We’ve already brought you our pick of the best series of 2024 so far, but the BBC has brought us a number of impressive new and returning shows all on its own – and that’s before the autumn TV schedule has properly kicked in.
Whether the primetime slot on BBC One is your viewing habit of choice, or a boxset binge on BBC iPlayer (one of the best streaming services in the UK) is more your jam, here’s what you’ve probably been watching on the Beeb in 2024.
Lost Boys and Fairies
This Cardiff-set series, created by Daf James, tells the story of a gay couple’s journey towards adoption – something still so rarely explored, from a queer perspective, on screen.
Lost Boys and Fairies has been described as “profoundly joyful”, while also still making room for some more complex and weighty themes. One particular scene was named by Digital Spy as being one of the best LGBTQ+ moments on screen in the past year.
The Jetty
Jenna Coleman was front and centre of this new BBC drama, taking on the role of Detective Ember Manning as she investigated a story that could turn out to be a little too close to home. I May Destroy You‘s Weruche Opia is another standout as podcast sleuther Riz, whose path crosses with Ember.
Set across two timelines, to untangle a 17-year-old mystery, The Jetty starts off as a pretty standard crime drama but soon strays into #MeToo-related themes.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Based on the immensely popular YA novel by author Holly Jackson, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder came to the BBC earlier this year and is now storming the charts of Netflix’s most-watched series right now in the US.
Wednesday‘s Emma Myers stars as Pip Fitz-Amobi who, along with a band of pals, uses the school holidays to investigate the disappearance of a schoolmate who went missing five years prior.
Doctor Who
Ncuti Gatwa, and returning showrunner Russell T Davies, ushered in another new era for the beloved sci-fi show, taking it to a whole new audience on Disney+ (but, of course, it will always be a BBC staple to us).
With standout episodes including ‘73 Yards‘ and the much-celebrated ‘Rogue‘ (which boasted Jonathan Groff as a guest star), season 14 (or season 1, depending on your POV) will go down as one of the strongest Doctor debuts.
The Responder
The second season of The Responder took us back to Liverpool, six months after the events of the BAFTA-nominated cop show’s premiere season.
The BBC drama injected some grittiness and realism into the police procedural, and stars Martin Freeman as 999 response officer Chris Carson and Adelayo Adedayo as rookie Rachel.
The Tourist
Another BBC big-hitter coming back for season two this year, the Jamie Dornan-fronted drama moved from Australia to Ireland – although its distinctive tone translated well.
As we wrote in our review: “Under the capable guidance of the Williams brothers, Dornan is a Jason Bourne-style action hero while also capitalising on his very real knack for comedy.”
Domino Day
The Buffy comparisons were inevitable, but Domino Day put its own spin on the witchy fantasy genre – and was also more firmly grounded in modern times.
The show centres on a powerful witch with a dark secret, who uses dating apps to hunt. The six-part series is also packed full of queer metaphors, which is always worth celebrating.
I Kissed a Girl
Hot off the heels of I Kissed a Boy, it was time for the girls to enter the Italian masseria and have a crack at finding love.
The reality dating show has fast become a calendar event for the Beeb, and we can’t wait to see where this long-overdue format (can you believe it marks the very first gay dating format in the UK?) will go next.
The Traitors US
AKA, the one with Ekin-Su.
You may have already seen clips all over TikTok, but the American version of the breakthrough hit – which happens to incorporate celebs within its line-up of Faithfuls and Traitors – was added to BBC iPlayer for all of us to enjoy.
TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK’s biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world’s oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).