Come rain, shine or world-ending apocalypse, there's always something a bit special about seeing London on the small screen. The capital has played host to countless films and TV shows, but some of them stand out - whether that's the gritty estates of Top Boy or the claustrophobic, endless corridors of The Thick Of It.
It's true: other cities exist. Obviously we're a bit biased, so here's our roundup of the best shows featuring London in all its glory.
Top Boy
A revelation when it first aired in 2011, this show bowed out with a bang last year. Set in and around London – specifically the fictional Summerhouse Estate – the show itself follows Dushane and Sully (Ashley Walters and Kano), former friends turned rivals who both want to control London’s drug trade. It’s brutal and bleak, but it’s a fascinating watch, and portrays life on the city’s estates in a way few others, before or since, have done.
Luther
This is London in all its grimy glory. The show follows DI Luther of the Met Police (Idris Elba) as he goes about solving crime with a combination of smarts and violence. He’ll need it, because he’s up against some real wrong’uns. The capital is almost a character too in Luther: the small, dark alleyways, the quiet suburbs and of course the iconic red London buses, one of which becomes the setting for arguably the show’s most terrifying moment.
Slow Horses
Apple TV+’s ongoing thriller series might take its protagonists all over the world, but they’re firmly based in London. In Slough House, to be exact: the place that secret agents are sent when they’ve outlived their usefulness. Gary Oldman leads the cast as Jackson Lamb, a curmudgeonly spy who nevertheless manages to land himself and his agents in a fair amount of international conspiracies. Even better, season four is coming soon.
Sherlock
Benedict Cumberbatch started a revolution when he first appeared on our screens in 2011 as the titular detective Sherlock. With a script penned by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffatt, a reluctant sidekick in Martin Freeman’s John Watson, and endless black cabs to ride across town in (as well as a twist-laden script), the show was an instant hit. And who could forget his iconic headquarters of 221b Baker Street?
House of Cards (1990)
Forget America: the original House of Cards series was set in London and is widely considered to be one of the best British shows ever made. Airing from 1990, it tells the story of Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson), a Machiavellian politician who concocts a devious plan to unseat the Prime Minister and claws his way up to the top of the greasy pole. It sparked a US spinoff, coined multiple catchphrases (“You might think that; I couldn’t possibly comment” being one) and was written by Michael Dobbs, a former chief of staff at Conservative Party headquarters.
Only Fools and Horses
No list of London TV would be complete without the inclusion of this epic London sitcom. The antics of Rodney and Del Boy, forever on the hunt for a get-rich-quick scheme, have made the show into a pop culture juggernaut. Set in Peckham (pre gentrification, of course), a world of spivs, eel shops and rickety old cars, it still holds up surprisingly well – after all, does slapstick ever really age?
It’s A Sin
Russell T Davies’ devastating show prompted sobs around the country when it aired in 2021. Set in the 1980s, it’s a clear-eyed look at a group of young gay men and the AIDs crisis that slowly destroys their lives. Featuring standout performances (including from Years and Years’ Olly Alexander) that made many of the cast stars in their own right, its depiction of the London LGBTQ+ scene (and public intolerance) over the AIDs years is both fascinating and sobering.
Fleabag
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s stunning turn in Fleabag made her a star, and it’s not hard to see why. Telling the story of an unnamed woman in her early thirties, the show follows her from disaster to disaster as she attempts to reconcile with her unhealthy relationships with love, sex and family. It’s addictively watchable, and bonus points: it’s filmed in London, specifically Camden and around Highgate. And isn't Olivia Colman utterly detestable as her stepmother?
The Thick Of It
This might have been the spiritual successor to Yes, Minister, but the foul-mouthed dialogue and relentlessly cynical tone are iconic in their own right. The Thick Of It followed a group of Special Advisors, civil servants, politicians and other political hangers-on in government – with Peter Capaldi reigning over them all as the sweary spin doctor Malcolm Tucker. Set in the corridors of Westminster, it’s about as London as it’s possible to get and features iconic quote upon iconic quote. It’s also a firm favourite with many politicians: make of that what you will…
The Bodyguard
The show that made water-cooler moments a national obsession once again. The Bodyguard starred Keeley Hawes as Home Secretary Julia Montague, who comes under threat due to her aggressive style of politics, and Richard Madden as David Budd, a former Afghanistan veteran assigned to be her bodyguard. The show's exploration of politics, PTSD and terrorism were all praised, but let's be honest - it was the simmering sexual tension that kept people talking.
I May Destroy You
Michaela Coel’s smash hit 2020 show explores knotty themes around sexual consent and abuse. Coel is Arabella, a young aspiring writer who found fame young as a star on Twitter – but after a drunken night out with her friends, she is raped in a bar toilet. The resulting twelve-episode series was widely praised for everything from its sensitive handling of trauma to (of all things) having sex on your period.
The Crown
Yes, technically it takes place all over the world, but what’s more quintessentially British (or indeed London) than the Royal Family? The Netflix blockbuster tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II from her earliest days as Queen right through until around 2005, when William and Kate first get together. It’s sprawling and expansive, and if the dialogue can sometimes get a bit silly (or unrealistic), well, the costumes are always gorgeous.
