The Best Shows on BritBox: ‘Doctor Who,’ ‘Downton Abbey,’ and So Much More

Historically, watching British shows from America has always been a difficult thing. You’d have to hope that a show would get picked up by PBS Masterpiece Theatre or maybe become mainstream enough to end up on BBC America. Even if it did end up on American TV, it’d be chopped up and filled with ads. And Americans can’t use BBC iPlayer, the streaming service that makes things so easy for TV fans across the pond.

But BritBox makes everything easier. The all-British streaming service hosts a ton of classic British TV from throughout the decades, from “Doctor Who” to “Downton Abbey” and from Jane Austen to Agatha Christie. Everything is ad-free, the way that British TV was meant to be seen. BritBox also produces its own originals — British shows for an American audience(!) — that you’re sure to love.

But since most of the library is foreign to American audiences, it can be hard to know where to start. So if you’re at the beginning of your BritBox journey, this guide will help you with recommendations for some of our editorial team’s favorite British shows.

Let’s begin — the game is afoot!

Jump to:

• Historical dramas on BritBox
• Murder mysteries on BritBox
• British comedies on BritBox
• “Doctor Who” on BritBox

“Belgravia” (2020)

Secrets and scandals abound in this limited series starring Ella Purnell (“Fallout”). Two older married couples, mourning the death of their children decades earlier, are drawn together when one of them spills a reputation-destroying secret. This puts the entirety of their newly built London neighborhood abuzz: Who on Earth is Charles Pope, and why are so many rich people obsessed with him?

“The Other Bennet Sister” (2026)

Elizabeth Bennet, protagonist of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” had a lot of sisters. In fact, some adaptations leave one or two out altogether. And one of those forgotten sisters is Mary, an awkward and studious girl who can never quite get as much attention as her beautiful siblings. But what happens when she finally steps out of their shadow and listens to people other than her overbearing mother?

“Downton Abbey” (2011)

The Earl of Grantham, Robert Crawley, has just lost his heir. His closest cousins died on the Titanic, so his title, property, and fortune will go to a complete unknown. But will the Crawley family be able to change the rules and retain ownership of their comfortable estate? Watch to find out, and to see scores of servants deliver devastating insults behind their backs.

“Sherlock” (2010)

Most American audiences probably know Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman from their appearances in Marvel movies as Doctor Strange and Agent Ross, respectively. But weird, nerdy teenage girls from the 2010s know them as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in the BBC’s modern retelling.

“Agatha Christie’s Poirot” (1989)

Agatha Christie was one of the best mystery writers of all time, and one of her most successful detectives was the mustachioed Poirot. If you’ve been underwhelmed by recent adaptations like “Murder on the Orient Express” (2017) and “Death of the Nile” (2002), you should check out this classic TV version instead.

“Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence” (2026)

You might have heard of Poirot and Marple, but you might not be familiar with BritBox’s newest Agatha Christie adaptation, “Tommy & Tuppence.” In the books, Thomas Beresford and Prudence are a married couple who work as a two-person crime-solving team. This new adaptation brings the pair into the modern day, painting the pair as exes who have to overcome their differences to make their detective partnership work.

“The IT Crowd” (2006)

Jen Barber lied on her CV, and now she has to pay the price: Rather than getting to work upstairs with all the hot people hooking up in the unisex bathrooms, she has to manage a team of losers in the basement. But while her team is great with computers and awful with people, Jen is awful with computers and great with people. So it all sort of works itself out. Shenanigans ensue, of course.

“Mr. Bean” (1992)

Rowan Atkinson’s silent physical comedy really shines in this show surrounding his famous character, Mr. Bean. The titular Bean is a peculiar man who always seems to find himself in an awkward situation of his own making. The mostly wordless script, paired with an enthusiastic laughtrack, makes the whole show feel like an old cartoon come to life.

“The Office” (2001)

No, this isn’t Peacock, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your fill of office comedy. In fact, the British version of “The Office” was the original that inspired the one that American millennials love to quote so much. If you’re an “Office” superfan, you might want to give the OG paper company a shot the next time you sit down for a binge-fest.

BritBox is the best streaming service for Anglophiles in the U.S. If you’re a fan of period dramas, murder mysteries, and oddball British humour (with a “u”), you should give the service a try.