Best BBC shows: All the best dramas on BBC iPlayer

BBC's drama output for 2026 has got off to a great start – with the likes of Dennis Kelly's Waiting for the Out and the fourth season of Industry both impressing both critics and audiences.

Meanwhile, Pride and Prejudice is seen through a new lens in new period drama The Other Bennet Sister, as overlooked sibling Mary (Ella Bruccoleri) takes centre stage in a sharp adaptation of Janice Hadlow’s novel.

The Night Manager returned for a second season 10 years after the first concluded, and long-running favourites Silent Witness, Call the Midwife and Death in Paradise all recently released new episodes – so it's really been a good start to the year for the broadcaster.

Of course, these shows are all available to watch on BBC iPlayer along with a whole array of shows from the Beeb's back catalogue. For example, now that the aforementioned The Night Manager is at an end, you might want to check out another John Le Carré adaptation such as 2018 miniseries The Little Drummer Girl.

There's also Death in Paradise spin-off Return to Paradise, sitting alongside dramas such as King & Conqueror and The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

Then there are offbeat comedy dramas like The Gold and This Is Going to Hurt, while those looking for something more hard-hitting can turn to Blue Lights or a range of true-story adaptations like The Sixth Commandment.

Crime, murder mystery and detective series like Annika and Death Valley are part of iPlayer's stacked library, as well as American acquisitions like Tell Me Lies, so there really is something for everyone.

However, with so much to binge-watch, we understand it can all be a bit overwhelming to have such a large amount of choice. So we've put together a list of all the best available series right now, which should mean you can find something to suit you without all that endless scrolling.

Read on and enjoy.

Last updated: 16 March