Top 10 Best BBC Shows of All Time

BBC shows have a habit of sticking in your mind, for better or worse. From Saturday night staples to historical dramas that make you question your life choices, the Beeb has been churning out shows that generations keep talking about at the pub or in awkward family dinners.

This list is your chance to weigh in. What's earned a permanent place in the British cultural bloodstream? Vote for the ones that hit just right, the ones that kept you up on a school night, or had your nan calling you to discuss the ending. Maybe it's the clever scripts. Maybe it's the performances. Or maybe it's just that weird comfort only the BBC seems to deliver when you're six hours deep into a series and still not quite sure who the real villain is.

Whatever your reason, get stuck in and help decide which BBC shows actually deserve the top spots. The rest? Well, they'll just have to settle for being "critically acclaimed" and collecting dust on iPlayer.

The Top Ten

Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The programme follows the adventures of the Doctor, an extraterrestrial member of a species known as the Time Lords.
The Doctor travels through time and space in a ship called the TARDIS, which appears... read more

Possibly the most brilliant thing about this show is the change. The main character basically dies every few years, and it works! The influx of doctors and companions keeps the show fresh and unique, over 50 years after its initial release. There are dark points in the show's history, but it still goes on with the hope that the next doctor will be even greater.
This show has definitely not overstayed its welcome. There is still so much unexplored territory to go through. Let's hope that this show becomes even better when Chibnall takes charge.

Doctor Who is the kind of show that can take you on an emotional roller coaster. The writing is so superb that it can make you cry one moment and laugh the next.
It's one of those pieces of art that redefined sci-fi, and it pulls you into its immersive universe. Not to mention, the show's been running for half a century!
Sherlock

I can't even begin to describe how amazing, brilliant, utterly complex, and just fantastic this show is. I could go on all day. It has literally everything the perfect show needs: amazing acting from Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Sherlock Holmes, and Martin Freeman, who plays John Watson. Amazing writing from Moffat and Gatiss, and the overall idea of rebooting Sherlock Holmes for the 21st century is fantastic. It's really the best show out there, in my opinion.
Cumberbatch and Freeman are the highlights of the show. They deserve all the awards they've received, and more! The show is just brilliant. It's also very smart and complex but humorous. Sherlock in the series is hilarious - both the writing and Benedict make him so! He and John have a great relationship in the show. Even the side characters are amazing. MUST WATCH.
Merlin

Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme created by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy, and Johnny Capps, starring Colin Morgan in the title role. The series aired from 2008 to 2012 and presents a reimagined version of the Arthurian legends. It follows the young wizard Merlin... read more

A great series that deserved more seasons than it got to fully work out its story. It has great, memorable actors who define the way you view the historic characters. It wasn't without its faults, but the amazing chemistry between the characters and the originality of the show and storylines, even if historically unrealistic, trump the few negative aspects of the show.
It's a TV show that will live long in the minds of the fans.

Still one of my favorite series of all time. I like Game of Thrones to a degree, but this just has the tone I tend to like more. This is something I will go back to years from now, and I have since it ended - I can't say the same for GOT.
By far my favorite fantasy series and yet another great adaptation of classic literature and legend along with Robin Hood, The Musketeers, and Troy: Fall of a City. By far my favorite of that bunch.
War and Peace

War & Peace is a six-part British-American television adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's 19th-century novel War and Peace. It was scripted by Andrew Davies and stars Lily James as Natasha Rostova and James Norton as Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. The series originally aired on BBC One in 2016 and received praise... read more

Stunning casting, scenery, and faithfulness to the original.
Top Gear

Top Gear is a British television series focused on motor vehicles, primarily cars. A revival of the original 1977 program, it began airing in its new format in 2002. It became the world's most widely broadcast factual television program, although the BBC placed it on indefinite hiatus after production... read more

Most popular worldwide. In series 21 alone, they have been to Ukraine, Belgium, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Burma, and Thailand. Best celebrity guests as well, ranging from politicians and TV's best-known faces, all the way to F1 drivers and top Hollywood stars.

Top Gear has more views on YouTube and is watched by over 100 million people around the globe. Why is it being beaten by Doctor Who? I'm pretty sure Doctor Who isn't watched by as many people.

Top Gear has been on television for 20 seasons. It's so fluffy, I'm gonna die.
Blackadder

Blackadder is a series of four BBC1 period British sitcoms, plus several one-off installments, that originally aired from 1983 to 1989. Each series stars Rowan Atkinson as a member of the Blackadder dynasty in a different historical period. The show is known for its sharp wit, satirical humor, and memorable... read more

Just cracked me up! Some of the best British humour.
Torchwood

I ship Jack and Gwen, and Owen and Gwen. I ship Gwen with anyone except Rhys, and she ended up marrying him.
Planet Earth
Ripper Street

I loved this cool show set back in the 1860s and 1870s in NY about immigration and the Irish.

Perfect acting and script. Sorry to see it end.
Miranda

Miranda is funny! She represents all that is joyous and humorous! She is a delight to watch for the entire family!

An amazing show, one of the best ever comedians. She is a national treasure.

I wish they would bring her back. Loved her show!

The Newcomers

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Ghosts

Ghosts is really good and deserves more recognition on the top-ten lists than it actually gets.
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Glow Up

The Contenders

Monty Python's Flying Circus

I have never since watched a show where falling to the floor in pain from laughing so hard happened more than once in a single episode. This show is genius. It was so far ahead of its time, still quoted today in mainstream culture, and beyond the humor of almost anything made today, besides 'Whose Line Is It Anyway.' I have never watched anything funnier in my life, and a lot of the humor is actually quite intelligent as well.

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!
Robin Hood

I love it! It is a show that will leave you satisfied. It is intense and, at times, very emotional.

I like how they (the outlaws) realize their set plans and bug the Sheriff! The best!
The Sarah Jane Adventures

Sarah Jane keeps calm in the face of danger.
The Musketeers

Top-tier actors! Top-of-the-line sets, costumes, etc. The actors perfectly fit their parts - all of them, from the Queen and King to, of course, the Musketeers and Treville (sp?). I'm not too sure about Rochefort, but it's still early for him. We'll see. However, he does play an excellent villain, the perfect guy to loathe! I don't like Milady, but that's a good thing - you're not supposed to!
My favorite part of the show: screenwriting, directing, and camerawork! These people know their art! It makes sense considering the shows they've worked on or created in earlier years. Bravo!

Great stuff. Good scripts, never boring.
As Time Goes By

Love the "accidental" sense of humor each character displays, especially Lionel and Jean.
Planet Earth II
Total Wipeout
Red Dwarf

Red Dwarf is a British science fiction comedy franchise that primarily consists of a television sitcom. It originally aired on BBC Two from 1988 to 1999 and was revived on Dave from 2009 to 2020. The show has gained a significant cult following.

Red Dwarf is actually such an incredible show. Despite being rather low budget and having special effects that aren't the best, the script is hilarious and the acting is incredible. I mean, how is Chris Barrie not famous?! I definitely recommend it to everyone.
Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema

This show is actually phenomenal. I think it deserves a look.
Being Human

Launched with a pilot in 2008, this British supernatural drama series explores the lives of three twenty-somethings trying to live normal lives despite being a ghost, a vampire, and a werewolf. The series blends elements of drama, comedy, and horror. It also inspired a North American adaptation that... read more

Absolutely fantastic. I cried and laughed my way through the entire series. From humor, drama, and heart-wrenching love stories that have to end, the show truly has it all.
Atlantis
The Office (UK)

The Office is a British mockumentary sitcom that first aired on BBC Two on July 9, 2001. Created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the show is set in the Slough branch of a fictional paper company called Wernham Hogg. It became a critical success and inspired several international adaptations, including... read more
Luther

With only ten episodes, this show not being on the list isn't surprising, but if you haven't seen it, go to Netflix right now and watch! Great writing, intense stories, and incredible acting.

We loved this series and want more of these two very sexy, great British actors! Just waiting for more!

One of the best shows I've seen. The acting, thought, and action are all beyond words.
Jekyll
The Mighty Boosh

So funny! It makes me laugh every time I even see a DVD box. So many happy memories with this show.