Best BBC shows: all the best dramas on BBC iPlayer right now

Idris Elba may be a global movie star these days, but he still found time to film five series of this smash-hit BBC One show. Luther sees Elba as the dedicated, obsessive and occasionally violent DCI John Luther, a genius murder detective whose brilliant mind is not immune to the darkness of his job. The series starts with him unable to imprison psychopath and murderer Alice Morgan, leading the two to solve crimes together while he fights his own terrible demons.

Luther has been a smash hit for the BBC over the last decade, with Elba repeatedly garnering rave reviews every time a new season premiered, and the dark tone credited with giving the show more weight and gravitas than most police procedurals. Critical praise has been unanimous – indeed the biggest criticism has been the length of the show, with only twenty-one episodes produced over five seasons.

Elba is the powerhouse of this series, but he’s joined by some fine company. His Dark Material’s Ruth Wilson makes a particularly memorable turn as psychopathic nemesis and companion Alice Morgan, with The Death of Stalin’s Dermot Crawley as the razor-sharp DCI Martin Schenk and comedian Michael Smiley as “Deadhead” Benny Silver. – Daniel Furn

If you haven’t watched Us, you need to. It’s an infectiously heartwarming love letter about family, love and loss. It stars Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves as Douglas and Connie Petersen who take their son Albie, played by Tom Taylor, on a trip around Europe before he leaves for university. Unfortunately for Douglas, Saskia wants a divorce. The time abroad is tense, but it feels so relatably British. The dynamic between the trio makes it all the more difficult for Douglas, because while Albie is so close with his mother, his father just can’t get through to him at all. It’s the small moments between Hollander and Taylor which put that across perfectly, as the middle-aged Dad frequently embarrasses his son to no end.

There’s also something bizarrely refreshing (if a little teasing) about watching the Petersens travel throughout Europe without the need for masks, an overuse of hand sanitizer or even facing long queues because of Brexit. Us also charms the audience by showing us who Douglas and Connie were before they became parents and what brought them together in the first place. And although it’s only four-episodes long, you’ll be surprised how quickly David Nicholls’ writing makes you care about them all, no matter how grumpy Douglas is. – Eammon Jacobs

“Everyone’s a murderer – you just have to meet the right person,” says incarcerated killer Jefferson Grieff (Stanley Tucci), his line encapsulating the thrust of this cunningly plotted crime drama, which asks if we might all be capable of taking a life. Among those being pushed to extremes is vicar Harry (David Tennant), who soon finds himself at the mercy of Steven Moffatt’s twists. As we know from his work on Sherlock and Doctor Who, Moffat is as much a conjurer as a writer – and here he has a whole new box of neat tricks. – David Brown

A series that needs no introduction, but we'll give it one anyway.

Happy Valley stars Sarah Lancashire as Yorkshire police sergeant Catherine Cawood. When we meet her in season 1, she's investigating former prisoner Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), whom she believes is responsible for the death of her daughter. The rivalry between these two incredible characters continues for two more outings, the last of which was released earlier this year and brought the story to a dramatic conclusion.

Indeed, Happy Valley season 3 was hailed as some of the best British television ever made, adding yet more prestige to the career of screenwriter Sally Wainwright – also known for Last Tango in Halifax and Gentleman Jack.

If you somehow missed its original run, do yourself a favour and watch now.

A recent acquisition from HBO Max, Search Party went down a storm in the United States for its biting portrayal of millennial culture. The story kicks off as listless 20-something Dory (Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat) takes it upon herself to track down an acquaintance from her college years, who has recently been declared missing.

Along for the ride is oblivious boyfriend Drew (John Reynolds) and egotistical friends Elliot (John Early) and Portia (Meredith Hagner). Together, the gang get to the bottom of the perplexing mystery – but in doing so, land themselves in even greater danger.

Search Party delivers on gripping drama – not least through a powerhouse performance from Shawkat – but also delights with its witty satire on the vapid trends of the social media generation. Perfect for those who like a blend of light and dark storytelling.

Oh His Dark Materials, you brilliant piece of fantasy you. Based on the bestselling books by Phillip Pullman the series follows 13-year old Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen) who embarks on a dangerous journey through a parallel world to uncover the mystery surrounding Dust and how it affects different dimensions in the universe. It’s a riveting adventure that sweeps audiences up along with Lyra in a grand storyline that never compromises its scale to fit the small screen. The series from writer Jack Thorne struck the perfect blend between realism and fantasy, as Lyra’s world feels familiar to our own but also is vastly different.

And while the first season of His Dark Materials felt a little constricted by setting up all these different characters and plot points about parallel worlds, the second season was so much fun as the cosmic stakes got even bigger. Truthfully, this works so much better than the misaligned cinematic adaptation from 2007. It’s a testament to the stellar cast that all the animalistic Daemons don’t come across as silly or stupid, they’re believable and enthralling. Also what a cast! It boasts the likes of James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda in supporting roles. The final season is streaming now. – Eammon Jacobs

Colin Farrell is currently working the awards circuit after a stellar year, which saw him give memorable performances in The Batman and The Banshees of Inisherin. It's a shame that his bleak period drama The North Water, which debuted towards the end of 2021, has comparatively been overlooked.

Set in the 1800s, the show follows the crew of a whaling expedition which goes awry, focusing primarily on the barbaric Henry Drax (Farrell) and traumatised doctor Patrick Sumner (Jack O'Connell). It's a brutal tale of survival, which is certainly not for the faint of heart.

Remarkably, the cast and crew of The North Water actually travelled to the Arctic Circle to film the series – and it shows! No green screen or studio lot could substitute for the astonishing scenery on display, which only adds to the sense of gritty realism in this brilliant drama.

Labelling this nervy thriller “Die Hard in a Hotel” overlooks two key aspects. The first is the fact that it’s Keeley Hawes rather than a filthy-vested Bruce Willis-type taking on the bad guys at a Canary Islands resort under siege. And the second is that, unlike your typical action movie, there’s an extra reel of drama that deals with the effects of the ordeal on the survivors once they return home. So, amid the bullets and bloodshed, there’s also an emotional commentary on grief and the fragility of stability. – David Brown

This thriller burst onto screens in 2019 with a series all about CCTV manipulation in London, one of the most highly surveilled cities in the world. Now, three years later, it’s back, and the stakes could not have been raised any higher. Holliday Grainger returns as DI Rachel Carey, who is drawn into an investigation surrounding fast-rising MP Isaac Turner, played by Paapa Essiedu.

The pair are both phenomenal in this new season, which ratchets up the tension every half an hour without ever losing sight of its central premise or mystery. It’s exactly what a thriller should be – fast paced, edge of your seat stuff, which answers many questions before you even know to ask them, yet still keeps you guessing throughout.

The first season is also now back on iPlayer, giving fans the chance to binge the series as a whole and remember exactly what it is Carey is up against from those early episodes. Dealing with the chilling implications of deepfake technology, if you weren’t scared of that before, you certainly will be now. – James Hibbs

A brave drama commission, which was even more bravely shown on BBC1 during the festive period – if you understandably didn’t fancy it then, catch up now. A wise and sober dramatisation by Andrea Gibb of the novel by Andrew O’Hagan, it stars Tony Curran and Martin Compston as lifelong best pals who, when one of them faces death, have their friendship tested like never before. The story carries a devastating, somehow cleansing sadness, while simultaneously celebrating the glory of friendship as a bond just as strong as romantic love. – Jack Seale

Sherwood does what BBC crime dramas do best. With spectacular pacing, crucial historical context in the form of flashbacks to the past and stellar performances from the cast, there’s no wonder this drama was bestowed with so much praise when it was released in June 2o22.

Throughout the six-parter, we follow DCS Ian St Clair (David Morrissey) as he initially investigates a tragic death by bow and arrow in a small former mining town. Soon, tensions to the police presence arise and so to do memories of the past and the mid-80s miners’ strikes that tore apart a once close-knit community.

More than three decades on, the tensions of the past still remain and the drama feels as emotionally raw (especially from Lesley Manville and Claire Rushbrook’s performances) as it does authentic, the latter boosted by the fact the drama comes from Quiz creator James Graham, who was inspired by true events for this series and based it in Nottinghamshire, where he was raised. – Morgan Cormack

With Anna Torv (Mindhunter) at the helm of this Australian drama, it was always going to be a surefire hit of a series. But even more so, The Newsreader is an intriguing insight into the inner workings of an Australian newsroom – with all the workplace discrimination, misogyny and chaos to ponder over.

Taking us back to 1986, the series follows newsreader Helen Norville and new colleague Dale Jennings (Sam Reid) who are both desperately trying to work their way up the nightly news show ladder. Helen is an established anchor, continually turned down by her manager to cover genuinely thought-provoking stories, while Dale is often overlooked. But when Helen takes a leave of absence from work, the two strike up an unlikely bond. As much as this series is a reflection of the times and the hurdles women had to face in the workplace, it’s also a tale of friendship, career and hopefulness. – Morgan Cormack

The first instalment of this drama aired in 2021 and centred around a work event that quickly turns deadly and the repercussions from it all. Namely, the group of women involved who make a pact of silence and to never tell anyone what happened.

While the first season certainly had us guessing till the very end, the most recent second season is even more mind-bending. We follow Christine Rees (Rakie Ayola), a social worker and devoted mother who is still grieving the tragic loss of her son when a stranger that looks just like him turns up in her town, proclaiming that he is part of her family.

Christine’s children are left wondering if their mother could actually be keeping something more sinister from them, but the series benefits from great pacing and untrustworthy characters – which makes for one shocking finale. – Morgan Cormack

The thing that sets this drama apart from most is the fact that, as well as being concerned with some truly puzzling murder cases, it’s also set against the backdrop of 1900s Vienna. At the time, the Austrian capital was a hotbed of culture, aristocracy and art, making the series one that also showcases some truly wonderful locations.

The psychological period drama follows know-it-all junior doctor Max Liebermann (Matthew Beard), and taciturn detective, detective inspector Oskar Rheinhardt (Juergen Maurer), who form an unlikely crime-solving partnership.

If you’ve watched Netflix’s Mindhunter, there’s a very high chance that you’ll lap this series up as it’s concerned with many of the same themes, particularly the psychology of murderers and psychopaths. – Morgan Cormack

When this drama was released in summer 2022, it was quickly swept up by Dolly Alderton fans and newcomers alike. The comedy series was adapted from Alderton’s memoir of the same name and follows childhood best friends Maggie (Emma Appleton) and Birdy (Bel Powley) as they move to London with other friends Nell (Marli Siu) and Amara (Aliyah Odoffin).

The quartet are primed and ready for their new adventure together in the capital city and it promises a newfound life of hectic nights out, house parties, new friends and lovers alike. But that’s all until Birdy gets into a relationship. It’s the kind that’s all-consuming and soon, Maggie has to reckon with the fact that she’s not Birdy’s number one person anymore.

The series, while being positively hilarious and nostalgic (there’s plenty of Kate Moss at Topshop and early 2000s music to really get you in the mood), is also an intriguing look into female friendships, identity, career and all the heady things that come from being in your early 20s. – Morgan Cormack

Remember the scandalous events of Doctor Foster that saw a family ripped apart by steamy affairs and scheming? Well, the BBC series Life is a surprising spin-off from the dramatic thriller. Victoria Hamilton reprises her role as Anna Baker (now known as Belle Stone) from the Suranne Jones-fronted show, although don’t expect Gemma Foster herself to show up to cause drama midway through. Life revolves around a Victorian house made up of four different flats, with four different residents each with their own problems and issues as the series addresses mental health, alcoholism, and of course, romantic drama.

The series was concocted by Doctor Foster creator Mike Bartlett, who saw the perfect opportunity to build out this world through Anna Baker/Belle Stone. It’s not as over the top and wild as Doctor Foster (which is a welcome relief) but it’s just as entertaining. With the likes of Alison Steadman, Adrian Lester and Peter Davison in the cast, it’s like a who’s-who of British TV royalty. Because of the interwoven stories all running through this one house, it’s very easy to become heavily invested in their respective lives and problems, making the six-episode series a very bingeable watch. – Eammon Jacobs

As the rates of domestic abuse continued to spiral in the UK throughout the numerous 2020 and 2021 lockdowns, there’s a vital drama from 2014 that should be mandatory viewing for younger audiences. Murdered by My Boyfriend is a harrowing story based on a real-life case in which Georgina Campbell plays Ashley Jones, a young woman whose boyfriend’s abusive behaviour begins to escalate before reaching a horrific end. Ashley’s boyfriend Reece is played by Royce Pierreson (who’s gone on to appear in Line of Duty, The Witcher and The Irregulars), and he’s dangerously charming and nice to begin with before he increasingly starts to control her life more.

While the 60-minute film was nominated for Best Single Drama at the BAFTAs (but failed to win) Georgina Campbell rightfully won the award for Best Actress for her leading role in the film. It’s not entertaining subject matter, but it is a necessary watch – especially for younger audiences who should be made aware of the dangers behind this kind of coercive behaviour. Although it is based on a real-life case involving domestic violence, the names of all those involved were changed by writer Regina Moriarty. – Eammon Jacobs

A young, unfamiliar cast bring an unstable energy to an edgy drama, set in the London investment banking sector. The new intake of hopefuls trying to make it in high finance ought to be some of that generation’s brightest and best, but they are still young adults who make mistakes – and often, their high opinion of their own abilities is their downfall. That’s as true in their personal lives as it is in an office environment where extreme pressure is the norm. – Jack Seale

The title alone is nightmare-inducing – more heartbreaking is that this factual drama is based on real-life testimony. Wheelchair user Anna and partially sighted Tom are a devoted mother and father to baby Danielle, but social worker Belinda calls their parenting skills into doubt due to their disabilities. With mounting pressure from social services, their parents and each other, Anna and Tom must ask some honest questions of each other as they fight for custody of their newborn.

The drama was made as part of BBC Three’s Defying the Label series that saw 15 new programmes examine life with a disability – with Don’t Take My Baby as the runaway success, earning Best Single Drama at the 2016 BAFTA’s along with a raft of other nominations. The series was praised in particular for its handling of the little-discussed issue of the nation’s 11,000 disabled couples, and the UK Children’s Services who pass judgement on whether they can keep them. Tough questions with no easy answers are asked throughout the drama that may well call prejudices and beliefs into doubt, not just about the disabled community, but society as a whole.

Ruth Madeley stars in a BAFTA-nominated performance as mother Anna, and would later go on to key roles in Cold Feet and Years and Years. Also fighting for his family is Happy Valley’s Adam Long, who similarly won critical acclaim including a Royal Television Society Award nomination. – Daniel Furn

Based on the books by Sara Shepard, Pretty Little Liars has spawned three spin-off series; the latest in the franchise takes place within the same universe but with a new cast and set in a new location. Leaning heavily into the teen slasher genre, the series sees a group of teenage girls sent threatening messages from “A”, who wants to hold them accountable for their mothers’ mistakes, which led to a tragic death. – Laura Rutkowski

If you’re looking for a high-octane thriller, then keep scrolling. Even viewers looking for something a little more down-to-Earth may find this series too slow paced. But if you’re willing to stick with it and get to know the characters, their wants, their needs, their quibbles and foibles, then settle in for one of the best dramas of 2022 so far.

Sean Bean and Nicola Walker are magnificent as married couple Ian and Emma who have been together for almost 30 years and know one another inside out. They have an adopted daughter Jessica, who is currently having relationship troubles of her own, meanwhile Emma is struggling with her sleazy boss at work as a newly unemployed Ian struggles with loneliness and idleness at home.

That’s it – there’s no major explosive plot twists, no groundbreaking revelations. It’s exactly the sort of series that creator Stefan Golaszewski is masterful at creating, one which examines the minutiae of human relationships. We watch and pick up on every unspoken truth as this pair of introverts struggles to admit things to one another, which the other already knows simply by grace of having been intimate together for so long. It’s a profoundly moving series – sometimes cringe-inducing, sometimes devastating, sometimes hilarious. By the end of the four episodes you’ll feel as if you’ve lived an entire life with Ian and Emma yourself. – James Hibbs

BBC Three’s slate of programming was incredible before the channel was pulled off-air in 2016, and one of the most underrated shows was 2012’s The Fades from writer and creator Jack Thorne. The series followed Iain DeCaestecker as Paul, a 17-year old student who discovers he’s actually an ‘Angelic’ and has been pulled into a war with vengeful spirits of the dead, known as ‘The Fades’. With a brilliant touch of horror, the series was as if Skins had been crossed with Supernatural.

It was a thrilling show, and it didn’t garner nearly as enough attention as it deserved. Which is surprising because it paired DeCaestecker up with an incredible cast of stars including 2021 Academy Award winner Daniel Kaluuya, Game of Thrones’ Natalie Dormer, Lucifer star Tom Ellis and Skins alumni Joe Dempsie. With the threat of an apocalypse on the way, the six episode series was a gripping watch. And although it was violent enough to give it an edge, The Fades never pushed into gory horror movie territory. That’s not to say it wasn’t without its scares, because it was undeniably creepy at times. It’s a genuine shame that a second season was never commissioned but at least most of its cast moved on to bigger projects. – Eammon Jacobs

To put it simply, Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You is astonishing. In just six hours (split across 12 30-minute episodes), the show covers a staggering amount of ground, providing a detailed and insightful examination of sexual consent and assault in numerous forms. The show certainly doesn’t shy away from its sensitive subject matter – Coel told Radio Times that the BBC “let [her] do anything” and didn’t restrict or hamper the show’s content – but its razor-sharp wit and beautifully written characters go a long way to keeping the conversation accessible.

Her portrayal of Arabella was one of the best performances of 2020 without any doubt, but co-stars Paapa Essiedu and Weruche Opia are also phenomenal, each of them excelling in both comedic and heart-wrenching scenes. Scoring eight BAFTA nominations in 2021, and winning 5, I May Destroy You is not only hugely compelling television, it’s important, educational, and impossible to forget. – David Craig