30 forgotten TV shows you need to stream
30 forgotten TV shows you need to stream
Michael HoganSun, November 8, 2026 at 8:00 AM UTC
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With endless channels and ever-more streaming services, there’s a lot of television out there. Arguably too much. So it’s all too easy for TV treasures to get missed by audiences or unfairly judged by those pesky critics. Present company excepted, of course.
With that in mind, we’ve rummaged through the archives and picked 30 hidden retro gems that merit seeking out on the streamers. From criminally neglected comedies to unappreciated dramas, from rarely repeated documentaries to retro factual fare, these are the small screen’s best-kept secrets.
A Perfect Spy (1987, BBC iPlayer)
Peter Egan as spy Magnus Pym - BBC
A worthy successor to the George Smiley classics, this John le Carré adaptation charted the moral dissolution of high-level MI6 spook Magnus Pym (Peter Egan). Spanning from his schooldays to his downfall as a suspected double agent for the Czech secret service, the Emmy-nominated seven-parter unfolded in spellbinding fashion. Pym’s complex relationship with his conman father (Ray McAnally) was poignantly portrayed.
Hammer House of Horror (1980, ITVX)
Children of the Full Moon, one of the Hammer House of Horror episodes
Most classic horror anthologies – The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents – were US-made. This one was quintessentially British. Across 13 self-contained episodes, horror tropes included witches, werewolves and devil worship, alongside less supernatural terrors such as cannibalism, confinement and serial killers. Hammer Films stalwart Peter Cushing starred in his final production for the studio, The Silent Scream, while memories of The House That Bled to Death still haunt viewers of a certain vintage.
At Home with the Braithwaites (2000-2003, Channel 4/ITVX/U)
Amanda Redman, Sarah Churm, Julie Graham, Sarah Smart, Keeley Fawcett and Peter Davison in At Home with the Braithwaites - ITV
A decade before Happy Valley and Last Tango In Halifax, writer Sally Wainwright created this unjustly forgotten gem. The ITV comedy-drama followed a Leeds family whose lives were upended when the matriarch (Amanda Redman) won £38m on the lottery. Cue delicious what-if dilemmas. Go public or keep it secret? Invest or give it to charity? How should she reward her cheating husband (Peter Davison) and their three troublesome daughters?
The Ascent of Man (1973, BBC iPlayer)
Presenter and mathematician Jacob Bronowski in 1973 outside the Salk Institute, San Diego, California - Tony Evans/Timelapse Library Ltd.
It’s been hailed as the finest documentary series ever made. Who would argue? Pitched as a personal overview to complement Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation – and commissioned by a certain David Attenborough – the 13-part opus saw mathematician Jacob Bronowski travelling the world to trace the development of human society through its understanding of science. Eloquent, elegant and rarely bettered. The sequence where Bronowski sifted through the ashes at Auschwitz, where several members of his family died, was devastating.
Boon (1986-1992, ITVX)
Michael Elphick (second left) with David Daker (left), Neil Morrissey and Saskia Wickham in Boon - Cinematic/Alamy
Altogether now: “Hi-ho, Silver, here comes the Lone Ranger / He’s riding on down to rescue me.” This Minder-style romp followed retired fireman Ken Boon (Michael Elphick) in his new line of work as a private investigator, bodyguard and all-round troubleshooter. As his newspaper small ad said: “Ex-fireman seeks interesting work. Anything legal considered.” Boon rode around on his vintage BSA Lightning, righting wrongs, aided by fellow former “smokey” Harry (David Daker) and dim-bulb biker Rocky (a baby-faced Neil Morrissey).
Cranford (2007-2009, Netflix/U)
Celia Imrie, Imelda Staunton, Judi Dench, Julia McKenzie and Deborah Findlay in Cranford - BBC 2009
Call the Midwife’s Heidi Thomas showed her flair for popular period drama by affectionately adapting three of Elizabeth Gaskell’s stories into this handsome, subtly observed series. Set in a fictional Cheshire village during the early 1840s, it focused on the local spinsters and widows as they manoeuvred, gossiped and kept up genteel appearances. Eileen Atkins was the standout in a high-calibre, bonnet-clad cast that included Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton and Lesley Manville.
Jake’s Progress (1995, Channel 4)
Julie Walters and Robert Lindsay starred as a dysfunctional couple in Jake’s Progress - TV Times
“Play wi’ me, Daddy!” One of Alan Bleasdale’s under-appreciated works was, he said: “About what adults can do to children and what children can do to adults.” A dysfunctional couple (Robert Lindsay and Julie Walters) struggling to cope with their “difficult” son Jake’s increasingly erratic behaviour – not to mention a deeply worrying palm-reading from Lindsay Duncan. By turns heartbreaking and hilarious, the eight-part series took some surprise twists.
The Secret World of Michael Fry (2000, Channel 4)
Rosie Marcel as sex worker Donna in The Secret World of Michael Fry - Channel 4
Written by Paul Abbott shortly before State of Play, this two-part miniseries touched on similar conspiracy themes, albeit with more Kafka-esque bleak humour. While closing down a seaside hotel, town planner Michael Fry (Trainspotting’s Ewen Bremner) stumbles across a sinister plot in his Welsh hometown. He soon finds himself entangled in civic corruption and sleazy online sex, while confronting powerful adversaries with secrets to protect.
Driving School (1997, BBC iPlayer)
Driving School was a landmark docusoap - BBC
Accompanying a group of learner drivers around Bristol and South Wales, this landmark docusoap pressed the accelerator on the reality TV boom. A surprise low-budget hit on BBC One, it captivated 12 million viewers and created the genre’s first breakout star in Maureen Rees, a cleaning lady from Cardiff who failed her test six times and was nicknamed “the driver from L”.
Love/Hate (2010-2014, ITVX/Disney+)
Hailed as one of Ireland’s greatest shows of all time, this addictive RTÉ thriller deserved a wider audience. The story of a Dublin crime gang run by kingpin John Boy (Aiden Gillen, with “Only God Can Judge Me” tattooed on his back), it was unflinching about the ripple effects of drugs and violence. Rising talents such as Barry Keoghan, Ruth Negga, Robert Sheehan and Killian Scott made their mark, while the scarily intense Nigel “Nidge” Delaney (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) developed into a character for the ages.
A Woman of Independent Means (1995, Amazon Prime Video)
Sally Field as Texan belle Bess Alcott - Everett Collection Inc/Alamy
Based on the epistolary novel by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, this NBC melodrama was led by an award-garlanded and magisterial Sally Field. Feature-length episodes traced the tumultuous life of privileged Texan belle Bess Alcott across seven decades, from marriage to her childhood sweetheart to her dotage as a devoted grandmother. As Bess reminisced, it built into a moving portrait of indomitable womanhood and social change during the 20th century.
Bodies (2004-2006, BBC iPlayer)
Max Beesley as junior doctor Rob Lake in Bodies - BBC/Hat Trick Productions
Pass the gas and air. Before Line of Duty, screenwriter and former NHS doctor Jed Mercurio created his criminally underappreciated masterpiece. The provocative medical thriller was told from the perspective of horrified junior registrar Rob Lake (Max Beesley) as he uncovered the dangerous negligence of his boss, consultant Roger Hurley (Patrick Baladi). Should he blow the whistle or adhere to the maxim of “doctors look after doctors”? Full of grisly botched surgery and gallows humour, it was tense from start to finish. Mercurio says: “Bodies remains the drama I’m most proud of.”
A Fine Romance (1981-1984, ITVX)
Dame Judi Dench made her first foray into TV comedy with this bittersweet LWT sitcom, co-starring her real-life husband, Michael Williams. It chronicled the tentative relationship between translator Laura and landscape gardener Mike, both happily single but match-made by Laura’s meddling sister (Susan Penhaligon). To sighs of happiness nationwide, the on-off couple eventually got engaged in the final series. Dench even sang the jazzy theme tune.
Dickensian (2015-2016, BBC iPlayer)
Tuppence Middleton as a young Amelia Havisham and Joseph Quinn as Arthur Havisham in Dickensian - Liam Daniel
The brainchild of EastEnders scribe Tony Jordan, this inventive costume drama reimagined the work of Charles Dickens as a whodunit-meets-soap opera. It brought together characters from multiple novels in one Victorian London neighbourhood. Bleak House’s Inspector Bucket investigated the murder of A Christmas Carol’s Jacob Marley, while Great Expectations’ Havisham siblings fought over their inheritance and Little Nell was taken ill at the Old Curiosity Shop. Over 20 pacey half-hour instalments, a starry cast, handsome production design and sparkling scripts made for a playful homage to the much-loved source material.
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Party Animals (2007, ITVX)
Matt Smith as Labour researcher Danny Foster - BBC
The sexy, buzzy show that brought Matt Smith to the attention of Doctor Who producers, this cult drama followed the researchers, lobbyists, advisors and interns working in the backrooms of Westminster. They juggled their messy love lives with the small matter of running the country. A cool young cast included Andrew Buchan, Shelley Conn and Andrea Riseborough alongside the future Time Lord. Think This Life meets The Thick of It.
Ultraviolet (1998, Channel 4)
Idris Elba, Jack Davenport, Susannah Harker and Philip Quast in horror-thriller Ultraviolet - Channel 4
Forget cloaks and castles. This hip, hi-tech horror thriller took a more modern, scientific approach to vampires. Indeed, the V-word was never used. In the near-future, a police detective (Jack Davenport) investigates his best friend’s disappearance. Realising that the errant man has been turned to the blood-sucking dark side, he joins a clandestine paramilitary vampire-hunting organisation, secretly supported by the British government and the Vatican. The young cast included Idris Elba and Stephen Moyer, who would later find Stateside fame in another vampire drama, True Blood.
Dressing for Breakfast (1995-1998, Channel 4)
Best friends Louise (Beatie Edney) and Carla (Holly Aird) in Dressing for Breakfast - Channel 4
A sort of home-grown spin on Sex and the City – or perhaps a female remix of Men Behaving Badly – this likeable Gen-X romcom followed terminally single, 30-something jewellery maker Louise (Beatie Edney). Her quest to find love is helped by sassy best friend Carla (Holly Aird) but hindered by her meddling mother, hippy-dippy therapist Liz (Charlotte Cornwell).
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2015, Amazon Prime Video)
The dazzling BBC adaptation of Susanna Clarke’s bestselling novel was bafflingly underrated. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, this alt-history’s premise was that magic existed but was rarely practised until revived by two men: the crabbed, reclusive Gilbert Norrell (Eddie Marsan) and rakish, dissolute Jonathan Strange (Bertie Carvel). An intoxicating fantasy, spanning from York Minster to Venice, from Belgian battlefields to the faerie realm.
Cold Lazarus/Karaoke (1996, Channel 4)
Keeley Hawes in Dennis Potter’s Karaoke
It was a measure of screenwriter Dennis Potter’s stature that rival broadcasters complied with his dying wish that his two final teleplays should be aired as companion pieces on BBC One and Channel 4. Karaoke saw playwright Daniel Feeld (Albert Finney) driven to distraction as his latest script seemed to bleed into reality. Cold Lazarus, Potter’s only foray into science fiction, was set in the dystopian 24th century and saw Feeld’s frozen head revived in a cryogenics lab. Look out for a young Keeley Hawes and Saffron Burrows in early roles.
Timeslip (1970-1971, ITVX)
Timeslip was surprisingly ambitious and thoughtful for a children’s sci-fi series
This ATV children’s sci-fi drama, conceived as a more grounded rival to the BBC’s increasingly outlandish Doctor Who, is something of a lost classic. In a field near a disused military base, two teenagers discover a strange anomaly that enables them to travel through time. Surprisingly ambitious and thoughtful for a teatime series, it touched on troubling themes such as genetic cloning, bio-weapons and abuse of technology. It refused to talk down to its audience and with its prescient environmental concerns, Timeslip echoed its grown-up counterpart Doomwatch.
Underworld (1997, Channel 4)
Alun Armstrong as gangster Teddy Middlemass in Underworld
Writer Andy Hamilton’s quirky crime caper saw a suburban teacher (James Fleet) stunned to discover that his wife had eloped with her lover and taken everything. Searching for her with his sister (Susan Wooldridge), the hapless siblings stumble into a gangland turf war between the seemingly soft-hearted Teddy Middlemass (Alun Armstrong) and sadistic Mr Jezzard (Kevin McNally). The late Mike Reid, of Runaround and Frank Butcher fame, popped up as a bigoted taxi driver.
Back to Life (2019-2021, BBC iPlayer)
Daisy Haggard plays Miri, an ex-convict, trying to rebuild her life - Luke Varley
Creator and star Daisy Haggard’s dark comedy-drama had humour, heart and was full of surprises. Released after serving an 18-year prison sentence for murder, Miri (Haggard) tries to rebuild her life but is shunned by her home town of Hythe, Kent. However, she forms a faltering friendship with Billy (Adeel Akhtar), a carer for the elderly woman next door. A delightful blend of off-kilter wit and tender romance.
Sean’s Show (1992-1993, Channel 4)
Comedian Sean Hughes played a fictionalised version of himself in Sean’s Show
Sean Hughes, the late Irish stand-up, played a fictionalised version of himself in this self-aware sitcom, stylistically influenced by US trailblazer The Garry Shandling Show. From his grotty flat, Sean pines for his true love Susan, while avoiding Angela, a fling “who I did not lead on”. Surreal action is punctuated by cameos from Windsor Davies, Brian Cox and Vinnie Jones, alongside bands including Pulp and the Cure. Hughes killed off the entire cast at the climax of the debut run, not expecting the show to be renewed. Unexpectedly granted a follow-up, he was forced to resurrect them all.
Floyd on France (1987, BBC iPlayer)
Celebrity chef Keith Floyd revolutionised TV cooking shows - Getty Images
From his bow tie to his teasing of cameraman Clive, much-missed restaurateur Keith Floyd’s series is a throwback to simpler times for foodie TV. The garrulous gastronaut took cooking out of the studio and onto the road, preparing food in unusual locations with a glass of the local plonk permanently in his hand. His chaotic style – getting steadily sloshed while giving unscripted, unfussy instructions to viewers at home – wasn’t just hugely entertaining, but pioneering. He’ll drink to that.
Traffik (1989, Channel 4)
Pakistani actor Talat Hussain played drug lord Tariq Butt in Traffik
It scooped an Emmy and four Baftas, but this panoramic war-on-drugs drama has somehow been forgotten. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of the global narcotics trade, joining the dots from Afghan poppy farmers to Pakistani chemists, from German smugglers to British addicts and Home Office ministers. A decade later, Steven Soderbergh would base his epic Oscar-winning film Traffic on the politically charged series, relocating the battlefront to the US-Mexico border.
Hamish Macbeth (1995-1997, BBC iPlayer/Amazon Prime Video)
Robert Carlyle (left) as policeman Hamish Macbeth
Long before the term “cosy crime” became ubiquitous, this BBC Scotland series was a Sunday-night treat. Loosely based on the novels by MC Beaton, it starred Robert Carlyle as a police constable in the fictitious west-coast town of Lochdubh. Laid-back Hamish is more interested in keeping the peace than enforcing the letter of the law, let alone chasing promotion. Wee Jock, his trusty West Highland terrier, looked on with his head quizzically cocked.
Buried (2003, Channel 4)
Award-winning prison drama Buried was praised as an authentic portrait of life behind bars - Channel 4
The ever-excellent Lennie James led this award-winning prison drama as a family man sentenced to 10 years inside for attempting to shoot the man who raped his sister. Respected by fellow inmates for the nature of his offence, he rises to the top of the D-Wing hierarchy, taking over the drug and money-lending operation of his hardened criminal brother. With criminologists and prison officers as advisors, it was praised as a grittily authentic portrait of life behind bars.
Life Begins (2004-2006, ITVX)
Caroline Quentin (far right) plays a newly single parent in Life Begins - ITV
When Cold Feet creator Mike Bullen hit 40, he watched his friends divorce, switch careers or re-evaluate their lives. It inspired this wry drama, originally designed as a vehicle for Sarah Lancashire but ultimately starring Caroline Quentin. As travel agent Maggie Mee, she struggles to adjust to single parenthood after husband Phil (Alexander Armstrong) leaves her for another woman. Anne Reid and Frank Finlay stole scenes as her eccentric parents.
Never Never (2000, Channel 4)
John Simm as a loan shark who experiences a crisis of conscience in Never Never - Channel 4
Inspired by the likes of Richard Branson, playwright Tony Marchant examined the phenomenon of “benign entrepreneurs” in this savagely funny morality tale. When roguish loan shark John (John Simm) falls for one of his clients, single mother Jo (Sophie Okonedo), he decides to leave his past behind and open an ethical credit union to help council-estate residents out of debt. Naturally, his former bosses disapprove and try everything to make the do-gooding business fail.
The Fades (2011, BBC iPlayer)
Daniel Kaluuya, Lily Loveless, Ian de Caestecker, Johnny Harris and Natalie Dormer in Bafta-winning The Fades - Dean Rogers
Written by Adolescence’s Jack Thorne, this Bafta-winning supernatural drama followed a bed-wetting student who could see vengeful spirits of the dead all around him. He was soon pulled into a high-stakes battle between these zombie-like “Fades” and the “Angelics” able to detect them. The gifted cast boasted Natalie Dormer, Daniel Kaluuya, Johnny Harris, Claire Rushbrook, and This Life’s Daniela Nardini as a gun-toting priest. Tense, haunting and satisfyingly gory.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
