{"id":22145,"date":"2024-05-23T15:11:27","date_gmt":"2024-05-23T13:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=22145"},"modified":"2024-05-23T15:12:03","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T13:12:03","slug":"best-of-british-tv-now-on-showmax","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2024\/05\/23\/best-of-british-tv-now-on-showmax\/","title":{"rendered":"Best of British TV, Now on Showmax"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britbox.com\/za\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.britbox.com\/za\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Britbox<\/a> may be leaving South Africa but great British TV isn\u2019t going anywhere, thanks to Showmax\u2019s distribution deals with the likes of BBC, ITV and Sky. So if you\u2019re looking for the best of British TV, start here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Sixth Commandment | Trailer - BBC\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_aaSvOVMtkY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The big BAFTA winner: <em>The Sixth Commandment<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>At the recent BAFTAs, Britain\u2019s most prestigious TV awards, <em>The Sixth Commandment<\/em> was named Best Limited Drama, with Timothy Spall winning Leading Actor. The four-part BBC series also took home Best Limited Series at this year\u2019s Royal Television Society Awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spall plays Peter Farquhar, an inspirational teacher whose meeting with a charismatic student (\u00c9anna Hardwicke in a BAFTA-nominated and Royal Television Society-winning performance), sets the stage for one of the most complex and confounding criminal cases in recent memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anne Reid was nominated for a Leading Actress BAFTA as Ann Moore-Martin, Farquhar\u2019s deeply religious neighbour, and fellow murder victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now available to binge on Showmax, <em>The Sixth Commandment<\/em> has an 89% critics\u2019 rating on <em>Rotten Tomatoes<\/em>, with <em>Irish Independent<\/em> calling it, \u201cNot just a great true-crime drama \u2013 one of the best of the year in any genre.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Black Ops Trailer | BBC - BBC\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fKBblGlXQBc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A fresh take on British comedy: <em>Black Ops <\/em>S1<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Nominated for four BAFTAs in four years, Nigeria\u2019s Gbemisola Ikumelo won her second this year, for Female Performance: Comedy for <em>Black Ops, <\/em>a six-part buddy cop comedy that\u2019s now available to binge on Showmax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gbemisola plays Dom, a community support police officer asked to go undercover as a drug dealer with her partner Kay (Hammed Animashaun in a BAFTA-nominated and Royal Television Society-winning performance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan you really make a hilarious comedy about police racism? \u2026 The answer \u2013 pretty miraculously \u2013 is yes,\u201d says <em>The Guardian<\/em>\u2019s 5\/5-star review, calling the show<em> <\/em>\u201ca pitch-perfect, star-packed joy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The BBC has already ordered a second season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nolly S1 | Coming to Showmax\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fAMOHfzwRok?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Helena Bonham Carter as an axed soap star: <em>Nolly<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Helena Bonham Carter was nominated for the Leading Actress BAFTA this year for her role in <em>Nolly<\/em>, which explores the reign, and fall from grace, of the inimitable British soap star Noele Gordon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Available to binge on Showmax, the three-part series has a 100% critics\u2019 rating on <em>Rotten Tomatoes<\/em>, with <em>The Guardian<\/em> saying, \u201cIt\u2019s a joy to watch this warm, thoughtful tribute to soaps, fabulous older women \u2013 and showbiz itself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Russell T Davies (<em>It&#8217;s a Sin<\/em>, <em>Years and Years<\/em>, <em>A Very English Scandal<\/em>) won the BAFTA Cymru Best Writer Award, while Mark Gatiss was up for Supporting Actor &#8211; Male at the Royal Television Society Awards, among other accolades for the ITV drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Lovers S1 | Now on  Showmax\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_S5zecylOW4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cI love you\u201d in an Irish accent: <em>The Lovers<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Roisin Gallagher was nominated for the Best Female Performance: Comedy BAFTA this year for her performance in<em> The Lovers<\/em> as a foul-mouthed supermarket worker, who doesn&#8217;t care about anything until she begins an unexpected relationship with a self-centred political television broadcaster (Critics Choice nominee Johnny Flynn from <em>Genius<\/em> and <em>Emma<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Directed by BAFTA winner Justin Martin (<em>Together<\/em>), <em>The Lovers<\/em> has an 82% critics\u2019 rating on <em>Rotten Tomatoes<\/em>, with <em>London Evening Standard <\/em>calling the six-part Sky Original \u201ca brilliant rom-com with as much bite as it has heart\u201d in their 5\/5-star review. As they say, \u201cThis surprisingly gritty take on the genre is a must-watch.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Lovers<\/em> is available to binge on Showmax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Turning up the heat  | Boiling Point S1 | Coming soon to Showmax\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3n-Y4FP0wOs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cMichelin-starred TV drama\u201d: <em>Boiling Point <\/em>S1<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Following on from the multi-award-winning 2021 film of the same name, the BAFTA-nominated miniseries <em>Boiling Point <\/em>is set in a high-pressure restaurant kitchen. Picking up eight months after their mentor Andy Jones suffered a heart attack, the four-part BBC show follows head chef Carly and her team as the stresses of keeping the restaurant running bear down on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Boiling Point <\/em>has already won the 2024 Casting Directors&#8217; Guild Award for Best Casting in a TV Drama Series, thanks to a powerful ensemble led by Vinette Robinson, who won Best Supporting Actress at the British Independent Film Awards for her role as Carly in the movie, and eight-time BAFTA nominee Stephen Graham as Andy Jones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Available to binge on Showmax, <em>Boiling Point <\/em>has a 100% critics\u2019 rating on <em>Rotten Tomatoes<\/em>, with <em>Daily Telegraph (UK)<\/em> calling it \u201ca Michelin-starred TV drama\u201d and \u201chighly stressful TV\u201d in their 5\/5 review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"TIME Trailer (2023) Bella Ramsey, Jodie Whittaker\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KcJPsi3y91A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>British prison drama: <em>Time <\/em>S1-2<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Tamara Lawrence beat <em>Time <\/em>S2<em> <\/em>co-star Jodie Whittaker to win this year\u2019s Royal Television Society awards for Leading Actor &#8211; Female, with Bella Ramsey taking home Supporting Actor &#8211; Female. They play inmates at a women\u2019s jail who must confront the dangers and violence of prison life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this year\u2019s BAFTAs,<em> <\/em>the four-part BBC drama was nominated for Scripted Casting and Editing awards, having won Best Mini-Series and Leading Actor (Sean Bean) for S1 in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Available to binge on Showmax, Season 2 has a 95% critics\u2019 rating on <em>Rotten Tomatoes<\/em>, with <em>Times (UK)<\/em> saying, \u201cIt gets stronger and more moving with every episode.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rain Dogs S1 Trailer | Coming to Showmax\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/p3YIGa16lcM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Metacritic\u2019s #1 new show of 2023: <em>Rain Dogs<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>HBO and BBC One collab <em>Rain Dogs<\/em> is MetaCritic\u2019s best-reviewed show of 2023, with an 88% metascore from the critic aggregator site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Double-BAFTA winner Daisy May Cooper stars as Costello Jones, a devoted mother, aspiring author, and peepshow dancer, who wants more for her young daughter. As Costello\u2019s friends, Ronke Adekoluejo and Jack Farthing were nominated for supporting actor prizes at the Royal Television Society and Film Independent Spirit awards respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Time<\/em> hails <em>Rain Dogs<\/em> as, \u201cA portrait of a fascinatingly unconventional family\u2026 The perfect balance of darkness, warmth, grit, and scathing British humour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The eight-part series is available to binge on Showmax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Spy Among Friends S1 trailer | Coming to Showmax\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1SlF5kaDKWY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>British spy drama: <em>A Spy Among Friends<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Guy Pearce beat out co-star Damian Lewis to win this year\u2019s Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor for his role in <em>A Spy Among Friends<\/em> as British intelligence officer Kim Philby, who had been secretly working as a double agent for the KGB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Available to binge on Showmax, <em>A Spy Among Friends<\/em> was also up for Best Miniseries and Limited Series, as well as Best Actress for Anna Maxwell Martin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on Ben Macintyre\u2019s award-winning novel of the same name, the six-part ITV series has an 88% critics\u2019 rating on <em>Rotten Tomatoes<\/em>. As <em>Irish Independent<\/em> says in their five-star review, \u201cIf, like me, you have an unlimited appetite for old-school Cold War spy thrillers full of men in overcoats and hats, secrets being passed on inside rolled-up newspapers, conversations in coded language&#8230; this is one worth staying up late for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blue Lights | Trailer - BBC\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C2fifCku6IU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cBelfast\u2019s answer to <em>The Wire<\/em>\u201d: <em>Blue Lights <\/em>S1<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Game of Thrones <\/em>star Richard Dormer won Best Supporting Actor at the 2024 Irish Film and Television Awards for his role in <em>Blue Lights<\/em>, which was also up for Best TV Drama, Best Script, and Best Actor (Martin McCann).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Set in Belfast in Northern Ireland, the BBC series follows three rookie police officers who find themselves up against criminal gangs, undercover agents, their own communities and even their own police force as they work to complete the last two months of their probationary period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Available to binge on Showmax, <em>Blue Lights<\/em> has a 91% critics\u2019 rating on <em>Rotten Tomatoes,<\/em> with five-star reviews from both<em> The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian<\/em>, with the latter calling the six-part series \u201cwell-crafted, fantastically tense, thrilling stuff,\u201d and \u201cone of the best shows of the year\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Please sir, I want some more\u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Showmax is also home to British gems like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Medical drama <em>Malpractice<\/em>, which earned Niamh Algar a Best Lead Actress nomination at the 2024 Irish Film and Television Awards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Michaela Coel\u2019s Emmy-winning drama series <em>I May Destroy You<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emmy-nominated action series <em>Gangs of London<\/em> S1-2<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Alex Rider <\/em>S1-3, based on the bestselling teen spy novel by Anthony Horowitz<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>C.B. Strike<\/em> and <em>C.B. Strike &#8211; Lethal White<\/em>, based on the bestselling private detective novels by Robert Galbraith (better known as JK Rowling).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>True-crime documentary <em>Libby, Are You Home Yet?, <\/em>winner of Best Factual Series at the 2023 BAFTAs, and <em>Without Sin<\/em>, which earned <em>Line of Duty<\/em> star Vicky McClure a Best Actress nomination there last year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2023 Royal Television Award winners <em>SAS Rogue Heroes<\/em>, about the creation of the Special Forces Unit, and <em>Funny Woman<\/em>, starring Gemma Arterton as a beauty queen trying to make it as a comedian in London at the height of the swinging 60s<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Showtrial<\/em>, which earned Celine Buckens BAFTA and International Emmy nominations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>BAFTA-winning Philip Pullman adaptation <em>His Dark Materials<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>BAFTA-nominated period romance<em> Gentleman Jack,<\/em> starring Suranne Jones<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reality TV phenomenon <em>Love Island UK<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Britbox may be leaving South Africa but great British TV isn\u2019t going anywhere, thanks to Showmax\u2019s distribution deals with the likes of BBC, ITV and Sky. So if you\u2019re looking for the best of British TV, start here: The big BAFTA winner: The Sixth Commandment At the recent BAFTAs, Britain\u2019s most prestigious TV awards, The&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2024\/05\/23\/best-of-british-tv-now-on-showmax\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Best of British TV, Now on Showmax<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20947,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97],"tags":[110],"class_list":["post-22145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-online","tag-showmax","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/showmax.png?fit=450%2C159&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22145\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}