20 British TV shows you definitely need to check out
18. The Fall
Run date: 2013-2016
More from Entertainment
- 10 Thanksgiving movies on Disney+ for your holiday watch list
- Strictly spoilers and results 2023: Who is leaving on Strictly Come Dancing Week 9?
- CMT Smashing Glass performers honoring groundbreaking women in music
- Jamie Lynn Spears joins I’m A Celebrity season 23: Who else is set to appear in the British reality series?
- Strictly spoilers and results 2023: Who is leaving on Strictly Come Dancing Week 8?
Why you should watch: Want to see what Jamie Dornan was like before Fifty Shades of Grey? Well, you’ve likely seen him in the first season of Once Upon a Time, but you can also watch him in The Fall. Also starring Gillian Anderson, this is the perfect show for those who love thrillers and crime dramas.
Anderson is a London Metropolitan Police detective drafted into Belfast, Northern Ireland to find a serial killer (Dornan) who is preying on various victims. With sexuality motivated deaths and her own chequered past, Stella Gibson is determined to find the predator responsible. That predator, Paul Spector, is determined to remain one step ahead.
This is more than just another crime drama. There’s a psychological element to it, as the predator is hiding in plain sight and extremely good at hiding the darker side to him. You’ll see Christian Grey in a very different light.
17. Skins
Run date: 2007-2013
Why you should watch: You may have caught the U.S. attempt at developing Skins, but the British version is definitely one you’ll want to check out. This is one of those British TV shows that isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a dark show with plenty of real life to it. If you’re intrigued by HBO’s Euphoria, I certainly recommend checking out Skins first.
There’s a sort of anthology element to the series, which also makes it easier to watch. Because it’s focused on students in the last two years of their schooling, every two years the storyline moves onto another group of teenagers.
Skins doesn’t shy away from the disturbing and difficult subject matter. It touches on sexuality, teenage pregnancy, eating disorders, mental illness, substance abuse, and so much more. And on top of that, you wouldn’t have recognized many of the actors at first, as the actors were green when they first joined the show, giving them a chance to grow with the roles.