Top 10 Shows on BritBox

Armando Iannucci’s masterpiece follows the lives of hapless DoSAC cabinet ministers as they try to run the country, giving a rare and ridiculous look at the inner workings of Whitehall. While it boasts big names like Chris Addison and Rebecca Front, the real reason to watch – or re-watch – “The Thick of It” is for Peter Capaldi’s Malcolm Tucker, the party spin doctor. Tucker’s rants are the stuff of legend, and it’s easy to see why he’s always in such a bad mood when you realise just how useless the politicians he works with are. You don’t often see such a brutal representation of the British government on telly.

It’s Queen Victoria as we’ve never seen her before; with Jenna Coleman in the leading role, Victoria is just eighteen years old when the series begins with her coronation and has so far followed her through the earlier part of her long reign. Major plot points include her relationship with Prince Albert and their growing family as well as the day-to-day running of the British Empire, but the series takes the time to look at the servants and household staff. Be warned though, if you’re after a historically accurate biopic this might not be to your tastes; it’s definitely good drama, but it bends the truth in places.

While it stopped airing a decade ago, this sitcom has only grown in popularity thanks to constant repeats. And now it’s immortalised forever on BritBox, so you can once again watch Gavin and Stacey fall in love while secretly rooting for Smithy and Nessa to finally get together. Now is the perfect time to watch this legendary sitcom, since with the popularity of the 2019 Christmas special there’s a very real probability James Corden and Ruth Jones will be back with more. Whatever happens, “Gavin & Stacey” will remain an iconic and unmissable show that’s sure to be one of BritBox’s most popular streams.

Britain has no shortage of period dramas, but one that’s proven consistently successful and beloved since it began in 2010 is “Downton Abbey.” Helmed by Maggie Smith alongside many more big-name actors, it’s won a record-breaking number of Emmys and even holds a Guinness World Record for its popularity – and now a second feature film is in the works. Whether you’re only now interested in seeing what all the fuss is about, if you’re looking for a refresher before the next film, or just want to watch this television giant again, it’s all there online for the taking.

It’s no secret that we Brits love a good panel show, and “Mock the Week” is one of the best. While not every series is currently on offer on BritBox, there’s certainly enough to make do. It be less topical than it was when it aired if you’re streaming it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not just as funny. A rite of passage for British comics, Hugh Dennis and Dara O’Briain are the only ones left of the original line-up today. It’s a certainty that more episodes will be added in future, however, either from the extensive back catalogue or immediately after they air on BBC Two.

Spend a week in Torquay with this classic sitcom centred on a farcical hotel on the south coast. Inspired by a venue Monty Python stayed at during the filming of “Flying Circus”, John Cleese and Connie Booth created a handful of legendary characters. The only downside to “Fawlty Towers” is that they only ever made twelve episodes, but you can watch them to your heart’s content over on BritBox, safe in the knowledge that they’re all outstanding. It’s resisted American remakes over the years and boasts some incredibly famous names as its biggest fans – including John Lennon and Martin Scorsese. With endorsements like that, how can you resist?

The infamously difficult quiz show with trick questions galore and an incomprehensible scoring system is now streamable on BritBox. Like “Mock the Week”, we don’t have access to every episode on the site at the moment, but the episodes that have made it are the longer “XL” versions for the most content possible. These recent series are led by Sandi Toksvig rather than Stephen Fry, but few could deny she’s done a brilliant job since being handed the reigns. And of course, Alan Davies is there to make up the ranks every night. It’s one of the few shows where you can laugh and learn at the same time.

With rumours circulating about a fifth series of “Blackadder” lurking somewhere on the horizon, this is the perfect time to refresh your memory and watch the original four series, now available on BritBox. Jump across time periods from the court of Elizabeth II to the trenches of the First World War, and even watch the less-popular first series if you feel like it. It may have aired in the 80s, but this is a timeless comedy if there ever was one, with plenty of famous faces at its helm; Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, and Miranda Richardson star just to name a few.

More people than not will tell you that “Only Fools and Horses” is the best British sitcom of all time, and it hasn’t been defeated in the years it’s been off the air. The show follows the escapades of siblings Del Boy and Rodney Trotter as Del schemes to get rich, schemes which almost always end in failure and embarrassment – but that’s what makes them such fertile grounds for comedy. To this day it still rakes in views from televised repeats, but to watch your favourite episodes again you can peruse BritBox at your leisure – and you can always skip the Christmas Trilogy.

In recent years, it hasn’t been easy to find a place to watch the first 25 years of “Classic Who”, but that’s all changed thanks to BritBox. While the service doesn’t host the 2005 revival just yet as those remain on BBC iPlayer, it’s got every episode that survives from the first seven Doctors. There has never been a better time to catch up with the adventures of our favourite Time Lord, and you can witness the beginnings of famous monsters like the Daleks, Cybermen, Silurians, and all the classic incarnations of the Master. Take your pick from the roughly 600 episodes that have made it out of the BBC archives alive, and have fun.