Best Dramas on BBC iPlayer

Some of these shows may not currently available on BBC iPlayer – so please check if you want to watch something specific.

Do you remember the dim and distant past when you use to eagerly await the next episode of some drama or TV show.  You’d finish watching then spend a week talking about it with friends and family?  The online world has of course changed all this and introduced other viewing challenges – basically now there’s too much to watch.  I don’t know about you, but my lists are full of drama, movies and TV shows that I think I should watch (but never quite get round to it).   Yet they can’t be that appealing as some of them have sat in my lists for months without being watched.

One of the problems with Netflix in my opinion is no ratings or ranking, so you’re never quite sure how good a show might be.  However, there’s one online channel that rarely fails to supply quality and that’s BBC iPlayer.  I can’t remember the last time I watched a poor drama or programme on the BBC.

So if you’re at a loss for what to watch then why not consider some of these shows.  Most of them are on the BBC iPlayer archive for a few months, with a couple of exceptions.

Best Current BBC Dramas on BBC iPlayer

This is not a definitive list but just a selection of some of the best dramas I think that are currently streaming on the BBC. The standard policy is to broadcast a show then put it on the archive for twelve months. Mostly you’ll find this is true however there are some exceptions. Any sport is usually restricted for a week or so if that, you can only watch Match of the Day live or for a few days on the archive.

Most films are only available for a short period unless they’re specifically produced by the BBC.  Also, some dramas are collaborations with other broadcasters and there may be more restrictions on how long they can be archived for.   Generally, though you’ll find most stuff is on for a decent amount of time, including some of the older classics.   There are definitely more restrictions nowadays though although that’s largely because much is moved onto Britbox very quickly.

Anyway here’s a selection of the current BBC dramas which you can watch in November 2020 and possibly beyond.

Some of these dramas are brand new and only just been released including Steve McQueen’s new show Small Axe. However, many of the dramas like Line of Duty were first broadcast many years ago. There’s not been the huge removal of shows from the BBC iPlayer archive that many of us feared with the launch of Britbox. Indeed, although some very popular shows seem to be archived for slightly less time, it’s hard to see any drop in quality or quantity on the site.

To have a free archive like BBC iPlayer is a wonderful resource especially for those of us who watch a lot of programmes online. Fortunately, people are still able to access the BBC iPlayer to watch their dramas abroad too. Investing in an inexpensive VPN is a fabulous investment if you either live or travel outside the United Kingdom a lot. Not only do you get access to thousands of shows on the BBC iPlayer but you can also watch live too. Plus, the other UK TV stations all broadcast online too including the ITV Hub which is excellent and the vastly improved All4 site now too.

All of this works perfectly with most decent VPNs like NordVPN as long as you connect to a UK VPN server.