50 of the greatest British TV dramas > Entertainment_Travel

Here is a curated list of 50 of the greatest British TV dramas, excluding sitcoms, along with their genres and brief descriptions:

1. **Downton Abbey**
  - **Genre**: Period Drama
  - **Synopsis**: Chronicles the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early 20th century, amidst historical events like the Titanic sinking and World War I.

2. **Pride and Prejudice**
  - **Genre**: Period Drama, Romance
  - **Synopsis**: A faithful adaptation of Jane Austen's novel, focusing on the romantic entanglements of the Bennet sisters in 19th-century England.

3. **Victoria**
  - **Genre**: Historical Drama
  - **Synopsis**: Depicts the early reign of Queen Victoria, from her ascension to the throne at 18 to her marriage to Prince Albert.

4. **Sherlock**
  - **Genre**: Crime, Mystery
  - **Synopsis**: A modern-day adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's detective stories, featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson solving crimes in contemporary London.

5. **Peaky Blinders**
  - **Genre**: Crime Drama
  - **Synopsis**: Follows the Shelby crime family in post-World War I Birmingham, led by the ambitious Tommy Shelby.

6. **The Crown**
  - **Genre**: Historical Drama
  - **Synopsis**: Chronicles the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, delving into personal and political events that shaped the second half of the 20th century.

7. **Broadchurch**
  - **Genre**: Crime, Mystery
  - **Synopsis**: Detectives investigate the death of a young boy in a small coastal town, uncovering secrets and tensions within the community.

8. **Line of Duty**
  - **Genre**: Crime, Thriller
  - **Synopsis**: Centers on AC-12, a police anti-corruption unit, as they investigate fellow officers suspected of corruption.

9. **Call the Midwife**
  - **Genre**: Period Drama, Medical
  - **Synopsis**: Follows midwives working in London's East End during the late 1950s and 1960s, addressing social and medical issues of the time.

10. **Doctor Who**
    - **Genre**: Science Fiction
    - **Synopsis**: Chronicles the adventures of the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who travels through time and space in the TARDIS.

11. **Luther**
    - **Genre**: Crime, Psychological Thriller
    - **Synopsis**: Follows DCI John Luther, a brilliant but troubled detective, as he solves complex cases in London.

12. **The Fall**
    - **Genre**: Crime, Thriller
    - **Synopsis**: Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson investigates a series of murders in Belfast, delving into the mind of a serial killer.

13. **Happy Valley**
    - **Genre**: Crime, Drama
    - **Synopsis**: Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood deals with personal tragedy while investigating crimes in a small Yorkshire town.

14. **Poldark**
    - **Genre**: Historical Drama, Romance
    - **Synopsis**: Captain Ross Poldark returns to Cornwall after the American Revolutionary War to rebuild his life and estate.

15. **Wolf Hall**
    - **Genre**: Historical Drama
    - **Synopsis**: Chronicles the rise of Thomas Cromwell in the court of King Henry VIII, based on Hilary Mantel's novels.

16. **Bodyguard**
    - **Genre**: Crime, Thriller
    - **Synopsis**: War veteran David Budd becomes the bodyguard for the UK's Home Secretary, entangling him in political conspiracies.

17. **The Night Manager**
    - **Genre**: Spy Thriller
    - **Synopsis**: Former British soldier Jonathan Pine is recruited to infiltrate the inner circle of an international arms dealer.

18. **Spooks (MI-5)**
    - **Genre**: Spy Thriller
    - **Synopsis**: Follows the missions of MI-5 officers as they protect the UK from national security threats.

19. **The Forsyte Saga**
    - **Genre**: Period Drama
    - **Synopsis**: Chronicles the lives of the wealthy Forsyte family over several generations, highlighting their personal and professional struggles.

20. **Bleak House**
    - **Genre**: Period Drama
    - **Synopsis**: Adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel, focusing on the long-running legal case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce and its impact on various individuals.

21. **North & South**
    - **Genre**: Period Drama, Romance
    - **Synopsis**: Margaret Hale moves from rural southern England to an industrial northern town, confronting class struggles and finding unexpected romance.

22. **Cranford**
    - **Genre**: Period Drama
    - **Synopsis**: Depicts the lives of the residents of a small Cheshire town in the 1840s, focusing on the social changes of the era.

23. **The Honourable Woman**
    - **Genre**: Political Thriller
    - **Synopsis**: Businesswoman Nessa Stein becomes embroiled in international espionage and political intrigue in the Middle East.

24. **The Missing**
    - **Genre**: Crime, Mystery
    - **Synopsis**: Expl