Over the past decade, the British TV industry has earned a reputation for producing very high quality and sophisticated TV shows, and 2022 was no different. British TV has evolved into one of the most exciting areas of UK broadcasting, and even international television as a whole.
We were entertained, enthralled, and kept at the edge of our seats by a staggering and stunning amount of shows, from coming-of-age stories like Heartstopper to thrillers such as The Responder, and returning series such as The Crown and Bridgerton. So without further ado, here are the top 15 British TV shows of 2022.
15/15 Heartstopper
Nothing beats good TV like a romantic coming-of-age story. Heartstopper is a British LGBTQ+ show based on a web series of the same name by Alice Oseman. The story follows two teenage boys, Charlie (played by Joe Locke) and Nick (played by Kit Connor), as they navigate the complexities of growing up, falling in love and living in a world that doesn’t always accept their sexuality. Nick and Charlie are polar opposites. Charlie is kind-hearted and openly gay, while Nick is popular and sporty.
The show unfolds as they build a friendship and eventually fall in love. The cast of Heartstopper gives a stellar performance. They are funny and relatable, and remind us what being a teenager was like. If you loved shows like Sex Education and Love, Simon, then Heartstopper is worth checking out.
14/15 Peaky Blinders
The long-awaited Peaky Blinders season six aired its final season in 2022. After a production break due to the pandemic, Peaky Blinders returned in February 2022, and we finally got to scratch the itch that was left by the cliffhanger at the end of season five. Peaky Blinders is a crime drama set in Birmingham, England, in the late 19th and early 20th century.
It follows the lives of the Shelby crime family in post-World War I Britain. The story follows the Shelbys as they try to gain wealth and power in the face of opposition from the police, rival gangs and other crime syndicates. Some of the familiar faces of the cast, including Paul Anderson, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, and Sam Claflin, reprise their roles, while Stephen Graham, Conrad Khan, and Amber Anderson are new additions. Though we are disappointed that we won’t be getting a new season of Peaky Blinders, season six was the perfect wrap-up to this great show.
13/15 The Crown
We cannot discuss British TV shows without adding The Crown to the list. The Crown has built a devoted fan base that was eagerly waiting for its release after a two-year wait. Season five of The Crown follows the turbulent life of Prince Charles (played by Dominic West) and Princess Diana (played by Elizabeth Debicki) in the ’90s and their struggle with their marriage, the press, and the royal family.
The Crown has had its fair share of criticism and controversy. The show was under fire for its casting decisions and the fact that it doesn’t have a disclaimer that says it’s a fictionalized account of the royal family. Despite the controversy it faced, The Crown is one of the best shows from the UK, because who doesn’t love royal family drama? The cast of The Crown gives award-worthy performances, and Imelda Staunton is captivating in her role as Queen Elizabeth II.
12/15 Conversations with Friends
Conversations with Friends will undoubtedly take you on an emotional rollercoaster. The 12-part series is an adaptation of the New York Times Best Seller of the same name by Sally Rooney. It explores the lives of two slam poetry college students, Frances (played by Alice Oliver) and Bobbi (played by Sasha Lane), as they try to enter the Dublin literary world. They meet Nick (played by Joe Alwyn) and Melissa (Jemima Kirke) and strike up a friendship. But it soon becomes clear that Melissa prefers Frances to Bobbi. Frances and Nick strike up a friendship that eventually turns into a steamy affair. Conversations with Friends is an elegy, a beautiful portrayal of the struggles of Frances and Bobbi’s relationship.
The series follows Bobbi and Frances as they find solace in their conversations and learn to cope with the highs and lows of life, love, and friendship, and the cast gives breathtaking and gut-wrenching performances. Conversations with Friends is one to watch if you want a series that shows the complexities of human relationships and how conversations with friends can be healing.
11/15 The Lazarus Project
The Lazarus Project is a mind-blowing sci-fi thriller written by Joe Barton. The plot follows George (played by Paapa Essiedu), a man with a genetic mutation that allows him to change time, as he gets thrown into a reality entirely different from the one he knows. In The Lazarus Project, George wakes up one day and realizes that he is reliving a day from his past, except his life is missing some important details, like his marriage to Sarah (played by Charly Clive) and his success at work.
Then, Archie (played by Anjli Mohindra) approaches George and gets recruited into the Lazarus Project, an organization led by Wes (played by Caroline Quentin) that can turn back time whenever the world is threatened by extinction. The Lazarus project will take you on a whirlwind full of action and drama as you watch George struggle with the fact that he is unable to turn back time to save his wife.
10/15 This Is Going to Hurt
This is Going to Hurt is an autobiographical comedy-drama series based on the memoir of Dr. Adam Kay (excellently portrayed here by Ben Whishaw). The miniseries follows his journey as a junior doctor and the various challenges he faces, including the long hours, difficult patients, and the bureaucracy of the NHS. Dr. Adam Kay describes This is Going to Hurt as a love letter to the NHS. As a junior doctor, Adam is exposed to a world of pain, joy, and difficult moral dilemmas.
He must face the harsh realities of a profession that often pressures him to make difficult decisions and take responsibility for the lives of his patients. Along the way, he learns to recognize the humor and humanity that can be found in even the most desperate of circumstances. This is Going To Hurt has a stellar cast, great performances, and just the right touch of humor, and has been compared to a British version of the recent U.S. hit The Bear.
9/15 Am I Being Unreasonable
Am I Being Unreasonable is a female-fronted comedy thriller written by and starring Daisy May Cooper as Nic and Selin Hizli as Jen. The story takes us through the journey of Nic and Daisy’s relationship as they both struggle with life’s challenges. Nic is a mum who goes through a terrible loss she can’t share with anyone. In addition, she is going through a struggling marriage and her son, Ollie (played by Lenny Rush), is the light of her world.
Cooper and Hizli are a dynamic duo we did not know we needed. Am I Being Unreasonable highlights the importance of female friendships, and we can’t help but laugh with them as they navigate life, motherhood and marriage.
8/15 Bridgerton
Season one of Bridgerton, with its steamy scenes, drama, and a little mystery, was a near-perfect adaptation of the bestseller of the same name by Julia Quinn. With the massive success that season one had, we certainly couldn’t wait to see what season two had to offer. In the second season of Bridgerton, the story shifts its focus to Anthony Bridgerton (played by Jonathan Bailey) as he is faced with the responsibility of finding the ideal bride. Anthony, however, wants to marry for duty and not love. Finding the perfect bride proves to be a difficult fit for Anthony as he is bored by the prospective brides presented to him. Cue the Sharma sisters.
Anthony seems to finally find his perfect bride in Edwina (played by Charithra Chandran), the youngest Sharma sister. Still, he can’t help but be enthralled by her older sister Kate (played by Simone Ashley). Anthony and Kate have the perfect love-hate relationship that disguises the simmering passion they feel for each other. We also saw Sydney Dynevor return as Daphne Bridgerton as she worked to establish her place in the world as a Duchess. Season 2 of Bridgerton might not have been as steamy as the first season, but it certainly delivered the romance and drama that Bridgerton is known for.
7/15 The Devil’s Hour
The Devil’s Hour is a thriller created by Tom Moran that follows the life of Lucy (played by Jessica Raine), a child protection service worker. Lucy wakes up every night at 3:33 AM during the devil’s hour from terrifying nightmares. On top of that, Lucy has to deal with her somewhat strange and emotionally withdrawn son Isacc (played by Benjamin Chiver) and her schizophrenic mother.
The story follows her as she finds herself immersed in an unsolved murder case. She has visions about a man she believes to be the killer, named Gideon (played by Peter Capaldi, the 12th Doctor Who and the star of The Thick of It). With Detective Ravi Dhillon (played by Nikesh Patel), Lucy tries to help solve the case using her supernatural powers. The Devil’s Hour is an excellent mix of mystery, thriller and drama that will have you wondering if Lucy will succeed in helping catch Gideon. If you are a fan of thrillers, then you will be happy to know that The Devil’s Hour has been renewed for seasons two and three.
6/15 The Responder
When it comes to police shows, there are more than enough to choose from, but The Responder has a unique perspective on modern-day policing. The Responder is a British police drama series written by an ex-police officer, Tony Schumacher, starring Martin Freeman, Adelayo Adebayo, Ian Hart and MyAnna Buring. The plot follows Chris, an urgent response police officer in Liverpool, as he faces challenges at work and in his personal life.
He’s partnered with rookie Rachel (played by Adelayo Adebayo), and though hesitant at first, they both realize that their success in the high-pressure world of nighttime crime will come down to whether they can help or hinder each other. The Responder is one of the best police and detective dramas on British television today, and the cast does an excellent job of bringing Tony Schumacher’s ideas to life.
5/15 Chloe
BBC
In 2022, British TV did not disappoint when it came to thrillers filled with drama and plot twists. Chloe is a six-part psychological thriller created by Alice Seabright. It follows the life of a lonely Becky Green (played by Erin Doherty) as she tries to understand why her estranged childhood friend, Chloe, killed herself. To discover why this woman, who looked like she had the perfect life, took her own life, Becky takes on a new identity as Sasha and infiltrates Chloe’s friend group.
She cons her way into Chloe’s life by forming a friendship with Livia (Peter Bennet-Warner), Chloe’s ex-best friend. Her life becomes even more complicated when she gets into a relationship with Chloe’s ex-husband, Elliot (played by Billy Howle) and discovers some disturbing truths about Elliot and Chloe’s marriage. As the series progresses, Becky finds out that there is more to Chloe’s life than her picture-perfect Instagram profile shows. Erin Doherty’s portrayal of Becky and Chloe is enchanting. Although the primary mystery in Chloe is wrapped up nicely, there are still some questions about Becky that are left unanswered.
4/15 Everything I Know About Love
Everything I Know About Love is a seven-part TV adaptation of the memoir by British author and journalist Dolly Alderton. The series follows Maggie (played by Emma Appleton) and her friends and flatmates Birdy (played by Bel Powley), Amara (played by Aliyah Odoffin), and Nell (played by Marli Siu) as they navigate life in their twenties. The series is made up of humorous and sometimes heartbreaking stories of Alderton’s life, from navigating London’s dating scene and getting her heart broken to learning to accept her imperfections.
It is an honest account of the struggles of modern-day womanhood as Maggie reflects on her own experiences. The series is full of wisdom and humor while reflecting everything from the joys of female friendship to the pitfalls of the London dating scene.
3/15 His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is an epic fantasy adventure television series based on the novel trilogy of the same name written by Philip Pullman. The show follows Lyra Belacqua (played by Daphne Keen), an orphan living in a parallel universe who uncovers a powerful secret and Will Parry (played by Amir Wilson). Along the way, they uncover a sinister plot involving a powerful group of people known as the Magisterium and a mysterious material called Dust.
In season three of His Dark Materials, based on the third book, The Amber Spyglass, we pick up right where we left off. Lord Asriel has called upon the angels to help him wage war, and Mrs. Coulter has abducted Lyra to take her to “safety” back in their world. Will is now trying to find Lyra to save her from her mother. His Dark Materials season three is the perfect end to a well-loved series.
2/15 The Essex Serpent
The Essex Serpent was not just one of the best shows that British television had to offer, but one of the best miniseries of 2022. It is based on the award-winning gothic fiction novel of the same name by Sarah Perry. The series is set in 1893 and follows Cora Seaborne (played by Claire Danes), a recently widowed woman who moves to the village of Aldwinter in Essex, England. She is determined to investigate local rumors of a mythical creature, the Essex Serpent, said to have returned to the marshes.
At the same time, Cora must grapple with the prejudices of the local community, as well as her struggles and her burgeoning relationship with the local vicar, Will Ransome (played by Tom Hiddlestone). With its star-studded cast that brings the novel to life, The Essex Serpent is worth a watch.
1/15 The English
The English is one of the most critically acclaimed British TV shows of 2022, and arguably the best. It is a western TV series written and directed by Hugo Blick. The series follows a British noblewoman named Lady Cornelia Locke (played by Emily Blunt) who moves to Hyoxim, Wyoming in 1890 to find the man she believes is responsible for her son’s death.
Her path crosses with Eli Whipp (played by Chaske Spencer), a Pawnee ex-cavalry scout, and they discover that they have a shared history. The cast of The English is entrancing, which is nothing short of what we can expect when it’s led by the talented Emily Blunt. The English is the perfect watch if you feel nostalgic for a good western TV show.
2022 was a fantastic year for British television, with a wide range of entertaining and thought-provoking shows. We can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for us.