9 Most Exciting British TV Shows Still To Come In 2026
There are a lot of excellent British TV shows still to come this year, from returning hits to brand-new book adaptations and more. British TV shows have never been as easily accessible to a wider audience as they are now; services like BritBox and PBS feature massive catalogs of innovative and comforting British stories in North America and beyond, while global streamers like Netflix and Disney+ are increasingly investing in and coproducing non-US content.
This year's remaining slate includes intriguing murder mysteries, a brand-new, high-profile Jane Austen adaptation, and the return of one of Disney+ and Hulu's all-time best period dramas, as the battle between '80s countryside TV franchises reaches a whole new level of rivalry. Big-name stars like Theo James, David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, and more are all set to grace the small screen this year, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the best of what the Brits have to offer between now and the holiday season (yes, this list also includes a certain upcoming Christmas special).
The Gentlemen Season 2
Premieres September 3 on Netflix
Guy Ritchie's Netflix series The Gentlemen, inspired by his feature film of the same name, finally returns for its highly anticipated second season on September 3, more than two years after season 1's premiere. Produced in co-operation with ITV Studios' Moonage Pictures, The Gentlemen offers a unique look at the UK's burgeoning drug business and one failing aristocratic family's place within it. Infused with Ritchie's trademark quips, killer soundtrack, and high-stakes storytelling, The Gentlemen is one of Netflix's most bonkers and fun original series, led by a quietly charismatic Theo James and a pitch-perfect Kaya Scodelario.
Season 2 will leave the picturesque rolling fields of the English countryside behind for the gorgeous Italian lakes. Still, with Ritchie at the helm, the show will undoubtedly maintain its quintessentially British atmosphere, as James' reluctant young Duke of Halstead and Scodelario's crime wizard Susie Glass continue to develop their unique business partnership and their growing marijuana empire. All eight episodes of The Gentlemen season 2 arrive on Netflix on Thursday, September 3.
Marble Hall Murders
Premieres September 6 on PBS Masterpiece
Marble Hall Murders marks the third and final BBC and PBS adaptation of the Susan Ryeland Mysteries novels. Based on Anthony Horowitz's murder mystery of the same name, Marble Hall Murders will see the return of Lesley Manville as book editor Susan Ryeland and Tim McMullan as fictional detective Atticus Pünd. Following the success of Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders, the third installment will continue the adaptation's clever mystery-within-a-mystery setup.
As Susan becomes embroiled in a murder case involving a young writer looking to continue the Atticus Pünd mystery series, her involvement in the investigation soon becomes troublesome when she's viewed as a potential suspect. Meanwhile, within the book, Atticus heads to the gorgeous and sunny Greek island of Corfu, where he investigates the murder of the wealthy Lady Margaret Chalfont. Marble Hall Murders will consist of six episodes, airing weekly on PBS Masterpiece on Thursdays, starting on September 6.
Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence
Premieres September 15 on BritBox
In less than two months, BritBox will release one of the most groundbreaking English-language Agatha Christie adaptations of all time. The Queen of Crime's novels have been adapted into dozens of movies, TV shows, and limited series over the years, but none of the British adaptations have ever been set in present-day London. This is Christie as you've never seen it before, complete with cell phones and all the woes of modern romance, as amateur detectives Tommy (Josh Dylan) and Tuppence (Antonia Thomas) try to figure out their new careers as investigators as well as their feelings for one another.
The trailer for Tommy & Tuppence, which also features the one and only Imelda Staunton, promises a fun, high-energy, and swish take on Christie's most dynamic duo. The last Tommy & Tuppence adaptation aired 11 years ago (2015's Partners in Crime starring David Walliams and Jessica Rayne), so it's high time we had another one. The show will consist of six episodes, premiering weekly on Tuesday, September 15.
Pride and Prejudice
Premieres Fall 2026 on Netflix
Each generation deserves its own on-screen version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and this time, it's Netflix's turn. Produced together with BBC Studios' Lookout Point, this year's faithful Pride and Prejudice adaptation features an incredible cast, as the streamer reintroduces the world to the wonderfully chaotic Bennet family and the gorgeous, yearning love story between the stubborn, intelligent Lizzie Bennet (Emma Corrin) and the quiet, unreadable Mr. Darcy (Jack Lowden).
This Pride and Prejudice will have a high bar to clear, competing with the still widely beloved 1995 BBC miniseries (who could forget Colin Firth's famous lake scene?) and Joe Wright's 2005 film, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew McFadyen, featuring the most impactful hand flex in the history of cinema. Joining Corrin and Lowden are Olivia Colman as Mrs. Bennet, Rufus Sewell as Mr. Bennet, Louis Partridge as Mr. Wickham, and the legendary Fiona Shaw as Lady Catherine De Bourg. Netflix's series will feature six hour-long episodes, to be released sometime between the end of September and December.
Rivals Season 2, Part 2
Premieres November 2026 on Disney+ & Hulu
Based on the late Dame Jilly Cooper's bestselling raunchy Rutshire Chronicles novels, Disney+'s Rivals is one of the most exciting, sexiest, and most daring '80s period dramas ever made. With an incredible British cast including TV legends like David Tennant, Danny Dyer, and Katherine Parkinson, as well as stunning performances by Nafessa Williams, Aidan Turner, Alex Hassell, and Bella Maclean, it's hard to find fault with this particular book adaptation.
Though season 2's extended episode run is obviously great news — the current season will have a total of 12 episodes as opposed to season 1's eight — making viewers wait for (at least) four months after that cliffhanger? Diabolical. That was one of the most devastating twists in recent memory. How will this affect Tony Baddingham's continued bid for the TV franchise? Only time will tell. The season's second half will begin airing on Disney+ and Hulu in November. An exact release date has yet to be confirmed.
The Other Bennet Sister Christmas Special
Premieres December 2026 on BritBox
Ah, The Other Bennet Sister. Truly one of the most wonderfully surprising releases of 2026, this adaptation of Janice Hadlow's bestselling Pride and Prejudice spinoff/sequel introduces viewers to the oft-forgotten middle Bennet sister, Mary (Ella Bruccoleri), as she heads out on a life-changing, romantic adventure in London and beyond. It's heartfelt, warm, and genuinely inspiring, and Bruccoleri turns in an incredibly charming performance. The full season is streaming on BritBox now.
The record-breaking 10-episode dramedy drove "five times more new subscribers to BritBox in its first five weeks than any previous launch on the service." It was also "the biggest launch of a new drama across all platforms and streamers in the UK since May 2025," so it's perhaps no surprise that the show is returning for a most welcome and well-deserved three-episode Christmas special this December. We can't wait to spend the holidays with Mary Bennet and her new, self-formed family.
Bookish Season 2
Premieres August 2026 on U&Alibi in the UK | US Release TBD on PBS
Following the massive success of his modern-day Sherlock Holmes adaptation in the BBC's Sherlock, co-creator Mark Gatiss has created a world-class investigator of his very own. In Bookish, Gatiss plays Gabriel Book, a post-World War II-era antiquarian bookseller who moonlights as a consultant for the London Metropolitan Police. U&Alibi renewed the show for a second season before it even premiered in the UK, and it has more than lived up to the hype; it currently holds a rare 100% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Bookish season 2, due to premiere in the UK this August (a US release date has yet to be confirmed by PBS), will see Book and his close-knit group of friends and allies take on bigger and more complex cases further away from Book's little enclosed London neighborhood, including a Christmas-themed murder mystery in a quaint German town. The upcoming season will also feature a Sherlock reunion, as Rupert Graves (Inspector Lestrade) will join Bookish's new episodes as a guest star.
Ludwig Season 2
Premieres August 2026 on BBC One in the UK | US Release TBD on BritBox
Much like The Other Bennet Sister, crime comedy Ludwig proved to be a record-breaking success for both the BBC and BritBox. Starring British comic legend David Mitchell and the always wonderful Anna Maxwell Martin, Ludwig follows Mitchell's master puzzle setter, John "Ludwig" Taylor, as he impersonates his detective twin brother James to discover the truth behind his disappearance. Though John doesn't find his brother at the end of season 1, he does get a new (and much more official) job as a Crime Scene Consultant.
The upcoming episodes are set to include six new case-of-the-week mysteries and continue the overarching investigation into James' disappearance, as John and his sister-in-law, Lucy (Maxwell Martin), devise a new, even sneakier plan to find James. What will they discover, and whom can they trust? Find out when Ludwig returns for season 2 later this year. The show is set to premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this August; BritBox has yet to confirm a release date.
Blue Lights Season 4
Premieres Fall 2026 on BBC One in the UK | US Release TBD on BritBox
The BBC's award-winning Northern Irish police drama, Blue Lights, will return for a tense, high-stakes fourth season on BBC One in the UK this fall. BritBox has yet to announce a North American release date, though there was only a two-month wait between the UK and US release for season 3. The new series is set to revisit a familiar old friend, as Richard Dormer will return as beloved PSNI officer Gerry Cliff in an important flashback episode, following his tragic death in Blue Lights season 1.
The new season will focus on constables Grace Ellis (Sian Brooke), Annie Conlin (Katherine Devlin) and Tommy Foster (Nathan Braniff), now three years into their jobs patrolling the streets of Belfast. Meanwhile, they'll be dealing with Gerry's murder trial, which will bring to light a terrible truth, one that has the power to upend not only the police force but Belfast's most powerful criminal organizations, as well. Get ready for the show's most adrenaline-fueled, impactful season yet, once again making its mark on the British TV landscape.