Television has undergone something of a revolution in recent years. Gone are the days when the public were limited to just a handful of channels, replaced by the present scenario where viewers have access to hundreds and the option to watch shows from around the world online through streaming services.
Because of this, there is more pressure than ever on channel controllers to provide high quality programming in an attempt to obtain as many viewers as possible. Thankfully, they have succeeded, and British television now has its own share of programmes comparable in excellence to their high-budget American counterparts, which themselves have been forced to improve dramatically in recent years due to the rapid emergence of cable networks such as HBO, Showtime, FX and AMC.
The following article lists twenty-five contemporary British gems, from period drama to sci-fi, which any telephile should strongly consider immersing themselves within.
This article defines contemporary as the last ten years, meaning that any scripted show which has either debuted or aired the majority of its episodes since 2004 is eligible. Factual programmes (ranging from Top Gear to the output of David Attenborough), reality shows, sketch shows and shows that have aired just one series are ineligible, due primarily to the fact that the sheer volume of high quality documentaries, miniseries and one-off dramas that the UK is renowned for, ranging from State Of Play and Boy A to Red Riding and Bleak House, would force me to turn this list into at least a top 100 in order to include them all.
So, now the criteria for inclusion has been defined, let us begin…
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21 Comments
Gavin and Stacey?
I LOVE Gavin and stacey and Pie in the Sky.
Phoenix Nights
Aired 2001-02.
No argument with your inclusions, but your failure to include “Outnumbered” is unfortunate, as it is the best family sitcom since Cosby. (Yes, even better than Modern Family, and that’s saying something.) I could watch young Karen play “Reality Show” with her stuffed toys all day! (Her imitation of Simon Cowell is a riot.)
Even though I feel that Shameless should be WAY higher, and Life On Mars, though amazing, should be much lower, this is still a really great list. What about Ideal, though? That show is one of the most brilliant shows in decades, not just the last ten years, and fits all of the criteria for this list.
Disagree with Skins and Shameless.
They should added a subtitle called… things American will steal or have so already
We steal your best shows and you steal our worst. Enjoy “Geordie Shore” and “The Apprentice”!
Is Black Books not considered as airing in the last decade? or is it just not on here?
Only the last series aired in 2004, so the majority of episodes were pre-decade. Love the show though.
Whitechapel should be on this list as well as Still Game. Whitechapel is one of the best Crime/Thriller programmes to come out of Britain and Still Game is THE funniest British TV Show ever (better than Only Fools)
I have to agree. Wouldn’t Black Books technically qualify for this list? If so it should be in the top 5.
black mirror is way to high considering the quality of it varies wildly from episode to episode, the one included on the pic was (IMHO)the weakest of the lot. Though talking of Charlie Brooker, its a shame you concentrated on Drama and Comedy as a few of the ‘wipe series of shows have been in the last decade. Also there have been some killer documentaries on the Beeb, though I guess if you included factual stuff we would probably end up including Britain’s Got Talent and similar programmes like that…but still pretty fair list, apart from the two comedies mentioned on here, I mean I aint a fan but Gavin & Stacy and Outnumbered were pretty bloody huge more huge then that Lee Mack show.
do a top 100 everything on British TV, cause you could you know, and I bet it will be a pretty fair assessment of the last 10 years.
I disagree with you saying that any of the top 3 could compete with some of the greatest american shows of all time: While I haven’t seen the other two, I have seen Sherlock and, while great, I woudn’t put it against Breaking Bad, The Wire, The Sopranos, Deadwood, AD, Seinfeld or The Simpsons yet. It could compete later, but not yet, as I don’t think it has yet achieved the brilliance of the shows I listed above.
misfits is not “an American drama”
Its not said to be one. The term ‘American drama’ is being used to describe Heroes, which Misfits is being compared to.
25 years and no mention of Chris Morris. Is the writer American, or just British and stupid?
Brass Eye was 1997-2001. Love the guy but he’s done very little on TV since ’04.
um, The IT crowd at #9. what about blacks books or Friday night dinner or torchwood? this list sucks