What Are the Most Popular British Shows in America Streaming on Netflix?
Binge-watching your favorite shows whenever you want on Netflix is something many Americans have become accustomed to. The streaming platform offers subscribers shows to watch from all over the world and some of the most popular series among U.S. residents are the ones born across the pond.
Here are a few of the most popular British shows in America.
‘The Crown’
Peter Morgan’s The Crown is one of the most popular Netflix shows in the U.K. and the historical drama has legions of fans in the U.S. as well. The first two seasons feature Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II and former Doctor Who star Matt Smith as Prince Philip before Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take over the roles of the monarch and her husband in seasons 3 and 4. The series also features Elizabeth Debicki portraying Princess Diana and Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher.
The Crown takes a deep dive into Queen Elizabeth’s reign and key events that occur involving Britain’s most famous family.
‘Bridgerton’
Another British show that became wildly popular in the U.S. when it debuted is Bridgerton. The adaptation of Julia Quinn’s romance novels takes place in Regency-era London. The show, which was released in late 2020, is from Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes who produced the first season. On Jan. 21, 2021, Netflix announced that it renewed Bridgerton for a second season.
The steamy series follows the Bridgerton siblings and their journey to find love. It also features an incredible cast that includes Julia Andrews as Lady Whistledown and Regé-Jean Page as Simon Basset.
‘The Great British Baking Show’
The Great British Baking Show, which is called The Great British Bake Off on the other side of the pond, is a reality show where contestants show off their technical and elaborate baking skills. Mary Berry judged several seasons of the competition alongside Paul Hollywood. After Berry’s departure in 2016, Prue Leith joined Hollywood as a judge in the tent.
In 2021, Netflix released a show with Season 6 winner Nadiya Hussein’s titled Nadiya Bakes. The series features Hussein baking up some of her own favorite recipes as well as those of bakers she admires.
‘Peaky Blinders’
Peaky Blinders is another British show that has been a hit with U.S. viewers. The period drama is set in Birmingham, England, in 1919 after World War I and is centered on the Peaky Blinders gang led by war hero Thomas Shelby. The series is loosely based on a real urban youth gang of the same name, who were active from the 1890s to the early 20th century.
Peaky Blinders features Irish actor Cillian Murphy who plays Tommy Shelby, Helen McCrory as Elizabeth “Polly” Gray, Joe Cole as John Shelby, and Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby. Actors Sam Neill, Tom Hardy, Paddy Considine, Adrien Brody, Aidan Gillen, Charlotte Riley, Sam Claflin, and Anya Taylor-Joy add to the star power with recurring roles on the show.
Seasons of all the shows mentioned above are currently available for streaming.
