The best British TV shows of 2022
What a year it’s been for British TV.
Each year, Mashable gets right into the good stuff, the very best TV of the year — we’re talking the best new TV shows, the best returning series, the best episodes of the year, even the most stressful moments on screen. This time, we’re specifically celebrating the best TV from the UK in 2022 — and where you can watch it within and outside the country.
In 2022, we fell head over heels for Heartstopper, said a fond farewell to our Derry Girls, and saw the final showdown of Peaky Blinders. And though it’s not on here as a docuseries (we stuck to fiction), we’ve got to acknowledge the Moment that was Harry and Meghan.
So, let’s get into it. Here, in no particular order, are the 20 best British TV shows of 2022.
1. Heartstopper
From beloved webcomic to graphic novel to Netflix series, Heartstopper was a truly sweet teen romance that stole our hearts this year. English writer and illustrator Alice Oseman extracted the characters of her Tapas/Webtoon/Tumblr hit 2016 webcomic and found real-life ambassadors for them — namely Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) — in the screen adaptation directed by Euros Lyn. Heartstopper lies on the sugary sweet end of the teen dramedy series spectrum, worlds apart from Euphoria and Skins, younger but just as delightful as Sex Education, with a new gay love story akin to Love, Viktor. But it doesn’t shy away from a poignant examination of queer identity amid steadfast heteronormativity. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor
How to watch: Heartstopper is now streaming on Netflix.
2. Top Boy (Season 4)
Ronan Bennett’s Top Boy amped it right up for a brutal, powerful, excellent fourth season (Season 2 of the Netflix reboot). London drug dealers Dushane (Ashley Walters) and Sully (Kane Robinson) returned for a huge new chapter alongside rival Jamie (Micheal Ward), fresh out of prison and back with his Summerhouse gang. Walters brings spectacular nuance to his performance as Dushane trying to expand his empire, while Robinson exudes grief and torn responsibility in Sully. Ward does a proverbial victory lap in his highly compelling run as Jamie, Little Simz radiates strength as moral compass Shelley, and Jasmine Jobson nails the complexity of Jaq. The series’ finale episode left viewers in absolute shock, after eight high-paced episodes. — S.C.
How to watch: Top Boy is now streaming on Netflix.
3. Bridgerton (Season 2)
Bridgeton‘s opening season was so popular that the follow-up was always going to have big shoes to fill. Luckily Shonda Rhimes and Chris Van Dusen’s period romance performs once again, this time following Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) as he navigates a complex love triangle with sisters Kate (Simone Ashley) and Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran). “Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon (Regé-Jean Page) gave us frequent sex scenes between two attractive actors, but the first season never realized what this season does: The true meaning of sexy,” wrote Proma Khosla in her review for Mashable. “Hiring an Indian actor as Kate gives the taut relationship the feel of a Bollywood romance, where characters frequently flirt, fantasize, and declare themselves, but never share so much as a kiss. There are viewers who will not understand, and that is their loss. But for those who do, this author promises an unforgettable courtship that will not soon be surpassed.” — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor
How to watch: Bridgerton is streaming now on Netflix.
4. His Dark Materials (Season 3)
The BBC’s underrated, ambitious adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials novels has been an emotional ride, and the third season brought the series to a heartbreaking conclusion. Based on The Amber Spyglass, Season 3 spun Lyra (Dafne Keen), Mrs. Coulter (Ruth Wilson), Will (Amir Wilson), Dr. Mary Malone (Simone Kirby), Lord Asriel (James McAvoy), and more across the map and into the series’ final showdown. As Mashable entertainment reporter Belen Edwards writes in her review, “Easily the most ambitious and most fantastic of Pullman’s trilogy, The Amber Spyglass gives this final season of His Dark Materials a lot to work with… Luckily for fans of Pullman’s books, His Dark Materials does not water down the novels’ thematic content, nor does it stray away from the stranger aspects of its fantasy worlds. The season, while not without its own flaws, proves to be a rewarding finish to a solid show that tended to be overlooked in a crowded fantasy TV landscape.” — S.C.
How to watch: His Dark Materials is now streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and HBO in the U.S.
5. House of the Dragon
Yes, we know it’s technically a U.S. production through HBO, but there are so many British cast members and it was filmed in the UK, so frankly we had to include it. No matter what you thought of the ending, it’s impossible to deny just how massive (and massively popular) Game of Thrones really was. As a prequel, House of the Dragon had a lot to live up to. Luckily it more than delivered, harking back to the political tensions of Thrones‘ first season by narrowing the focus to King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and the problem of his succession. Adapted from George R.R. Martin’s fantasy history Fire & Blood and working with multiple characters and time jumps, this show had a lot to do and a lot of places it could’ve gone wrong. But thanks to strong writing, a fantastic cast and the kind of grey characters we always loved in Thrones, it stayed the course. “If you’re worried about House of the Dragon after getting burned by the final season of Game of Thrones, don’t be,” wrote Mashable’s Belen Edwards in her review. “HBO’s epic new series is excellent through and through, juggling memorable characters, high fantasy, and intense emotions with practiced ease. You’ll be sucked in faster than you can say ‘Dracarys’.” — S.H.
How to watch: House of the Dragon is available to stream now on HBO Max.
6. Derry Girls (Season 3)
This year, we hit play on some big-time Cranberries, Tori Amos, and Spice Girls after a long wait for the return (and farewell) of Derry Girls. Lisa McGee’s beloved comedy series saw its third and final season this year, following a rowdy and awesome group of teens in the ’90s in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. Season 3 found the crew growing up and ready to get their GSCEs and finish school, with the return of high-drama Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), her super chill cousin Orla (Louisa Harland) and simply excellent friends Clare (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) and James (Dylan Llewellyn). Siobhan McSweeney also returned as the long-suffering and hilarious headmistress of Lady Immaculate College, Sister Michael. — S.C.
How to watch: Derry Girls is now streaming on All4 in the UK and Netflix in the U.S.
7. The Sandman
One of the biggest British shows of the year, Netflix’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s beloved fantasy comic The Sandman blew us away. With each episode a self-contained instalment, just like Gaiman’s work, the series hinged around Tom Sturridge’s titular protagonist, Dream, stalking through each unsettling chapter on the hunt for his scattered items. In each of these, Sturridge was joined by one of the casts of the year, with Gwendoline Christie as the Devil, Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, and Mason Alexander Park as Desire.
How to watch: The Sandman is now streaming on Netflix.
8. Starstruck (Season 2)
It was hands down one of the best TV shows of 2021. And the second season of Starstruck, the romantic comedy series created by and starring comedian Rose Matafeo, made us fall even harder. Bringing a new millennial twist to Notting Hill, the series brought us right back where we left off with Jessie (a pitch perfect Matafeo) and Tom (superb romantic lead Nikesh Patel), after the horrendously awkward and wonderful clusterfuck that is falling for someone new — especially when one of you is a famous movie star. In Starstruck, Matafeo and her team have created a truly relatable modern rom-com, a fun, sharp analysis of relationships and dating which allows its characters to mess up, acknowledge their flaws, and learn how to apologise. In Season 2, the fear of going all in on something real made fame look like a walk in the park. — S.C.
How to watch: Starstruck Season 2 is streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK, HBO Max in the U.S. and ABC iView in Australia.
9. Everything I Know About Love
We met our new best friends this year. Created and adapted for television by Dolly Alderton, and based on her best-selling memoir of the same name, Everything I Know About Love centres on Maggie (Emma Appleton), Birdy (Bel Powley) Amara (Aliyah Odoffin), and Nell (Marli Siu) — four best mates living in a flat share in Camden, London, in the height of their twenties. Together they share the euphoric ups and rock-bottom downs that come hand in hand with being this age — dreadful dates, raucous nights out, awful hangovers, terrible decisions, heaps of sex and drugs, and relationships with people who don’t treat you the way you deserve. Don’t be fooled by the title, this show is not just about romantic love — its most important arc is a story of friendship between childhood best friends Maggie and Birdy, navigating a perilous path as their romantic partners and sexual exploits pose a threat to the platonic love they share. — Rachel Thompson, Features Editor
How to watch: Everything I Know About Love is now streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Peacock in the U.S.
10. Peaky Blinders (Season 6)
Steven Knight’s vicious post-WWI gangster tale set in Birmingham, starring Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy, finally came to an end this year with its sixth and final season. “It feels blasphemous to call Peaky Blinders a gangster show or a crime drama, because none of those storylines, while they may provide visceral fight scenes set to rock music, come anywhere near the gripping heartbeat of Tommy and the Shelby family,” wrote Mashable’s Proma Khosla when we included it in our list of the best British shows on Netflix. — S.C.
How to watch: Peaky Blinders is now streaming on Netflix.
11. The English
Black Earth Rising and The Honourable Woman creator Hugo Blick returned with one of the most critically lauded British shows of the year: epic western The English. Set in middle America in 1890, the six-part BBC/Prime Video series saw Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer as English aristocrat Lady Cornelia Locke and Pawnee ex-cavalry scout Eli Whipp, respectively. As Locke seeks revenge for her son’s death, the pair come up against a stream of challenges. Rafe Spall, Tom Hughes, Toby Jones, Stephen Rea, Ciarán Hinds, and Valerie Pachner round out the exceptional cast. — S.C.
How to watch: The English is now streaming on Prime Video.
12. Landscapers
Sky and HBO’s four-part series was quite polarising, as an overtly theatrical interpretation of a true-crime police procedural. But if you’re into pulverizing that fourth wall, indulging in a spot of theatre, and the golden acting talents of Olivia Colman and David Thewlis, you’ll be hooked. Landscapers is inspired by the (actually) true story of Susan and Christopher Edwards (Colman and Thewlis), who were convicted of the murder of Susan’s parents, William and Patricia Wycherley, in 2014 and sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison. They maintain their innocence to this day. It’s a notorious case that people in the UK are probably more familiar with than those outside it. The miniseries was co-written by Colman’s husband, Ed Sinclair, and director Will Sharpe, who worked with Colman on the dark comedy series Flowers for Channel 4. The pair did extensive research into the case, poring over hours of interviews and news reports. But most notably, Sinclair had direct correspondence with Susan and Christopher, who are still serving time in separate prisons. — S.C.
How to watch: Landscapers is now streaming on NowTV in the UK and HBO Max in the U.S.
13. The Crown (Season 5)
The Crown Season 5 reigned on Netflix this year with Imelda Staunton taking over from Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II. But really, this season was all about Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki). Peter Morgan’s royal drama careened into the 1990s, with the Royal Family navigating Prince Charles’ (Dominic West’s) publicly confirmed affair with Camilla Parker Bowles (Olivia Williams) and divorce with Diana, all of which throws the monarchy into a constitutional crisis. Meanwhile, the series paid particular attention to Diana’s moves to tell her own story, including covertly assisting with a tell-all book and being unethically tricked into giving an interview to the BBC’s Panorama program with Martin Bashir. While Season 4 saw a talented Emma Corrin presenting Diana’s turbulent early years in the Royal Family, Season 5 let Debicki lean into the intensity of the Princess of Wales’ tumultuous experience with the press in the years before tragedy loomed.
How to watch: The Crown is now streaming on Netflix.
14. The Devil’s Hour
Peter Capaldi was a lot of fun in Doctor Who, wasn’t he? A bit prickly to begin with, of course, but he evolved into a fairly friendly guy in the end, right? Well, scrub that image of him from your minds, because Capaldi in The Devil’s Hour is a whole different, sinister ball game. We first see him in handcuffs, sitting opposite social worker Lucy (Jessica Raine) in a cell. Gideon (Capaldi) is a suspect in a string of child murders, and Lucy is the only person he’ll talk to. Jumping between their strange conversation and a past in which Lucy is haunted by nightly bouts of insomnia and the odd behaviour of her emotionless son Isaac (Benjamin Chivers), The Devil’s Hour weaves a complex tale that’s part psychological horror and part crime mystery. The time jumps and twisty story may be too much for some, but Tom Moran’s six-parter is a well written and unnerving show that’s impossible to predict. — S.H.
How to watch: The Devil’s Hour is streaming now on Prime Video.
15. Am I Being Unreasonable?
Having already co-created the brilliantly funny mockumentary This Country, it was no big surprise that Daisy May Cooper’s latest series Am I Being Unreasonable? was as good as it was. What was more of a surprise was how different the two shows were. While This Country was a fairly straight, albeit very clever, comedy, Am I Being Unreasonable? mixed laughs with drama, mystery, and even a slice of horror. The series followed Nic (Cooper), a no-nonsense mum whose friendship with new mum Jen (Selin Hizli) takes a dark turn after it becomes clear that she isn’t who she says she is. To further complicate things Nic is haunted by flashbacks of a tragic event, has a strained relationship with her husband Dan (Dustin Demri-Burns), and has concerns about her son Ollie (Lenny Rush). Sound complicated? In the wrong hands it might have been, but in Cooper’s it made for a tense thriller that’ll make you laugh, cringe and flinch. — S.H.
How to watch: Am I Being Unreasonable? is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
16. Conversations with Friends
Have you emotionally recovered from Normal People? No? Me neither, babes. Here to follow it up and destroy your frail little heart this year was Conversations With Friends, the BBC Three/Hulu adaptation of Sally Rooney’s 2017 debut novel. From Director Lenny Abrahamson and writer Alice Birch, who both worked on Normal People, the series followed the lives of four people and their (rather messy) relationships with each other. Frances (Alison Oliver), a 21-year-old university student, and her best mate Bobbi (Loki‘s Sasha Lane) start spending time with older couple Melissa (Girls star Jemima Kirke) and Nick (The Favourite‘s Joe Alwyn). Things get…complicated, to say the very least. The tangled web forces Frances to confront her own vulnerabilities and come to realisations about her sense of self and the relationships in her life. As with any Rooney story, there’s steamy sex and big emotions. — R.T.
How to watch: Conversations with Friends is now streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Hulu in the U.S.
17. Inside Man
Mashable film editor Kristy Puchko called it “the perfect Netflix show” so if you’re looking for the best of the best, try Inside Man. Written by Sherlock and Doctor Who scribe Steven Moffat, the series is a mystery thriller that involves a connection between a U.S. death row inmate and a woman trapped in a basement in the UK. In a chillingly dapper performance, Stanley Tucci relishes taking on murderer Jefferson Grieff aka the Death Row Detective, whose ability to solve crimes better than the authorities draws the attention of a journalist (an excellent Lydia West going head-to-head with one of the greats). Meanwhile, David Tennant spins out of control as amiable priest Harry Watling, whose dark decisions to keep a certain situation under wraps prove less than wise. — S.C.
How to watch: Inside Man is streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Netflix in the U.S.
18. The Lazarus Project
Groundhog Day meets the end of the world in The Lazarus Project, a complex, time-travelling sci-fi from Giri/Haji writer Joe Barton. The ever-talented Paapa Essiedun takes the lead as George, a software developer who keeps waking up on the same day, apocalypse after apocalypse. These brutal awakenings lead him to join the show’s titular secret organisation, one which has the sole mission of stopping the end of the world. Essentially, if you liked The Umbrella Academy but require less superpowers, dance numbers, and more of a crime-action show vibe, you’ll like The Lazarus Project. Viewers in the U.S. will be able to watch Season 1 soon, and Season 2 is on the way. — S.C.
How to watch: The Lazarus Project is now streaming on Sky in the UK.
19. This is Going to Hurt
Based on the best-selling non-fiction book of the same name and adapted by the author himself, Adam Kay’s dramedy follows a doctor working on a chaotic Obstetrics and Gynaecology ward in a UK hospital. The show is fast-paced, tense and uncompromising, reflecting the stretched reality of the National Health Service while mixing laughs and tears in equal measures. “One of the show’s greatest strengths is the way it delicately balances drama and comedy throughout,” I wrote in my review. “Along with plenty of if-you-didn’t-laugh-you’d-cry moments there’s also a constant stream of amusing dialogue, as the staff banter and bicker with each other, getting through the day by leaning heavily into deadpan (and often gallows) humour.” — S.H.
How to watch: This is Going to Hurt is now streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Prime Video in the U.S.
20. The Responder
Forget cuddly Bilbo Baggins or Fargo‘s blundering Lester Nygaard. Martin Freeman is a different beast altogether in The Responder, channelling his darker side to play corrupt Liverpool police officer Chris Carson. Tony Schumacher’s gritty five-episode BBC series follows Carson as he struggles to balance his troubled personal life with his equally turbulent professional one. Chris’ colleague Rachel (played brilliantly by Adelayo Adedayo), a younger officer dealing with an abusive partner at home, challenges and balances him, forming an onscreen double-act that’s as memorable as it is hard to watch. Fair warning, The Responder often makes for uncomfortable viewing — but it’s also filled with great writing, excellent performances and significant suspense. — S.H.
How to watch: The Responder is streaming now on BBC iPlayer in the UK.