Luther
Idris Elba's recent SAG win for playing London detective John Luther was yet another reminder of how good this crime drama is. The two-part fourth season, which aired late last year, shows Luther teaming up with a new partner (Rose Leslie of Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey fame) and sinking his teeth into a new mystery. As always, gory, spine-tingling scenes ensue.
Watch it on Netflix and BBC America.
And Then There Were None
A group of strangers gets picked off one by one in this adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1939 mystery novel. Look out for a star turn by Emily Blunt look-alike Maeve Dermody, prepare to drool over Poldark's Aidan Turner's towel-clad body, and make a note to never, ever accept an invitation to visit a remote island when you don't know the hosts one bit.
Watch it on Lifetime this March.
War and Peace
Paul Dano, Lily James, Gillian Anderson, Stephen Rea, and the U.K.'s new crush James Norton star in this dramatization of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel. The magnificent, snowy sets, stunning costumes, and steamy plots (oh, that cunning Helene) are bound to kickstart a new passion for Russian literature.
Watch it now on Lifetime, History Channel, and A&E.
You, Me and the Apocalypse
This sci-fi dramedy may have a familiar American cast (Rob Lowe, Jenna Fischer, Megan Mullally, etc.), but its dark sense of humor is British to the core. The quirky show, which follows people around the world as they deal with the fact that a comet is about to wipe out Earth, premiered in the U.K. last September. Now it's ready to make its U.S. debut.
Watch it on NBC from January 28.
Midwinter of the Spirit
Though it can be a bit campy at times, this thriller sees a country vicar and exorcist-in-training dive into the world of solving murders. You'll recognize costar David Threlfall from his work in the original Shameless and Hot Fuzz.
Watch it on Acorn TV from January 11.
London Spy
Consider this one of the sexiest spy thrillers of all time. Ben Whishaw stars as Danny, the boyfriend of the mysterious Alex, played by your future crush Edward Holcroft. Part love story, part whodunit, this drama is ideal for anyone who fancies an agonizing cliffhanger and a steamy sex scene.
Watch it on BBC America from January 21.
Fresh Meat
Consider this sitcom the uni-bound lovechild of The Inbetweeners, Peep Show, and Undressed. It’s what happens when six strangers are forced to live in a house (because their dorm assignments didn’t work out), and things start to get real. Or rather, a funnier, more sharply timed version of “real” written by some of the best comedy writers BBC’s Channel 4 has on staff.
Watch it on Hulu.
The Fall
Gillian Anderson was supposed to be The Fall’s star attraction, but it’s Jamie Dornan’s show from the moment the camera first zooms in uncomfortably close on his impassive, inscrutable face. When Dornan took over for Charlie Hunnam in the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, our inner goddesses couldn’t help but rejoice. Why? As Lena Dunham put it on Twitter, “I'm a monstrous @JamieDornan1 fan. Wasn't allowed to be attracted to him on The Fall bc he played a sexmurderer. 50 Shades is my big chance!”
Not that Christian Grey is free of flaws and depravity… He’s just not a straight-up serial killer terrorizing Belfast.
Watch it on Netflix Instant.
Misfits
A group of juvenile delinquents with ASBOs (or anti-social behaviour order — who says TV never teaches you anything?) acquire superpowers from a freak hailstorm while doing court-mandated community service. This isn’t The Avengers, though. Think more along the raging hormone-fueled lines of Skins (the U.K. version, obviously) with the additional perks that always come with superhuman abilities. Game of Thrones fans will recognize Theon Greyjoy’s torturer Iwan Rheon as Simon (except here, he’s an unlikely hero), and if you caught The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, you’ll recognize Robert Sheehan, who played Clary’s friend Simon, as the cheeky Nathan.
Watch it on Hulu.
Sherlock
You’ve probably heard about this one in the form of someone saying, “No, you don’t understand… you HAVE to watch it.” For the uninitiated, you’ve most likely deduced this Sherlock is a modern adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s shrewd sleuth (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) and his right-hand man, John Watson (Martin Freeman), and their case-cracking exploits. And, to that, we say, “Elementary, my dear reader.”
Watch it on Netflix Instant.
Black Mirror
If George Orwell were alive today and making TV shows, this sci-fi anthology series is what he’d produce. Created by satirist Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror has been compared to The Twilight Zone— if Rod Sterling’s freaky allegories were grounded in possible realities. Robert Downey Jr. has already snapped up the movie rights to the third episode, “The Entire History of You.” So, yeah, you want to get in there. Now.
Watch it on demand on the Audience Network.
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
This was the music panel-show U.S. networks have never quite managed to pull off. The show sadly ended last year, but it's still worth a watch online. If you want to get the good stuff, search YouTube for the Simon Amstell years (series 19 to 22) or go vintage with host Mark Lamarr (series 1 to 17).
Watch it on YouTube.
Broadchurch
If the constant cancellation and resurrection of still-kinda-blah The Killing has left you wanting more from a whodunnit drama, watch Broadchurch. Just like The Killing, the show begins with the mysterious death of a child — this time it’s a young boy named Danny Latimer. We’re soon introduced to detectives Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) — who are not just tasked with finding the murderer and motive, but are victims of the crime as well — along with the rest of the town’s quintessentially English eccentrics. After a very, very talked-about first series, season two will air in Britain next year. FOX adapted the show for American airwaves as Gracepoint, starring Tennant and Breaking Bad’s Anna Gunn.
Watch it on BBC America On Demand.
Moone Boy
Really, the fact that the adorable cop from Bridesmaids (Chris O’Dowd) is the star of this series should be enough to send you to Hulu ASAP. But, if not, allow us to heap on some more appealing details. O’Dowd created and co-wrote the series, which is adapted from a comedy short he penned about the adventures he had growing up in a small Irish town with an imaginary friend. Also, there are animated doodles involved — because really, what show about a boyhood imaginary friend would be complete without some illustrated flourishes?
Watch it on Hulu.
Top of the Lake
This one is also known as the other show for which Elisabeth Moss was nominated for an Emmy this year. Set in New Zealand and somewhat similar to Broadchurch in terms of structure (a central mystery is introduced in the first episode, and then twisted additional storylines snake outward from there), it has Moss playing a detective who returns to her hometown to care for her sick mother. She then gets tasked with helping track down a pregnant 12-year-old who’s gone missing after trying to commit suicide at the beginning of the series.
Watch it on Netflix Instant.
Gadget Man
If Top Gear, Bill Nye: The Science Guy, and Wired magazine had a baby, it would grow up to be Gadget Man. Host Richard Ayoade, who was Daily Show correspondent John Oliver’s writing partner at Cambridge, has the most acerbically droll delivery of classically understated British wit you’ll find. For example, he starts every episode with a bit of introduction, then says “So, before ado is in any way furthered, let’s tool up and get down to business.” Splitting up classic phrases in posh ways while talking about ridiculous gadgets is apparently the way into our hearts.
Watch it on Acorn TV.
The Graham Norton ShowandThe Jonathan Ross Show
You know those interview clips you’re always seeing on entertainment sites where, say, Benedict Cumberbatch does a Chewbacca impression for an amazed Harrison Ford, Will Smith raps the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song and then is joined by Alfonso Ribeiro and son Jaden to do the “Apache (Jump On It)” dance, or Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock recreate the iconic piano-dancing scene from Big? Those all come from these two geniuses.
Watch Graham Norton on BBC America, and Jonathan Ross on YouTube.
Doctor Who
The best part of Doctor Who is that there’s no need to go back and watch every season if you want to dive in...now. Every few years, the Doctor “regenerates,” meaning a new actor takes over the role. The 12th doc is currently played by Peter Capaldi, though who's to say how long this Time Lord will last?
Watch it on Netflix Instant.
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