Can British TV slow down for a second? This year has already been a monster of a year for must-see series out of the UK, and we’re only halfway done.
From the spectacular return of Doctor Who to the most talked-about show of the year, not one but two brilliant comedies about 18th-century outlaws, a series that makes us cry still thinking about it, the steamy return to the Ton, and the triumphant second chapter of our favourite all-women Muslim punk band, 2024’s TV offerings have been top tier.
The 13 best TV shows of 2024 (so far)
Here’s the 15 best British TV shows of 2024 (so far) and where you can watch them, both within the UK and outside it.
15. Trying, Season 4
Esther Smith and Rafe Spall return for another delightful season of “Trying.”
Credit: Apple TV+
Andy Wolton’s uplifting series Trying returned for a fourth season, digging into some deeper themes around death and identity all while keeping us afloat with comedy. A heartfelt journey through the trials and tribulations of starting a family, Trying has long been one of Apple TV+’s underrated gems. This season, eternal optimist Nikki and deadpan delight Jason (Esther Smith and Rafe Spall) help their kids navigate major questions about family, including question marks about Princess’ birth mother. Episode 2, entailing an old-fashioned date with Jim Broadbent as George, is a season highlight. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor
How to watch: Trying Season 4 is now streaming on Apple TV+.
14. The Outlaws, Season 3
They’re baaaack.
Credit: BBC / Big Talk
Stephen Merchant and Elgin James’ sharply scripted and hilariously performed comedy series The Outlaws returned for a third round this year, and it’s as fresh as the day it began its mandated community service. The series follows a group of random miscreants in Bristol charged with payback duty who’ve ended up an unlikely and steadfast modern-day heist crew. Though they’ve done some things they’re not so proud of, the crew have bonded over the last few seasons with some harebrained schemes, major operations, and moving moments of friendship. In Season 3? There’s a dead body, new careers, higher stakes, and the wondrous addition of Richard E. Grant. Wait, did we say dead body? — S.C.
How to watch: The Outlaws Season 3 is streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Prime Video in the U.S.
13. The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin
Hugh Bonneville and Noel Fielding in “The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.”
Credit: Apple TV+
One of two tales of highway robbery in 18th-century England this year, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is as silly and fun as its lengthy name suggests. Based on the exploits of Essex brigand Dick Turpin (Noel Fielding in full Vince Noir mode), the series seizes on the fact that Turpin’s life was wildly romanticised after his death at 33 (by hanging, for horse theft) — then amps it up to 11. Rolling about the woods with his Essex Gang of misfits, Turpin takes on a peril of the week in Monty Python meets Our Flag Means Death meets The Mighty Boosh fashion. Throw in some cameos from Britain’s biggest comedians, with standout appearances by Tamsin Greig, Greg Davies, and Sex Education‘s Connor Swindells, and you’ve got a surreal, satisfying, history-adjacent adventure on your hands. — S.C.
How to watch: The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is now streaming on Apple TV+.
12. Renegade Nell
Louisa Harland in “Renegade Nell.”
Credit: Robert Viglasky / Disney
Proving that you can never have too many highwaymen on screen, the delightful Renegade Nell continues the trend set by The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.
Created by Happy Valley‘s Sally Wainwright and starring Derry Girls‘ Louisa Harland, Renegade Nell delivers a new heroine to root for in Nell Jackson (Harland). Framed for murder by nobles, Nell and her sisters find themselves caught up in a life of crime, with all of 18th-century England fearing Nell as a notorious highway robber. Expect stunts to die for, historical adventure, and magic, courtesy of Nell’s guardian spirit Billy Bly (Ted Lasso‘s Nick Mohammed). Plus, Harland cements her star status with a performance that is as charming as it is badass. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Renegade Nell is now streaming on Disney+.
11. Big Mood
Lydia West and Nicola Coughlan knock it out of the park in “Big Mood.”
Credit: Channel 4
It’s officially the year of Nicola Coughlan, with both Bridgerton and Big Mood making this best-of list. The latter sees Coughlan in a brilliant pairing with It’s a Sin star Lydia West as two best friends in Londo who are navigating their thirties and all the social pressure that comes with it. Written by playwright Camilla Whitehill and directed by Rebecca Asher (Dead to Me, Grace and Frankie) Big Mood is a funny, moving, and superbly acted exploration of mental health and friendship, specifically through bipolar disorder and unprocessed grief. If you liked This Way Up, you might like Big Mood. — S.C.
How to watch: Big Mood is now streaming on All4 in the UK and Tubi in the U.S.
10. Queenie
Dionne Brown as Queenie Jenkins in “Queenie.”
Credit: Lionsgate / Latoya Okuneye
Candice Carty-Williams’ incredibly popular and critically lauded novel Queenie came to TV this year, produced by Channel 4 and launched on Hulu in the U.S. with Disney’s Onyx Collective. Dionne Brown is sublime as the titular protagonist Queenie Jenkins, a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman who’s putting one foot in front of the other after a major breakup. Set in London, the series sees Queenie attempting to move on with her life through casual hookups while processing unresolved trauma and finding her way to self-love.
As Liv Facey wrote for Mashable, “Queenie is a realistic representation of a young woman just trying to figure things out. She makes viewers question how different from her we really are. Yes, she is a mess and can be annoying, but she’s also smart, funny, and all the things in between, and isn’t that something we can all be?
“Queenie stresses the importance of portraying Black women in their complete complexity, including their messy sides. The series reminds us that we need more characters like her, whom we are forced to look at with nuance and connect on a deeper level — even if that comes with discomfort.” — S.C.
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How to watch: Queenie is now streaming on All4 in the UK and Hulu in the U.S.
9. The Responder, Season 2
Martin Freeman and Adelayo Adedayo are exceptional in “The Responder.”
Credit: BBC / Dancing Ledge
One of the best shows of 2022, Tony Schumacher’s tense, gritty police drama The Responder finally returned for a second season, bringing with it two of the best performances on TV this year. Martin Freeman continues his exceptional run as corner-cutting Liverpool cop Chris Carson, alongside superb Supacell star Adelayo Adedayo as his response team partner Rachel Hargreaves. As in the first season, Season 2 is a marathon of gray-area choices, with right and wrong thrown in the bin as the characters merely try to keep their heads above water. If you want to watch actors at the top of their game within a compelling drama that rattles the police procedural, this is it. — S.C.
How to watch: The Responder is streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK. Season 1 is streaming on Prime Video in the U.S., with Season 2 coming soon.
8. Bridgerton, Season 3
Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan in “Bridgerton.”
Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix
First there was Daphne and the Duke. Then came Kate and Anthony and Queen Charlotte and George III. Now, with Season 3, Shondaland’s beloved adaptation of Julia Quinn’s romance novels brings us Penelope and Colin’s love story, the slowest-burn romance yet — she’s been burning for him since Season 1! It took traveling around the world for Colin Bridgerton to get a glow-up and realize what a great girl he had back home. Thankfully by the end of part one, he showed her his deep, probing affection in a carriage scene that left fans hot and bothered.
Part two throws these lovers into each other’s arms and fresh drama. And we’re here for every moment, because Nicola Coughlan is our queen. Sure, there’s other plotlines this season, some spicy, some bewildering, and one involving a vegetarian who deserves better! But it’s Coughlan and her grace, her comedic timing, and her swoon-inducing charms that has made Bridgerton Season 3 among Netflix’s very best in 2024.* — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor
How to watch: Bridgerton Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.
7. Mary and George
Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine in “Mary & George.”
Credit: Starz
Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine scheme and seduce their way to the top in Mary and George, a period drama all about the heady pursuit of power.
Moore plays Mary Villiers, a countess in Jacobean England who pushes her son George (Galitzine) to be King James VI and I’s (Tony Curran) new lover. Rival suitors and political opponents have it out for the Villiers family, and while George claims his feelings for James are real, there’s no doubt he and his mother are using the fragile king for their own gain. As Mary and George’s influence continues to grow, the series weaves an intoxicating web of sex, politics, and scandal — one that threatens to collapse around the Villiers as they sacrifice anything and anyone to get ahead.* — B.E.
How to watch: Mary and George is now streaming on Sky and NOW TV in the UK and on Starz in the U.S.
6. Supacell
Rapman’s Netflix series is finally here.
Credit: Netflix
Showrunner, creator, and director Rapman’s Netflix series is finally here, and it’s a dynamite new approach to the superhero genre. Supacell sees five Black strangers in South London — Michael (Tosin Cole), Sabrina (Nadine Mills), Andre (Eric Kofi Abrefa), Rodney (Calvin Demba), and Tazer (Josh Tedeku) — who develop different superpowers, all while navigating the realism of everyday life. Some use their power to protect those they love (including an excellent Adelayo Adedayo as Michael’s girlfriend Dionne) or simply to put food on the table, while others crave power and respect. When Michael’s ability to travel through time gives him a glimpse at a terrible future, he needs to find and unite the five as sinister forces begin to circle. With deeply compelling performances, a tightly woven story, and some impressive visual effects deployed across London, Supacell shakes up the superpowers format. — S.C.
How to watch: Supacell begins streaming on Netflix June 27.
5. 3 Body Problem
Gang’s all here. For now.
Credit: Ed Miller / Netflix
Sometimes you want a light comedy; other times, you want to lean into potentially world-ending existential terror. The latter is firmly on offer in 3 Body Problem, a sci-fi epic based on Cixin Liu’s trilogy and brought to the screen by Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and The Terror‘s Alexander Woo. The series tells the story of an alien race called the San-Ti, who have been forced to leave their home planet and are several hundred years away from landing on their new home: Earth. 3 Body Problem is impressive because it asks some pretty big questions of the universe while also creating a very human story about how people might react when faced with possible future extinction. Oh, and there are some sequences that will never leave your head — hello, episode 5. * — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor
How to watch: 3 Body Problem is now streaming on Netflix.
4. We Are Lady Parts, Season 2
Faith Omole, Sarah Kameela Impey, Juliette Motamed, Anjana Vasan, and Malala Yousafzai in “We Are Lady Parts.”
Credit: Saima Khalid / Peacock / NBC International / C4
After three long years on hiatus, We Are Lady Parts is back with a second season that was well worth the wait.
Malala Yousafzai in ‘We Are Lady Parts’ is the cameo of the year
Created by Nida Manzoor, this sensational comedy series centers on Lady Parts, a punk band made up of Muslim women who are figuring out life, love, friendship, and faith in contemporary London. Between the setting and some familiar themes, Season 2 has echoes of Bridgerton, but with an irreverent sense of humor that is not only totally modern but also absolutely hilarious. Whether following wallflower guitarist Amina (Anjana Vasan), hard-headed frontwoman Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey), warm-hearted bassist Bisma (Faith Omole), mercurial drummer Ayesha (Juliette Motamed), or their ever-strategic manager Momtaz (Lucie Shorthouse), We Are Lady Parts rocks, peppered with playful punchlines, rapturous fantasy sequences, rousing musical numbers, and a cameo from the one-and-only Malala Yousafzai. Whether you’re new to this series or not, Season 2 is too good to be missed.* — K.P.
How to watch: We Are Lady Parts is now streaming on Channel 4 in the UK and Peacock in the U.S.
3. One Day
Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod in “One Day.”
Credit: Matt Towers / Netflix
In February, we did a whole lot of TV-induced crying, as Netflix’s One Day broke our damn hearts. An ambitious, romantic, and fresh adaptation of David Nicholls’ novel, this impeccable, slow burn series gave the story more room to breathe than Lone Scherfig’s 2011 film. Following students Emma and Dex (magnetic, lived-in performances by Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall) across decades of their complex friendship, One Day makes a cinematic epic of long-game love while unpacking the politics of privilege in relationships. Even hearing the name of the series will induce starry-eyed looks into the horizon and a palm to the heart.* — S.C.
How to watch: One Day is now streaming on Netflix.
2. Doctor Who, Season 14
The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson).
Credit: James Pardon / Bad Wolf / BBC Studios
Showrunner Russell T Davies returned to Doctor Who this season, bringing with him plenty of panache. Not only did he gift audiences the splendor of Ncuti Gatwa as the ever-charming Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as the irrepressible Ruby Sunday, he also offered thrilling guest stars, like Broadway’s Jonathan Groff as the dashing Rogue, Susan Twist as the season’s biggest mystery, and RuPaul’s Drag Race two-time champion Jinkx Monsoon as the melodic and maleficent baddie called Maestro.
Week after week, Davies and his company introduced compelling new creatures to the Whoniverse, like Bridgerton-obsessed bodysnatchers, while tapping into classic lore for fresh reveals. And with each new adventure, Davies presented a different flavor for fans established and brand new. So, “Space Babies” gave us a creepy yet silly monster-of-the-week fairy tale, while “Devil’s Chord” got boldly theatrical. Want a war story? A folk horror story? A Black Mirror episode? A period romance? No matter what kind of Who you hunger for, Davies kept the children fed in “the queerest season” the series has ever seen. And it’s been marvelous. —K.P.
How to watch: Doctor Who is now streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Disney+ where available.
1. Baby Reindeer
Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning in “Baby Reindeer.”
Credit: Ed Miller / Netflix
For better or worse, Baby Reindeer is a show that sticks with you: It’s amusing in parts, tense in others, and emotionally shattering overall. Based on creator Richard Gadd’s own experience of being stalked, the series follows the budding comedian (who plays a version of himself) as he balances career disappointment with his job in a London pub — until a woman named Martha (a brilliant and terrifying Jessica Gunning) comes in one day and develops an obsession with him. “This isn’t the type of show with a clear resolution,” I wrote in my review for Mashable. “It’s messy, thought-provoking, and — like a dream that’s difficult to shake — you’ll find your mind going back to it long after the credits have rolled.”* — S.H.
How to watch: Baby Reindeer is now streaming on Netflix.
