2021 was a very strong year for British television.
We had the poignant drama of Russell T. Davies’ It’s a Sin, the submarine-based mystery of Tom Edge’s Vigil, and the don’t-watch-with-your-parents thrills of Bridgerton.
The good news is 2022 is already shaping up to be just as good. We’ve combed through the year ahead and dug out the most promising new shows, along with some favourites that will be back for new (and in some cases final) instalments — from the might of The Crown to the finale of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Killing Eve. Here’s 20 British TV series we’re looking forward to this year.
Suspicion
Credit: Apple TV+
The title says it all with this one, when five seemingly random Brits are arrested in New York under suspicion of kidnapping the son of a wealthy media mogul (played with a no-nonsense iciness by Uma Thurman). All claim they’re innocent victims, but judging by the tense trailer there’s more to the situation than meets the eye — and it’s going to be difficult to know, who, if anyone, we can trust. Kunal Nayyar, Tom Rhys Harries, Georgina Campbell, Elyes Gabel, Elizabeth Henstridge, and Noah Emmerich make up an impressive cast that’s just one more reason to add this thriller to our list. — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor
How to watch: Suspicion will stream on Apple TV+ from Feb. 4.
Chloe
Credit: BBC / Mam Tor Productions / David King
Created by Sex Education writer and director Alice Seabright, Chloe is a psychological thriller revolving around the obsessive world of social media. The story follows Becky (Erin Doherty), a temp worker whose mother suffers from early-onset dementia, and who finds her escape compulsively scrolling through Instagram. But after one influencer she’s become obsessed with, the titular Chloe, turns up dead, Becky decides to assume a new identity and try to find out what happened to her. Yep, we’re already hooked. — S.H.
How to watch: Chloe will stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK from Feb. 6, and Prime Video in the U.S.
This is Going to Hurt
Credit: Sister/Anika Molnar
Based on Adam Kay’s incredibly popular book chronicling his years training to be a doctor in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), This is Going to Hurt adapts his diary entries into a comedy drama starring Ben Wishaw and Ambika Mod. The show follows Adam (Wishaw) as he struggles to balance his own life with the demands of working close to 100 hours a week on a chaotic obstetrics and gynaecology ward. The series has been shot by The End of the F**king World director Lucy Forbes and exec produced by Kay himself, so you know it’s in good hands. — S.H.
How to watch: This is Going to Hurt will stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK in February and AMC+ in the U.S.
The Midwich Cuckoos
John Wyndham’s legendary sci-fi novel The Midwich Cuckoos, a story about a small village in England that falls pray to a parasitic alien race, has already had two film adaptions (remember Village of the Damned?) and a bunch of radio productions. But this is the first time it’s been reimagined for TV. Starring Keeley Hawes (of Line of Duty and Bodyguard fame) and Homeland‘s Max Beesley, the story sees an entire town falling simultaneously unconscious — only for half to wake up inexplicably pregnant. Yikes. — S.H.
How to watch: The Midwich Cuckoos will be available on Sky/NOW TV in the UK this spring.
Peaky Blinders (Season 6)
Credit: BBC/Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd./Robert Viglasky
Steven Knight’s vicious post-WWI gangster tale set in Birmingham, UK and starring Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy is finally coming to an end this year with its sixth and final season. “It feels blasphemous to call Peaky Blinders a gangster show or a crime drama, because none of those storylines, while they may provide visceral fight scenes set to rock music, come anywhere near the gripping heartbeat of Tommy and the Shelby family,” wrote Mashable’s Proma Khosla when we included it in our list of the best British shows on Netflix. Knight recently told Empire that the show will “go into and beyond the Second World War”, and the good news for diehard fans is that the sixth series isn’t really the end — a movie is already in the planning stages. “I think of this sixth series as the end of the beginning,” Knight said. — S.H.
How to watch: Peaky Blinders will stream on BBC iPlayer in spring 2022.
How the world got hooked on the sneaky allure of ‘Peaky Blinders’
Life After Life
Credit: BBC
The combination of a very strong cast, a hit novel as the source material, and an intriguing premise make this one a must for us. The story — from bestselling author Kate Atkinson — revolves around Ursula Todd (Thomasin McKenzie), who dies as a baby in 1910 only to keep being reborn into different iterations of the same life. The potential is huge, the supporting cast (which includes Fleabag‘s Sian Clifford and Brave New World‘s Jessica Brown Findlay) is strong, and the fact the novel’s been adapted by Boardwalk Empire writer Bash Doran certainly doesn’t hurt. — S.H.
How to watch: Life After Life will be streaming soon on BBC iPlayer in the UK (date TBC).
The Ipcress File
Credit: ITV
A 1960s Cold War spy thriller based on the novel by Len Deighton, The Ipcress File follows British army sergeant-turned-spy Harry Palmer (Joe Cole) as he’s forced into an undercover mission to avoid a stint in prison. Cue a continent-spanning adventure involving kidnapped scientists, treason, and a solid supporting cast including Lucy Boynton, Shireen Farkhoy, and Tom Hollander. This one will likely have Tinker Taylor vibes, and it also has previous form on the screen — the novel’s 1965 movie adaptation, starring Michael Caine as Harry Palmer, has a solid 7.2 rating on IMDb. — S.H.
How to watch: The Ipcress file will stream on ITV Hub “in the coming months” (date TBC).
Bridgerton (Season 2)
Credit: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX
Yes, we know this is a Shonda Rhimes production, so essentially an American/British show, but we’re including Bridgerton. It’s been a little over a year now since the Netflix series twirled its way onto our screens, brimming with scandal, exquisite costumes, tenuous boxing sequences, and more on-screen crushes than you could flap a velvet glove at. While Season 1 focussed on Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and her dramatic courtship with the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), Season 2 will shift its focus to Daphne’s older brother Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) — and judging from the recently released teaser, there’ll be more of the same gloriously barbed exchanges that we came to love and expect first time around. Just remember not to watch it with your parents. — S.H.
How to watch: Bridgerton will stream on Netflix later this year (date TBC).
The Crown (Season 5)
Credit: Alex Bailey/Netflix
What do we even need to say? The Crown has been one of Netflix’s shiniest jewels ever since it first marched onto our screens back in 2016, and it’s stayed there through two (soon to be three) different casts and over half a century of dramatised royal history. The fifth (and penultimate) instalment sees Imelda Staunton reigning as Queen Elizabeth II, replacing previous representatives Olivia Colman and Claire Foy. Expect more sharp writing, exquisite costume and design, and plenty of regal scandal that — although blurring the line between fact and fiction — is always an entertaining watch. — S.H.
How to watch: The Crown Season 5 will stream on Netflix later this year (date TBC).
Heartstopper
Credit: Netflix
In 2016, artist/writer Alice Oseman created a webcomic called Heartstopper about the blossoming romance between two pupils, Charlie and Nick, at an all-boys school. In 2018, the comic was published as a graphic novel and now, a few years on, it’s making its way to Netflix as a live-action series. Details are limited at the moment but the series has been adapted by Oseman herself and directed by Euros Lyn, who’s previously worked on the likes of Broadchurch and Doctor Who. Newcomer Joe Locke stars as Charlie alongside Kit Conner (the voice of Pantalaimon in His Dark Materials) as Nick. Expect romance, sweetness, and poignancy aplenty. — S.H.
How to watch: Heartstopper will stream on Netflix (date TBC).
I Hate Suzie (Season 2)
Credit: HBO Max / Sky
Created by Lucy Prebble and Billie Piper, I Hate Suzie is a show with zero reasons to despise — and finally, it’s coming back for a second season. The Sky Atlantic series was one of the very best British TV shows of 2020. Piper is unrelentingly brilliant as former pop star Suzie Pickles, whose phone is hacked and compromising photos of her are leaked to the press. Aside from this illegal invasion of privacy, it kickstarts a chaotic chain of events for Suzie, whose best bet to survive it all is clinging to her best friend and agent, Naomi, played with unshakeable cool by Leila Farzad. It’s a smart, funny, and unnerving tale of celebrity, sexism, motherhood, and sort of kind of knowing what the hell you’re doing with your life. And lucky for us, Season 2 is in the works, with Sky confirming filming starts in 2022. No word on plot yet, but expect chaos.* — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor
How to watch: I Hate Suzie will be available on Sky/NOW TV in the UK and HBO Max in the U.S later in 2022.
Starstruck (Season 2)
Credit: BBC / Avalon UK / Mark Johnson
New Zealand comedian Rose Matafeo delivered her own delightful spin on Notting Hill last year, and we absolutely loved it. The first series of millennial rom-com Starstruck leant into the mess of liking someone new, especially when one of you is a movie star. Jessie (Matafeo), a twenty-something working in London has a one night stand with a famous movie star, Tom Kapoor (Nikesh Patel) without knowing who he is. Delightfully awkward chaos, lurking paparazzi, and unsubtle friends ensue. Luckily, Season 2 is coming in February, and given where we left off in Season 1, we’re rather excited to see where this whole adventure goes for Jessie and Tom, with hopefully something as air-punchingly great as the first series’ glorious “Return of the Mack” sequence.* — S.C.
How to watch: Starstruck Season 2 will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK and HBO Max in the U.S (date TBC).
Conversations with Friends
Credit: BBC/Element Pictures/Hulu/Enda Bowe
Are you still thinking about BBC Three’s adaptation of Normal People? Did you wait in line for Irish author Sally Rooney’s latest (and hugely anticipated) book Beautiful World Where Are You? Welcome to the club, friend. Here’s something you’ll enjoy: the upcoming adaptation of Rooney’s 2017 debut novel Conversations With Friends. The story follows the lives of four people and their (rather messy) relationships with each other — there’s Frances, the narrator, Bobbi, her best friend, and Melissa and Nick, a married couple. Girls star Jemima Kirke will play Melissa and The Favourite‘s Joe Alwyn will take the role of Nick. Newcomer Alison Oliver will play Frances alongside Loki‘s Sasha Lane as Bobbi. Director Lenny Abrahamson and writer Alice Birch, who both worked on the adaptation of Normal People, are helming the series. — Rachel Thompson, Senior UK Culture Reporter
How to watch: Conversations with Friends will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK (date TBC).
Killing Eve (Season 4)
Credit: BBC/Sid Gentle Silms
We’re not sure where the time’s gone, but somehow Killing Eve — Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s tense spy thriller about British intelligence agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) and her cat-and-mouse game with assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) — is already revving up for its fourth and final season. The show was arguably at its best in its first season, but as Mashable’s Proma Khosla wrote in her review of Season 3, “Killing Eve may string us along for season after season, but if these award-winning actresses can keep us hooked with their killer chemistry and quality writing, we’ll be here.” — S.H.
How to watch: Killing Eve is available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and BBC America in the U.S. (date TBC).
Inside Man
Credit: BBC/Hartswood/Paul Stephenson
When you see the names David Tennant, Lydia West, and Stanley Tucci on a cast list, the only justifiable questions are a) When does the show start?, and b) Where can I watch the show? Written by Sherlock and Doctor Who scribe Steven Moffat, Inside Man is a mystery thriller that involves a connection between a U.S. death row inmate and a woman trapped in a basement in the UK. Colour us intrigued. — S.H.
How to watch: Inside Man will stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Netflix in the U.S (date TBC).
Everything I Know About Love
Based on Dolly Alderton’s 2018 bestselling memoir of the same name, this seven part series is about friendship, sex, dating, and everything in between during your twenties. Adapted by Alderton and directed by China Moo-Young, the BBC One series tells the story of two childhood best friends, Maggie (Emma Appleton) and Birdy (Bel Powley). Set in 2012 in a London flat-share, the series features flashbacks to adolescence in the early 2000s in English suburbia. As time passes by, the friendship comes under strain. Will this platonic love survive? Guess you’ll just have to wait and see. — R.T.
How to watch: Everything I Know About Love will stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK (date TBC).
Happy Valley (Season 3)
Credit: BBC/Lookout Point/Matt Squire
Like Line of Duty, Happy Valley is one of those British shows that regularly gets the whole country hooked at the same time whenever a new season comes out. Sally Wainright’s dark crime drama, which revolves around no-nonsense police sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), isn’t always an easy watch, but it’s a well-written and tense thriller that puts its strong female lead front and centre. Season 2 came out back in 2016, so fans have been waiting awhile for this new (and final) series — hopefully it’ll be worth the build-up. — S.H.
How to watch: Happy Valley will stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK and AMC+ in the U.S (date TBC).
The Outlaws (Season 2)
Credit: BBC/Big Talk/Four Eyes
Stephen Merchant’s comedy drama about a mismatched group of convicts carrying out community service together in Bristol, returns this year for its second outing. Details are a little thin at this point, but given that the second series was filmed back-to-back with the first we know it’ll feature the same core group of characters (Merchant stars alongside Christopher Walken, Rhianne Barreto, Gamba Cole, Darren Boyd, Eleanor Tomlinson, and Clare Perkins), and there will likely be the same mix of crime thriller and silly comedy we saw in the first series. — S.H.
How to watch: The Outlaws will stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Prime Video in the U.S (date TBC).
The Essex Serpent
Credit: Apple TV+
Excellent source material doesn’t always correlate to an excellent TV show, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Apple TV+’s The Essex Serpent is already off to a good start in this respect, based on Sarah Perry’s 2016 gothic fiction novel that won both the 2016 British Book Awards and the Waterstones Book of the Year. The story revolves around a woman exploring the mystery of a mythological sea serpent in an English village, after she moves there to escape from an abusive relationship. The adaptation stars Clare Danes and Tom Hiddleston, and is shot by The Selfish Giant director Clio Barnard. — S.H.
How to watch: The Essex Serpent will stream on Apple TV+ later this year.
We Are Lady Parts (Season 2)
Credit: Saima Khalid / Peacock
What started as a Channel 4 comedy short became one of the must-see shows of 2021 — and after premiering in the U.S. in May, it’s been renewed by Peacock for a second season. Created by Nida Manzoor, We Are Lady Parts follows the formation of an all-women Muslim punk band. You’ll meet Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey), Ayesha (Juliette Motamed), Bisma (Faith Omole), and Momtaz (Lucie Shorthouse) as they recruit lead guitarist Amina (Spider-Man: Far From Home and Mogul Mowgli star Anjana Vasan). As Mashable’s Proma Khosla writes in her review, “Seeing five women of color lead a comedy less interested in gawking at their identifiers than exploring their inner lives feels truly revolutionary.”
No date has been announced yet, but you’ll be able to watch the new season on Channel 4 in the UK and Peacock in the U.S. “I can’t wait to delve back into the world of the band and go deeper into their lives,” Manzoor said in a statement published by Variety. “Expect more high jinks, more music, and more flights of fancy.”* — S.C.
How to watch: We Are Lady Parts will stream on All 4 later this year and Peacock in the U.S.
*This blurb has previously appeared in another Mashable list.
