5 British Shows on Netflix

If you need a British accent fix, here are some shows for you.

I admit it. I’m an Anglophile at heart. And as such, I adore the BBC, especially their period dramas. So today I figured I’d share the love and recommend some of my favorite British shows that are on Netflix.

North and South

This historical is a perennial favorite that I revisit every few years or so. It contrasts the more “refined” lifestyles of those in the south to the perception of the dirty industrial north. Plus it’s just a really good love story. And Richard Armitage. Need I say more?

The Great British Baking Show

When my husband first started watching this, I seriously thought the man might need some counseling. But after he convinced me to sit down and watch the first episode, I was totally hooked. I know. It sounds stupid to watch a bunch of people baking, but the competition is fierce and it gets pretty intense. 

Jamaica Inn

This is a darker historical, slightly depressing and very violent, but doggone I love it. Smugglers. Horse thieves. Romance. Windswept moors and danger. The atmosphere is dramatic and the heroine is spunky. This story has been adapted from Daphne Du Maurier’s gothic novel. Heads up, the movie ends differently than the book, but even so, I think they did a good job representing the author’s story.

The IT Crowd

I married a computer nerd. That means we watch this wacky show. But you don’t have to be a cyber-freak to laugh at this current day comedy. It’s pretty freaking hilarious and oftentimes inappropriate, but hey, that’s British humor.

Weekend Aristocrats

I’m new to this series, and only the first season is out yet, so I can’t say I’m totally sucked into it yet since I’ve only seen the first show. This is a modern day reality series about upper crust Brits who are trying to earn money by opening their estates to tourists. While you may not be able to afford to stay in one of these bad boys, it’s fun to live vicariously through others.

No longer on Netflix but worth the hunt to find them…

Poldark

I was late to jump on this bandwagon, but whoa baby, halfway through the first episode I was all in. This is the story of a young Englishman who’s gone to fight in the American Revolutionary War. He gets hurt, badly, and his family thinks he’s dead. He returns to Cornwall 2 years later only to find his father is dead, his estate is in a shambles, and the girl he was supposed to marry is now to wed his cousin in two weeks.

Bleak House

This is even better than the book, and you know how much I love Dickens. The producers of this mini-series nailed the scene endings, making each one a cliffhanger. Awesome job.