The best TV shows on BritBox to watch now

The streaming service boasts an impressive line-up of British television to choose from.

BritBox has stolen our hearts during lockdown, with the relatively new streaming service providing a healthy dose of nostalgia and a mix of comedies and serious dramas.

The streamer is a collaborative effort between the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and it brings together the best content from those broadcasters for the price of £5.99/month.

Shows available to watch as boxsets include the likes of Downton Abbey, Midsomer Murders, Gavin & Stacey, Wolf Hall, and The Vicar of Dibley, with more shows set to join their ranks on the platform.

Read on for the best BritBox television picks from the RadioTimes.com staff, from Love Island to Miss Marple.

The Vicar of Dibley

This sinfully funny sitcom was one of our top Lockdown Binges earlier in the year, and with good reason – Dawn French answers all our prayers as Geraldine Granger, a left-leaning vicar and bonne vivante who rocks up to the sleepy village of Dibley and turns it upside down.

The series first aired back in the mid-90s when female vicars were still a novelty, but new viewers will find that the show still provides laughs aplenty, alongside sneaking in some still-prescient messages about sexism and body positivity.

The sitcom also features a cast of memorable and eccentric characters. Watch on BritBox.

Downton Abbey

The film adaptation of this hugely popular period drama from Julian Fellowes recently dominated the box office both at home and overseas. Now, you can catch-up with everything that preceded it, with all episodes of the television series available to stream now on BritBox.

Set in 1912, the series begins by introducing you to the Crawley family and their servants who inhabit the Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey. Over the course of the series, famous events from history will shake them to their core.

The first series stars Hugh Bonneville (Paddington), Maggie Smith (Harry Potter) and Dan Stevens (Beauty & The Beast). Watch now on BritBox.

Broadchurch

This crime drama starring Academy Award winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite) and David Tennant (Doctor Who) received critical acclaim when it first aired on ITV back in 2013.

Series 1 begins with the murder of an 11-year-old boy in the small coastal town of Broadchurch, with DI Alec Hardy (Tennant) and DS Ellie Miller (Colman) called in to investigate. All three series are available to stream. Watch now on BritBox.

Only Fools and Horses

One of the most iconic sitcoms the BBC has ever made, Only Fools and Horses remains a firm favourite decades after it originally aired. The series stars David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst as Delboy and Rodney Trotter, market traders chasing the dream of one day becoming millionaires.

Remembered for both its hilarious jokes and occasionally emotional moments, seven series of the show are available to stream on BritBox at launch. Watch now on BritBox.

Gavin & Stacey

Soon to be returning to screens for a much-anticipated Christmas special, Gavin & Stacey tells the charming story of a boy from Essex (Matthew Horne) and a girl from Barry Island (Joanna Page) who fall in love, following the highs and lows of their sometimes challenging relationship.

The series was created by James Corden and Ruth Jones, who also co-star as the unlikely pairing Smithy and Nessa, alongside a superb supporting cast that includes Larry Lamb, Alison Steadman and Rob Brydon. Watch now on BritBox.

Extras

Ricky Gervais followed up his breakout hit The Office with a series that rivals it in terms of sheer laughs, cringe and heart. The series follows Andy Millman (Gervais), a wannabe actor who is stuck being a silent extra in the background of major productions.

With gormless friend Maggie (Ashley Jensen) and useless agent Darren (Stephen Merchant) in tow, Extras holds a treasure trove of hilariously awkward scenes but can also pack an emotional punch exactly when it needs to. Watch now on BritBox.

Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and Poirot

Murder-mystery fans are well catered for on BritBox, with Agatha Christie adaptations Miss Marple and Poirot available to stream on the new service.

Both Geraldine McEwan and Julia McKenzie have played Marple in ITV’s adaptations, an elderly lady with a penchant for solving murders in her spare time. Watch Marple now on BritBox.

Meanwhile, French detective Poirot belonged solely to actor David Suchet across 13 popular series that saw every single one of the character’s stories adapted. Watch Poirot now on BritBox.

Love Island

Love Island (ITV)

Love it or loathe it, there’s no getting away from it. ITV2’s Love Island is a hugely popular show for the broadcaster and now fans can catch up with every previous series on BritBox.

The reality competition brings a selection of young singles to a luxury villa in Mallorca, where they must couple up or risk elimination. The winning pair receives £50,000 of prize money. Watch now on BritBox.

Lambs Of God

BritBox is the exclusive UK home to Lambs of God, an Australian miniseries starring Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Jessica Barden (The End of the ****ing World).

The gothic drama tells the story of three nuns in an isolated coastal convent, whose lives are changed by the arrival of an unwelcome guest. Watch now on BritBox.

Midsomer Murders

The long-running murder-mystery series is a genuine British institution, so it’s quite appropriate that it has a prime position on this quintessentially British streaming service.

All 20 series of the show are available to stream on BritBox, including two never-before-seen episodes that are making their world premiere on the service. Watch now on BritBox.

A Confession

Martin Freeman stars in this drama which tells the true story of DS Stephen Fulcher, who breaches police protocol and puts his reputation on the line while investigating the case of missing 22-year-old Sian O’Callaghan.

The series also stars Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter), Siobhan Finneran (Downton Abbey) and Charlie Cooper (This Country). Watch now on BritBox.

Wolf Hall

This adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s acclaimed novels tells a fictionalised story about the real-life Tudor figure Thomas Cromwell. Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) takes the lead role, among a formidable cast that includes Damian Lewis (Homeland), Claire Foy (The Crown), Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) and Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Far From Home).

The series aired on BBC Two in 2015 to critical acclaim and can now be streamed in its entirety. Watch now on BritBox.

The Trip

Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan play themselves in this unusual sitcom, which sees the two actors take a restaurant tour of Northern England.

While not brimming with belly laughs in the manner of the pair’s other comedy works, it’s hard not to be drawn in by their natural charisma and playful banter, as well as the overarching story that connects every episode. Watch now on BritBox.

Source: The best TV shows on BritBox to watch now

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