10 Best British TV Shows Of 2018 (So Far)

The very best that the Brits have to offer.

Patrick Melrose Benedict Cumberbath
Showtime

With a vast selection of ways to watch premium entertainment, from cable networks to streaming services, we're truly spoilt for choice when it comes to picking out our next boxset.

But as far as compelling drama series go, there are few who do it better than the Brits. In recent years, the popularity of British TV has taken off due to streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu distributing the series internationally, and the likes of Happy Valley and Broadchurch have highlighted what the U.K. is truly capable of when it comes to making television.

2018 hasn't been as strong as some other years, but that doesn't mean there haven't been some great series. These few have dealt with a variety of subjects, such as the disappearance of a young girl, and an eccentric heroin addict learning to live with his troubled past. It's true: we've been treated to some absolute crackers - and we're only halfway through the year.

If you're in need of another binge-worthy television series and are in the market for something British, then these shows certainly deserve your attention.

10. Collateral

Patrick Melrose Benedict Cumberbath
BBC

Speaking of things that the Brits do better than anyone else, crime dramas are at the very top of that list, and Collateral is no exception. The four-part drama aired on BBC earlier this year (and is now on Netflix in the US), and deals with the murder of a pizza delivery guy. DI Kip Glaspie (Carey Mulligan) leads the investigation, and her not-so-by-the-book methods help her get to the bottom of the crime, which is so much more complex than it initially appears.

Written by playwright David Hare, Collateral is hard-hitting drama, but it's not without its faults. A slow-burn first episode and a little exposition prevents this one from being further up this list, but the series does make an original contribution to its genre in that it's what Hare describes as a whydunit as opposed to a whodunit.

Mulligan, as always, is fantastic in the role, but a little bit more of a backstory for our protagonist wouldn't have gone amiss.

Contributor
Contributor

Stephen Patterson is an experienced writer and reviewer. He's also a TV addict.