The 33 best British TV shows of 2024 are best treated as a curated conversation, not an objective ranking: standout choices include Baby Reindeer, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Slow Horses series 4, Supacell, Doctor Who, and The Traitors series 2. UK and US availability differs and can change, so check each service before watching.
This guide corrects a problematic secondary 33-title reference rather than repeating it. The supplied research supports 27 distinct 2024 selections, while the rest of the working list contains duplicates, older catalogue titles or an unverified placeholder. The list is therefore curated and region-aware, not a claim that one objective ranking exists.
Key takeaways
- Baby Reindeer is the clearest international breakout among the British-led 2024 releases, but its emotional complexity makes it more than a conventional thriller.
- Mr Bates vs the Post Office is the strongest true-story drama in this selection, while Slow Horses series 4 is the safest choice for viewers wanting a tense British spy thriller.
- British television in 2024 covered true crime, science fiction, historical drama, comedy, reality competition, crime and broadcaster satire rather than one dominant genre.
- UK and US watch locations are different and can change when licensing agreements expire, so every service listed below is a starting point rather than a permanent guarantee.
- No authoritative source supplies a comparable viewing figure for all of these shows, so this guide does not claim that any title was the most watched or objectively number one.
What are the 33 best British TV shows of 2024?
There is no authoritative, fixed ranking of 33 British TV shows from 2024. The most accurate version is a curated selection: the research behind this guide supports 27 distinct 2024 titles, while the secondary 33-title list that inspired the search contains duplicate entries, older seasons and an unverified documentary placeholder.
The selection uses the British Film Institute's year-end view of the best British television of 2024 as its critical baseline, with contemporary viewing guides and review coverage used as cross-checks. Scripted and unscripted programmes are included together because British television's strongest 2024 work crossed both categories.
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The list is deliberately not ranked from 1 to 27. A viewer choosing a show usually needs to compare genre, tone, emotional intensity, whether a programme is new or returning, and access in the viewer's country more than an artificial numerical position.
Which British TV show should you watch first?
| What you want | Best starting pick | Why it fits | UK starting point | US starting point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most unforgettable overall | Baby Reindeer | A British-led Netflix limited series with unusual emotional complexity. | Netflix; verify | Netflix; verify |
| Best true-story drama | Mr Bates vs the Post Office | An ITV legal drama about the Post Office scandal. | ITVX; verify | PBS or BritBox, subject to local licensing; verify |
| Best spy thriller | Slow Horses series 4 | A sharply drawn British spy thriller and a strong returning-season choice. | Apple TV+; verify | Apple TV+; verify |
| Best genre show | Supacell | A Black British superhero drama set in London. | Netflix; verify | Netflix; verify |
| Best reality television | The Traitors series 2 | High-stakes reality competition built as event television. | BBC iPlayer; verify | Peacock or a licensed equivalent; verify |
Why is Baby Reindeer the standout?
Baby Reindeer is the clearest international breakout in this selection because it combines a British-led Netflix limited-series format with a story that resists a simple thriller label. Richard Gadd created and starred in the series, and contemporary criticism highlighted its emotional complexity rather than treating it as a straightforward pursuit narrative.
According to the Rotten Tomatoes 2024 television guide, Baby Reindeer recorded 99% from critics and 81% from audiences on the accessed page in 2024. Rotten Tomatoes scores can change, so the figures should be treated as a dated snapshot rather than a permanent verdict.
The 27 strongest British TV picks from 2024
The table gives each selection a premise, a reason to watch, a status, a broad tone and separate UK and US starting points. Episode counts are omitted because the supplied research did not verify them title by title. Service locations are editorial guidance and should be checked immediately before publication or viewing.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Reindeer | Netflix limited series; new | A psychologically and emotionally complicated British-led breakout. | Intense, unsettling | Netflix; verify | Netflix; verify |
| Mr Bates vs the Post Office | ITV true-story legal drama; new | A focused dramatisation of the Post Office scandal and its legal consequences. | Angry, serious | ITVX; verify | PBS or BritBox, subject to licensing; verify |
| The Traitors series 2 | Reality competition; returning | A social-strategy format that became appointment television in the UK. | Tense, addictive | BBC iPlayer; verify | Peacock or licensed equivalent; verify |
| Slow Horses series 4 | Spy thriller; returning | British espionage with a grubby intelligence-team setting and sustained tension. | Tense, sardonic | Apple TV+; verify | Apple TV+; verify |
| The Responder series 2 | Liverpool-set police drama; returning | A pressure-cooker continuation centred on emergency policing and damaged people. | Bleak, urgent | BBC iPlayer; verify | BritBox or PBS-related availability; verify |
| The Gentlemen | Crime comedy-drama; new | A Guy Ritchie crime story that mixes criminal manoeuvring with comic excess. | Funny, violent | Netflix; verify | Netflix; verify |
| Supacell | Black British superhero drama; new | A London-set genre series built around Black British characters rather than a conventional American superhero template. | Energetic, dramatic | Netflix; verify | Netflix; verify |
| Doctor Who | Russell T Davies revival season; new revival run | British science fiction returning with a renewed creative and distribution model. | Adventurous, family-friendly | BBC iPlayer; verify | Disney+ where available; verify |
| The Jetty | BBC crime mystery; new | A mystery-led drama designed for viewers who want investigation, secrets and a darker atmosphere. | Moody, tense | BBC iPlayer; verify | BritBox or licensing check |
| The Gathering | Channel 4 youth drama and thriller; new | A youth-focused thriller with the social pressure and emotional volatility of its central group. | Suspenseful, emotional | Channel 4; verify | Availability check |
| The Tourist series 2 | Irish-Australian-British crime drama with BBC distribution; returning | A continuing crime story with an international identity and an offbeat edge. | Twisty, darkly comic | BBC iPlayer; verify | Netflix or licensing check |
| The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin | Apple comedy period adventure; new | A deliberately comic reworking of the familiar highwayman legend. | Broad, playful | Apple TV+; verify | Apple TV+; verify |
| The Outlaws series 3 | BBC ensemble crime comedy; returning | A group-based crime comedy that balances criminal trouble with mismatched personalities. | Funny, warm | BBC iPlayer; verify | Prime Video or licensing check |
| One Day | British-led Netflix romantic limited series; new | A romantic adaptation with a long-view emotional structure and a strong British production identity. | Romantic, bittersweet | Netflix; verify | Netflix; verify |
| Fool Me Once | Netflix mystery thriller; new | A fast-moving British production built around secrets, revelations and a missing-person mystery. | Twisty, accessible | Netflix; verify | Netflix; verify |
| Rivals | Disney+ period-set media-industry drama; new | A glossy drama about rivalry and television culture in a period setting. | Glossy, combative | Disney+; verify | Hulu/Disney bundle or equivalent; verify |
| A Very Royal Scandal | Prime Video dramatisation; new | A dramatisation of the Prince Andrew interview and the media event surrounding it. | Controlled, uncomfortable | Prime Video; verify | Prime Video; verify |
| Douglas Is Cancelled | ITV media satire; new | A television-about-television drama about reputation, scandal and the collapse of a media persona. | Satirical, uneasy | ITVX; verify | BritBox or licensing check |
| The Underdog: Josh Must Win | E4 meta-reality experiment; new | A reality format that makes the construction of reality television part of the subject. | Funny, strategic | Channel 4; verify | Availability check |
| The Lazarus Project series 2 | British science-fiction thriller; returning | A high-concept continuation for viewers who prefer speculative suspense to conventional crime. | Urgent, cerebral | Sky/NOW or availability check | Availability check |
| The Day of the Jackal | British-led international thriller adaptation; new | A modern, internationally scaled take on the familiar assassin thriller. | Suspenseful, polished | Sky Atlantic/NOW; verify | Peacock or equivalent; verify |
| Industry series 3 | British-American finance drama; returning | A continuation of the workplace drama's high-pressure financial world. | Acidic, intense | BBC iPlayer or HBO-related service, territory dependent | Max; verify |
| The Listeners | BBC psychological drama; new | A psychologically focused BBC drama for viewers seeking an inward, unsettled story. | Quiet, uncanny | BBC iPlayer; verify | Availability check |
| The Tattooist of Auschwitz | Sky historical limited series; new | A historical drama centred on a story of survival and memory. | Serious, harrowing | Sky/NOW; verify | Peacock or licensing check |
| Mary & George | British-led historical court drama; new | A court-intrigue drama focused on ambition, influence and historical power. | Opulent, sharp | Sky/NOW; verify | Starz or licensing check |
| The Regime | British-led political satire and co-production; new | A darkly comic examination of power inside an authoritarian political system. | Absurd, dark | Max/Sky territory check | Max; verify |
| Boiling Point series 1 | BBC restaurant drama continuing the feature film's story; new TV continuation | A pressure-filled restaurant setting where professional and personal strain collide. | Stressful, realistic | BBC iPlayer; verify | BritBox or licensing check |
Which shows are best by genre?
For true stories: start with Mr Bates vs the Post Office. The title has the clearest legal and institutional focus in the selection. A Very Royal Scandal offers a different kind of factual dramatisation, concentrating on a defining media interview, while The Tattooist of Auschwitz takes a historical approach.
Rank #2
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For crime and thrillers: choose Slow Horses series 4 for espionage, The Responder series 2 for grounded police drama, The Jetty for a BBC mystery, Fool Me Once for a fast Netflix thriller, and The Day of the Jackal for a larger international production.
For science fiction and genre television: Supacell is the most distinctive new superhero choice, while Doctor Who is the broadest family-friendly science-fiction entry. The Lazarus Project series 2 is the better fit for viewers who want a more tightly wound science-fiction thriller.
For comedy: The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin supplies period-adventure parody, The Outlaws series 3 supplies ensemble crime comedy, and The Gentlemen uses crime-film energy for a more violent comic tone. Douglas Is Cancelled and The Underdog: Josh Must Win are the clearest choices for television-about-television satire.
For romance and emotional drama: choose One Day. According to the Rotten Tomatoes 2024 guide, One Day recorded 92% from critics and 86% from audiences on the accessed page in 2024. Those scores are dated snapshots and may change.
What does the 2024 British television selection say about the year?
British television in 2024 was unusually broad. The strongest work in this guide moves from true-story drama and prestige crime to science fiction, historical drama, comedy and reality competition rather than settling into one national style.
Rank #3
- Actors: Brendan O'Carroll
- Format: Box set, Color, Widescreen, NTSC
- Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
- Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
- Number of discs: 8
The BFI's 2024 editorial selection also identified a television-about-television thread. Douglas Is Cancelled, The Underdog: Josh Must Win, A Very Royal Scandal and Rivals all connect, in different ways, to broadcasting, media performance, public image or the machinery of entertainment.
The variety matters when choosing what to watch. Someone coming to British television after Baby Reindeer may want another emotionally difficult limited series such as One Day; someone coming after Slow Horses may prefer The Day of the Jackal; and someone coming after The Traitors may prefer the deliberately self-aware format of The Underdog: Josh Must Win.
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UK viewers should begin with BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4 for broadcaster titles, then check Apple TV+, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Sky/NOW for subscription originals and licensed programmes. US viewers should separately check Netflix, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Peacock, Starz, BritBox and PBS because UK broadcaster rights do not automatically carry over to the United States.
Availability is dynamic rather than a permanent property of a programme. JustWatch's streaming guides illustrate why viewers should search by service, genre, price, age rating and score immediately before watching. A broadcaster catch-up service should not automatically be described as free: registration, licensing limits and geographic restrictions may apply.
The service labels in the table are therefore watch starting points, not a dated availability guarantee. A publication-ready version should carry a visible check date and should recheck every UK and US location on the day it goes live. The research supplied for this guide did not include title-level, date-stamped rights confirmation for every programme.
Service-first viewing guide
| Service or service group | Selections to check first | Market and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix | Baby Reindeer, The Gentlemen, Supacell, One Day, Fool Me Once | UK and US starting point; verify title and territory. |
| BBC iPlayer | The Traitors series 2, The Responder series 2, Doctor Who, The Jetty, The Outlaws series 3, The Tourist series 2, The Listeners, Boiling Point | Primarily a UK broadcaster catch-up starting point; verify registration and regional availability. |
| ITVX | Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Douglas Is Cancelled | UK starting point; verify current catch-up rights. |
| Channel 4 | The Gathering, The Underdog: Josh Must Win | UK starting point; US availability requires a separate check. |
| Apple TV+ | Slow Horses series 4, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin | UK and US starting point; verify that the relevant season is included. |
| Prime Video | A Very Royal Scandal | UK and US starting point; verify current subscription availability. |
| Disney+ or Hulu/Disney bundle | Rivals; Doctor Who in the US where available | Territory-specific; Disney+ and Hulu arrangements differ between the UK and US. |
| Sky/NOW | The Lazarus Project series 2, The Day of the Jackal, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Mary & George | UK starting point; verify whether the title is on Sky, NOW or another licensed outlet. |
| Max | Industry series 3, The Regime | US starting point for these titles; UK rights can involve BBC, Sky or another territory-dependent service. |
| BritBox, PBS and local licensing | Mr Bates vs the Post Office, The Responder series 2, The Jetty, Douglas Is Cancelled, Boiling Point | US availability is especially title- and licence-dependent; verify rather than treating the group as a guaranteed catalogue. |
| Peacock, Starz and other US outlets | The Day of the Jackal, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Mary & George, The Traitors series 2 | US starting points from the research; check the current service and whether the equivalent title or season is included. |
Which titles should not be silently counted as 2024 shows?
Several entries in the secondary 33-title reference list should not be copied as 2024 seasons. Peaky Blinders, Killing Eve, Line of Duty, Sherlock and Downton Abbey are examples of titles that the list labels incorrectly for this purpose. The secondary 33-title article is useful evidence of search demand, but it is not a canonical factual source.
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This guide does not invent replacement titles to reach an unsupported number. Two additional independently verified 2024 selections, with confirmed UK and US watch locations, are still needed if the headline must represent exactly 33 unique programmes. A named BFI or broadcaster source should support each replacement.
How reliable are critic scores for these shows?
Critic scores are useful signals, not a complete ranking. According to the Rotten Tomatoes 2024 television guide, the accessed page recorded Baby Reindeer at 99% critics and 81% audience, One Day at 92% critics and 86% audience, and Ripley at 86% critics and 82% audience in 2024.
Ripley is included here as a score reference from the Rotten Tomatoes source, not as one of the 27 selections in the corrected British-TV working list. The scores are time-sensitive, and the research found no single authoritative, comparable viewing statistic covering all 33 proposed titles. Consequently, this article makes no aggregate audience claim and does not call any programme the most watched.
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How should you choose between a new series and a returning season?
Choose a new series when you want a complete entry point, and choose a returning season when you already know the characters and want a continuation of an established format. Baby Reindeer, Supacell, One Day, Rivals and The Day of the Jackal are new-entry choices in this guide, while Slow Horses series 4, The Responder series 2, The Traitors series 2, The Tourist series 2, The Outlaws series 3, The Lazarus Project series 2 and Industry series 3 continue existing shows.
Returning seasons may assume knowledge of earlier episodes, and a service may carry only some seasons. Check the title-level catalogue rather than assuming that a platform carrying a 2024 season also carries the complete series.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best British TV show of 2024?
There is no definitive number-one British TV show of 2024 because the year has no single authoritative ranking. Baby Reindeer is the clearest international breakout, while Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Slow Horses series 4, Supacell and The Traitors series 2 are strong choices by genre.
Is Baby Reindeer a British TV show?
Baby Reindeer is a British-led Netflix limited series created by and starring Richard Gadd. The series is widely discussed as an emotionally complex drama rather than a conventional thriller, and its Netflix availability should still be checked by territory.
Where can Americans watch the best British TV shows from 2024?
US viewers should check Netflix, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Max, Peacock, Starz, Disney+, Hulu, BritBox and PBS depending on the title. UK broadcaster rights do not automatically apply in the US, and streaming catalogues can change.
Why does this corrected guide not contain exactly 33 shows?
The published research does not support a factual list of exactly 33 unique 2024 British shows. The working reference contains duplicate entries, older seasons and an unverified documentary placeholder, so this corrected guide presents 27 distinct titles rather than inventing replacements.
The Bottom Line
The honest verdict is that 2024 produced an unusually varied group of British shows, with Baby Reindeer, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Slow Horses series 4, Supacell and The Traitors series 2 providing the clearest starting points. The number 33 is not authoritative: this corrected guide avoids duplicates and unsupported older titles, and every UK or US watch location should be rechecked before publication.
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