The BEST BBC Two shows of all time

Every BBC Two show, ranked

We've compiled the average episode rating for every BBC Two show to compile this list of best shows!

Cunk on Britain
star
10.00
27 votes

#1 - Cunk on Britain

Philomena Cunk's landmark mockumentary series taking us through Britain's history.

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Wartime Farm
star
9.63
112 votes

#2 - Wartime Farm

In a new eight-part series, historian Ruth Goodman and archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn take on their biggest challenge yet - to turn back the clock and run Manor Farm exactly as it would have been during the Second World War. They will face one of the biggest challenges ever seen in the history of the British countryside - what Churchill called ‘the frontline of freedom’.

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Madagascar
star
9.35
464 votes

#3 - Madagascar

Over 80% of Madagascar's animals and plants are found nowhere else on Earth. Discover what made Madagascar so different from the rest of the world, and how evolution ran wild there.

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The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom
star
9.35
314 votes

#4 - The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom

The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom is a BBC documentary series by British filmmaker Adam Curtis, well known for other documentaries including The Century of the Self and The Power of Nightmares. It began airing on BBC Two on 11 March 2007. The series consists of three, one-hour programs which explore the concept and definition of freedom, specifically "how a simplistic model of human beings as self-seeking, almost robotic, creatures led to today's idea of freedom." What does freedom actually mean today? This series of films by BAFTA-winning producer Adam Curtis argues that our freedom is a limited kind of freedom. It shows how a simplistic model of human beings as self-seeking, almost robotic, creatures led to today's idea of freedom. This model was apparently derived from techniques developed by nuclear strategists during the Cold War. Genetic biologists, anthropologists, radical psychiatrists and free market economists took it further until it became a new system of invisible control.

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Horizon
star
9.34
2571 votes

#5 - Horizon

Amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.

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Coast
star
9.30
151 votes

#6 - Coast

The nation's love affair with the coast will be reawakened for this entertaining and ambitious exploration of the entire UK coastline. Every part of the 9,000-mile coast is covered to explore how we've shaped it - and how it shapes us. Hosted by a team of history and geography experts who investigate everything from life on a nuclear submarine; rebuilding the Titanic using computer images; the story behind the first Butlins holiday camp; and the birth of the Severn Bore. Discover the curious, sometimes dysfunctional, relationship between the British and the seas.

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South Pacific
star
9.30
575 votes

#7 - South Pacific

South Pacific is a British nature documentary series on the natural history of the South Pacific region, including many of the coral atolls and New Zealand. Both wildlife and human cultures developed in a unique variety, largely determined by such natural conditions as huge distances, sea depths, currents and winds.

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How to Grow a Planet
star
9.29
154 votes

#8 - How to Grow a Planet

In this TV programme Professor Iain Stewart journeys from the spectacular caves of Vietnam to the remote deserts of Africa and sees how plants first harnessed light from the sun and created our life-giving atmosphere. He describes how the plant kingdom has transformed a lifeless planet into our living world

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Life on Earth
star
9.28
290 votes

#9 - Life on Earth

Life on Earth (1979) is an epic 13-programme series, presented by David Attenborough, offering a chronological account of the flora and fauna of planet Earth over a period of 3,500 million years. Whether recounting the first journey from the sea to the land, the development of insects and flowers, or "The First Forests" and "The Lords of the Air", Attenborough's enthusiasm is infectious. He guides us through The Infinite Variety of life from microbes to marsupials, via an unforgettable meeting with mountain gorillas, to conclude with The Compulsive Communicators, mankind itself. Three years in the making, involving 1.5 million miles of travel and featuring some of the most beautiful, breathtaking and ambitious photography then seen on television, Life on Earth was the first natural history blockbuster. It redefined TV by showing that an epic, serious wildlife documentary could be a massive success. As such, it remains a true television landmark and paved the way for further entries in what became known as his Life series.

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Gardeners' World
star
9.22
201 votes

#10 - Gardeners' World

Gardeners' World is a long-running BBC television programme about gardening that continues to this day. The first episode was filmed in 1968, presented by Ken Burras and came from Oxford Botanical Gardens. Most of the episodes of the show are 30 minutes long, though there are many specials that last longer.

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University Challenge
star
9.20
139 votes

#11 - University Challenge

Academic quiz show where teams of students from UK universities answer questions on all manner of subjects

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Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe
star
9.18
364 votes

#12 - Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe

The writer and broadcaster offers a satirical look at the latest news from politics, the media and the internet, casting a critical eye over trends in TV, cinema, computer games and social media. Charlie will be joined in the studio each week by guests and there will be regular contributions from American comedian Doug Stanhope.

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Later... with Jools Holland
star
9.16
208 votes

#13 - Later... with Jools Holland

Jools brings together hot, legendary and undiscovered artists for live studio performances, interviews and musical magic.

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Dara O Briain's Science Club
star
9.16
143 votes

#14 - Dara O Briain's Science Club

Combining lively and in-depth studio discussion with exploratory films and on-the-spot reports, Dara O'Briain's Science Club takes a single subject each week and examines it from lots of different and unexpected angles, from sex to extinction, Einstein to space exploration and brain chemistry to music. It brings some of the world's foremost thinkers together to share their ideas on everything, from how to avoid asteroid impact to whether or not we are still evolving.

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Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe
star
9.16
664 votes

#15 - Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe

Screenwipe is a television programme about television programmes; the cost, the surprising amount of work and bureaucracy involved, how programmes are selected for broadcast, and, usually scathing, analysis of specific programmes and genres. Brooker often pays particular attention to more obscure channels on satellite, freeview and cable, such as those dedicated to gambling, shopping, horoscopes, and pornography. He explores the probable effects of television in society, and how often programmes can create in the viewer feelings of inadequacy, depression, fear, and anxiety. To balance things, usually one segment of each show is dedicated to positive reviews, with analysis on why the style and content is so absorbing.

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The Story of India
star
9.14
165 votes

#16 - The Story of India

For over two millennia, India has been at the centre of world history. But how did India come to be? What is India? These are the big questions behind this intrepid journey around the contemporary subcontinent. In this landmark series, historian and acclaimed writer Michael Wood embarks on a dazzling and exciting expedition through today's India, looking to the present for clues to her past, and to the past for clues to her future. The journey takes the viewer through majestic landscapes and reveals some of the greatest monuments and artistic treasures on Earth. From Buddhism to Bollywood, from mathematics to outsourcing, Michael Wood discovers India's impact on history - and on us.

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The Power of Nightmares
star
9.12
482 votes

#17 - The Power of Nightmares

This documentary argues that during the 20th Century politicians lost the power to inspire the masses, and that the optimistic visions and ideologies they had offered were perceived to have failed. The film asserts that politicians consequently sought a new role that would restore their power and authority. Writer Adam Curtis, who also narrates the series, declares in the film's introduction that “Instead of delivering dreams, politicians now promise to protect us: from nightmares”. To illustrate this Curtis compares the rise of the American neoconservatives and radical Islamists, believing that both are closely connected; that some popular beliefs about these groups are inaccurate; and that both movements have benefited from exaggerating the scale of the terrorist threat.

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The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer
star
9.12
219 votes

#18 - The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer

Possibly Vic and Bob's finest hour, The Smell Of Reeves And Mortimer displays the madcap duo at their most surreal, anarchic best with characters such as the bra-wearing men Pat Wright and Dave Arrowsmith; awful folk duo Mulligan and O'Hare and flatulent farceurs the Petomanes. Among the many other highlights were occasional visits from Slade, the 1970's glam-rock group, brilliantly imitated by Reeves, Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse and Mark Williams, plus hosts of other guests including Little Britain's Matt Lucas, Caroline Aherne, Charlie Higson and Sting.

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The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion
star
9.07
203 votes

#19 - The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

Michael Mosley takes an informative and ambitious journey exploring how the evolution of scientific understanding is intimately interwoven with society's historical path.

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Yes Minister
star
9.07
1143 votes

#20 - Yes Minister

This is the story of the endless battles between the Government in the form of Jim Hacker, a brand new Cabinet Minister and the Civil Service of his department run by Sir Humphrey Appleby. Stuck in the middle of it all is civil servant Bernard Woolley.

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Patagonia: Earth's Secret Paradise
star
9.06
114 votes

#21 - Patagonia: Earth's Secret Paradise

Documentary series delving into a rarely seen South American wilderness, home to surprising creatures who survive from the mighty Andes Mountains to Cape Horn.

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Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
star
9.04
434 votes

#22 - Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle

The show marks the triumphant television return of one of the finest stand-ups working in Britain today, enthralling a live audience with his uniquely cynical and hilariously condescending take on the world around him. Each episode sees Stewart exploring a different theme in a stand-up routine, often illustrated with sketches featuring an ensemble cast. They are performed in a way that deconstructs comedy itself; literally a vehicle for Lee's idiosyncratic style. Starring alongside Stewart are: Tony Law, Tara Flynn, Paul Putner, Kevin Eldon, Miles Jupp, Simon Munnery, Job Angus and Michael Redmond. Peter Serafinowicz provides voiceovers.

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Yes, Prime Minister
star
9.04
953 votes

#23 - Yes, Prime Minister

Yes, Prime Minister is the sequel to the popular British series Yes Minister. It aired from 1986 to 1988 and is the story of the continuing battles between Jim Hacker, who is now Prime Minister, and Sir Humphrey, who has been promoted to Cabinet Secretary.

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Smiley's People
star
9.01
329 votes

#24 - Smiley's People

Adaptation of John Le Carré's novel, following on from the previous BBC adaptation TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY. George Smiley returns to the Game. A member of one of George Smiley's old networks seems to have caught on to something big. When he turns up dead the Circus asks George to tie up the loose ends with minimal fuss. But George Smiley does not like loose ends. Especially if they lead to the darkest recesses of the KGB - to Karla, the Sandman.

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Worricker
star
9.00
55 votes

#25 - Worricker

Since September 2011, the public every day reads of encroachments on their liberty which are justified in the name of security. David Hare's trilogy, ripped from the headlines, focuses on the internal divisions and arguments which have been raging inside an increasingly controversial intelligence community.

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Terry Jones' Medieval Lives
star
8.98
135 votes

#26 - Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

"Monty Python" veteran Terry Jones hosts "Terry Jones' Medieval Lives", a series that delves into the lives of different medieval occupations, including kings, knights, and minstrels.

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First Life with David Attenborough
star
8.97
278 votes

#27 - First Life with David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough goes back in time to the roots of the tree of life, in search of the very first animals, telling their story with stunning photography, state of the art visual effects and the captivating charm of the world’s favorite naturalist.

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Wonders of the Universe
star
8.97
1115 votes

#28 - Wonders of the Universe

Having taken on the Wonders Of The Solar System, Professor Brian Cox takes the next step – the laws of the Universe in Wonders Of The Universe. In another epic series, Brian visits some of the most dramatic parts of the globe to explain the fundamental principles that govern the laws of nature – light, gravity, energy, matter and time. With the world's most profound science at its heart, Wonders Of The Universe reveals how the story of humanity is intimately entwined with that of the complex story of the origins of the universe.

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David Attenborough's Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates
star
8.96
165 votes

#29 - David Attenborough's Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates

David Attenborough embarks on a remarkable 500 million-year journey revealing the extraordinary group of animals that dominate our world, and how their evolution defines our human bodies.

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Stargazing Live
star
8.93
228 votes

#30 - Stargazing Live

Three nights of stargazing and discussion, featuring guest experts and link-ups to observatories around the world.

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Human Universe
star
8.92
399 votes

#31 - Human Universe

Professor Brian Cox asks the biggest questions we can ask. Are we alone? Why are we here? What is our future? Join him in a stunning celebration of human life as he explores our origins, our place and our destiny in the universe.

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I, Claudius
star
8.90
786 votes

#32 - I, Claudius

Based on Robert Graves' epic novels about the decline of Roman civilisation in the first century AD, this award-winning drama redefined the boundaries of television when it was broadcast in 1976. Jack Pulman's brilliant script conveys the unrelenting depravity during the reigns of the four Emperors who succeeded Julius Caesar: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius. The star-studded cast includes Derek Jacobi as Claudius, John Hurt as Caligula and Brian Blessed as Augustus.

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QI
star
8.89
3906 votes

#33 - QI

QI is a BBC panel show that both educates and entertains. QI Masters Stephen Fry [Seasons 1-13] and Sandi Toksvig [Season 14+] ask questions that are very difficult and award points for answers that are either Quite Interesting or correct. However, points are deducted for answers commonly thought to be correct but are in fact quite wrong. Four Bantermeisters, including permanent panelist Alan Davies, try their best to separate the fact from the fiction.

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Fawlty Towers
star
8.87
5961 votes

#34 - Fawlty Towers

Hotel owner Basil Fawlty's incompetence, short fuse, and arrogance form a combination that ensures accidents and trouble are never far away.

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Wild China
star
8.87
354 votes

#35 - Wild China

Created in co-operation with China's own national broadcast service, Wild China examines the country's rarely documented range of wildlife. Take a look at some of China's most impressive natural sites such as the ancient Han kingdom, the Mongol steppes, the Silk Road and the Tibetan Plateau.

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The Incredible Human Journey
star
8.83
202 votes

#36 - The Incredible Human Journey

Dr Alice Roberts travels the globe to discover the incredible story of how humans left Africa to colonise the world - overcoming hostile terrain, extreme weather and other species of human. She pieces together precious fragments of bone, stone and new DNA evidence and discovers how this journey changed these African ancestors into the people of today.

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The Thick of It
star
8.83
1915 votes

#37 - The Thick of It

The Thick of It is a British comedy television series that satirises the inner workings of modern British government. It was first broadcast in 2005, initially with a small cast focussing on a government minister, his advisers and their spin-doctor. The cast was significantly expanded to coincide with Christmas and Gordon Brown's appointment as prime minister in 2007, which saw a number of new characters forming the opposition party. These characters continued for its third series in 2009, and the fourth and final series about a coalition government was broadcast in Autumn 2012.

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Coupling
star
8.81
3483 votes

#38 - Coupling

On average, men and women think about sex every six seconds. Shorten that to every second, and you've got Coupling. This series centers around Susan and Steve (who are a couple), and Sally and Patrick join the gang as friends of Susan (and then Steve), while Steve pulls in his best friend Jeff and his crazy ex Jane.

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Ice Age Giants
star
8.81
108 votes

#39 - Ice Age Giants

Ice Age Giants is a documentary series which sees Alice Roberts going back 40,000 years looking for the great beasts of the Ice Age. This was the last time that giants like mammoths, woolly rhinos, and sabre-tooth cats ruled the Earth and Alice attempts to reconstruct their lives in incredible detail.

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Louis Theroux
star
8.80
531 votes

#40 - Louis Theroux

The documentary work of British-American journalist Louis Theroux.

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Boys from the Blackstuff
star
8.77
93 votes

#41 - Boys from the Blackstuff

Alan Bleasdale's five-part series relates the further experiences of unemployed Liverpudlian tarmac layers Dixie, Chrissie, Loggo and Yosser, and their revered older friend, retired longshoreman and union leader, George Malone. As they struggle to make ends meet in a depressed economy, and to hold together their financially battered families, they are harrassed by the petty bureaucrats of the DHSS. But the lumbering investigational juggernaut is, both comically and tragically, guided by drivers with only a provisional license.

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Bottom
star
8.76
1319 votes

#42 - Bottom

Richard Richard & Edward Elizabeth Hitler, two men with no hope of fitting in with society. Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall take an anarchic look into the lives of these two friends who are forever commiting violence on each other. This series could be said to be a follow up, of a kind, to The Young Ones. Same stars and same attitude but the young ones are now heading into middle age. A successful series that spawned five live tours [and five videos of these shows] and a big screen film, Guest House Paradiso.

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The Day Today
star
8.76
373 votes

#43 - The Day Today

The Day Today is a surreal British parody of television current affairs news programmes. It is an adaptation of the radio programme On The Hour. The series is composed of six half-hour episodes and a selection of shorter, five-minute slots recorded as promotion trailers for the longer segments. Only six episodes were made, and were originally broadcast in January and February 1994 on BBC2. The Day Today won many awards and Chris Morris won the 1994 British Comedy Award for Best Newcomer. All six episodes are available on BBC video and DVD.

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Stressed Eric
star
8.74
85 votes

#44 - Stressed Eric

Eric Feeble is a middle-class divorced father of two who resides in London, England. An average man, with a less than average life, Eric is endlessly at his wits end -- stressed out with his family, coworkers, and his life in general.

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Galapagos
star
8.74
196 votes

#45 - Galapagos

Galapagos is a three-part BBC nature documentary series exploring the natural history of the Galápagos Islands and their important role in the formation of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. It was first transmitted in the UK on BBC Two in September 2006. The series was filmed in high definition, produced by Mike Gunton and Patrick Morris of the BBC Natural History Unit and narrated by actress Tilda Swinton. The series was proposed to the BBC by the principle cinematographers Paul D. Stewart and Richard Wollocombe.

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I'm Alan Partridge
star
8.73
1072 votes

#46 - I'm Alan Partridge

This classic BBC comedy comes courtesy of Steve Coogan. Alan is a fictional self-obsessed DJ who has had several TV jobs in the past (including chat show 'Knowing Me Knowing You') and has failed to bounce back from his long dead career. Each episode normally sees Alan resorting to embarrassing anecdotes, insulting someone without noticing and failing to revive his career.

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Wonders of the Solar System
star
8.72
923 votes

#47 - Wonders of the Solar System

Experience the extraordinary…in our planet’s own backyard. Wonders explores some of the most amazing features of our very own solar system – how the forces of nature carved out beauty and order from the chaos of space; how our home planet doesn’t sit in magnificent isolation but is intimately connected with the rest of the solar system; and how these connections have created the haven we call Earth. Using the latest scientific knowledge and breathtaking images beamed back from the fleet of probes, rovers and telescopes currently in space, this gorgeous imagery, paired with some of the most spectacular and extreme locations on Earth, help to reveal wonders never thought possible.

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Last Chance to See
star
8.72
267 votes

#48 - Last Chance to See

A follow-up to the 1990 Radio 4 series in which the late Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine travelled around the world in search of endangered species. 20 years later Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine go back to see what has become of the animals in two decades, and to discover what has affected their fortunes.

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Rick Stein's India
star
8.71
80 votes

#49 - Rick Stein's India

Rick Stein sets out on a journey around India to discover the different cuisines celebrated the world over.

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Hebburn
star
8.70
226 votes

#50 - Hebburn

Hebburn is a warm and affectionate tale of north east family life. It tells the tale of the Pearson family and their impetuous and ambitious son, Jack, who has left Tyneside for the bright lights and glamour of Manchester. He has secretly married a middle class Jewish girl, Sarah, and realises that it is about time he introduced her to his family.

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