The 40 BBC Shows Listed in IMDb’s Top 250 TV Shows
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Last Updated on July 20, 2019 by Stefanie Hutson
The BBC has been responsible for more entries on the IMDb Top 250 TV Shows list than ANY other company. 40 out of 250 entries come to us from the BBC, with HBO in second place, producing 27 titles. Following them are Netflix with 21, ITV with 13, FX with 12, and NBC with 11.
Incredible, right?
Of course, if you're following this site, you're probably not at all surprised by that news. The BBC is amazing – not just in the quality of their shows, but in the diversity of their stories. By taking chances on a wide variety of topics and viewing demographics, they're able to produce far more than their fair share of TV gold (and if we're being totally honest, the occasional dud, too).
Wondering which BBC shows made the top 250 list? We certainly were, so we put together a list – current as of mid-July 2019.
The one thing you'll notice about this list is that it misses out on a LOT of fantastic programs, especially in the mystery and drama genres. IMDb is a bit more male and quite a bit younger than the average British TV fan, so it makes sense that a lot of classics just won't make the cut. Still, it's an interesting look at how IMDb raters hold the BBC in very high esteem.
BBC Shows on IMDb's Top 250 TV Shows List
# 2 – Planet Earth II – 2016
- Watch it on Netflix
#4 – Planet Earth – 2006
- Watch it on Netflix
#9 – Blue Planet II – 2017
- Watch it on Netflix
#12 – Cosmos – 1980 (A PBS/BBC production)
#16 – Life – 2009
- Watch it on Netflix
#18 – Sherlock – 2010
- Watch it on Netflix
#21 – Human Planet – 2011
- Watch it on Netflix
#32 – The Blue Planet – 2001
- Watch it on Netflix
#35 – Frozen Planet – 2011
- Watch it on Netflix
#37 – Monty Python's Flying Circus – 1969
#38 – Africa – 2013
- Watch it on Netflix
#40 – Pride & Prejudice – 1995
#41 – Only Fools & Horses – 1981
#42 – Das Boot – 1985
#54 – I, Claudius – 1976
#55 – Fawlty Towers – 1975
#57 – Peaky Blinders – 2013
- Watch it on Netflix
#58 – Blackadder Goes Forth – 1989
#61 – Rome – 2005
#88 – The Thick of It – 2005
#101 – Blackadder II – 1986
#115 – North & South – 2004
- Watch it on Netflix
- Watch it on Amazon
- Watch it on DVD
#116 – Blackadder the Third – 1987
#129 – QI – 2003
#131 – Doctor Who – 2005
#134 – Line of Duty – 2012
#144 – Yes Minister – 1980
#159 – Yes, Prime Minister – 1986
#164 – Coupling – 2000
#178 – The Office (UK) – 2001
#196 – Luther – 2010
#202 – House of Cards (UK) – 1990
#204 – I'm Alan Partridge – 1997
#205 – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – 1979
#206 – Detectorists – 2014
#224 – Happy Valley – 2014
- Watch it on Netflix
- Watch it on Amazon
#228 – Taboo – 2017
#243 – Inside No. 9 – 2014
#246 – (Classic) Doctor Who – 1963
#249 – State of Play – 2003
- Watch it on DVD (requires a region-free DVD player)
What BBC Shows Would You Add to the List?
Since the entries on this list are auto-generated based on IMDb user ratings, it's definitely missing a lot of wonderful BBC (and ITV, and Channel 4, and Sky, etc) programming. What British TV shows do you think belong among the top programs of all time?
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