It’s been a good year so far for British TV shows (and set to get even better), with both returning favourites like Amandaland and new successes like The Other Bennet Sister. If you’re looking for something new to binge, we’ve put together a list of four of the best British series so far this year… and four more still to come.

Catch up on…

Amandaland

One of TV’s funniest shows, Motherland spin-off Amandaland returned this year with Amanda (Lucy Punch) still attempting to navigate life as a single mother after moving to South Harlesden with her teenage children. Series two sees her continuing to juggle parenting, her online brand Senous and her various attempts to climb the social ladder, while her sharp-tongued mother Felicity (the always enjoyable Joanna Lumley) remains very much involved in her life. Amanda also finds herself dealing with new Soha neighbours, romantic complications and an ever-expanding list of embarrassing situations. Whether it’s better than its parent show (no pun intended) is up for debate, but it’s already been confirmed for Series 3.

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

The Night Manager

Almost a decade after the first series, Tom Hiddleston returned as Jonathan Pine in the second season of The Night Manager. Nine years have passed since Pine infiltrated Richard Roper’s organisation, and he is now living under a new identity as a low-level MI6 officer. But when he spots someone connected to his old life, Pine is pulled into another dangerous international conspiracy where everything could go horribly wrong. This time, his mission takes him from London to Colombia, where he infiltrates the operation of businessman Teddy Dos Santos while trying to uncover a secret shipment and a plot involving British intelligence. There are some real twists and turns here, making it essential binge-watching. Olivia Colman, Diego Calva and Camila Morrone also star.

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

The Other Bennet Sister

If you’ve ever wondered about the overlooked Mary Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, then The Other Bennet Sister finally gives Mary her own story. Ella Bruccoleri stars as Mary Bennet in this BBC adaptation of Janice Hadlow’s 2020 novel, which starts off by retelling events from Austen’s classic from Mary’s perspective before taking her beyond the original story. Mary feels underappreciated and quietly dissatisfied with the fact that she’s considered “plain” in comparison to her other siblings, and is constantly under pressure from her mother. She eventually decides to leave her sisters’ shadows and go on a search for independence, confidence and perhaps love of her own. The ten-part period drama also stars Ruth Jones, Richard E. Grant and Indira Varma, and a Christmas Special is on the way.

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

Industry

The high-stakes world of Industry’s fourth season received plenty of buzz when it arrived earlier this year, focusing on Harper (Myha’la) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela) entering an entirely new phase of their lives. The up-and-down pair are now immersed in different worlds of finance, technology and privilege, but their complicated friendship remains central. Yasmin becomes increasingly entangled with tech entrepreneur Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington, who first appeared in Season 3), while Harper is pulled into the orbit of enigmatic executive Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella). As money, ambition and personal loyalties collide, both women find themselves competing for power in an increasingly ruthless financial world.

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

Coming soon

Slow Horses Season 6

Easily one of Apple TV+’s biggest shows, Slow Horses is back for a sixth season this month, with Gary Oldman once again leading the brilliant ensemble of agents as the foul-mouthed Jackson Lamb. This time around, the shabby MI5 employees of Slough House find themselves in chaos when several of Jackson’s agents start turning up dead. As he searches for answers and with everyone in mortal danger, the team is forced to go on the run. Jack Lowden (hotly tipped as the new Bond according to recent rumours) returns as River Cartwright, alongside Kristin Scott Thomas, Christopher Chung and Olivia Cooke, with new additions including Lenny Rush, Kyle Soller and MyAnna Buring. Season 6 will be six episodes long and premieres on Apple TV+ on 16th September.

Watch it on: Apple TV

Rivals Season 2 Part 2

It’s time to go back to Rutshire, as Rivals Season 2 resumes with its second batch of episodes. The first six episodes, which were released early this summer, left plenty of drama unresolved, particularly (spoilers!) following the shocking death of Lady Monica Baddingham (Claire Rushbrook). Part 2 will open with her funeral, shown in new stills from the next set of episodes. Meanwhile, the battle between Corinium and Venturer continues to escalate, as Taggie (Bella McLean) is forced to make big decisions. David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner and Victoria Smurfit are among the returning stars- and you can bet they’ll be more of the same scandal, betrayal, romance and rivalry. Part 2 will arrive on our screens on 11th November.

Watch it on: Disney+

Honey

Set in East Berlin in 1982, Honey is a new BBC spy thriller from much of the same team behind Killing Eve, with a particularly intriguing twist. The six-part series follows 24-year-old Martha Schmitt (Ann Skelly), a deep-cover MI6 agent attempting to avoid detection while operating behind the Iron Curtain. Her mission becomes considerably more complicated when she finds herself caught in something of a love triangle between Friedrich Bauman (Jannis Niewöhner), the Stasi’s new head of counterespionage, and Aaron Neeland (Nate Mann), a reckless CIA operative working undercover as Kurt Fischer. Rory Kinnear also stars, and it is set to be released on BBC One and iPlayer later in 2026.

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

War

If you enjoy glossy legal dramas packed with scandal, betrayal and ruthless ambition (who doesn’t?), War, starring Sienna Miller and Dominic West, is definitely one to watch. Created by George Kay (Lupin, Hijack), the new Sky and HBO thriller follows two rival London law firms, Cathcarts and Taylor & Byrne, as they go head-to-head and all out over a sensational divorce case involving a technology entrepreneur (West) and his film-star wife (Miller). Alongside Miller and West, War also stars Phoebe Fox, James McArdle and Nina Sosanya. It’s definitely one of our most anticipated shows this year, and it’s already been renewed for a second season, starring Marisa Tomei, which will tackle a different defamation case. War arrives on Sky and NOW in the UK on 2nd October.

Watch it on: Sky and NOW

Which British show is your favourite?

Culture, Films & TV

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