https://www.looper.com/891486/best-british-tv-shows-of-all-time-ranked/

BY NATHAN P. GIBSON/JUNE 10, 2022 12:54 PM EDT

The very best British TV shows span many different genres, eras, and creators. Some are laugh-out-loud comedies that have earned fans across the globe. Some are tense dramas that capture just how hard it is to be human. Some are fascinating thrillers that keep viewers perched on the edge of their seats. All of them make one thing abundantly clear: The United Kingdom has produced some of the best TV shows ever made.

Watching these classics outside their native land was considerably more difficult in the past. But nowadays, streaming services like Netflix and Hulu make it possible for shows like "Doctor Who" and "Mr. Bean" to find new fans all around the world. With both obscure titles and beloved classics available to a wider variety of people than ever before, a question soon emerges: Which U.K. TV shows are the absolute greatest? We've got the answer to this complex question. These are the 45 best British TV shows of all time, ranked from the solidly entertaining to the absolutely legendary.

45 - Love Island - really? can't stand reality shows but even so I don't see how this garbage would even crack the top 1000
44 - The Grand Tour - basically a spin-off/copycat of Top Gear - too boring to give a second thought
43 - Gavin & Stacey - loved it, should probably be higher
42 - Britain's Got Talent - another reality show, way too many of these filler programs
41 - The I.T. Crowd - probably one of the best shows not just from Britain but ANYWHERE, easily belongs in the top 5
40 - Prime Suspect - never seen it
39 - Shameless - watched the US version, always wanted to see this version
38 - Father Ted - excellent show, should be higher on the list
37 - Peppa Pig - kids show I am not familiar with - it seems like this list is ranked purely by ratings/dollars brought in
36 - Good Omens - always wanted to catch this, but I don't want Amazon Prime
35 - Skins - the American version was not good, no idea how this one was
34 - Misfits - never heard of this show
33 - Merlin - i tried to watch this show but it was way too slow and boring, could not get into it at all
32 - The Thick of It - I could not get into this show at all either
31 - Catastrophe - not familiar with this show
30 - Killing Eve - i love the show but not sure it should be this high on the list
29 - Poldark - could not get into this, I thought it was boring
28 - Luther - i've watched some of this show, it was good but not this high on the list
27 - QI - not into quiz shows at all
26 - The Great British Bake Off - i don't understand the allure of this show, couldn't get into it
25 - Taskmaster - never heard of this show
24 - Life on Mars - i LOVED this show and it should be much higher on the List, the spin-off was great too, but BBC America never aired the entire series
23 - Downton Abbey - this is obviously a very popular show, not my thing though
22 - Broadchurch - i really liked this but I don't think it should be this high
21 - Poirot - this is classic British television and belongs here
20 - Sex Education - it is pretty difficult to imagine any show that has only been around since 2019 could actually somehow be in the top 20 British shows of all time, i'm planning on watching it soon, and it looks good but I have a hard time believing it to be THAT good
19 - Spaced - GREAT show, not sure it should be this high though
18 - The Crown - not familiar with it
17 - Peep Show - OK but does not belong this high on list
16 - Only Fools and Horses - never seen it but have heard about it
15 - Rome - not familiar with it
14 - Blackadder - probably should be higher on list
13 - Top Gear - i've always found this show to be boring and unwatchable
12 - Monty Python's Flying Circus - this easily belongs in top 10
11 - Line of Duty - never heard of it
10 - Black Mirror - never heard of it
9 - Blue Planet - i suppose if you are into nature documentaries
8 - Mr. Bean - i'd put this in the top 3
7 - Sherlock - excellent show, don't know if I'd put it this high though
6 - Fleabag - i've heard of this show and would like to check it out
5 - Peaky Blinders - heard of but never seen this
4 - Doctor Who - should probably be in top 3, this is one of the most iconic British shows of all time
3 - The Office - better than the US version but I wouldn't put it this high
2 - Fawlty Towers - this should be #1
1 - Planet Earth - I don't think it matters how good a nature documentary is, it can't be the best of all time

they left out a LOT of iconic British shows - Absolutely Fabulous, Coronation Street, I'm Alan Partridge, Coupling, The Vicar of Dibley, French & Saunders, Yes Minister, One Foot in the Grave, Benny Hill, Red Dwarf, The Young Ones, The Muppet Show (yes - it was originally produced in the UK!), Doc Martin, Man About The House - tons more I can't think of...

they left out a LOT of iconic British shows -

All Creatures Great and Small, The Avengers, Danger Man/The Prisoner, Rumpole of the Bailey, Doctor in the House, Last of the Summer Wine, Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Jeeves and Wooster, I, Claudius, The Missing Link, Upstairs, Downstairs....

my top 10 British shows
1. Fawlty Towers
2. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (Michael Crawford Britcom)- what a shame most US residents will never see this brilliant show, my PBS affiliate said it was not available to them. Only place I have seen Some Mothers is online.
3. All Creatures Great and Small (2020)
4. Around the World in 80 Days (2021)
5. Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister
6. Atlantis- was disappointed we did not get a 3rd season
7. Are You Being Served?
8. Genius (Einstein season from 2017)
9. Keeping Up Appearances
10. As Time Goes By

British shows I most want to see are the original 1978 version of All Creatures Great and Small, UK version of The Chase, and the UK version of Ghosts. I would probably like Sherlock and Broadchurch (was a fan of US version Gracepoint). I tried Doctor Who once, one of the most boring shows I have ever seen, it was from the Tom Baker era. Planet Earth was also really boring. I don't think Downton Abbey or Top Gear would appeal to me.