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1Baby Reindeer (2024)
Baby Reindeer, which began life as an Edinburgh Fringe show, is the jaw-dropping limited series that's caught everybody's attention, but if it's slipped under your radar since its release in April 2024, then remedy that now by marking it as one to watch. Based on Richard Gadd, the writer and creator of the show's real experience of being the victim of sexual abuse and stalking, the show is a simmering meditation on victimhood, the aftermath of abuse and how the systems we are meant to trust are not adequately equipped to support us.
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2I May Destroy You (2020)
Michaela Coel's masterpiece centres on the sexual assault of the protagonist, Arabella (Coel), as she tries to process the act of violence. The series also takes on the complex subjects of sexuality, gender and race in Britain.
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3The Night Manager (2016)
Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman star in this tense, stylish thriller adapted from the novel by spy master John Le Carré. Two more series have just been announced, so it's the perfect time to catch up (or relive it).
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4Scoop (2024)
Netflix's new fictional dramatisation offers an insider look at how the women of Newsnight secured one of the most infamous interviews in British history: Prince Andrew by Emily Maitlis. Billie Piper and Gillian Anderson star.
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5Fleabag (2016)
Electrifying and heartbreaking at the same time, Fleabag made a superstar of its writer and creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge thanks to its two perfectly formed series covering love, loss and Hot Priests.
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6One Day (2024)
Everyone who's watched Netflix's adaptation of David Nicholls' 2009 novel of the same name seems to say the same thing: you might not be able to stop crying by the end, but you have to watch it in any case.
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7Slow Horses (2022)
Witty, dry and action-packed, this spy drama follows MI5's most dysfunctional team of agents, the 'Slow Horses', as they attempt to protect England from some sinister forces.
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8Killing Eve (2018)
Bold, brutal and surprisingly funny, Killing Eve is a must-watch for many reasons: the intriguing energy between its two leads Eve (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (Jodie Comer); its twisty plot; its fabulous fashion – and more.
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9Luther (2010)
Starring Idris Elba, this beloved drama focuses on a brilliant yet troubled detective who consistently treads the line between personal and professional as he investigates crimes in London.
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10Sex Education (2019)
It's easy to see why this Netflix series has won the hearts and minds of so many viewers. It focuses on a teenage boy with a sex therapist mother (played by Gillian Anderson), who sets up an underground sex therapy clinic at school.
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11The Crown (2016)
It doesn't get much more British than The Crown, a fictional dramatisation that focuses on Queen Elizabeth II and the events that shaped her reign – both political and personal.
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12Boarders (2024)
This series centres on a group of five talented Black scholarship students, who arrive at an elite private school – and delivers a pointed satire in the process.
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13Peaky Blinders (2013)
Prepare to fall for Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his fearsome family, a notorious gang in 1919 Birmingham. He's intent on moving up in the world – whatever the cost.
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14Derry Girls (2018)
This candid, award-winning comedy features a group of young women growing up in Northern Ireland in the early 1990s. It's heartwarming and hilarious, and stars Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan.
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15The Gentlemen (2019)
An aristocratic man inherits a family estate then finds it's home to a huge drug empire (and that its proprietors aren't moving...) An action-comedy from Guy Ritchie, this is a spin-off series from the 2019 film of the same name.
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16Black Mirror (2011)
There are six series of Charlie Brooker's deliciously dark cult series to enjoy. The episodes play on humanity's worst traits – as well as some of our greatest innovations – in often trippy fashion.
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Naomi May is a freelance writer and editor with an emphasis on popular culture, lifestyle and politics. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard as its Fashion and Beauty Writer, working across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Acting News Editor at ELLE UK and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others.
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