Looking for a change in scenery, and accents? Zip across the ocean to the land of fish and chips, electric tea kettles, and adding u’s to random words with these 15 British television series. Whether you’re looking for laughs, baked delights, or tension you could cut with a knife, they’ve got you covered. Read on to plan (and stream) your own journey to the UK — one you can take without ever leaving your couch.

One Day

Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall) meet for the first time on the night of their graduation in 1988. They go their separate ways the next morning, but that’s not the end of their story. In fact, it’s just the beginning, as that one chance meeting changes both of their lives. One Day follows Emma and Dex by showing where they are on that same day, July 15, for the next 20 years. They grow and change over those two decades — experiencing joy and heartbreak, sometimes together and sometimes apart — but the one constant is they’re never far from each others’ minds. It’s a heart-tugging romance, so make sure you have tissues within reach.

One Day

2024

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The Gentlemen

When Eddie Horniman (Theo James) inherits the family homestead (and the title of Duke of Halstead) over his older brother, Frederick (Daniel Ings), he takes over a 15,000-acre estate — and a mess. Not only does Freddy have a drug problem, but he also owes millions of pounds to less-than-reputable lenders. And on top of it all, Eddie also discovers that the financial underpinnings of the estate are not what they seem. This series by Guy Ritchie is wry, funny, and of course action-packed — a witty collision course between British aristocrats and gangsters, who may have more in common than they think.

The Gentlemen

2024

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Call the Midwife

Delve into the world of London’s East End during the postwar baby boom through this long-running show, told from the perspective of midwives (both Catholic nuns and their secular counterparts) starting in 1957. Many of the midwives come and go as the series progresses — including now-Oscar winner Emerald Fennell — but the format stays the same: tear-jerking stories told around the work done to bring new lives into the world. 

Call the Midwife

2012

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Last Tango in Halifax

Alan and Celia (played by British acting greats Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid) were childhood sweethearts in the ’50s, but their lives went in different directions, with different partners. Now in their 70s and both widowed, they find each other again. The series focuses on the couple, but the story radiates out to their very different families. Last Tango has plenty of drama, but it’s often funny as well, with a heartwarming, nontraditional love story at its core. 

Last Tango in Halifax

2012

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Sex Education

This witty teen dramedy is likely light years different from your own high school sex ed class, but that’s part of its charm. It follows the students, staff members, and parents of Moordale Secondary, including Asa Butterfield’s Otis, an awkward teen who starts an underground sex therapy clinic at school — using insight he’s learned via his mother, Jean (Gillian Anderson), who’s a sex therapist herself — to help fellow classmates with their intimacy issues. All four seasons are now streaming, so you can see exactly how the series goes out with a bang. (Sorry, we had to.)

Sex Education

2019

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Heartstopper

Fall in love all over again with this queer coming-of-age story based on the beloved graphic novels of the same name. The romance here focuses on Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) and Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), but in typical high school fashion, friends and friends of friends around them are falling in and out of love. There’s a lot of laughs along the way to telling this sweet story, and learning to understand — and love — yourself. 

Heartstopper

2022

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The Great British Baking Show

It’s time to go back into the tent! Devour the latest episodes or catch up on past seasons with this quintessential UK reality show, where amateur bakers tackle food-related challenges that test their skills, creativity, and perseverance — though that’s only part of the appeal. The bonds formed between the contestants, even though they’re going up against each other for the coveted cake plate, are as soul-leavening as their creations during Bread Week.

The Great British Baking Show

2010

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The Crown

There’s nothing more British than the monarchy, and this series, inspired by real events, follows the royal family as they navigate their roles in changing times, and conflicts between each other. The series starts with Queen Elizabeth II (first played by Claire Foy, then Olivia Colman, and now Imelda Staunton), as she falls in love, gets married, and takes on the crown in quick succession; through the life changing, and ultimately tragic, marriage and divorce of her son Charles (Dominic West), the Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales (Elizabeth Debicki). 

The Crown

2016

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Cunk On Earth

The Brits have a long tradition of making documentaries that revolve around someone taking long walks. This show skewers that format, in both a hilarious and loving way. Follow comedian Diane Morgan, in her alter ego Philomena Cunk, as she attempts to tell an off-kilter history of the world while stomping around in boots and tweed. If that wasn’t enough, you’ll never think of Technotronic’s anthem “Pump Up the Jam” in the same way again.

Cunk On Earth

2023

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Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father

Actor and comedian Jack Whitehall is funny enough on his own, but pair him up with his theater agent father, Michael Whitehall? And throw them into tricky travel-related situations like naked yoga in Los Angeles, a clown festival in Odessa, and a drag competition in Australia? It’s a wild and funny travel documentary ride, with a lot of father-son bonding — and jokes at each other’s expense. 

Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father

2017

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Marcella

Marcella Backland (Anna Friel) is a former police investigator who tries to work out an 11-year-old unsolved case involving a suspected serial killer — because that killer appears to be on the hunt again. The Nordic-noir-style series zeroes in on the case, though Marcella’s personal life is also intertwined, as her husband Jason (Nicholas Pinnock) leaves her and sends their two kids off to boarding school. After this first mystery is solved, she keeps chasing killers, even as her mental health unravels, making truth and reality harder to discern. 

Marcella

2016

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Peaky Blinders

Step back in time to 1919 Birmingham, where Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) leads the Peaky Blinders street gang as he tries to expand his empire in the aftermath of World War I. His first major adversary is the Royal Irish Constabulary, sent by Winston Churchill (Andy Nyman in Season 1 and Richard McCabe in Season 2). The series stretches into the run-up to World War II, with Shelby confronting the Irish Mob and the British Union of Fascists. It’s dark and often violent, but a stunner of a crime drama, if that’s what you’re looking for.

Peaky Blinders

2013

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Bodyguard

After thwarting a terrorist attack, police sergeant and war veteran David Budd (Richard Madden) is promoted to the personal detail of Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes). But it’s an uneasy match, as Budd’s experiences at war make him distrustful of the government, especially the Conservative party. Not only is Montague a member of that party, but she also supported the war he turned against. Their conflict starts the series with a degree of tension that only ramps up as Montague becomes a target herself in this nail-biting political thriller. 

Bodyguard

2018

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Top Boy

This gritty crime drama, which includes none other than Drake among its executive producers, wrapped its final season last year, so now’s the perfect time to watch from start to finish. It follows Dushane (Ashley Walters) and Sully (Kane Robinson), two drug dealers in a fictional East London public housing estate called Summerhouse. It’s a ruthless, violent business, but those involved — both sellers and users — are still people, which is where most of the focus, and drama, of this series lies. 

Top Boy

2019

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Black Mirror

Things never look quite right in this mind-bending anthology, which tells a series of dystopian stories that explore the potential terror-inducing uses of technology in our everyday lives. The episodes work within a variety of genres, including crime thriller, noir, horror, and black comedy, and since you don’t need to watch them in order, you can pick and choose depending on what suits your mood. But no matter what you watch, they’ll most likely send a chill down your spine, and make it hard to go to sleep that night.

Black Mirror

2011

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‘Sex Education’, ‘The Crown’, and Other British Shows You Can’t Miss