7. The Inbetweeners (2008-2010)
Channel E4 Starring Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckley, Blake Harrison. Its difficult to explain the appeal of the Inbetweeners to the uninitiated, given its immaturity, but its cast of foolish yet loveable characters, realism and sheer volume of laugh-out-loud moments ensure its place in history as one of the finest modern sitcoms. Set at a sixth form college, the show focuses on four youngsters, Will, Simon, Neil and Jay, whose adolescent antics frequently mirror those of typical young British teenagers, who can relate to experiences such as trying to obtain alcohol whilst underage, trying to have sex for the first time and hastily preparing for exams. Will and Simon serve as the shows straight men, of sorts, whilst Neil is gullible and dim-witted. The standouts, however, are James Buckleys Jay, a sex-obsessed compulsive liar and Greg Davies supporting turn as Mr. Gilbert, the cynical and tyrannical head of sixth form with a general dislike of children and a special hatred for Will. Attracting some of British cable televisions highest ever viewing figures, school and university campuses around the country were united in disappointment when it was announced that the show would come to a natural end after three series, as the lead characters prepared to go their separate ways following the conclusion of their schooling. A film, The Inbetweeners Movie, however, reunited them for one last hurrah, hilariously lampooning another British youth staple the 18-30 holiday.
6. Downton Abbey (2009-)
Channel ITV Starring Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jessica Brown Findlay, Dan Stevens, Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton, Allen Leech, Brendan Coyle, Joanne Froggatt, Jim Carter, Rob-James Collier, Sophie McShera, Phyllis Logan, Siobhan Finneran, Lesley Nicol, Thomas Howes, Rose Leslie, Amy Nuttall, Kevin Doyle, Ed Speleers, Matt Milne. Rarely before has a TV series captivated the world in the way that Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes period drama about an English country house, has. With millions of viewers and a plethora of award wins (including 8 Emmys from 27 nominations over the first two series), its momentum is massive, and has seen it becoming the most successful British costume drama since the Jeremy Irons-led Brideshead Revisited in 1981. Depicting the lives of the Crawley family and their staff in the post-Edwardian era, the show has, over three series, incorporated historical events into its stories such as the sinking of the Titanic, the Irish revolution and most notably, the Great War and its aftermath, all of which are shown to affect the family in different ways. Beautifully-written, crafted and acted during its first two series, the third, depressingly, saw the addition of several soap-style plot developments as key members of the cast elected to leave the show and pursue new opportunities with their newfound stardom. Nevertheless, the series is sure to continue for many years to come as the changing political, social and economic climate of the 1920s provides plenty of opportunity for storyline development, whilst the continued inclusion of Maggie Smiths Dowager Countess ensures that scenes will continue to be stolen by her magnificent performance.