The BEST ITV shows of all time
Every ITV show, ranked
We've compiled the average episode rating for every ITV show to compile this list of best shows!
#1 - The Trap Door
Somewhere in the dark and nasty regions where nobody goes, stands an ancient castle. Deep within this dank and uninviting place lives Berk, the overworked servant of The Thing Upstairs. But that's nothing compared to the horrors that lurk beneath The Trap Door. For there is always something down there, in the dark, waiting to come out...
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#2 - Hornblower
The epic saga of legendary seafaring hero Horatio Hornblower comes to swashbuckling life in these epic films based on C.S. Forester's classic novels. As the Napoleonic wars rage, Hornblower survives battle after battle, evades capture, and works his way up the ranks in the king's royal navy. With danger at every turn and unending adventures, Hornblower must use every ounce of his wit and courage to prevail.
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#3 - On the Buses
Running from 1969 to 1973, with three spin-off movies, 'On the Buses' was made by London Weekend Television. Stan Butler lives at home with his overbearing mother, his frumpy sister Olive and his lazy brother in law Arthur. Stan works as a bus driver for the Luxton & District Bus Company, with his conductor Jack. The bane of their lives Inspector 'Blakey' Blake who often checks up on them and threatens them with the sack for lateness and untidiness.
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#4 - Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969)
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) is a late 1960s British private detective television series starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk, respectively. The series was created by Dennis Spooner and produced by Monty Berman. In the initial episode Hopkirk was murdered in the line of duty, but returned as a ghost only Randall was able to see or hear to help his former partner fight crime from beyond the grave. ITC film corporation produced a single series of 26 episodes during 1968 and 1969 which were aired between September 1969 and March 1970. The pilot episode was originally broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom on Friday 19 September 1969 on ATV Midlands.
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#5 - Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a story of the rise and fall of seven very different people. There are three Geordies, one Scouser, one Brummie, one Cockney and one from Bristol. Auf Wiedersehen, Pet shows what life was really like for self - employed workers in the 1980's. And after 20 years they are reunited and begin working together again.
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#6 - The World at War
A groundbreaking narrated by the actor Laurence Olivier about the deadliest conflict in history, World War II.
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#7 - The Avengers
"Always keep your bowler on in time of stress, and watch out for diabolical masterminds." [Mrs Peel] The Avengers is one of the most popular and beloved television series of all time. Its outrageous blend of wit and style and its unique mix of the fantasy and spy genres, coupled with the marvellous characters of John Steed and Emma Peel make it one of television's great classics.
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#8 - Agatha Christie's Poirot
The adventures of Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, adapted for television over more than twenty years and covering every Poirot book and short story ever written. This enormous lifelong project starring David Suchet takes the eponymous detective from England to Egypt, from country estate to weekend lodge, from dinner party to train ride, with his good friend Captain Hastings at his side, solving some of the most celebrated murder mysteries ever conceived.
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#9 - Harry Hill's TV Burp
Harry Hill stars in this surreal comedy show, revolving around the previous week's shows on British television.
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#10 - Wire in the Blood
Wire in the Blood is a British crime drama television series, created and produced by Coastal Productions for the ITV network, that ran from 2002 to 2008. The series is based on characters created by Val McDermid, including a university clinical psychologist, Dr. Anthony "Tony" Valentine Hill (Robson Green), who is able to tap into his own dark side to get inside the heads of serial killers. Working with detectives, Hill takes on tough and seemingly impenetrable cases in an attempt to track down the killers before they strike again.
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#11 - Footballers' Wives
They're beautiful, they're filthy rich and they can have anything money can buy... so why are they hardly ever happy?... The makers of hit ITV1 show 'Bad Girls' invite you to join the wives of the Earls Park FC footballers as they discover the perils, both in the spotlight and out, of being married to their famous husbands - catfights... newspaper allegations... even murder... anyone who's anyone watches Footballers' Wives.
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#12 - Agatha Christie's Marple
Miss Jane Marple is an elderly spinster living in the quiet little village of St. Mary Mead with a remarkable talent for solving crimes. Her sharp mind and shrewd intellect prove invaluable in unravelling a slew of murder mysteries, earning her the grudging respect of the police. The title role was played by Geraldine McEwan for the first three series, after which she was succeeded by Julia McKenzie.
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#13 - Midsomer Murders
A veteran DCI and his young Sergeant investigate murders around the regional community of Midsomer.
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#14 - Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era—with great events in history having an effect on their lives and on the British social hierarchy.
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#15 - The New Statesman (1987)
A British comedy that might be described as a combination of Yes, Minister and Blackadder, this is the story of A. B'Stard, a statesman in the tradition of Genghis Khan, who will stop at nothing to make himself richer and more comfortable. Arguably the most conservative member of the British Parliament, he is aided by a witless colleague, MP Piers Fletcher-Dervish.
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#16 - Victoria
The story of Queen Victoria, who came to the throne at a time of great economic turbulence and resurgent republicanism – and died 64 years later the head of the largest empire the world had ever seen, having revitalised the throne’s public image and become “grandmother of Europe”.
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#17 - The Persuaders!
English Lord Brett Sinclair and American Danny Wilde are both wealthy playboys, they are teamed together by Judge Fullton to investigate crimes which the police can't solve. These two men are complete opposites, but become great friends through their adventures and constantly risk their own lives for one another.
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#18 - George and Mildred
George and Mildred Roper have just moved to a middle class neighborhood. With the change, Mildred aims to climb the social ladder, while George only dreams of watching television and drinking beer.
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#19 - The Loch
In a community nourished and sustained by myth and bordered by untamed nature, the search for a serial killer becomes a matter of life and death for local detective Annie Redford, who is trying to cope with her first murder case. When the body of local man Niall Swift is found at the foot of Carn Mohr Mountain and an isolated human heart on the loch shore, the town’s normality is shattered and the nightmare begins. Chillingly, the beautiful scenery, undulating Highlands and vast, expansive loch becomes a character in its own right, adding a haunting depth to the community’s plight.
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#20 - Endeavour
Set in the mid-Sixties, this Inspector Morse prequel centers around the early career of Endeavour Morse. After leaving his Oxford college without a degree, and spending a short time as a cipher clerk, Morse joins the police, working under veteran DI Fred Thursday.
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#21 - Jeeves and Wooster
Bertram "Bertie" Wooster (Hugh Laurie), a well-intentioned, wealthy layabout, has a habit of getting himself into trouble and it's up to his brilliant valet Jeeves (Stephen Fry) to get him out. Based on the books by P.G. Wodehouse.
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#22 - Broadchurch
The murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.
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#23 - The Durrells
After moving to Corfu, the Durrell family struggles to adapt to the island’s lifestyle.
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#24 - Marchlands
Marchlands is the gripping story of three different families living in the same house in the 1960’s, 1980’s and present day. The families are linked by the spirit of a young girl – the 1960’s family’s daughter who died in mysterious circumstances.
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#25 - The Sweeney
The Sweeney was one of the finest British police series of the mid 1970s. Jack Regan is a hard edged detective in the Flying Squad of London's Metropolitan police (called 'the Sweeney' from the Cockney rhyming slang 'Sweeney Todd' = 'Flying Squad'). He pursues villains by methods which are underhand, often illegal, frequently violent, and more often than not, successful.
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#26 - Unforgotten
DCI Cassie Stuart and DI Sunny Khan work together to solve cold cases involving historic disappearances and murders. When the bones of a young man are found beneath the footings of a demolished house, an investigation begins that will unravel the lives of four people who have been waiting for this moment for nearly forty years, as they discover that the past can’t – and won’t – stay buried forever.
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#27 - Doc Martin
Make an appointment with the brilliant but socially awkward and neurotic Doc Martin. When Martin develops an aversion to blood, he abandons his career as a celebrated London surgeon and becomes the only doctor in a sleepy small town where his tactless manner soon has the whole town in an uproar.
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#28 - Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean is a comedy show about a man whose whole life is one funny situation after another. He hardly talks, but words are not needed. Everything he does is funny. From playing golf, going to the dentist, and going to church. Mr. Bean is a grown man, but he acts like a child. He has a stuffed bear named Teddy that he carries around with him all the time. This show is full of laugh after laugh!
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#29 - Cold Feet
Cold Feet is about three couples. Adam Williams and Rachel Bradley start the series about a year and six or so weeks into their relationship. The pilot shows this couple coming together. Jenny and Pete Gifford are a married couple that start the series with the birth of their first child. Karen and David Marsden are another married couple, and when the series starts they already have a child, and are thinking of having another. The three couples end up friends after going through the 'friends of friends' process. Jenny, Pete and Adam are friends, and Adam's relationship with Rachel pulls Karen and David into the friends relationship.
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#30 - Little Boy Blue
Based on a true story, Little Boy Blue explores the devastating impact of an innocent child’s murder amid a wave of gang violence. the four-part drama tells the story of the murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in Croxteth, Liverpool, in 2007. It explores Melanie’s and Steve’s ordeal, and tells the story of how Rhys’s murderer and associates were eventually brought to justice.
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#31 - Above Suspicion
The murder of a young actress starts an investigation that uncovers on-screen tensions, a complex private life, controversial memoirs, and suspected abuse.
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#32 - Robin of Sherwood
Fantasy-drama series by Richard Carpenter based on the Robin Hood legend. Robin of Loxley, also called 'The Hooded Man' lives with his friends in the forests of Sherwood. They fight against the Norman rulers who oppress the population of the region, especially Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin of Loxley was succeeded by Robert of Huntingdon, a renegade nobleman, at the beginning of season three. By gaining the trust of the other members of the group and living his life as Robin would have, he soon proves himself as a worthy successor. This adaptation of the Robin Hood legend leans heavily on mystic and magic. This is also reinforced by the soundtrack of the Irish band Clannad.
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#33 - Afterlife
Afterlife is a paranormal thriller television series about a woman named Alison Mundy. She is a reluctant medium, troubled by her gift. During a clairvoyant evening she encounters university lecturer and psychologist Robert Bridge. Robert decides to research her for a book he is writing and with a view to "curing" her, as he believes that all mediums are either charlatans or delusional. Unfortunately for him Alison is the real thing and exposes him to things which no matter how hard he tries he cannot explain away with his science.
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#34 - Innocent (2018)
After seven years in jail, David Collins is finally acquitted of the murder of his wife and he vows to bring the real killer to justice.
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#35 - Billy Connolly's Journey To The Edge of The World
The charismatic comedian and actor Billy Connolly is back in his guise as a tour guide as he travels through the legendary Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
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#36 - Vicious
Freddie and Stuart are an old couple who have been together for decades and bicker constantly. Their lives are turned upside down by their new upstairs neighbour Ash, who is sure to cause trouble in their mundane lives.
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#37 - DCI Banks
DCI Banks is a British crime drama series based on Peter Robinson's Inspector Alan Banks novels.
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#38 - Lightfields
Five-part supernatural drama series set in three different eras on a remote farmhouse called Lightfields on the Suffolk coast.
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#39 - Space: 1999
It's 1999 and Moonbase Alpha has been built on the Moon to safeguard the nuclear waste shipped from Earth. On September 13, 1999, disaster strikes and the nuclear waste explodes causing a chain reaction that hurls the Moon out of Earth's orbit and into deep space. The adventures of Space: 1999 begin.
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#40 - Maigret (2016)
Adaptation of the novels written by Georges Simenon featuring his fictional French police commissioner Jules Maigret.
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#41 - The Good Karma Hospital
Doctor Ruby Walker arrives in India looking for a job and a distraction from her heartbreak. She anticipates the sunshine and picture-perfect beaches, but not the realities of work at an under-resourced hospital.
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#42 - Anne (2022)
Devastated by the loss of her fifteen year old son, Kevin, at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, Anne Williams fights for the truth about the tragedy. Standing along side other parents who lost children in the match and refusing to believe the official investigation results, Anne seeks her own evidence in a relentless quest for justice.
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#43 - Vera
DCI Vera Stanhope is obsessive about her work. With her caustic wit and guile, the unorthodox but brilliant detective investigates chilling crimes set in Northumberland with her trusted colleagues.
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#44 - Benidorm (2007)
Follow holidaymakers at the Solana Resort in Benidorm. Hilarity ensues as guests try to get value for their Euros.
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#45 - Grantchester
Set against the backdrop of the real hamlet of Grantchester, the drama focuses upon the life of Sidney Chambers, a charismatic, charming clergyman who turns investigative vicar when one of his parishioners dies in suspicious circumstances.
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#46 - Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts is a plasticine animation by Aardman studios. It features various creatures who are interviewed about a different topic each episode. But the voices are not those of the creatures, it's the people of Britain. Members of the British public were interviewed about different topics, and then the animation of the animals is created to the voice. The result is a funny show which provides the viewer with many different opinions and views on a variety of topics.
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#47 - Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
A variety show hosted by Ant & Dec packed with comedy sketches, celebrity pranks, challenges and prizes for the audience and unsuspecting viewers at home, entertainment acts and special guest appearances.
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#48 - Home Fires (2015)
Home Fires is a new six-part drama following a group of inspirational women in a rural Cheshire community with the shadow of World War II casting a dark cloud over their lives. The isolated village couldn’t feel further away from the impending bloodshed and battlefields and yet it is not immune from the effects of war. As the conflict takes hold, and separates the women from their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers, the characters find themselves under increasing and extraordinary pressures in a rapidly fragmenting world. By banding together as the Great Paxford Women’s Institute, they help maintain the nation’s fabric in its darkest hour, and discover inner resources that will change their lives forever.
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#49 - Jericho (2016)
Yesterday wilderness. Tomorrow civilisation. In the Yorkshire Dales in the 1870s, the shantytown of Jericho is the home of a community that will live, thrive and die in the shadow of the viaduct they’ve been brought together to build.
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#50 - Whitechapel
London 2008. A series of bloody, tragic and impossible crimes suggest someone is carrying out copycat Jack the Ripper murders 120 years after the killer first struck. The clock is ticking as the case turns into a hunt for an old adversary, with three unlikely heroes at the centre of it all.
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