{"id":90507,"date":"2025-08-23T17:47:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T17:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/90507\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T17:47:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T17:47:11","slug":"the-10-best-british-shows-of-the-21st-century-chosen-by-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/90507\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 best British shows of the 21st century \u2014 chosen by you"},"content":{"rendered":"

When we set out to crown the greatest television show of the century so far our team \u2014 joined by some of the nation\u2019s most acclaimed actors, writers and critics \u2014 curated a list of 100 standout British dramas, comedies, documentaries and entertainment programmes from the past 25 years.<\/p>\n

But as with any great conversation the discussion didn\u2019t end there. The response from you, our readers, was impassioned and thoughtful, full of praise for overlooked gems and arguments for shows we left out. So now we return to the debate and here are ten programmes that you convinced us deserve a second look and should have made the cut. Do you agree with these additions? What else have we missed?<\/p>\n

Unforgotten (2015\u2013, ITVX)\"Nicola<\/p>\n

Sanjeev Bhaskar and Nicola Walker star in Unforgotten<\/p>\n

ITV<\/p>\n

What makes Unforgotten arguably a league apart from any other ITV crime drama since Broadchurch? There is nothing original about it: a cold-case investigation and a likeable duo (Sanjeev Bhaskar\u2019s DI Sunny Khan, Nicola Walker\u2019s DCI Cassie Stuart, later replaced by Sin\u00e9ad Keenan\u2019s tough Jessie James) unearthing secrets. You know the drill. But Chris Lang\u2019s clever writing allows for an interesting set of characters to enter the world of each case \u2014 characters who initially appear to have no relation to each other, but who is hiding what? The series is what Silent Witness would be if it was believable. Read our review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What you said: \u201cBrilliantly written and acted, especially by Nicola Walker.\u201d S Levins<\/p>\n

Clarkson\u2019s Farm (2021\u2013, Prime Video)\"Jeremy<\/p>\n

Jeremy Clarkson is roundly humbled by his grand farming ambitions in Clarkson\u2019s Farm<\/p>\n

PA<\/p>\n

Out of the ashes of Jeremy Clarkson-era Top Gear has come a hit that no one saw coming. Not The Grand Tour, which kept the globe-hopping, boys-on-tour japes of Clarkson-May-Hammond going (and was great fun), but a far less high-octane move \u2014 to the Cotswolds. Clarkson is roundly humbled by his grand farming ambitions: by marauding cows, by irate villagers, by council planning officers and by bean counters. Yes, there\u2019s humour in watching Clarkson getting increasingly out of his depth as he herds sheep and is mocked by his superstar farmhand Kaleb Cooper, but it resonates in other ways, notably for showing the challenges that farmers face and the red tape strangling British agriculture. Read our review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What you said: \u2018This show is a very important critique of farms and rural life. You find a new found respect for farming.\u201d Murray Bruce<\/p>\n

Last Tango in Halifax (2012-2020, iPlayer)<\/p>\n

Refreshing from the start for offering a depiction of life in retirement: Anne Reid and Derek Jacobi are the widow and widower former lovebirds reunited after decades apart, their families each with their own fraught lives. With the cast including Sarah Lancashire and Nicola Walker, Sally Wainwright\u2019s series often veered into light comedy with its soapy subplots, which was perhaps unusual but it worked, although her brand of earthy realism was to reach its apotheosis in another West Yorkshire locale: Happy Valley. Read our review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What you said: \u201cThis show is brilliant.\u201d JR Rylatt<\/p>\n

Would I Lie to You? (2007\u2013, iPlayer)\"David<\/p>\n

David Mitchell, Rob Brydon and Lee Mack in Would I Lie to You<\/p>\n

BRIAN RITCHIE\/ BBC<\/p>\n

TV schedules are often dominated by doom and gloom so this reliably funny show fronted by Rob Brydon is a gem. The premise is deceptively simple: a mix of comedians and celebrities spin improbable tales or lies about themselves while others try to separate fact from fiction. The banter between the team captains Lee Mack and David Mitchell is effortless. Comedy is difficult but this show delivers laugh after laugh whether it\u2019s Bob Mortimer reminiscing about a childhood game called \u201ctheft and shrubbery\u201d or Rod Gilbert explaining how he got fired from a job at a zoo for photographing animals in hats.<\/p>\n

What you said: \u201cConsistently a joy to watch, despite there being a million or so episodes.\u201d David Maynard<\/p>\n

\u2022 The best hidden gem TV shows and series to watch<\/a><\/p>\n

Green Wing (2004-2007, Channel 4)<\/p>\n

It took a little getting used to \u2014 a hospital-based comedy that was a mix of short sketches with a surreal air \u2014 but the fact that the characters were performed by the cream of British comedy helped it become one of the funniest things on TV: Stephen Mangan\u2019s lecherous anaesthetist, Michelle Gomez\u2019s scary HR boss, Mark Heap\u2019s deranged doctor. The talented cast list goes on: Tamsin Greig, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Darren Boyd, Olivia Colman, Sally Phillips. There\u2019s been no comedy, no series, like it since.<\/p>\n

What you said: \u201cHilariously funny and clever.\u201d Geoff Buck<\/p>\n

Phoenix Nights (2001-2002, Channel 4)\"Peter<\/p>\n

Peter Kay in Phoenix Nights<\/p>\n

CHANNEL 4<\/p>\n

Peter Kay\u2019s rise to the top of British comedy was remarkable. From humble beginnings as a cinema usher, a toilet-roll packer and a barman at the Mecca bingo hall in Bolton, he went on to sell out arenas. The show that put him on the map was a sitcom that set out to do the same for the north. Set in a struggling nightclub, Kay played the embittered, wheelchair-using manager, among other characters, with pitch-perfect delivery. It captured the faded glamour and downbeat air of northern club culture but did it with affection.<\/p>\n

What you said: \u201cPhoenix Nights not included is a glaring omission.\u201d Rabbie Hunter
\u201cIt\u2019s classic comedy.\u201d D Brittain<\/p>\n

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (2018\u2013, iPlayer)\"Bob<\/p>\n

Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse in Gone Fishing<\/p>\n

SAM GIBSON\/BBC<\/p>\n

It all began when Bob Mortimer faced a health scare, undergoing a triple heart bypass. His friend and fellow comedian Paul Whitehouse (no stranger to heart trouble himself having had three stents fitted), stepped in to lift his spirits. What followed was a gentle, heartwarming journey through breathtaking landscapes with two old friends simply enjoying each other\u2019s company. They joke like mischievous schoolboys but their conversations often drift into deeper waters: touching on life, health, mortality and, of course, fishing. It\u2019s slow television of the sweetest kind. Read our review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What you said: \u201cI never miss Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Finishing. Just a nice, calming programme.\u201d Richard Walker<\/p>\n

Foyle\u2019s War (2002-2015, ITVX)\"Michael<\/p>\n

Michael Kitchen and Honeysuckle Weeks in Foyle\u2019s War<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

Being touted as the next Inspector Morse meant that Michael Kitchen\u2019s DCS Christopher Foyle had big shoes to fill. Like Morse he was a good man, one of probity and thoroughness in a world where morality had lost its bearings \u2014 1940, England: a place of provincial profiteering, murder and spying. Anthony Horowitz\u2019s writing was sharper than the cosy Sunday-night ITV veneer could suggest, offering intriguing lesser-known stories such as an oil company collusion with the Nazis. Kitchen was reliably watchable.<\/p>\n

What you said: \u201cWell written and with the super Michael Kitchen. Must be in the top ten.\u201d Martin Pigott<\/p>\n

\u2022 Read more TV reviews, guides about what to watch and interviews <\/a><\/p>\n

Vera (2011-2025, ITVX) \"Brenda<\/p>\n

Brenda Blethyn stars as as DCI Vera Stanhope in ITV\u2019s Vera<\/p>\n

HELEN WILLIAMS\/ITV<\/p>\n

Who knew that watching a dishevelled female detective in a bucket hat solving murders in Northumberland could be so compelling? Yet this was a Brenda Blethyn role through and through. The actress brought a quiet gravity to Vera that softened the edges of any potential silliness. The series was sold to about 180 territories and found devoted audiences in Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Japan. The mysteries could be a little formulaic but that hardly mattered. What kept viewers coming back was Vera: warm, no-nonsense and comforting \u2014 whether she was eating a chip butty or sipping whisky from a cracked teacup. She has hung up her floppy hat but Vera will be hard to forget.<\/p>\n

What you said: \u201cNo Vera on the list, what an absolute travesty.\u201d Lester Broom<\/p>\n

Friday Night Dinner (2011-2020, Channel 4 streaming) \"Cast<\/p>\n

Friday Night Dinner with Tamsin Greig, Paul Ritter, Tom Rosenthal and Simon Bird<\/p>\n

MARK JOHNSON\/CHANNEL 4<\/p>\n

This comedy was the perfect way to end the week \u2014 a breezy, heartwarming Jewish sitcom centred on a delightfully dysfunctional family. At its core was the bustling, well-meaning mum (Tamsin Greig), the irritable and eccentric dad (the late, great Paul Ritter), and their two mischievous sons (Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal) whose sibling rivalry fuelled much of the chaos. With its sharp dialogue, absurd running gags and quirky yet endearing characters it was a mix of family traditions, awkward dinners and amusing pranks that made it a beloved staple for viewers craving humour and heart.<\/p>\n

What you said: \u201cFriday Night Dinner has been robbed.\u201d Matt Blom
\u201cA wonderful comedy.\u201d E Broughton<\/p>\n

Love TV? Discover the best shows on Netflix<\/a>, the best Prime Video TV shows<\/a>, the best Disney+ shows<\/a> , the best Apple TV+ shows<\/a>, the best shows on BBC iPlayer<\/a> , the best shows on Sky and Now<\/a>, the best shows on ITVX<\/a>, the best shows on Channel 4<\/a> streaming, the best shows on Paramount+<\/a> and our favourite hidden gem TV shows<\/a>. Don\u2019t forget to check our comprehensive TV guide<\/a> for the latest listings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When we set out to crown the greatest television show of the century so far our team \u2014…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":90508,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[64,63,134,427],"class_list":{"0":"post-90507","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}