The line that separates some countries' TV shows from others grows thinner with each passing month thanks to streaming services. Something like Stranger Things is popular enough to be watched around the world, even though it’s an American show; inversely, Netflix has recently reported that 97% of American subscribers have watched a non-English title. The BBC has partnered with Prime Video many times, meaning British shows like Good Omens premiered around the world on the streaming service, and there's even BBC America, which blurs the line further.
Even so, there are still plenty of good shows that fly under the radar, especially if you aren’t from their country of origin. Numerous British miniseries especially seem to be hard to find, as they air on British TV channels and don’t have much advertising outside the country. Though what counts as a miniseries can vary, it’s typically a single season with only a handful of episodes that tells a complete story.
They’re easy to binge, there’s no worry about whether a second season will come to resolve any cliffhangers, and there are a lot of great ones out there. Most are available to rent, and some can be streamed on various platforms (mostly Amazon Prime Video). Check out some of the best ones now to see if they pique your interest.
15 Born to Kill
Born to Kill is a British drama with four episodes. The main character, Sam Woodford, hides his psychopathic tendencies under the guise of being a 'normal' teenager. The show explores his mind as he is on the verge of possibly leaning into the whims of these tendencies, all because of a new girl moving into his school. He’s fascinated with death, and might even end up taking things a little too far at one point. As the series progresses, the tension grows and Sam must be more and more cautious if he wants to get away with everything he’s been doing and remove any suspicion that may be on him.
14 The Living and the Dead
The horror miniseries The Living and the Dead has six episodes set in the 1890s that revolve around the lives of Nathan and Charlotte Appleby, who live on a haunted farm. The Appleby’s move to the farm in the first episode, and from there start having supernatural experiences along with the rest of the nearby town. Each new episode features a different occurrence, but they all work together towards the plot and towards Nathan Appleby slowly losing his sanity. He’s desperate to stop the ghosts from appearing and let himself and the town live in peace.
13 And Then There Were None
Based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same name, And Then There Were None tells the mystery thriller story in three tense episodes. Ten strangers are invited to a small island, but upon their arrival, find the manor is only occupied by two servants, and their hosts are absent. After sitting down for dinner, a record put on accuses everyone of being a murderer, and one of the guests dies from poisoning shortly thereafter.
Now, those who remain must hurry to find who is actually the murderer and stop them as they slowly pick the group off, one by one, killing in accordance to a poem displayed around the house. Though the original 1945 film is a classic, this modern miniseries version is a dark, brooding masterpiece.
12 Thirteen
The drama Thirteen focuses on Ivy Moxam, a woman who was kidnapped at 13 and imprisoned for 13 years since but managed to escape. These five episodes cover the aftermath of what happened, starting off with Ivy arriving at the police station, giving a statement on what happened, and reconnecting with her family. However, what the police find at the house and what Ivy said don’t seem to add up, so pressure grows on her to reveal the truth of what actually happened, especially once her kidnapper manages to take another girl hostage after her escape.
11 The Irregulars
The Irregulars is a show created by Tom Bidwell drawn around the written works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, that follows a group of poor teenagers from the streets of Victorian London who are recruited by Doctor Watson & the mysterious Sherlock Holmes to solve crimes of supernatural nature.
The show got mixed reviews and has an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, however, it’s a unique extension of the Sherlock Holmes universe and for the masses of teenagers and younger audiences worldwide, it’s a rather appealing short one-season show that depicts a fictitious spin-off of the traditional Sherlock Holmes story while also portraying crime, drama, and the paranormal.
For the purists and older audiences, it could perhaps underwhelm, but if you’re looking for a quick binge and want a show that explores fantasy & fiction based around the Sherlock Holmes novels that’s worth a quick watch, The Irregulars might be just what you need.
10 I May Destroy You
HBO
With great music, I May Destroy You tells the story of a young woman living and working as a writer in London who gets sexually abused after a night out with her friends. The plot follows Arabella, the protagonist, who then meets a couple of other people named Terry (Weruche Opia) and Kwame (Paapa Essiedu) who are also dealing with sexual abuse and the miniseries follows their intertwining journeys and how they cope and deal with their past and the terrible experience of sexual assault.
The show is written and directed by Michaela Coel who also stars in the miniseries; it won critical acclaim for its exploration of the rather sensitive topic and also swept home a couple of Emmy Awards at the Emmys that year receiving nine nominations as well. It’s an extremely well-written and shot show and one that is also thought-provoking and revelatory about how victims of sexual abuse cope with life after the horrific experience.
9 A Spy Among Friends
Directed by Nick Murphy, A Spy Among Friends is a secret-agent suspense and drama miniseries based on actual events. The concept of the show is based on a book by Ben McIntyre of the same name.
Set in the 1960s the miniseries follows Kim Philby (Guy Pearce) an intelligence agent who is later found out to actually be a KGB double agent who has ties with the Soviet Union. Nicholas Elliot played by Damian Lewis of Band Of Brothers acclaim, is working as a SIS intelligence officer when he finds out that his colleague Philby is actually KGB.
The story evolves as the exploration and then eventual disintegration of the relationship between two lifelong friends who share a close bond with each other but in the end are divided by the ideologies, loyalties, and ties they represent. The show is rated 7.3/10 on IMDb and explores espionage in early 1960s Britain dovetailing the context of the Cold War.
8 The Devil’s Hour
The miniseries The Devil’s Hour written by Tom Moran explores the story of a woman named Lucy who has recurring dreams and visions and proceeds to keep waking up at 3:33 am, i.e. between 3 am to 4 am, which is the devil’s hour.
Lucy is also battling her failed relationships and her troubled past along with her esoteric and emotionless son Isaac. The plot then explores the connection Lucy (Jessica Raine) and her visions and dreams have in connection with a series of murders in her town.
It’s a psychological thriller and drama, that has generally received positive reviews, like this one by The Guardian, and is rated 7.6/10 on IMDb. It’s an eerie yet captivating miniseries that explores the suspense and mystery of evil and the myth of the devil's hour and what it has to do with a set of murders, which is a rather unique concept.
7 Des
Another crime drama is the miniseries Des, which elucidates the true story of Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen played by David Tennant, who killed 15 people over the span of five years and was arrested in 1983 after human remains were found clogging a drain near his home.
Luke Neal & Kelly Jones’ screenplay and an outstanding performance by Tennant make the miniseries come alive, as it unravels the mind of the psychotic and narcissistic killer Des. It’s a short miniseries comprising just three episodes, however, it packs quite a punch in its execution, in terms of screenwriting and overall direction along with what’s regarded as Tennant’s crowning moment as an actor.
David Tennant proceeded to win an International Emmy Award for Best Actor for his acting in Des, and the show has rave reviews, rated 7.6/10 on IMdB and 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
6 Bodyguard
Netflix
Created and written by Jed Mercurio, Bodyguard is a miniseries that portrays the fictional story of David Budd played by Richard Madden (who also is in the running for the next James Bond after Daniel Craig's tenure as the iconic superspy ended). Madden plays the character Budd who is a war veteran formerly deployed in Afghanistan who then begins working for the Royalty and Specialist Protection Branch of London's Metropolitan Police Service after he returns to England.
He is primarily tasked with protecting a political figure named Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), who is the Home Secretary of Britain and who David proceeds to have a fractious relationship with because of her political ideology and agenda which he loathes; David also suffers from PTSD from his time in Afghanistan and is rather brash as he is temperamental.
Montague also is a proponent and advocate of war who supports the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan which further leads to David despising her politics, as the show explores the intersection of their strained relationship given the duties that his job entails and the themes of government propaganda, terrorism, and David’s personal struggle dealing with PTSD.
5 The English
The English, created & directed by Hugo Blick, is the intersection of British & American culture of the 19th century. The miniseries is a Western set in America that follows a woman from England named Lady Cornelia Locke, played by Emily Blunt, who travels to America in the year 1890 to seek revenge on the man who is responsible for the murder of her son. She then meets Seargent Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer) who helps her on her journey as the plot unravels their exploits and story.
The visuals, sets, costumes, and cinematography are excellent and make for an intriguing watch, while Blunt’s performance is impeccable. The show is rated 7.9/10 on IMDb and is a unique blend of British & American history from a forgotten era, that makes for an interesting concept and an exciting watch.
4 Normal People
The critically acclaimed romance drama Normal People, based on the book of the same name by Sally Rooney is another show that has its share of positive & widely-acknowledged sanguine reviews. The 12-episode miniseries tells the story of two young lovers, Connell & Marianne, played by Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones respectively, who share a complicated relationship because of the way society & others see them and their starkly contrasting backgrounds.
The pair are close and know each other inside out ever since their school days in a small town in Ireland and then proceed to develop a relationship as they go to college. However, in college, Connell is a jock who is popular while Marianne is a bit of a loner and is considered an outcast. The show follows their relationship and how it unfolds, shifts, and develops given their history and the way society sees them as they grow older and how the dynamic of change & other people's perceptions affect relationships in modern society.
3 River
The police procedural River spans six episodes and follows Inspector John River as he deals with guilt over the loss of his recently murdered colleague. He is not allowed to work on the case because of how close he was with it, but he still tries to solve her murder anyway, wanting to preserve her memory and make up for it. As he begins looking into it, following several wrong leads at first, he begins to piece together the case she had been working on before her death and finally begins to overcome her loss.
2 The Night Manager
The Night Manager is also based on a book by the same name, this one written by John le Carré. The six episode show focuses on Jonathan Pine, a hotel manager and former British Soldier. He is recruited to join a task force investigating illegal arms sales, and they want him to infiltrate the inner circle of one of the most notorious arms dealers they know of, Richard Roper.
Late one night on one of his shifts, he finds Roper is checked into his hotel, bad experiences from the past leading him to try and call someone who might do something about him but doesn’t want to be involved past that. He’s convinced otherwise, however, and now tries to gain Roper’s trust without getting himself killed.
The series was nominated for many awards and won some of them, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes, and features an incredible ensemble cast, including Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman, and Tom Hollander, along with incredible direction from the great Susanne Bier. A second season is being developed, which means it won't be a miniseries for long, but for now, it's a perfect single-season show.
1 Pride and Prejudice
The 1995 Pride and Prejudice series is a well known classic, and one of many adaptations. In six episodes, the show brings Jane Austen’s book to life. The main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, have a complicated relationship. Though they initially seem to despise each other upon their first meeting, Darcy decides that he is in love with her and proposes their marriage.
Elizabeth rejects it at first, but as they both overcome the titular issues, their pride and their prejudices, she begins to realize she has feelings for him too. The series was nominated for and won several BAFTA and Emmy Awards, among others. This BBC version of Pride and Prejudice is often considered the pinnacle of Jane Austen adaptations.