100 years of the BBC and counting: the best shows on BBC iPlayer right now
What to watch on the BBC's 100 year anniversary
It was more than one hundred years ago that BBC made its first broadcast, with the words “2LO, Marconi House, London, calling” emenating on the radio waves at 5.33 PM on 14 November 1922. Things have moved on a bit since the days of crackly AM radio, so here’s our guide to the best shows on BBC iPlayer.
Over the decades the BBC has brought us everything from Del Boy to David Attenborough. There have been laughs (Guy Goma). There have been tears (the Euro 2020 final, but it’s too soon to talk about that). We’ve witnessed humans enter space, lizards escape snake attacks, the rise of Ceefax and the fall of Barry from EastEnders, all on the BBC.
Today, the BBC lives on iPlayer. And while it’s far from an exhaustive list, we toast 100 years of the Beeb with our picks of the best shows on BBC iPlayer right now.
Additional copy by Dan Grabham, Craig Grannell, Connor Jewiss, Ian Evenden and Tom Wiggins
OJ: Made in America
BBC Four’s Storyville series is a goldmine of incredible documentaries, but none of them can compete with the Oscar-winning OJ: Made in America – all 7.5 hours of it.
If you can’t spare an entire working day to watch it in one go, don’t worry, because it’s split into much more manageable 90-minute chunks on iPlayer. Each one examines a different part of OJ Simpson’s life, from his childhood growing up in San Francisco to his more recent, less well-known run-ins with the law, but it’s also about much more than that: power, celebrity, the media, justice, and, most of all, America’s problem with race.
Watch OJ: Made in America on iPlayer
How To with John Wilson
John Wilson films absolutely everything. From the mundane to the miraculous, he compiles his self-shot footage into 25ish-minute visual essays on various everyday themes, whether that’s making small talk or investing in property.
While that makes them sound painfully pretentious, they never take you where you think they will, and each one is packed with quirky metaphors and visual gags that, when combined with Wilson’s nerdy narration, result in a genuinely unique show that comes across like a collaboration between Adam Curtis and Louis Theroux.
Watch How To with John Wilson on iPlayer
Hey Duggee
Children: they’re like adults, with infinitely worse taste in television. But if you’re a parent driven to despair by the horrors you have to sit through, Hey Duggee has since 2014 been an oasis of amazingness.
The set-up is generic: anthropomorphic animals at a clubhouse learn new things. Yawn. But novel visuals, superb scripts peppered with adult-pleasing in-jokes and subversion, and narrator Alexander Armstrong chewing his way through the scenery all make for a kid’s show that you’ll sneak episodes of long after your nippers are tucked up in bed.
Now, Squirrels, let’s all sing along!
Stick stick stick stick, stick stick stick stick, stick stick stick stick, sticky sticky stick stick!
Killing Eve
This darkly comedic murder drama (yes, really) follows the titular Eve as a security operative for MI5. Taking a little too much interest with the assassin in an ongoing investigation, it takes us on a journey of fascination, self-discovery, and lots of bloody killings.
Murders thrill, twists actually surprise, and you’ll gain a deeper appreciation of what makes people tick. Perfect casting, dynamic storytelling, and a shake-up in the genre make this binger a must-watch.
Doctor Who
What list of the Beeb’s shows could be complete without its Sci-Fi diamond. Creeping up on 60 years, the show’s been around forever – and fans love it. With different actors getting the chance to take a crack at the titular time-traveller (well, The Doctor, not Doctor Who), the show constantly changes and evolves.
Going through wibbly-wobbly time-wimey space adventures, each episode brings a battle, monsters that’ll get you behind the couch, and a touch of warmth. While recent seasons haven’t lived up to the show, Doctor Who is a must-see for sci-fi fans across its 800-odd episodes.
Top Gear
The original version of the BBC’s car show is a goldmine of motor knowledge, sark, and wit. Each hour-long episode brought the latest in car news through the charming humour of Clarkson, May, and Hammond. Car reviews, track races, and some of the most out-of-the-box car challenges feature in each episode of the show.
Blurring the lines between news, consumer telly, and a comedy, the series stands out for the three presenters more so than the sets of wheels they’re sitting behind. Perfect for some light-hearted viewing, the 22 series of the original show must not be missed.
Not Going Out
Not Going Out is one of the Beeb’s long-running comedy shows. With Lee Mack playing a fictional version of himself, the series follows him navigate through life, relationships, and family drama.
It’s cheeky, heart-warming, and filled with enough clever one-liners to fill the Thames. Filled with a tremendously funny cast and enough audience laughter to fill a sound-stage, the cheeky series is one to catch-up on at any time.
Watch Not Going Out on iPlayer
What We Do in the Shadows
Loosely based on the movie with the same name, What We Do in the Shadows is a dark comedy from the BBC and FX looking at vampires struggling to adapt in the modern day.
Forget all the cheese you’d usually associate with vampire shows, as What We Do in the Shadows has none of that. Rather, it’s a mockumentary comedy filled with the struggles of a group of vampires. Starring Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, and Natasia Demetriou as the vampiric cast, the show could make even the undead laugh at the clever lines and absurdity of the entire premise.
Watch What We Do in the Shadows on iPlayer
Fleabag
BBC and Prime Video’s collaboration on this dark comedy can only be described as a televised masterpiece. Written and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this clever comedy is a televised version of a one-woman stage show.
The series follows the titular character navigating her way through bizarre family relationships, tough emotions, utterly bizarre situations, love, and ultimately, self-acceptance. Fleabag creates relatable characters through a show that’s so true-to-life that it’ll feel like a slap across the face (the good kind, naturally). It’s a stop-what-you’re-doing-and-go-watch-it kind of show – off you go.
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
There’s a certain genre of TV show that the BBC has long perfected. It usually involves a former politician, public figure or comedian doing an activity in a place. The premises are usually very simple. Does Michael Portillo enjoy trains? What if Romesh Ranganathan was in Romania? Where can we send Ed Balls now?
Few TV shows fulfil the need for wholesome celebrity action than Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. The show sees Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse pondering life over lines cast into quaint countryside settings. There are laughs, mostly from Mortimer falling over, but also lessons to learn in how to enjoy life from two people who’ve lived it well.
Watch Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing on iPlayer
Storyville
Storyville showcases the best in international documentaries that shine a light on untold stories from around the world. On iPlayer, the documentaries featured are ever-changing but always enthralling to watch. The once featured The Great Hip Hop Hoax highlighted how two Scottish friends deceived their way to a record deal by pretending to be American rappers. Orion: The Man Who Would Be King tells the tale of a man who masqueraded as Elvis back from the grave, and found great success doing it.
There are stories of crime, capitalism, controversy and Evel Knievel. Many will simply have you shaking your head in disbelief. Whatever emotion you want from your evening, it’s there on Storyville.
The Traitors
Claudia Winkleman and her fringe take a break from Strictly Come Dancing to present this British take on an international reality TV phenomenon that sprang from The Netherlands. It locks 22 players in a castle and forces them to play a version of the party game Mafia, with a small group of contestants working to bump off the others while remainin undetected. There’s a grand prize at the end of it all, ridiculous tasks for the contestants to do, and some extremely camp scenes of voting around a round table that make it a nail-biting watch.
Digging for Britain
There have been 11 series of this show, in which anatomist and professor Alice Roberts yomps around the country wearing a selection of excellent jewellery while talking to archaeologists about what they’re doing and what they’ve found, and it’s never less than fascinating. Weird Roman dodecahedrons that no one understands! Skeletons in unusual places! Gold dredged up from a river! Bits of old brown stuff that make men with beards very excited!
If you liked Channel 4’s Time Team you’ll be right at home, as not only are a few of the same faces present, but the general vibe of glee at new discoveries is spot on.
Jack Needham
