If you limit yourself to American television, you’re missing out on some of the best and bleakest drama available. There are several British series that have deservedly received a fair amount of play stateside — Ricky Gervais’ “The Office,” “Doctor Who,” and Stephen Moffat’s brilliant “Sherlock Holmes” series, to name a few — but there are several other series that haven’t been spoken about much in the United States. In part, that’s because America is only now acquiring a taste for the bleak. “Breaking Bad” has demonstrated that we don’t always need happy endings and likable anti-heroes, and “Game of Thrones” has illustrated that we don’t mind seeing major protagonists killed off. British drama, in part because it’s government subsidized, is allowed to take risks without fear of alienating its audience or upsetting sponsors and, as several of the shows on this list attest, neither are they afraid to piss off the very institution providing the funds. No one hates big government as much as British television writers, and they have no reservations about intensely developing characters and then jerking them away from us.
I would not go so far as to suggest that British drama is better than the best American drama, and that’s in part because British drama lacks a sense of humor. I don’t think they’ve ever heard of comic relief. But overall, it often is more intense, more harrowing, and almost always more unpleasant. But if you like to squirm, if you like television ultra-violence, and if you don’t mind having your soul broken in two, here are five British shows you might just appreciate.
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If you like your British humor bleak as well, I cannot say enough about Green Wing, both series of which are on Hulu. It’s an absurdist British collision of Scrubs and Children’s Hospital, each episode is an hour, and the weird sped-up editing quirk stops being annoying and turns into a great comedy bit. And re: bleak, the show goes to some truly dark places, e.g. the first series’s finale.
Also: Michelle Gomez is as hot as a pint of lava.
Agreed. I dug Green Wing, but I actually never could get over the annoying speed-up edits. Drove me bonkers.
Season 2 wasn’t nearly as good as 1, not featuring Ruth Wilson as much was a mistake.
Agreed.
Ruth Wilson was robbed of an Emmy nomination.
Eventhough S2 wasn’t as good, probably one of the top tense moments of 2011 shows was the kidnapped kids on the bus storyline.
The Shadow Line will rape your face with awesome. The very concept of Stephen Rea’s character is utterly brilliant.
Some very impressive violence in Luther but The Shadow Line was the best British show by miles last year. Sleazy, creepy, warped, shocking, baffling and brilliant. Stephen Rea’s character, Gatehouse, is a bit too much like a middle aged Terminator but *SPOILER, PROBABLY* the scene between him and Anthony Sher’s elusive Harry Lime like character is top notch TV. Highly recommended.
sorry BBC but I prefer 3 other letters U, S and A
*fires guns in the air*
I’m gonna buy some skoal and watch Duck Dynasty! WOOO!
Great post. I love Luther more than some family members and some of the shit that went down on Torchwood was outstanding. And after reading this and some other user comments I will be checking out Shadow Line for sure.
Been watching MI:5 for two years. love that stuff.
…I don’t think they’ve ever heard of comic relief.
A bloke dressed up as a woman begs to differ.
I watched season 1 of MI5, came back for season 2 (which was a very short break between them for the Americans) but for some reason fell off a few episodes into season 2. Not sure why.
However, The Hours was a series I latched onto with high hopes… and was surprisingly bored to tears. It moved at a glacial pace, even for a British series.
As someone who watches a buttload of British TV, I want to say I appreciate your list. Whoever it is stupid. YOU are stupid.
Never mind. I’m dyslexic and stupid too.
The two of these I’ve seen (Luther, The Hour) are 5-star series. I highly recommend them to everybody I know. On the weight of that sentiment, I’m gonna check out a couple of these.
Ironically enough, I’m reading this from a British pub (trying to find free wifi in Britian is like trying to find a French girl who shaves her pits in the winter, heyoooo).
Seriously though, a good list, Luther is amazing.
I read that as “free WILL” and thought your comment was harsh but fair.
Luther is the absolute tits. Strangely, I’ve only seen three episodes of MI:5, but the face-frying was one of them. I may have to watch from the beginning.
MI:5 is a fantastic show. I wasn’t crazy about the first season but in the next couple years it became one of my favorite programs. The show didn’t really hit it’s creative stride until Season 3 though. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys good television.
I also enjoyed the first season of “Luther”, but I found that his relationship with Alice was far and away the most interesting part of the show – and when that wasn’t a driving force – the show wasn’t as compelling.
There is some really good television out there, along with “Breaking Bad”, “Mad Men”, “Game of Thrones”, “Justified”, “Fringe” etc. – so whenever someone tries to defend the atrocious writing on “The Walking Dead” – I use the aforementioned shows as examples of tv done right – because by comparison “TWD” sucks. Period.
Sorry – one other comment. Torchwood: Miracle Day was one of the worst pieces of garbage I’ve ever seen on cable. The writing, casting, direction was abysmal. A first year film student could’ve done a far superior job.
People have said that “Children of Earth” is good, but after “Miracle Day” I can’t bring myself to watch anything connected to that world.
The first two seasons and the fourth make Children of Earth even better by comparison.
Not necessarily bleak, but I’d like to add “Hustle” to the list of great British shows. They just finished airing the 8th and final series, and they managed to maintain my interest that whole time. Imagine the Ocean’s 11 format (watching a crew put together a con, only to be surprised at how they did it in the end anyway). Half of the cast changes midway (the original cast had that chick who played Lila on Dexter), but it doesn’t affect the show. Robert Vaughn is in it too.
If you’re talking bleak British TV you have to see Murphy’s Law. It’s an undercover cop show starring James Nesbitt and is one of the darkest things I’ve ever seen on TV, especially the last season.
Strike Back Season 1 with Andrew Lincoln is great tv.
Case histories,Injustice, and Mad Dogs are some of my favs.
This Is England ’86 is a series that was a spin-off from a film called This Is England. It was followed by This Is England ’88 and there is another planned set in 1990. If you like your drama gritty and real, the whole series is highly recommended.
I’m 4 episodes in to Shadow Line and gentle Jesus it is some heavy s**t. Great recommendation though, I’m hooked.
What American spin-off of Torchwood aired on SyFy? There has been no spin-off or remake produced. There was a 4th season produced for Starz in conjunction with the BBC which is also known as Miracle Day. But nothing for SyFy. Have you got the show mixed up with something else?
Why does this guy keep saying “most British drama is government funded”? One network, the BBC is government subsidised but largely paid for by the British public through TV Licenses. There are also various other networks – at least 6 or 7 – that also produces dramas. Do your research!!
“I don’t think they’ve ever heard of comic relief”
You are the very first one I see who doesn’t know british are the kings of humor, look at the IT crowd. To me, far above the big bang theory, and scrubs (which I love too), simply less gross, and better acting. Oh and about movies, USA is really the less comic nation, I don’t know why it is different on TV shows.