The weather is turning (sob!), which means there’s only one thing for it: some good old rainy day TV. Because there’s nothing quite like a brilliant drama to lift your mood when the sun decides it’s given us enough joy for one year.
From a cosy period drama to an Adolescence-like crime thriller, we’ve picked out 10 top-rated dramas to cosy up with when the weather motivates you to do little else. In fact, you might not be leaving the sofa for a while once you’ve read the list. So, pop the kettle on and get ready to binge our pick of the shows to watch now on Netflix, ITV the BBC and more.
The Gathering
This gritty crime drama has recently arrived on Netflix and it’s been dominating the charts ever since. Why? Well, the Merseyside-set series centres around a violent attack on a teenage girl during a rave on a tidal islet – as well as a group of teens from disparate backgrounds, each of whom could have committed the crime. We also meet their parents who give cause for suspicion, too. When it first aired last May, The Gathering created an Adolescence-like buzz and when you tune in, you’ll understand why. Available to watch on Channel 4 now.
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Karen Pirie
This beloved police drama has been called one of the best detective shows in years - and rightly so. Adapted from Val McDermid’s hugely popular cold case novels, the series revolves around, you guessed it, the titular Scottish investigator Karen Pirie (played by Lauren Lyle), who's also easily one of the best detectives we’ve had in years. Series 1 sees Karen put in charge of investigating a 25-year-old cold case that’s become the subject of a true crime podcast, while series 2 finds her embroiled in the case of a kidnapped heiress and her young son. Both are brilliantly gripping and well worth indulging in a binge session for. Series 1 and 2 are available to watch on ITVX now.
Untamed
Fancy a trip to Yosemite National Park? This is the series that will take you there – but do expect it to be a rather tumultuous journey. The gripping murder mystery introduces us to Kyle Turner (Eric Bana), a special agent in an elite branch of the National Parks Service who works to enforce human law in nature’s vast wilderness. When a brutal murder takes place on the grounds of Yosemite National Park, Kyle finds himself on a hunt to find the killer - and it seems the case has deep, unsettling connections to the park and himself. Series 1 is available to watch on Netflix now and a second series is currently in development.
The Couple Next Door
When we say you won’t be able to stop watching Channel 4’s deliciously dark psychological thriller, we mean it in the best possible way. The first series saw a couple, played by Eleanor Tomlinson and Alfred Enoch, move to a new neighbourhood to start a family, only to find themselves tangled up in a complex web of desire and betrayal with their new neighbours. Series 2, which arrived earlier this year, invites us into the world of all-new couple, heart surgeon Charlotte (The Split’s Annabel Scholey) and consultant anaesthetist Jacob (Sam Palladio) who move into the infamous cul-de-sac and meet Mia (Aggy K Adams). And it isn’t long before Mia works her way into their lives. Series 1 and 2 are available to watch on Channel 4 now.
All Creatures Great and Small
This cosy period drama is undoubtedly the most comforting show on TV and, for All Creatures Great and Small newbies, there’s a whopping 5 series to work your way through. The reboot of the 1970s hit series follows rural vet James Herriot (played by Nicholas Ralph) as he navigates life in the Yorkshire Dales, from dealing with the local animals to its equally just as unpredictable human. A sixth series is due to arrive on Channel 5 this autumn, so you’ve got just enough time to catch up before then! Series 1-5 are available to stream on Channel 5 now.
This City is Ours
If you haven’t yet sunk your teeth into this exceptional crime drama, we implore you to do so immediately. From the moment one of its producers Andy Harries teased that “it’s going to blow the doors off", we knew it was going to be good – and it exceeded our expectations. The drama sees Sean Bean step into the shoes of ruthless gang leader Ronnie Phelan, whose impending retirement sets off a series of catastrophic events. His longtime colleague, Michael (James Nelson-Joyce), also starts to dream of a life outside crime, but it seems Ronnie’s son has other ambitions - and he'll stop at nothing in pursuit of them. Thankfully, there’s also a second series on the way. Available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.
Suspicion
ITVX snapped up this edge-of-your seat thriller earlier this year and we’re extremely glad it did. The eight-part drama, which was originally released on Apple TV+ in 2022 , revolves around the disappearance of American businesswoman Katherine Newman’s (Uma Thurman) son Leonardo, who's kidnapped from a New York hotel. The eye of suspicion quickly falls on five seemingly ordinary British citizens who were at the hotel on the night in question – but were they involved? Or were they simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? Available to watch on ITVX now.
The Teacher
Channel 5’s hugely popular anthology drama enters us into the lives of secondary school teachers who find themselves caught up in personal and professional crises. It all kicks off in series 1 with Sheridan Smith’s Jenna Garvey, an English teacher at a public school in Bradford who’s accused of sleeping with a 15-year-old student after a night out. Series 2 follows Kara Tointon as new teacher Dani who, unhappy in her marriage to fellow teacher Tim (Emmett J. Scanlan) and embarks on an affair with her colleague Jimmy Spencer (Will Mellor). What starts out as a spontaneous moment of passion, soon turns more sinister when a student goes missing. With a third series starring Victoria Hamilton on the way, now’s the time to catch up. Series 1 and 2 are available to watch on Channel 5 now.
Mix Tape
We don’t often recommend romantic dramas, but this is a romance of a different kind. The BBC’s four-part series follows Daniel (Jim Sturgess) and Alison (Teresa Palmer) and moves between their teenage romance in 1989 Sheffield and the modern-day reality of their adult relationships living on opposite sides of the world. The pair reconnect through a song from their past and explore their burning curiosity to understand if the love and life they have now are those that were meant for them. The 80s soundtrack is a standout and it’s so brilliantly acted that you can almost feel the heartbreak at the centre of it all. Available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.
Annika
Based on the hit Radio 4 drama of the same name, Annika introduces us to the brilliantly witty and enigmatic DI Annika Strandhed (Nicola Walker), who heads up the Marine Homicide Unit (MHU) in Scotland. The team's task? To investigate the many unexplainable - and unfathomable - murders that wash up in the Scottish waterways. Brilliantly twisty and full of dry humour, it’s the sort of police drama you can get lost in for hours. Oh, and Nicola is of course impeccable in it.
