I must confess . . .

The beginnings of my fondness for the British countryside definitely began from my viewing many British programs, and many of those set in the lush green rolling hills that seem as ubiquitous there as they are absent here in Bend, Oregon. So it was by no mistake that the first time I found myself with the opportunity to take a train out to said hills, I did just that and landed in this cottage seen above/to the right for a handful of days. Glorious! Now that we have escaped vicariously to the countryside, let’s talk British television.

The great British television series keep on coming!

Back in 2020 I shared a list of 16 cosy mysteries I enjoyed, and then in 2023 I shared oodles of British shows I quite liked and had found on various British streaming services. Since then, so many more great new series have been created. And here’s the thing, each time those posts were shared, readers would ask, Why is British television so good?, but the secret is that if it hops the pond or is picked up by a streaming service, for example PBS Compass or Walter Presents, it has been vetted carefully. Either it is acclaimed, award-winning or nominated in some capacity, so we’re already receiving a curated list and that is to our benefit.

Now, if you are a regular reader of TSLL and listener of the podcast, many of the shows included in today’s list will not surprise you because I do my best to keep you updated on the latest premieres and new shows, and to alert you when a new season is beginning, because that is what I am here for ☺️! But what IS new in this post is updates on when/if the next season is returning, so you can get ready to eagerly anticipate sitting down and watching your favorite new series/show again. And if you are new to TSLL, then this is the type of content that is regularly sprinkled into the weekly This & That posts, chosen as a Petit Plaisir for The Simple Sophisticate podcast and shared as well during our A Cuppa Moments with TOP Tier Members so that year-round you are in-the-know about your British favorites alongside all of the other finds (Francophile too!) that I think TSLL readers will enjoy.

Now, let’s take a look at this list. As you will notice with many of the shows, they were already chosen as a Petit Plaisir for the podcast, so I have included a link to that post which shares all the details about it and why I love it and think you will too.

11 New British Shows I Enjoy Watching (debuting in the past 3 Years)

1. Bookish, PBS/U&Alibi

Debuting in 2025 in the US and earlier in that same year in the UK, watch Bookish on PBS Compass, and be taken back to post WWII where sleuthing and society growing pains intertwine. Season 2 has been confirmed and will first debut in the UK on U&Alibi channel in mid-late 2026 with a premiere to follow in the US, likely lately 2026. Read more about this series in my detailed post below and view the trailer.

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2. Death Valley, BritBox

If you enjoy a cosy mystery with less drama and more comedy, but still a crime is being solved all the while peering around corners in historic Welsh buildings and beautiful countryside gardens and rambling routes, than Death Valley is for you (BritBox). Season 1 premiered in 2025 and season 2 just premiered in the UK, BBC One on May 17th. Soon it will premiere on BritBox. I will be sure to let you know when on a future This & That post. Read a detailed post about the series and watch the trailer in the post below.

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3. The Marlow Murder Club, PBS Masterpiece/Channel 4

From book series to television series, both created by Robert Thorogood who is the creator of the Death in Paradise franchise (Beyond Paradise and Return to Paradise are part of the family), comes The Marlow Murder Club. And yes, Marlow is an actual town in Buckinghamshire, England, where Thorogood actually lives, and it looks idyllic from the videography that they capture. Three women living distinctly different lives, yet all living in Marlow with curiosity and a touch of fearlessness as their common binding thread.

A new book in the series is to be released this summer, and the show, which airs on PBS Masterpiece in the States and Channel 4, as well as the U&Drama channel in the UK, draws on the mysteries depicted in the books but also features entirely new mysteries. This was the case in season 2 of the television series, and with season 3 returning this September in the States, I am curious to see if they keep this trend up. Read a detailed post about the show in the post below and watch the trailer.

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4. Art Detectives, AcornTV/U&Drama

When Art Detectives premiered on AcornTV last June, it earned the honor of becoming AcornTV’s most successful new series launch of all time. If you love art and history intertwined with each mystery, setting each episode somewhere in England (London as well as the countryside – this series travels about), Art Detectives is for you. I genuinely enjoy the platonic chemistry and respect the two lead characters have for each other, even though one is very senior in their career of art crimes and the other is eager to learn while also bringing her own strengths along with an endearing naïveté in her personal life (about relationships and ironically an in ability to detect whether someone is interested in her). Look for season 2 this summer, and read the detailed post below, which also includes the trailer.

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5. Ludwig, BritBox/BBC One

Puzzle lovers! And if you love a wink at classical music lovers as well, paired these two details with a new crime to solve each episode and a main mystery running through the entire show, then Ludwig is for you. Season 1 premiered last year (2025) on BritBox (in the UK it premiered on BBC One in 2024), and viewers loved it. I have had many TSLL readers say they are impatiently waiting for season 2 (as am I!), and the good news is, it is coming! Read this article to see photos from the set and the new cast members of the upcoming second season. Look for it to return later this year, likely late summer or early autumn. And read the detailed post below, which also includes the trailer.

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6. Return to Paradise, BritBox/BBC Two

Robert Thorogood’s Death in Paradise series has a third member of the family and this time with a female lead. Return to Paradise is set in Australia this time, the detecting takes place in the small oceanside town of Dolphin’s Cove. (The town is fictitious, but where they are filming is in Australia, specifically the Illawarra region, which lies just south of Sydney.) The first season premiered in late 2024, the second season has aired on BBC Two, but hasn’t yet arrived on BritBox (but soon will), and I recently saw on the show’s Instagram page that filming has begun on Season 3. So we are in for a treat of much to watch in the coming couple of years.

The show’s guiding detective is DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson), and while she grew up in Dolphin’s Cove, she has been working in London as a detective under the wings of a familiar face from the Death in Paradise series, Ardal O’Hanlon. So the show treats its long-time fans with these easter eggs of sorts (which is a tip of the hat to those of us that watch a lot of British and British-adjacent television). Due to awaiting a disciplinary hearing and thus she is temporarily suspended, DI Clarke returns to Australia to wait and see when she’ll be able to go back to work to London. In the meantime, she rejoins the local Dolphin Cove police team to help solve crimes. With her hyper-observational skills and no-nonsense approach, she at first seems antisocial, but what we discover is that she is just flat-out awesome at her job, so her co-workers simply keep up as they are grateful for her help. The supporting cast is light-hearted, comedic and full of their own antics which are a treat, and there is a beloved dog – Franky. Have a look at the trailer for season 1 below.

Watch the trailer below:

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7. Mrs. Sidhu Investigates, AcornTV

Premiering in 2023, while unfortunately this mystery series wasn’t renewed for a second season, I quite enjoyed the first. Mrs. Sidh, played by Meera Syal, is a caterer with a curious mind for solving mysteries. As often happens in cosy mysteries, the local DCI agrees to welcome her help but after much reluctance. I appreciated Mrs. Sidhu’s tenacity, and championing of those who needed her help is one of the reasons I enjoyed this series. From time to time, we get a glimpse into her grief as her husband has passed away but their bond seems to only provide her with support and stability rather than weigh her down.

Watch the trailer below:

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8. Anthony Horowitz’s Magpie/Moonflower/Marble Hall Murders, PBS/BBC One

The prolific crime writer Anthony Horowitz, who began writing some of the early Midsomer Murders episodes and went on to write 11 of David Suchet’s Poirot episodes, had his three-part mystery series with London editor Susan Ryland as the amateur sleuth adapted for television beginning nearly three years ago. Leslie Manville was cast as Ryland, and the first of the series, Magpie Murders, aired in 2023 on PBS Masterpiece, with Moonflower Murders premiering the next September. Horowitz writes the screenplays as well as the novels, while also juggling other mystery book series, and so we heard the confirming news that the third mystery, Marble Hall Murders is premiering this coming September.

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9. Lynley, BritBox/BBC One

Based on the novels written by American author Elizabeth George centered around DI Lynley, this modern adaptation debuted last year (2025). Starring Leo Suter (Vikings: Valhalla) as DI Tommy Lynley and Sofia Barclay (Ted Lasso) as DS Barbara Havers, the series is set in Norfolk, and the tension that is thrown back and forth between the two partnered sleuths is due to their vastly different backgrounds. Lynley comes from an aristocratic family, yet he tries to play down his heritage while also benefiting from it yet simultaneously being targeted by it from his superior, and Havers comes from a working-class background. Their differences create moments of frustration and humility that bond them as trusted partners on the force.

Each episode is 90 minutes and the settings for nearly all of them take us to the countryside similar to how Vera utilized the place as a character as much as the leads themselves. Season 2 is coming and is currently being filmed in Dublin with four episodes in the queue (read this article for peeks of filming for the new season). Look for it to likely premiere in late 2026 or early 2027.

Watch the trailer below:

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10. The Puzzle Lady, PBS/Channel 5

Starring Phyllis Logan,The Puzzle Lady’s first season was a hoot, but don’t be fooled by the name of the series. Yes, she is the sleuth in the show, but she is not the Mrs. Hughes from Downton Abbey (and spoiler alert – she isn’t the literal puzzle creator that we assume she is in the pilot episode). Seeking to find something she can do, something she is good at, it turns out, it might just be solving crimes. A second season hasn’t been confirmed yet, so we’ll have to wait on that news, but in the meantime, if you haven’t watched the show, you can find it on PBS Passport in the States and Channel 5 in the UK.

Watch the trailer below:

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11. The Thursday Murder Club (a movie with potentially a sequel coming), Netflix

As mentioned just above, I recognize that this isn’t a TV series, but it is a series that is adapted from a mystery series, much like Robert Thorogood’s, and it is worth watching (I have a feeling many TSLL readers already have ☺️). Written by Robert Osman, The Thursday Murder Club (view the entire 5-book series here), while he didn’t write the adapted screenplay, he was part of the production process. Starring an absolutely stand-out cast – Helen Mirren, Celia Imrie, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley, the first movie went over very well with audiences. While a second film hasn’t been confirmed, it does appear quite likely that it will happen, and again, I will definitely let you know on a future This & That when it is.

Watch the trailer below:

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Well, aren’t we spoiled for fabulous British television programs? Cheers to that! How fortunate are we, and with so many of the new shows that are returning, there seems to always be something new to enjoy each week of the year. That is quite awesome. Hopefully, one or many of the shows shared today spoke to you, and may you enjoy your viewing rituals as you settle in and soak up the plots, characters, and British settings.

And just for fun, below is a post you may enjoy reading . . .

Explore all of the Posts Share during this Year’s British Week