Best of British TV 2013
List activity
8K views
• 17 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
100 titles
- CreatorMathew BayntonJames CordenStarsMathew BayntonJames CordenSarah SolemaniSam Pinkett and Phil Bourne, Berkshire County administration officials, find their lives altered by a case of mistaken identity.
- CreatorSteven KnightStarsCillian MurphyPaul AndersonSophie RundleA gangster family epic set in 1900s England, centering on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby.
- CreatorChris ChibnallStarsDavid TennantOlivia ColmanJodie WhittakerThe murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughSimon BlakeneyBill RudolphAfrica, the world's wildest continent. David Attenborough takes us on an awe-inspiring journey through one of the most diverse places in the world. We visit deserts, savannas, and jungles and meet up with some of Africa's amazing wildlife.
- CreatorDennis KellyStarsAdeel AkhtarPaul HigginsNeil MaskellAfter a group of people, who meet online, discover a bizarre graphic novel which seems to hold mysterious answers, they find themselves being tracked down by a merciless organization known merely as 'The Network'.
- CreatorAllan CubittStarsGillian AndersonJamie DornanJohn LynchA seemingly cold but very passionate policewoman goes head to head with a seemingly passionate father who is in fact a cold serial killer in this procedural out of Belfast. The only thing they share is their common complexity.
- CreatorDominic MitchellStarsLuke NewberryHarriet CainsMarie CritchleyFour years after the Rising, the government starts to rehabilitate the Undead for reentry into society, including teenager Kieren Walker, who returns to his small Lancashire village to face a hostile reception, as well as his own demons.
- StarsDavid MitchellRobert WebbSusan LynchThe adventures and politics of a British ambassador to a fictitious Asian country called Tajbekistan.
- StarsStephen WightTony GardnerJamie QuinnFollows the lives of a group of soldiers serving in a bomb disposal detachment in Afghanistan.
- CreatorGary JanettiMark RavenhillStarsDerek JacobiIan McKellenFrances de la TourFreddie Thornhill (Sir Ian McKellen) and Stuart Bixby (Sir Derek Jacobi) are an old gay couple who have been together for nearly fifty years. Their lives now revolve around entertaining their frequent guests and hurling insults at each other at every opportunity.
- StarsShaun EvansRoger AllamJames BradshawSet from 1965 into the 1970s, the show follows Endeavour Morse in his early years as a police constable. Working alongside his senior partner DI Fred Thursday, Morse engages in a number of investigations around Oxford.
- StarsCiara BaxendaleDan CohenJodie ComerSet in the mid-90s at the height of Cool Britannia, a drama based on real diaries takes an honest look at teenage life through the eyes of funny, music-mad Rae
- CreatorChristopher GuestJim PiddockStarsChris O'DowdTom BennettNina ContiFrom Christopher Guest ('Best in Show, ' 'A Mighty Wind') comes this comedy series that follows one man's quest to track down his genealogy.
- CreatorChris ChibnallStarsRobert GlenisterJack RothLuke EvansA two-part drama which portrays The Great Train Robbery of 8 August 1963, firstly from the point of view of the robbers and then from the point of view of the police who set out to identify and catch the robbers.
- StarsTerry MynottNeil MaskellJo HartleyA man with an extraordinary talent, being able to impersonate celebrities, discovers he has a son and tries to make up for lost time.
- StarsTom RosenthalRyan SampsonTom Basden"Plebs" follows three desperate young men from the suburbs as they try to get laid, hold down jobs, and climb the social ladder in the big city--that happens to be Ancient Rome.
- CreatorJane CampionGerard LeeStarsElisabeth MossDavid WenhamPeter MullanObsessed with the disappearance of a 12-year-old pregnant girl near a freezing lake in New Zealand, a brave detective will find herself up against small-town secrets and a side of herself that was meticulously kept at bay.
- StarsKarl PilkingtonJohn MontgomeryRichard YeeKarl is faced with the different aspects of life by travelling around the world and discovering how different people face life's challenges.
- StarsAlison O'DonnellSteven RobertsonLewis HowdenA local police team investigate crimes within the close knit island community of Shetland.
- StarsRebecca FrontSharon HorganSamantha SpiroPsychobitches is a show that sees some of history's most famous women being psychoanalyzed and talking about their thoughts, fears, and flaws.
- StarsCharlie BrookerDiane MorganAl CampbellCharlie Brooker highlights the week's news in a comic fashion.
- StarsDavid TennantToby KebbellBrid BrennanA junior barrister celebrated for spiriting people out of tight legal corners represents an accused murderer.
- StarsGabriel ByrneBrian GleesonNick DunningA chief pathologist in the Dublin city morgue investigates sudden death victims in the 1950s.
- DirectorTerry McDonoughStarsDavid BradleyRoss Gurney-RandallRoger MayAn actor tapped by a succession of hard-man roles and a wannabe producer frustrated by the TV industry's glass ceiling find unlikely hope and unexpected challenges in the form of a Saturday tea-time drama, time travel and monsters.
- DirectorAndy De EmmonyStarsBen ChaplinPatrick FitzSymonsJulian Rhind-TuttBased on the remarkable true story of a satirical newspaper published on the front lines of World War One, this poignant yet comedic drama revels in the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming adversity.
- CreatorBryan ElsleyStarsOona ChaplinBen ChaplinWill MellorThe social minefield that is 21st century dating.
- StarsStephen DillaneClémence PoésyCédric VieiraA prominent French politician is found dead on the border between the U.K. and France, and two agents must work together on behalf of their respective countries to find the murderer.
- CreatorTony JordanRichard LazarusJames PayneStarsGina McKeeShelley ConnWarren BrownBy Any Means follows a clandestine unit living on the edge and playing the criminal elite at their own game, existing in the grey area between the letter of the law and true justice.
- StarsAneurin BarnardRebecca FergusonAmanda HaleThree different, yet equally relentless women vie for the throne in 15th-century England.
- CreatorCraig LangmanStarsEd StaffordChris RyanEd Stafford attempts to survive alone on a Desert island for 60 days. With no clothes, no knife or anything except his camera, an emergency satellite phone and an emergency medical kit.
- StarsChiwetel EjioforMatthew GoodeJoanna VanderhamSet in the 1930s, a black Jazz band rises in fame and popularity while becoming entangled in an intricate web of intrigue, mystery and suspense with the elite of London society.
- StarsDave GormanThe Billroth String QuartetAnnabel PortDave Gorman points out things he finds strange about modern life.
- DirectorJames KentStarsJanet AmsdenAlice BarlowIsabel BarlowFollows aging novelist Vida Winter, who enlists a young writer to finally tell the story of her life including her mysterious childhood spent in Angelfield House, which burned to the ground when she was a teenager.
- StarsDavid MitchellRichard AyoadeMicky FlanaganPanel show in which celebrities must answer questions having to do with quotations.
- StarsTom MeetenMatthew SteerNicholas BurnsShowcases short tales narrated by comedians and actors, containing a mix of live action and animation.
- StarsRicky GervaisBen Bailey SmithThe brilliant singer and songwriter, David Brent, offers guitar lessons which are almost guaranteed to teach you absolutely nothing.
- CreatorJessica KnappettStarsJessica KnappettLydia Rose BewleyLauren O'RourkeAfter graduating from university, twenty something year-olds Meg, her cousin Bunny and their friend Laura share a flat and face the ups and downs of love and life.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough embarks on a remarkable 500 million-year journey revealing the extraordinary group of animals that dominate our world, and how their evolution defines our human bodies.
- DirectorAl CampbellMarcus DabornGraham ProudStarsCharlie BrookerAl AlcornMalorie BlackmanCharlie Brooker takes you on a journey through time to show the most influential video games on everyday life.
- StarsCraig CashRalf WoerdenweberJosh TapperSome of Britain's most opinionated and avid TV viewers comment freely on the best and worst television shows of the past week, from the comfort of their sofas.
- CreatorAndrew DaviesKate BrookeStarsRon CookJeremy PivenTom Goodman-HillCenters on the real-life story of the flamboyant and visionary American founder of Selfridge's, London's department store.
- DirectorMark GatissStarsLouise JamesonJohn CastleEleanor BronOn his deathbed vicar Rant makes a secret confession to his niece Mary Simpson. Some twenty years later young librarian William Garrett is asked by elderly John Eldred to locate a book called 'The Tractate Middoth' but a mysterious cloaked figure takes the book from the shelves and Eldred panics and leaves. On a second attempt to find the book Garrett is confronted by the mysterious borrower, a rotting ghost, the encounter causing him to faint. He goes to the seaside to recover and, by coincidence, stays with Mrs Simpson and her daughter. He learns that she is the cousin of Eldred, who cheated her out of an inheritance when Rant died though a will in her favour was actually made and hidden in the pages of the Tractate Middoth . Eldred finally obtains the book but Rant, witnessed by Garrett, exacts vengeance from beyond the grave.
- StarsAlexander ArnoldDavid BamberClaudie BlakleyA young couple move into an apartment only to find the body of a young woman that had been missing for 2 years but never registered as missing which leads to a deeper investigation into what actually happened.
- CreatorGreg DaviesStarsGreg DaviesRoisin ConatyMike WozniakA deadbeat drama teacher gets a wake-up call when his girlfriend leaves him.
- CreatorJaimie D'CruzAdam DolmanDaniel Fajemisin-DuncanStarsNav SidhuKatharina SchüttlerLennie JamesFour gritty no-holds-barred human stories of the streets, all linked together in some respect.
- CreatorPeter MoffatStarsDavid RyallMaxine PeakeJohn SimmFollows the residents of one English village across the 20th century and their turbulent lives.
- StarsDakota Blue RichardsSophie ThompsonKris MarshallA tragic death in 1944 sends ghostly ripples down the years ensuring that the truth will eventually surface, whatever the cost.
- StarsDavid WalliamsCatherine TatePhilip GlenisterDeputy Head of Science, Mr Church has been at Greybridge School for 15 years. He is about to resign after a dramatic experiment. However, the arrival of the new French teacher changes everything.
- StarsStewart LeeJosie LongSimon MunneryOver thirty years ago, a new wave of stand-ups spearheaded the Alternative Comedy movement, marking themselves out as different from the safe television turns, the Oxbridge satirists, and the racist and sexist Working MenÕs Club comics of the time. THE ALTERNATIVE COMEDY EXPERIENCE captures that same schism happening again. An advance raiding party of modern day Alternative Comedians offering material too clever, thoughtful, radical, satirical, strange, or downright stupid to make it onto the stand-up outlets of contemporary television. THE ALTERNATIVE COMEDY EXPERIENCE was filmed in front of a real comedy club audience during a full week of packed houses at THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, EDINBURGH, faithfully capturing the unique atmosphere at one of the UKÕs favourite and longest established live comedy clubs. With its fast-moving distinctive visual style and unique cast THE ALTERNATIVE COMEDY EXPERIENCE is original, unpredictable, and unlike any other live stand-up show on our screens. THE ALTERNATIVE COMEDY EXPERIENCE celebrates the past, the present and the future of the UK comedy circuit and the craft of stand-up comedy at its most original. Renew your faith in this vital live art form.
- DirectorJames HawesStarsJoanne WhalleyEve BestBruce GreenwoodFactual drama exploring the truth behind the space shuttle Challenger's 1986 disintegration.
- StarsJack WhitehallMichael WhitehallHilary WhitehallA talk show hosted by Jack Whitehall and co-hosted by his father, Micheal Whitehall with celebrity guests.
- StarsHarry TreadawayAshley WaltersStephen TompkinsonFunny, moving, painful and raucous, "Truckers" tells stories of ordinary people pushed to extremes. In this poignant mini-series, six truck drivers working for a haulage yard in Northern England undergo life-changing journeys.
- StarsRory KinnearShirley HendersonAl WeaverFollowing a rash of shootings in an English market town, the crimes are retold through the eyes of a journalist and the tragedies' victims.
- StarsBrian CoxPaul NurseSimon Baron-CohenBrian Cox discusses British scientists and their contributions to our modern world.
- CreatorSteve DelaneyStarsSteve DelaneyRory KinnearZahra AhmadiDelusional show business character Count Arthur Strong, a pompous, out-of-work actor from Doncaster attempts to recount his life story with the help of the scholarly son of his former comedy partner.
- StarsRageh OmaarSoner CagaptayRageh Omaar recounts the epic story of one of the largest and most influential empires in world history, that of the Ottomans.
- StarsDavid TennantJanet MontgomeryMarcin DorocinskiA military attaché at the French embassy is drawn into a world of abduction, betrayal and intrigue in the diplomatic salons and back alleys of Warsaw.
- CreatorJohn FayStarsKerrie HayesCiaran GriffithsBarbara MartenThe hard labour of cotton mill workers and the abuse they endure.
- StarsPaul KayeTom DavisRachel StubbingsA set of ten 11-minute shorts from Baby Cow Productions. Shot in mock documentary style, each follows a set of characters.
- DirectorStephen BrownStarsCiarán HindsSinéad CusackJoe GallagherThe story of a man who returns to the sea where he spent his childhood summers in search of peace following the death of his wife.
- CreatorHoward OvermanJohnny CappsJulian MurphyStarsMark AddyJack DonnellyRobert EmmsFar from home, Jason washes up on the shores of the ancient and mysterious city of Atlantis.
- DirectorPete TravisStarsAndrew ScottRomola GaraiCharlie CoxSet in the 1970s London during the height of the Cold War when a young spy discovers the disturbing truth about his father's complex past.
- StarsRory KinnearCatherine McCormackChristopher EcclestonA two-part drama about infamous aristocrat John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, who mysteriously disappeared in 1974 after being accused of murdering his children's nanny.
- StarsAnthony HeadEve MylesNigel BettsFollows the lives of a couple and their families who have a 26 year age gap.
- DirectorSteve SmithAshley WayStarsBrian CoxMatt SmithJim Al-KhaliliBritish physicist Brian Cox lectures on the nature of time and space, black holes, time dilation and the possibility of time travel by using experiments featuring celebrity guests, demonstrations and segments set on board the TARDIS.
- DirectorRichard LaxtonStarsDominic WestHelena Bonham CarterGreg HicksLegendary acting duo and married couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor prepare for a 1983 theatrical production of the play "Private Lives."
- DirectorStephen FinniganStarsStephen HawkingArthur PellingFinlay MacraeHawking is the extraordinary story of the planet's most famous living scientist, told for the first time in his own words and by those closest to him. Made with unique access to Hawking's private life, this is an intimate and moving journey into Stephen's world, both past and present. An inspirational portrait of an iconic figure, Hawking relates his incredible personal journey from boyhood under-achiever, to PhD genius, to being diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease and given just two years to live. Despite the constant threat of death, Hawking manages to make many remarkable scientific discoveries and rises to fame and super-stardom. Hawking - a remarkable man, and a remarkable movie.
- StarsJago CooperArchaeologist Dr Jago Cooper reveals the extraordinary history of some of South America's ancient civilisations.
- DirectorChris CottamStarsRob J MadinGillian WaughJessica Ransom
- CreatorRoss NobleStarsRoss NobleEddie IzzardJohnny VegasRoss noble hits the road and tours around Britain going wherever the general public tell him to via twitter, taking suggestions on what to do and where to visit, and he ends up doing all sorts of strange things.
- StarsSarah HadlandRussell ToveyAngela CurranThe daily troubles of everyone who works at the job centre.
- DirectorJon JonesStarsSuranne JonesLindsay DuncanMalachi KirbyFrom the cells in the basement to the judge's chambers, Lawless offers a backstage pass to the inner workings of a modern court. Suranne Jones stars as a brand new judge battling to keep her head above the water in the murky depths of the justice system.
- CreatorJessica HynesStarsJessica HynesVicki PepperdineEmma PiersonA group of Suffragists band together to spread the word--but they need to learn their own lessons first.
- StarsLouis FerranteInside The Gangsters' Code follows ex-mafia street boss Lou Ferrante as he explores different gang cultures, their characters, and their inner workings. Lou travels the globe - from Naples to New Mexico - and immerses himself in their respective cultures, both inside and outside of prisons. He lives alongside prisoners, talk to guards, get under the skin of gang members, and meets top tier 'soldiers', following the trail of gang power from prison to the outside world, meeting key figures and family to provide an insider's perspective of a notoriously clandestine world. These gangs rule the streets from inside prison walls, while running activities from behind bars and controlling the communities living outside. Lou will set out to explain their origins, history, partners, motivations and political sway in more personal detail and with an insight and passion never before applied to the subject.
- StarsIain StewartKevin SwainDean Ah CheeThe epic story of how the world's continents were created, featuring Professor Iain Stewart.
- StarsBen FogleIan UsherVanessa AndersonA British urbanite follows in the footsteps of various individuals, who against all odds, have willingly forsaken the luxuries and lifestyle of the modern world, for a less-than-ordinary life in the wilderness.
- StarsMatthew RhysAnna Maxwell MartinMatthew GoodeElizabeth and Darcy, now six years married, are preparing for their annual ball when festivities are brought to an abrupt halt. An adaptation of PD James's homage to Pride and Prejudice.
- CreatorJoe TuckerLloyd WoolfStarsRebecca HumphriesBlake HarrisonDavid FynnBig Bad World is a comedy about what happens when you wait for life to begin. Ben has just graduated and the world should be his oyster, but he quickly finds himself back in his hometown and nursing his as yet unformulated dreams. He's also back to hanging out with the same old gang; too-smart-for-her-own-good charity mugger Meg, guitar-obsessive bedsit-philosopher Eggman and University-refuser and unashamed year-round-wearer-of-shorts-and-flip-flops Oakley. If it weren't for the frequent overdraft charges, Ben might almost believe the last three years of his life never happened.
- StarsJames BaxterDavid JasonStephanie ColeHaving inherited the shop from his uncle, it's business as usual for Granville at Arkwright's corner shop.
- DirectorVerity NewmanStarsDave AllenKevin DayMaggie SmithFriends, family and co-workers discuss Dave Allen's comedic themes, especially those regarding religion.
- StarsTimothy SpallJennifer SaundersJack FarthingP.G. Wodehouse's beloved Blandings Castle stories follow the foibles of an eccentric aristocrat, his peculiar family, and the ramshackle ancestral home they share.
- StarsDavid ClewsJonny MitchellMr. SteerDocumentary following the trials and tribulations of Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury, Yorkshire.
- DirectorJack KendallPaul KendallStarsGene ClarkDavid CrosbyRoger McGuinnA documentary on the life and work of Gene Clark, co-founder of The Byrds, whose subsequent career was a rollercoaster of pioneering music and personal disaster.
- DirectorLouise OsmondPete WoodsStarsSimon FarnabyLeon HuntJohn Ashdown-HillThis documentary looks at the search for the remains of King Richard III of England (1452-1485). After being killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field (August 22, 1485), his remains were taken to Leicester and it was believed that he was buried at Greyfriars Church. The church no longer exists and its remains were now believed to be under a car park. Phillipa Langley of the Richard III Society convinced archaeologists at the University of Leicester to lead a dig and surprisingly, as it turned out, the first skeleton they found was subsequently proven to be that of the King through DNA tests which showed a match to Canadian Michael Ibsen, a direct descendant of Richard III's sister.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughAnthony GeffenMartin WilliamsFilmed in one of the most extreme and hard-to-reach locations in the world, 'Galapagos' explores the unique environments and species of the Galapagos. It will take viewers on a voyage to understand the stunning archipelago which changed the way we see the world and has long-remained a place of true interest with the nation's favourite naturalist.
- StarsStephen FryJoão Silvério TrevisanAndrewActor Stephen Fry has for two years seeking up some of the most homophobic persons in the world who spend most of their time fighting gays, and challenges their view upon their extreme homophobia.
- DirectorDavid DruryStarsFlossy GroundsLacey TurnerMimi KeeneOur Girl is the story of Molly Dawes, born and raised in the London Borough of Newham. Molly is the eldest of seven kids with little future, an abusive father, and a mother who always wanted more for her. Leaving school with no qualifications, Molly has a part-time job in a local nail bar. Drunk and despondent on the evening of her 18th birthday, she throws up in the doorway of an Army Recruitment Office. She doesn't know it then, but it's an action that will change her life forever...
- StarsKimberley NixonHayley PearceNeville WilshireDocumentary that follows the life in one of the biggest call centres in the UK.
- DirectorBen ChananStarsJemima AbeyMaisie AbrahamKomal AminThere is a Power Cut in the UK for a week and this is a Docu-Drama about that.
- DirectorAnthony WilcoxStarsCharlie CoxChristian CookeHannah LedererDown-on-his-luck Carter has recently become homeless, single and unemployed. Desperate to win back his ex-girlfriend, he goes off on an adventure throughout London to find her, picking up some odd helpers along the way.
- CreatorLevi David AddaiBenjamin KuffuorStarsCalvin DembaAde OyefesoShavani CameronTwo best friends, one who has nothing going for him and the other with top grades and a bright future want to take their grime to the next level. When Yems (Ade Oyefeso) meets a girl at College he gains an immediate attraction for her, they become good friends and all three of them form a group called the "Youngers".
- StarsSimon SchamaNorman LebrechtA historical documentary tracing the Jewish experience from ancient to modern times, presented by Simon Schama and based on his book of the same name.
- DirectorAlrick RileyStarsCharles FurnessJolyon CoyJassa AhluwaliaA whaling ship called the Essex becomes shipwrecked and those on board struggle for survival.
- CreatorPeter GrimsdalePaul UnwinStarsCatherine SteadmanZoe BoyleShaun DingwallA TV series set in early 1960s England and centered around the doctors and nurses in a gynecology ward.
- CreatorEmily MortimerDolly WellsStarsEmily MortimerDolly WellsJonathan CakeA sitcom in which English actress Emily Mortimer heads to Hollywood, closely followed by best friend Dolly Wells as her assistant
- StarsRay WinstoneAneurin BarnardSophie CooksonJohn Trenchard is an orphan who dreams of finding Blackbeard's riches. But a friendship with a notorious smuggler soon forces him into hiding with a price on his head, wondering if he'll ever see Moonfleet again.
- DirectorPaul NelsonStarsJoanna Fisher