Best Shows To Watch On BBC iPlayer Right Now

BBC iPlayer isn’t just home to moody police dramas that you missed on terrestrial telly (although there are crime dramas aplenty): you can also stream live TV, some shows debut here, and there’s a surprisingly random selection of American series to watch. Wondering where to start? Here are the very best shows on BBC iPlayer right now.

Best TV Shows On BBC iPlayer 2025

Kin

This intense Irish drug crime series drops us in Dublin when the early rumblings of a feud are being felt. And, by the end of the first episode, it’s clear that feud is about to turn into an all-out war. Kin is totally gripping, frustrating, emotional and intense as family ties complicate rationality, and the Kinsella family fights to stay alive at the hands of a much bigger power in the illicit industry. Certainly one of the very best crime dramas on BBC iPlayer, people are still talking about Kin (and praying for a third series) two years later. A must-watch.

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MORE: The Producers Of Kin Are Back With A New Crime Drama

The Night Manager

This visually stunning British-American miniseries is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by John le Carré, and stars Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine, a night manager at a luxury hotel in Cairo. A thrilling journey, Jonathan becomes entangled in a dangerous mission to infiltrate the inner circle of an arms dealer, Richard Roper (played by Hugh Laurie). Olivia Colman and Elizabeth Debicki also star, with the series taking viewers on a gripping journey through the world of espionage, betrayal, and high-stakes intrigue. One of the very best shows on BBC iPlayer, make sure you watch the original series before the second drops (at long last) at the end of 2025. Here’s everything we know so far about The Night Manager series two.

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This City Is Ours

Looking for a more recent crime drama to binge? Let us introduce you to This City Is Ours, which can be quickly summarised as the Scouse Sopranos. But it’s also a love story. We centre on Michael (James Nelson-Joyce), a man who for his entire adulthood has led a life of crime. Organised crime, to be precise. But now, Michael is in love. He has fallen for Diana (Hannah Onslow), and for the first time, he begins to look beyond the everyday, towards the future. The problem? He’s all tied up in a crime gang.

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MORE: What Will Happen In This City Is Ours Series 2?

Peaky Blinders

Oppenheimer reminded you of the real reason you loved Peaky Blinders so much? Fancy a rewatch? BBC iPlayer is the place to be, with all episodes available to stream. If you’ve never watched before, this crime drama transports us to Birmingham in the interwar period, following the exploits of a gang called ‘the Peaky Blinders’. Created by Steven Knight, it’s loosely based on a real urban gang that operated in Birmingham from the 1880s to the 1910s.

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MORE: Will There Be A Peaky Blinders Season 7?

Vigil

From the people behind Line of Duty, Vigil is similarly known for its gripping storyline, complex characters, and stunning cinematography. It explores the mysterious death of a crew member aboard the Trident nuclear submarine HMS Vigil and the subsequent investigation led by DCI Amy Silva, played by Suranne Jones, and DS Kirsten Longacre, played by Rose Leslie. The second season then whisks us off to the Middle East, with a third season in the works.

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Killing Eve

It’s tense, it’s sexy, it’s stylish, and it stars Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh. What more could you want? This gripping, comedic spy thriller was created by Phoebe Waller Bridge and took the world by storm when it first debuted in 2018. Set primarily in London, we follow the cat-and-mouse game between Eve Polastri (Oh), a British intelligence investigator, and Villanelle (Comer), a psychopathic assassin.

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Wolf Hall

While it may have first hit screens in 2015 – and bookstores in 2009 – Wolf Hall continues to be one of the BBC’s best-loved historical dramas on the platform. Boasting a stellar cast, stunning period costumes and high-stakes drama courtesy of author Hilary Mantel, the show was something of a short-lived wonder – until the much-anticipated sequel, The Mirror and the Light finally arrived in 2024.

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Line of Duty

When it comes to police dramas, Line of Duty is one of the best out there – and certainly one of the best shows on BBC iPlayer. Created by Jed Mercurio, the show delves into the gritty world of corruption and internal affairs within the police force. With its intricate plotlines, intense interrogation sequences, and a stellar ensemble cast led by Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, and Adrian Dunbar, expect to spend most of your watching time on the edge of your seat.

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MORE: Could Line Of Duty Make A Return?

Happy Valley

Also from Wainwright is Happy Valley, a BBC classic following the life of Sergeant Catherine Cawood, a police officer in the Calder Valley, as she investigates various crimes and navigates her personal life. The series is known for its gritty realism, strong performances, and exploration of grief, addiction and family dynamics – it’s one of the best shows on BBC iPlayer for crime fans.

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Fleabag

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s classic two-series show Fleabag first aired in 2016 and is best known for its wildly differing seasons. Repopularising the to-camera comedy style, we follow a witty and troubled woman known only as ‘Fleabag’ as she navigates grief, love, and self-discovery.

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This Is Going To Hurt

Based on Adam Kay’s best-selling memoir of the same name, This Is Going To Hurt follows the life of a junior doctor in obstetrics and gynaecology as he navigates the chaotic and often heartbreaking world of the NHS. Ben Whishaw stars as the lead character, and it’s one of the best shows on BBC iPlayer if you’re looking for humour, authenticity and emotional resonance.

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I May Destroy You

Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You has garnered international critical acclaim for its exploration of sexual consent, trauma and identity. We follow Arabella, a young writer who is drugged and sexually assaulted while out with friends. It’s dark and nuanced, but funny at times, with arresting performances from the cast.

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The Dropout

The BBC previously acquired a handful of Disney+ series, including The Dropout, which is one of the very best dramas made in recent years – so definitely one of the best things to watch on BBC iPlayer. Originally released on Disney and Hulu in 2022, the intriguing series is led by Amanda Seyfried as the spooky Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes (an uncanny performance for which Seyfried bagged an Emmy). Elizabeth is a college dropout turned businesswoman who is so confident in her abilities to improvise, she ultimately helms a multi-billion dollar scam. It’s based on an ABC podcast of the same name, which is also worth the listen if you’re interested in Silicon Valley scams.

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Boarders

This coming of age drama is both heart-warming and hilarious, following a group of black London teenagers whose lives begin to change after they win scholarships to an elite boarding school. Starring Josh Tedeku, Jodie Campbell, Myles Kamwendo, Sekou Diaby and Aruna Jalloh, we’re sure there are some bright stars-to-be in here.

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The Traitors

Are you a Faithful, or a Traitor? And by that we mean: have you watched the BBC’s very best reality game show, The Traitors, or have you missed the boat? Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, it gathered a cult following with its first series, which aired in December 2022. Now there are three series ready to binge on BBC iPlayer if you haven’t yet indulged. The series sees 22 Brits whisked off to a castle in the Scottish highlands where they meet and develop friendships and alliances (or the opposite). Among the contestants are a number of stealthy ‘Traitors’, and it’s everyone else’s job, the ‘Faithfuls’, to root out the Traitors to prevent them winning a cash prize at the end. If you need to know more, check out our full guide to the series here.

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The Tourist

This unsettling, lost-identity series is led by Jamie Dornan and transports us to the Australian outback. Dornan is ‘The Man’ who is driving along a long, winding road in Australia, when all of a sudden a lorry bulldozes into his car. He wakes up in hospital with no memory of who he is – and nobody else seems to know either. Thus ensues a rocky road to uncovering his identity – and as The Man’s dark past comes to light, does he even really want to know? If you’re looking for one of the best dramas on BBC iPlayer, look no further. And there are two series to binge, too.

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Doctor Who

Every episode of Doctor Who (ever!) is available to stream on BBC iPlayer, split into classic episodes (1963–1996), modern episodes (2005–2023), and the latest episodes (2023–present) produced in collaboration with Disney. Even the lost episodes from the classic era have been replicated in cartoon form. So, whether you’d like to delve into the earliest episodes available from the ’60s, or relive the magic you remember from the ’00s, your wish is the BBC’s command.

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Time

If you loved Bella Ramsey’s moving, layered performance in The Last of Us, you should tune into the second series of the BBC’s prison anthology series, Time. Telling the interweaving stories of three women behind bars, Ramsey stars as Kelsey, a young heroin addict who discovers on arrival in prison that she’s pregnant. Meanwhile, Jodie Whittaker plays Orla, a mother who has been imprisoned for tampering with her electricity metre readings, and Tamara Lawrance plays Abi who is at the beginning of a life sentence. You might want to watch the first series to feel all caught up, but that’s no problem: it’s a tense, moving drama led by Sean Bean and Stephen Graham.

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The Woman in the Wall

This twisty psychological drama explores the very real and traumatic effects of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries, from the perspective of fictional character Lorna Brady (played by Ruth Wilson) and set in the fictional small town of Kilkinure, just outside of Dublin. Lorna has trouble with sleepwalking, and one day wakes up to find a dead body in her house. But is she a murderer? You’ll have to ride the rollercoaster of this twisty drama to find out…

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Gavin & Stacey

Another British comedy classic, Gavin & Stacey offers a healthy dose of 00s nostalgia, following the long-distance relationship between Gavin from Essex and Stacey from south Wales, who meet after a serendipitously mis-dialled phone call. The beloved ensemble cast features Ruth Jones and James Corden (who wrote the show together), with Matthew Horne and Joanna Page in the title roles, joined by Alison Steadman, Larry Lamb, and Rob Brydon.

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MORE: Ruth Jones & James Corden Are Writing A Gavin & Stacey Book

Boiling Point

Fancy feeling a bit stressed? The stakes are high in Boiling Point, which plunges us into a fast-paced kitchen and continues the 2021 film of the same name, led by Stephen Graham. Vinette Robinson takes the lead in this four-part series playing Carly who now has her own restaurant, and is joined by many familiar faces from the original film.

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MORE: TV Dinner: Find More Restaurant Dramas Here

Pride and Prejudice

The BBC describes this TV series thusly: ‘The spectacular adaptation that started a wave of Austen-mania. With Colin Firth.’ Enough said? This six-part 1995 BBC adaptation was written by Andrew Davies, and is widely regarded as one of the best adaptations of the novel. Firth plays a Darcey to rival Matthew Macfayden’s, with Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet.

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Spooks

Speaking of Mr Darcy, a young Matthew Macfayden works in a counter-terrorism division of the British Security Service (MI5) in Spooks, which is the ideal watch for a healthy dose of 00s spy drama. Spooks epitomises the popular BBC crime form, with gripping storylines, complex characters and a realistic portrayal, in this case, of the world of espionage.

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World On Fire

This British war drama series was created by Peter Bowker, and follows the intertwined lives of ordinary civilians across Europe and the US who are caught up in WW2. The series has been praised for its sensitive and beautifully rendered take on the war, and stars an ensemble cast, including Blake Harrison, who describes it as ‘fresh’, ‘exhilarating’ and ‘harrowing’. Sign us up.

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Miranda

Miranda is one of the best shows on BBC iPlayer if you’re looking for something a little lighter. Created by and starring Miranda Hart, the show epitomises British comedy, following the life of Miranda, a socially awkward and clumsy joke shop owner as she navigates her way through various comedic situations.

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His Dark Materials

This beloved fantasy drama series is based on Philip Pullman’s trilogy of novels of the same name, and follows a young orphaned girl named Lyra (Dafne Keen) who embarks on an incredible adventure into a parallel world where a human’s soul exists outside their body in the form of a talking animal.

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Gentleman Jack

This historical drama series was created by Sally Wainwright, and is based on the life of Anne Lister, a 19th-century English landowner who kept a detailed diary of her life – including her relationships with women. The series stars Suranne Jones as Lister and explores gender, sexuality, and class in the context of the time period.

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The Jetty

Led by Jenna Coleman, The Jetty is exactly what we want from a BBC crime box set: it’s full of twists and turns, backdropped by a beautiful but darkly atmospheric British town. Part coming-of-age drama, part detective thriller, across four episodes, The Jetty explores big questions about sexual morality, identity and memory, featuring a cold case and a modern podcaster ready to unearth the past.

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Doctor Foster

If you’re a fan of medical dramas, try Doctor Foster, Mike Bartlett’s exploration of Dr. Gemma Foster, a well-respected GP who suspects her husband of having an affair. Suranne Jones plays Foster as Bartlett explores betrayal, revenge, and the impossible ideals of the British middle class.

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Watch all of these (and much more) at bbc.co.uk/iplayer or on the BBC iPlayer app. Note that you need a TV license to watch BBC iPlayer.

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