Where do you start with this one then? In a golden age for British drama, how do you pick five shows you should be watching right now? With award season dusted off, and the likes of Adolescence picking up all the gongs, the limelight on British drama couldn’t be stronger, and there are some great picks at the moment!
Streaming platforms have some real great storylines on their hands at the moment and many unforgettable performances to boot too, from tense crime thrillers to glossy period dramas filled with lighter moments among the shade too, there’s plenty to keep an eye out for and we’re here to present our top five.
With a range of different stories and moral touchpoints to get the mind thinking, here are our five British dramas you should absolutely be watching right now.
The Cage
Written by Tony Schumacher, the man behind The Responder, we return to Liverpool for The Cage, a thrilling new drama starring Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha. It’s an interesting concept that should be high on the watchlist.
Set in a casino, which feels poignant at present given the rise of people playing casino games on the likes of the best social casino sites, it offers a glimpse behind the curtain and a look into what life is like behind the blackjack table. However, with a dark twist too.
You won’t find stories like this, playing your online roulette with friends; instead, it’s got that dark Responder-like vibe, as the two casino employees devise plans to steal money from the same safe, only to catch each other and realise they very much need each other to survive.
Taking a dip into gangland Liverpool, it’s an intense but beautifully crafted drama that focuses on ordinary lives and how they can spiral out of control due to the financial pressures of daily life.
For fans of hard-hitting British crime drama, in the mould of The Responder or Happy Valley, this is one of the standout series of the year.
Half Man
After the enormous success of Baby Reindeer, all eyes were understandably on Richard Gadd to see what he would do next. There’s a real departure from his Netflix smash, based on his own experiences as a comic, with Half Man.
Like Baby Reindeer, it is emotionally intense, and like its predecessor, it is already generating major discussion, but we do see a different, bulked-up Gadd, who stars opposite Jamie Bell as step-brothers who become increasingly destructive and codependent over several decades.
It’s a powerful piece of work, unsettling at times, and has a lot of psychological tension amidst the damaged relationships of the two. The show explores masculinity, violence, trauma and emotional dependency – so perhaps one you do need to be in the right frame of mind for.
What makes the drama so compelling is its refusal to provide easy answers. Characters are deeply flawed, often frightening and occasionally sympathetic all at once. Gadd’s writing remains fearless, pushing viewers into deeply uncomfortable territory without ever feeling exploitative.
The performances are exceptional throughout, particularly from Jamie Bell, whose restrained portrayal provides a perfect counterbalance to Gadd’s explosive intensity.
This is not easy viewing, but it is exactly the kind of ambitious, conversation-starting television British drama does so well.
Rivals
At the other end of the spectrum, we had the fun of Rivals last year, packed with scandal, affairs, humour and excess, and it has returned once again to Disney+ for season two.
Based on Jilly Cooper’s famous novel, it returns to the competitive world of regional television, and the ongoing power struggle between Rupert Campbell-Black and Tony Baddingham, and we were left on somewhat of a cliffhanger!
It’s such a great watch to take your mind off the world today, with Rivals knowing exactly what it is – it’s sexy, funny, excessive and just totally unapologetic. With a great cast of David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson, to name a few, we’re ready to binge-watch and see what happens in this quiet little spot in the Cotswolds.
Legends
British television has always excelled at crime and espionage drama, and Legends continues that tradition brilliantly. Inspired by real undercover customs operations in the 1990s, the Netflix series follows a group of ordinary officials recruited to infiltrate dangerous drug-smuggling networks under entirely fabricated identities known as “legends”.
The cast includes Steve Coogan, Tom Burke and Hayley Squires, all delivering strong performances in a drama that balances suspense with emotional realism.
One of the series’s greatest strengths is its atmosphere. The 1990s setting feels authentic without becoming nostalgic, while the undercover operations generate constant tension. Unlike glamorous spy thrillers, Legends focuses heavily on the psychological toll that deep-cover work takes on the people involved.
Steve Coogan is particularly impressive in a more restrained dramatic role, proving once again that his range extends far beyond comedy. Meanwhile, Tom Burke brings quiet intensity to the central storyline.
The result is a gripping drama that feels intelligent, mature and distinctly British in its storytelling approach.
The Night Manager
Although The Night Manager first arrived several years ago, its recent return has reminded audiences why it remains one of the finest British spy dramas ever made. Based on the novel by John le Carré, the series combines globe-trotting espionage with luxury settings, political intrigue and razor-sharp performances.
Tom Hiddleston stars as Jonathan Pine, a former soldier recruited to infiltrate the inner circle of ruthless arms dealer Richard Roper, played magnificently by Hugh Laurie.
What elevates The Night Manager above standard spy thrillers is its sophistication. The pacing is deliberate, the dialogue intelligent and the tension constantly simmering beneath the surface. Olivia Colman’s award-winning performance adds further emotional depth and humanity to the story.
Visually, the series remains stunning, moving effortlessly between luxurious hotels, Mediterranean coastlines and shadowy intelligence operations. Few British dramas have matched its cinematic scale.