Check out our list of recommended and the best BBC iPlayer Shows to watch in Canada in 2024!
From shows on BBC Archives to the extensive library of BBC programs, movies, and documentaries there is so much the streaming app can offer. Wait, this may tickle your senses, as BBC iPlayer offers live and catch-up content from its channels.
But If you’re wondering how to watch BBC iPlayer in Canada to stream your favorite shows then that’s a simple process as well. BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted but you can easily watch it in Canada with the help of a VPN service.
BBC has some of the best dramas you’ve probably not seen, including recent hits. And with the much available content, it’s okay to be stuck for ideas of what best to watch. Don’t worry! We have scooped some of the best BBC iPlayer shows for you to choose from.
What are the Best BBC iPlayer Shows to Watch in 2024?
1. Peaky Blinders
Genre: Crime, drama
Created by: Steven Knight
Cast: Sam Neill, Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory
You can enjoy all the 6 series of Peaky Blinders on BBC iPlayer. The ensemble cast led by Cillian Murphy gives you a clear perspective of what it means to run a gang family. The show features a gang who sews razor blades in the peaks of their caps and would enrich themselves from the black market or illegal betting. All the same, the acts came to the attention of Campbell, a detective chief inspector on a mission to clean up the Irish city.
The crime drama is one of the best shows on BBC iPlayer you don’t want to miss. I assure you no disappointments from the epic gangster saga.
2. We Are Black and British
Genre: Reality-TV
Created by: David Olusoga
Cast: Dominique Samuels, Mercy Muroki, Kehinde Andrews
The BBC program has six black Britons all from different backgrounds, seen when the racism topic in the U.K. has boiled up and bubbled a debate of the need for a change in this show.
This brings up questions about being black and British. In the heated discussion, three Drs. Naomi, Watson, Ayobami, and Anthony Gunter brainstorm on the topic using divergent opinions based on education, healthcare, criminal justice, and the economy. And every Black can attest that; We Are Black and British is one of the most intelligent reality TV show on BBC iPlayer in the modern scenario.
3. Dodger
Genre: Drama, comedy, family
Created by: Rhys Thomas
Cast: Christopher Eccleston, Billy Jenkins, Billy Jenkins
Yenning for a family drama? Roll your sleeves for Dodger.
Dodger is a brand new family drama based on Oliver Twist. It follows notorious pickpockets, who by all means want to survive the brutal conditions in Victoria, London, in the 1830s. The Fagin’s gang, led by Dodger, has a partner in crime, a girl named Charley Bates.
Christopher Eccleston, the top cast playing the Fagin, Tang, Polly, and Tom, are all making their way out to get their lives better while meeting Fagin’s demands.
4. Louis Theroux’s Forbidden America
Genre: Documentary
Created by: Gaëlle Bellan
Cast: Mia Malkova , Louis Theroux, Lola Fae
The show will have you hooked on how social media impacts the youths in the U.S. The American far-right has splashed out from the internet, whose presence is all over.
The show features Louis, who meets all kinds of content creators, including those who are in the public domain following the Capitol Hills uprisings. There are also other online communities who are destructive performers in an attempt to try and understand the cause of the surge in popularity of the acrimonious rhetoric, provided to onliners.
5. This Is Going to Hurt
Genre: Comedy, medical drama
Created by: Adam Kay
Cast: Ambika Mod, Ben Whishaw, Alex Jennings
This is Going to Hurt, is one of the best BBC dramas with a strong hook on the NHS speech. It’s an adaptation of Adam Kay’s memoir of the same name.
The drama features a group of junior doctors in an obstetrics and Gynecology ward and gives a clear picture of what it means to work in an unconducive work environment.
Viewers are communicated by use of dialogues mainly from Ben Whishaw and Ambika Mod, who works in the hospital hierarchy, and others whose lives are explored throughout the seven episodes.
6. A Very British Scandal
Genre: Drama, history
Created by: Sarah Phelps
Cast: Paul Bettany, Claire Foy
Going through a turbulent marriage full of betrayal? Like Margaret of Argyll, don’t allow the public to cow you out of your decisions.
A Very British Scandal is a matchless piece worth watching. One of the best BBC iPlayer shows with an inspiring cast that keeps you hooked with no signs of boredom. The drama unfolds the marriage life of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll right from courtship all the way to divorce.
The rambling relationship stirred everyone’s mind through the media following the 1963 Argyll v Argyll divorce case.
7. RuPaul’s Drag Race U.K. vs the World
Genre: Reality competition
Created by: Bruce McCoy
Cast: RuPaul, Baga Chipz , Jujubee.
Prepare for laughs with RuPaul’s Drag Race U.K spin-off series. The reality show features nine renowned queens, all from different Drag Race competing in an international arena for the ultimate accolade of Drag Race Superstar.
8. The Responder
Genre: Police procedural
Created by: Tony Schumacher
Cast: Adebayo Adedayo, Martin Freeman, Warren Brown
The police procedural series is among the best shows on BBC iPlayer that gives a cure to the rigid of the evenly matched struggle between the worthy and unscrupulous police dramas that have been there before.
The show features Carson who goes through a hard time after being demoted from an inspector to working night shifts. Through Tony Schumacher, we see the struggles faced by police officers in their line of duty, at home, and also in society. Worse, these effects fall equally on their families.
9. Around the World in 80 Days
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, family
Created by: Jules Verne
Cast: Robert Morley, Cantinflas, Finlay Currie
Technology at work!
Phileas Fogg’s trip around the world will leave you in awe. Valet Jean Passepartout accompanies the gentleman from London to seek a serene life. Foggs is destined to make an 80-day journey worldwide and get a princely sum of £20,000 from his fellow Reform Club members. And to win the money, he must ensure to get back to London within 80 days.
It’s easy to see the modern innovations present in transportation mode with the introduction of steamships and other related technologies.
10. Fleabag
Genre: Comedy, drama
Created by: Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Cast: Sian Clifford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Andrew Scott
Fleabag is an adaptation of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s show in 2013, featuring a sexually active, free-spirited woman trying to cope with life in London. She has a lot to deal with and won’t accept anyone’s advice, which is a pretty nice way of handling grief in a cloaked way.
There are loads of reasons why you should watch this British comedy
11. Cheaters
Genre: Reality
Created by: Bobby Goldstein
Cast: Joey Greco, Tommy Habeeb, Robert Magruder
Busted!
With an impressive cast, this BBC program is one of the best reality TV shows you will come across. Cheaters is about love, sex, morality, and all that transpires in the minds of those who suspect their significant others are cheating on them.
One scenario is when Joey Greco gets stabbed by a guy who is busted by his girlfriend when on a boat trip. You can see the crew boarding the man’s boat and trying to restore order.
12. The Pursuit of Love
Genre: Romance, drama
Created by: Nancy Freeman-Mitford
Cast: Andrew Scott, Lily James, Emily Beecham
The Pursuit of Love is an addition to the best BBC iPlayer shows with an outstanding performance. It‘s based on the 1945 novel by Nancy Mitford bearing the same name. Linda Radlett is a fearless woman who, together with her cousin and best friend Fanny, is mad about love and marriage.
The relationship between the two men is quite interesting. On and off, their relationship gets on the rocks due to their divergent choices. Fanny seems to settle for a steady life while Linda is working hard following her life’s heart motives, bold enough to try outrageous places with the men he encounters. Linda is full of vigor, she is an optimist, but her father will not allow her to get educated or leave the property.
13. Three Families
Genre: Drama, crime
Created by: Gwyneth Hughes
Cast: Sinéad Keenan, Amy James-Kelly, Lola Petticrew
The drama is based on 3 real people affected by the restrictive abortion laws banned in 2019. The law was legalized in the U.K., but this never happened in Northern Ireland. This made many women and girls move from their home countries to other nations where such laws never existed.
The three separate families set in Northern all seek to have their pregnancies separated for unknown reasons. This is not simple as it seems to be, as described by Theresa starring as Sinead Keenan. She found herself in front of a judge due to failure to buy abortion pills for her 15 years old daughter.
14. Call the Midwife
Genre: Drama, history
Created by: Heidi Thomas
Cast: Linda Bassett, Jenny Agutter, Judy Parfitt
Call the Midwife is a period drama following a group of midwives living in East London. The drama is an inspiration by Jennifer Worth’s memoirs. It shows the daily lives of midwives who visit the pregnant women of Poplar and show care, especially to the poor women.
Jennifer Worth is touched by the poor conditions of those living in slums and, more so, the women who are not traumatized by the fact of giving birth. It’s one great show that tackles teen pregnancies, miscarriage, poverty, racism, and all kinds of contemporary issues in healthcare.
15. Chloe
Genre: Mystery, drama
Created by: Alice Seabright
Cast: Pippa Bennett-Warner, Erin Doherty, Billy Howle
Chloe is one of the best shows on BBC iPlayer you will get stuck in. It’s a good thriller that received a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The show features Becky, a young female working as a temp and living in a dysfunctional family. She suffers from low self-esteem, while her mother has an early onset of dementia. Becky has unique personal motives; she spends time on Instagram comparing herself with Chloe, the wife of a local councilor, and admires her perfect life.
And when Chloe dies, she discovers Chloe had tried calling her. Her attempts to investigate Chloe’s death lead her to obtain another identity.
16. A Suitable Boy
Genre: Drama
Created by: Vikram Seth
Cast: Ishaan Khatter, Tabu, Tanya Maniktala
A Suitable Boy is one of the best BBC shows that allows for a decent watch with a final grossing achievement. It’s a show set in the post-independence period in India. Though it tells the story of four families, it focuses on Mrs. Rupa Mehra looking for a suitable husband for her daughter Lata.
However, Lat, a university student, doesn’t want to be influenced or ruled by her mother’s opinions. And this leads her to tough choices between her suitors.
17. Four Lives
Genre: Crime, mystery, drama
Created by: Neil McKay
Cast: Sheridan Smith, Stephen Merchant, Leanne Best
Four lives will have you glued to your screen before you know it. Not only because of its chilliness but also due to its top-notch performance that has been timely brought up. The show is based on a true story about Stephen Port, a serial killer who mysteriously killed four men between 2014 and 2015.
From the show, you get to understand the process of justice. The victims of the dead families could not rest until they obtained fairness, as the police struggled to come up with the serial nature of such killings.
18. Death in Paradise
Genre: Crime, drama
Created by: Robert Thorogood
Cast: Danny John-Jules, Ben Miller, Sara Martins
Death in Paradise features Ben Miller, sent from the Metropolitan Police to investigate the murder of a British police officer. However, he too becomes a victim of murder, and others take his role. The show is very popular in Canada.
If in Canada, you have an easier time watching this BBC drama through a streaming VPN, such as ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN. With a VPN service, you can seamlessly watch Four Lives on BBC iPlayer in Canada, or elsewhere.
19. Danny Boy
Genre: Sam Miller
Created by: Simon Lewis
Cast: Toby Jones, Anthony Boyle, Alex Ferns
Danny Boy gives the story of a young soldier (Brian Wood) accused of war crimes. How he struggles to fight and clear the accusation under his mane. The show is an incredible eye-opener to the Iraq war investigations that depicted the unlawful killings from the British military.
The battle saw some of the Prince of Wales members fight their way out to rescue the British Troop, which were under the hands of the cruel soldiers.
Toby Jones gives the piece a great shot and brings the message out remarkably. It’s a piece worth watching.
20. The Tourist
Genre: Drama Thriller
Created by: Harry Williams, Jack Williams
Cast: Jamie Dornan, Danielle MacDonald, Shalom Brune-Franklin
The Tourist features Jamie Doman, who loses his memory after suffering a terrible accident. A cargo truck driver intentionally chases Jamie and tries to crush him. Jamie forgets everything, including his identity, when he wakes up in a hospital. Thereon, the movie directs us to how Jamie tries to remember his past, he comes to terms with the person who wanted him dead.
21. You don’t know me
Genre: crime
Created by: Tom Edge
Cast: Samuel Adewunmi, Badria Timimi, Yetunde Oduwole
Who shot Jamil? This is a question to contemplate when you watch the murder case of Hero. According to his testimony in court, he did not kill Jamil. What happened is that his friend Kurt and girlfriend Kyle had an altercation with Jamil after he kidnapped Hero’s sister Bless. Amid the fighting, Bless killed Jamil.
The burden of proof seems too far from reality, as the evidence provided is contrary to what Jamil gives to the court.
22. The rules of the game
Genre: comedy, drama
Created by: Jean Renoir, Carl Koch
Cast: Gregor, Paulette Dubost, Mila Parély
With self-doubt and pity, life may not be favorable. It seems Andre Aviator’s only mistake was to love Christine. A heartbroken Andre goes to find Christine in France only to discover that Christine is engaged to Robert.
Robert has à mistress Genevieve but plans to break up with her to save his engagement. Andre reunites with Christine and plans to escape with her, but his friend Octave betrays him, leading to his death at the hands of Schumacher, Robert’s father.
23. Noughts and Crosses
Genre: Alternate history, drama
Created by: Toby Whithouse, Lydia Adetunji,
Cast: Jack Rowan, Masali Baduza
Noughts and crosses is a romantic movie that describes a fairy-tale love between Callum and Sephy. Sephy comes from a wealthy black class, while Callum comes from an inferior white group.
Intermarriage between these two races is an abomination. However, Callum and Sephy fall in love and care less about their background. Unfortunately, the hostility between noughts (whites) and crosses (blacks) widens when crosses kill Callum’s sister for loving a black man.
24. Normal People
Genre: psychological drama, romance
Created by: Sally Rooney, Alice Birch, Mark O’Rowe
Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Paul Mescal
Normal People is among the best BBC dramas for teens. It’s a compelling teenage love that revolves around two love birds, Mariane Sheridan and Connell Waldron, who started their relationship from secondary to college.
Mariane is constantly bullied at college because she comes from an unstable family. On the other hand, Connell is an athlete but does not defend Mariane from bullies because he has low self-esteem. It’s all about first love and the agony involved.
25. Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks
Genre: science fiction
Created by: Chris Chibnall
Cast: Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill, John Bishop
Doctor Who: Even of the Daleks is one of the best BBC shows 2024 specials. It follows Nick skims and his crush Sarah at a storage house. Nick comes across a TARDIS experiment that kills him with the Doctor, Dan, Yaz, and Sarah, who are in the same storage house.
However, the TARDIS dramatically resets the time, and Nick’s group resurrects, unaware of Daleks, their biggest enemies. Just by the way, if you’re bored and watch binge festive-focused BBC iPlayer movies and series, here are some BBC Christmas specials to check out. Don’t forget to connect to a VPN first and get BBC iplayer free trial. And if BBC iPlayer not working with your VPN, we have this figured out too.
Conclusion
Indisputably, BBC iPlayer is a gem. There is a lot of untapped content in this streaming app; this is evident as you scroll through our list of the best BBC iPlayer shows. And no matter your mood or preference, you can have something to binge on Firestick, Roku, Chromecast, Smart TV and PS5.
There is nothing good as having a predetermined path in the world of streaming, as deep search sucks. With the list, you will cut time and maximize your binging hours for a better experience and when you want to try something new you can delete your BBC iplayer account easily