons don’t come across as silly or stupid, they’re believable and enthralling. Also what a cast! It boasts the likes of James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda in supporting roles. The final season is streaming now. – Eammon Jacobs

Sherwood does what BBC crime dramas do best. With spectacular pacing, crucial historical context in the form of flashbacks to the past and stellar performances from the cast, there’s no wonder this drama was bestowed with so much praise when it was released in June 2o22.

Throughout the six-parter, we follow DCS Ian St Clair (David Morrissey) as he initially investigates a tragic death by bow and arrow in a small former mining town. Soon, tensions to the police presence arise and so to do memories of the past and the mid-80s miners’ strikes that tore apart a once close-knit community.

More than three decades on, the tensions of the past still remain and the drama feels as emotionally raw (especially from Lesley Manville and Claire Rushbrook’s performances) as it does authentic, the latter boosted by the fact the drama comes from Quiz creator James Graham, who was inspired by true events for this series and based it in Nottinghamshire, where he was raised. – Morgan Cormack

With Anna Torv (Mindhunter) at the helm of this Australian drama, it was always going to be a surefire hit of a series. But even more so, The Newsreader is an intriguing insight into the inner workings of an Australian newsroom – with all the workplace discrimination, misogyny and chaos to ponder over.

Taking us back to 1986, the series follows newsreader Helen Norville and new colleague Dale Jennings (Sam Reid) who are both desperately trying to work their way up the nightly news show ladder. Helen is an established anchor, continually turned down by her manager to cover genuinely thought-provoking stories, while Dale is often overlooked. But when Helen takes a leave of absence from work, the two strike up an unlikely bond. As much as this series is a reflection of the times and the hurdles women had to face in the workplace, it’s also a tale of friendship, career and hopefulness. – Morgan Cormack

The thing that sets Vienna Blood apart from most is the fact that, as well as being concerned with some truly puzzling murder cases, it’s also set against the backdrop of 1900s Vienna. At the time, the Austrian capital was a hotbed of culture, aristocracy and art, making the series one that also showcases some truly wonderful locations.

The psychological period drama follows know-it-all junior doctor Max Liebermann (Matthew Beard), and taciturn detective, detective inspector Oskar Rheinhardt (Juergen Maurer), who form an unlikely crime-solving partnership.

If you’ve watched Netflix’s Mindhunter, there’s a very high chance that you’ll lap this series up as it’s concerned with many of the same themes, particularly the psychology of murderers and psychopaths. – Morgan Cormack

When this drama was released in summer 2022, it was quickly swept up by Dolly Alderton fans and newcomers alike. The comedy series was adapted from Alderton’s memoir of the same name and follows childhood best friends Maggie (Emma Appleton) and Birdy (Bel Powley) as they move to London with other friends Nell (Marli Siu) and Amara (Aliyah Odoffin).

The quartet are primed and ready for their new adventure together in the capital city and it promises a newfound life of hectic nights out, house parties, new friends and lovers alike. But that’s all until Birdy gets into a relationship. It’s the kind that’s all-consuming and soon, Maggie has to reckon with the fact that she’s not Birdy’s number one person anymore.

The series, while being positively hilarious and nostalgic (there’s plenty of Kate Moss at Topshop and early 2000s music to really get you in the mood), is also an intriguing look into female friendships, identity, career and all the heady things that come from being in your early 20s. – Morgan Cormack

As the rates of domestic abuse continued to spiral in the UK throughout the numerous 2020 and 2021 lockdowns, there’s a vital drama from 2014 that should be mandatory viewing for younger audiences. Murdered by My Boyfriend is a harrowing story based on a real-life case in which Georgina Campbell plays Ashley Jones, a young woman whose boyfriend’s abusive behaviour begins to escalate before reaching a horrific end. Ashley’s boyfriend Reece is played by Royce Pierreson (who’s gone on to appear in Line of Duty, The Witcher and The Irregulars), and he’s dangerously charming and nice to begin with before he increasingly starts to control her life more.

While the 60-minute film was nominated for Best Single Drama at the BAFTAs (but failed to win) Georgina Campbell rightfully won the award for Best Actress for her leading role in the film. It’s not entertaining subject matter, but it is a necessary watch – especially for younger audiences who should be made aware of the dangers behind this kind of coercive behaviour. Although it is based on a real-life case involving domestic violence, the names of all those involved were changed by writer Regina Moriarty. – Eammon Jacobs

The title alone is nightmare-inducing – more heartbreaking is that this factual drama is based on real-life testimony. Wheelchair user Anna and partially sighted Tom are a devoted mother and father to baby Danielle, but social worker Belinda calls their parenting skills into doubt due to their disabilities. With mounting pressure from social services, their parents and each other, Anna and Tom must ask some honest questions of each other as they fight for custody of their newborn.

The drama was made as part of BBC Three’s Defying the Label series that saw 15 new programmes examine life with a disability – with Don’t Take My Baby as the runaway success, earning Best Single Drama at the 2016 BAFTA’s along with a raft of other nominations. The series was praised in particular for its handling of the little-discussed issue of the nation’s 11,000 disabled couples, and the UK Children’s Services who pass judgement on whether they can keep them. Tough questions with no easy answers are asked throughout the drama that may well call prejudices and beliefs into doubt, not just about the disabled community, but society as a whole.

Ruth Madeley stars in a BAFTA-nominated performance as mother Anna, and would later go on to key roles in Cold Feet and Years and Years. Also fighting for his family is Happy Valley’s Adam Long, who similarly won critical acclaim including a Royal Television Society Award nomination. – Daniel Furn

Based on the books by Sara Shepard, Pretty Little Liars has spawned three spin-off series; the latest in the franchise takes place within the same universe but with a new cast and set in a new location. Leaning heavily into the teen slasher genre, the series sees a group of teenage girls sent threatening messages from “A”, who wants to hold them accountable for their mothers’ mistakes, which led to a tragic death. – Laura Rutkowski

BBC Three’s slate of programming was incredible before the channel was pulled off-air in 2016, and one of the most underrated shows was 2012’s The Fades from writer and creator Jack Thorne. The series followed Iain DeCaestecker as Paul, a 17-year old student who discovers he’s actually an ‘Angelic’ and has been pulled into a war with vengeful spirits of the dead, known as ‘The Fades’. With a brilliant touch of horror, the series was as if Skins had been crossed with Supernatural.

It was a thrilling show, and it didn’t garner nearly as enough attention as it deserved. Which is surprising because it paired DeCaestecker up with an incredible cast of stars including 2021 Academy Award winner Daniel Kaluuya, Game of Thrones’ Natalie Dormer, Lucifer star Tom Ellis and Skins alumni Joe Dempsie. With the threat of an apocalypse on the way, the six episode series was a gripping watch. And although it was violent enough to give it an edge, The Fades never pushed into gory horror movie territory. That’s not to say it wasn’t without its scares, because it was undeniably creepy at times. It’s a genuine shame that a second season was never commissioned but at least most of its cast moved on to bigger projects. – Eammon Jacobs

Undoubtedly one of the biggest crime dramas of the 21st century, Peaky Blinders was the little show that could, coming from humble beginnings on BBC Two to become a global success story. All six seasons are now available to stream on iPlayer, meaning you can chart Tommy Shelby’s entire journey, from small-time gang boss to a moneyed Member of Parliament.

The series was always hyper-stylish, helping to influence trends itself, but it was more than the style that grabbed people – it was the characters, whether it was Tom Hardy’s Alfie Solomons, the late great Helen McCrory’s Polly Shelby or Sam Claflin’s insidious Oswald Mosley.

But of course, everything really came down to Cillian Murphy and his transformative, electric performance as Tommy. A complex, sometimes loveable yet highly flawed character right to the end, his was a journey to rival Breaking Bad’s Walter White. There’s now talk of a film sequel to the series and let’s just say, after the explosive series finale, we’re definitely on board. – James Hibbs

To put it simply, Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You is astonishing. In just six hours (split across 12 30-minute episodes), the show covers a staggering amount of ground, providing a detailed and insightful examination of sexual consent and assault in numerous forms. The show certainly doesn’t shy away from its sensitive subject matter – Coel told Radio Times that the BBC “let [her] do anything” and didn’t restrict or hamper the show’s content – but its razor-sharp wit and beautifully written characters go a long way to keeping the conversation accessible.

Her portrayal of Arabella was one of the best performances of 2020 without any doubt, but co-stars Paapa Essiedu and Weruche Opia are also phenomenal, each of them excelling in both comedic and heart-wrenching scenes. Scoring eight BAFTA nominations in 2021, and winning 5, I May Destroy You is not only hugely compelling television, it’s important, educational, and impossible to forget. – David Craig

Strike is adapted from JK Rowling’s Cormoran Strike series which she penned under the Robert Galbraith pseudonym. It follows an army veteran as he picks up a career as a private detective in London, with Tom Burke playing the eponymous investigator. Strike uses the skills that he picked up when working for the Special Investigation Branch to solve cases for the police. The series is largely carried by Burke’s effortless chemistry with Holliday Grainger, who appears alongside him as Strike’s assistant, Robin Ellacott.

It isn’t quite as frantic or chaotic like Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock, but its unique crimes and mysteries push both the actors and the audience to approach the story in new ways. Since 2017 the series has adapted the first four books; The Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm, Career of Evil and Lethal White, and an adaptation of the fifth, Troubled Blood is has just arrived. And no, before you ask, there’s not a wand in sight. – Eammon Jacobs

Over the years we’ve seen countless medical dramas hit our screens, but it’s only now that we realise what so many of them were missing – they haven’t felt real. That’s not a problem for This is Going to Hurt, the perfectly crafted adaptation of Adam Kay’s autobiographical medical book This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor. With Kay also on writing duties here, he brings his own wealth of insights to create a series that is at once a loving tribute to the NHS, while also being a searing indictment of the budget cuts and entrenched systems which allow our medical practitioners to go drastically under-supported.

With a never-better Ben Whishaw leading a stellar cast, including Alex Jennings, Harriet Walter and breakout star Ambika Mod, who shines in her first ever TV role, This is Going to Hurt might not be one for the squeamish, but it certainly packs a powerful dramatic punch. – James Hibbs

If you’re aching for a new crime drama to grip you while you’re waiting for Line of Duty series seven to be confirmed, then Mother of God, you need to watch Bloodlands. The James Nesbitt-fronted series comes from Line of Duty and Bodyguard executive producer Jed Mercurio, so just prepare yourself for some shocking twists. The four-part series follows DCI Tom Brannick (Nesbitt) as he connects the kidnapping of a former-IRA member to a mysterious assassin known only as Goliath. It’s very easy to become quickly invested in Bloodlands as the conspiracy presents more layers for audiences to peel back with each new episode.

It’ll definitely keep your eyes glued to the screen – especially when certain revelations come to light. Needless to say, James Nesbitt commands everyone’s attention with this one. This Northern Irish noir (Noirthern Irish, anybody?) also features some of the most intense interrogation scenes to rival the ones seen in the AC-12 offices. There’s only four episodes in the first season, so it’s an easy binge-watch. And yes, season two has already been greenlit, not that we’re excited or anything. – Eammon Jacobs