10 Best British Sitcoms of the 2020s, Ranked
- Joao Nsita
- 2 hours ago
- 16 min read
Finding a genuinely funny British sitcom can be harder than it looks, especially when every streaming service is packed with new comedy series, workplace shows and family dramas competing for your attention. This list narrows things down to the British sitcoms from the 2020s that are actually worth watching, from supernatural comfort viewing and romantic comedy to dark family satire and emotional university stories.
The 2020s have been an excellent decade for British television comedy. Some of the best shows have returned to the traditional sitcom format, while others have mixed comedy with mockumentary, musical performance, social commentary and surprisingly heavy drama. That variety is exactly what makes this period so exciting.
You can watch a warm ensemble comedy like Ghosts, a sharp romantic sitcom like Starstruck, or something much darker like Such Brave Girls. There are also shows built around specific communities and experiences, including We Are Lady Parts, which brings music, friendship and identity together in a way that feels completely fresh.
The best British sitcoms of the decade are also more emotionally honest than many older comedies. These shows are not afraid to discuss grief, anxiety, family breakdown, class, sexuality, loneliness or financial pressure. They still want to make you laugh, but they understand that real life is rarely divided neatly into comedy and drama.
This ranking considers writing, characters, performances, cultural impact, rewatchability and how strongly each show represents British comedy in the 2020s. Some choices are obvious comfort watches, while others are more chaotic, uncomfortable or experimental. That is part of the fun.
I have also included useful information about the premise, main cast, tone and where UK viewers can currently look for each series. Streaming rights can change, especially for BBC and Channel 4 programmes, so it is worth checking your local listings before starting a binge.
If you want a British comedy with an unforgettable ensemble, there is a clear No. 1. But the competition is surprisingly strong, and several of these shows could easily become future classics.
Let’s get into it 👇
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10. Bloods
I completely understand why Bloods did not become as widely discussed as some of the other British sitcoms on this list, but it deserves more attention than it usually receives.
The Sky comedy follows two ambulance paramedics, Maleek and Wendy, who are thrown together as partners despite having very different personalities. Maleek is emotionally guarded and still carrying the weight of personal loss, while Wendy is older, more direct and far less interested in pretending that the job is glamorous. Their ambulance shifts become a parade of strange calls, difficult patients and colleagues who are almost as chaotic as the people they are trying to help.
Samson Kayo and Jane Horrocks make the central partnership work because the relationship never feels too polished. Maleek and Wendy annoy one another, misunderstand each other and occasionally cross serious boundaries, but there is a believable affection beneath the arguments. The show also understands that emergency workers often cope with traumatic situations through inappropriate jokes and exhausted sarcasm.
Bloods is not always as emotionally smooth as the sitcoms above it, but that roughness gives it personality. It is a workplace comedy about people who see the worst parts of life and still have to show up for another shift.
Where to watch: UK availability can vary, but check Sky and NOW for current listings.
9. The Cleaner
The Cleaner has one of the best sitcom premises of the decade. Greg Davies plays Paul “Wicky” Wickstead, a professional cleaner who specialises in removing the evidence left behind after murders and other violent crimes.
That may sound like the beginning of a dark crime drama, but Wicky is usually less interested in the crime itself than in the strange people he meets while cleaning up after it. Each episode places him in a new location with a different guest character, allowing the show to function as a comedy anthology built around one very unusual job.
Wicky’s work takes him into houses, offices, hotels and public buildings where he encounters grieving relatives, suspicious neighbours, eccentric criminals and people who are far too comfortable discussing murder while he is scrubbing the floor. The combination of grim subject matter and gentle conversational humour gives the series a strangely cosy quality.
Greg Davies is perfectly suited to the role. Wicky is sarcastic without being cruel, curious without being especially brave and far more emotionally intelligent than he initially appears. The show also benefits from its guest cast, with each episode becoming a small character study.
There are better sitcoms on this list, but few are as easy to dip into. The Cleaner is ideal when you want a short British comedy episode that feels slightly strange without becoming exhausting.
Where to watch: Check BBC iPlayer and current BBC television listings for UK availability.
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8. Such Brave Girls
Such Brave Girls is not a comfort sitcom, and it would be a mistake to approach it expecting one. This is a deliberately uncomfortable, darkly funny comedy about a dysfunctional family whose members are all trying to survive while making one another’s lives considerably worse.
Created by and starring Kat Sadler, the series follows Josie and Billie, two sisters living with their mother Deb. The family dynamic is shaped by insecurity, selfishness, financial stress and an almost impressive inability to communicate honestly. Everyone wants love and stability, but they are frequently too self-absorbed or emotionally damaged to offer it to one another.
What makes the show so memorable is how fearless it is. The characters can be unpleasant, delusional and deeply embarrassing, but the writing does not reduce them to simple villains. Their behaviour often comes from fear, loneliness or the desperate desire to be seen. That creates a strange tension where you may laugh at a scene and then realise that the joke has exposed something genuinely painful.
Sadler’s writing is sharp and specific, while the performances keep the show from becoming a collection of cruel punchlines. The family feels recognisable even when the situations become extreme.
Such Brave Girls is one of the strongest dark British sitcoms of the 2020s because it understands that misery can be funny without becoming meaningless. Watch it when you want something bold, uncomfortable and very different from a traditional family comedy.
Where to watch: UK viewers should check BBC iPlayer and BBC Three availability.
7. Big Boys
There are several funny university sitcoms, but Big Boys is much more emotionally honest than most of them.
The Channel 4 series follows Jack, a young man who begins university while grieving the recent death of his father. He is nervous, inexperienced and unsure of what he is supposed to become, but university gives him the chance to build a new life away from home. His friendship with Danny, an older student with a much louder personality, becomes the emotional centre of the show.
On paper, Big Boys could have been a familiar coming-of-age comedy about drinking, parties and awkward romantic encounters. Instead, creator Jack Rooke uses the university setting to explore grief, sexuality, masculinity, friendship and the terrifying process of growing up.
The show is often very funny, especially when Jack and Danny fall into ridiculous situations, but it knows when to slow down. The emotional moments do not feel like interruptions to the comedy. They are part of the same story. Jack’s grief affects his behaviour, his relationships and his understanding of adulthood, while Danny’s confidence hides his own insecurities.
Dylan Llewellyn gives the lead character a lovely mixture of awkwardness and warmth, while Jon Pointing brings an unpredictable energy to Danny. Together, they create one of the decade’s most believable male friendships.
Big Boys is an excellent choice if you want a funny British university show that also has genuine emotional weight.
Where to watch: Check Channel 4’s streaming service for current UK availability.
6. Here We Go
Here We Go is the kind of family sitcom that becomes funnier the longer you spend with its characters. Created by Tom Basden, the series follows the Jessop family as they attempt to manage everyday life while making almost every situation more complicated than it needs to be.
The show is presented through the footage of a documentary crew, but the mockumentary format is not the main attraction. The real pleasure comes from watching the family members reveal their personalities through disastrous weddings, failed business ideas, awkward holidays, career changes and arguments that should have ended several minutes earlier.
Sam and Rachel Jessop are at the centre of the family, surrounded by relatives who are loving, irritating, funny and occasionally impossible to defend. The comedy comes from the gap between how the family sees itself and how clearly the audience can see what is actually happening.
What makes Here We Go so enjoyable is its affection. The Jessops are ridiculous, but they are not treated as targets. Their arguments feel recognisable because they are rooted in small frustrations rather than cartoon villainy. Someone forgets an important detail, makes a terrible decision or tries to control a situation that is already falling apart.
The performances are excellent across the ensemble, with every family member given enough detail to become memorable. The show is particularly good at turning ordinary domestic problems into full-scale emotional emergencies.
If you enjoy British family sitcoms such as Outnumbered or Gavin & Stacey, Here We Go is an easy recommendation. It is warm, awkward and very easy to binge.
Where to watch: UK viewers can check BBC iPlayer for current episodes and box sets.
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5. Amandaland
Amandaland had a difficult job. It had to follow Motherland, one of the most popular British comedies of recent years, while giving its central character enough room to evolve beyond the original series.
Fortunately, Lucy Punch’s Amanda is such a strong comic creation that the spin-off quickly develops its own identity. The series follows Amanda after her life changes dramatically, forcing her to relocate and rebuild her social position. She remains desperate to project confidence, sophistication and control, even though almost every decision she makes creates another problem.
Amanda is a fascinating sitcom character because she is both ridiculous and oddly sympathetic. She can be selfish, status-conscious and completely oblivious, but she is also struggling to keep her life from falling apart. Punch plays her with perfect confidence, never asking the audience to excuse Amanda but making it impossible to look away from her.
The supporting characters are just as important. Anne remains the person most likely to see through Amanda’s nonsense, while the family and neighbours create a rotating supply of social disasters. The show is especially funny when Amanda tries to recreate the lifestyle she believes she deserves in circumstances that clearly will not support it.
The mainstream success of Amandaland has also made it one of the most relevant British sitcoms of the decade. Its Christmas special reportedly attracted around 7.4 million viewers, and the second series returned in 2026. UK viewers can watch the newer episodes through BBC iPlayer coverage and current listings.
Where to watch: Stream it on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
4. We Are Lady Parts
We Are Lady Parts is one of the most original British comedy series of the 2020s. Created by Nida Manzoor, the show follows an all-female Muslim punk band trying to find its sound, its confidence and its place in London’s music scene.
The story is largely seen through Amina, a talented but anxious guitarist who is recruited by Lady Parts. She is initially overwhelmed by the band’s confidence and chaotic energy, especially because she has spent much of her life trying to appear respectable and avoid embarrassment. The group, meanwhile, sees music as a way to express anger, joy, identity and friendship.
The series works because it does not treat its characters as symbols or educational tools. They are funny, ambitious, insecure, competitive and occasionally selfish. Their religious and cultural identities are important, but they are not the only things that define them.
The music is also genuinely excellent. Songs such as “Bashir with the Good Beard” and “Voldemort Under My Headscarf” are funny in concept but still work as actual punk performances. The comedy comes from character, not from simply making the band unusual.
Anjana Vasan is excellent as Amina, while the entire ensemble brings a different kind of energy to the group. The result is a vibrant comedy about friendship, creative ambition and the freedom that comes from finding people who understand you.
Sky describes the show as an anarchic celebration of sisterhood and inclusivity, and that is a fair description. You can find the series through Sky’s official We Are Lady Parts page.
Where to watch: Check Sky, Channel 4 and Peacock listings depending on your region.
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3. Starstruck
Starstruck is one of the strongest British romantic sitcoms of the 2020s because it understands that romance is exciting, confusing and frequently inconvenient.
Rose Matafeo plays Jessie, a young New Zealander living in London who discovers that the man she has spent the night with is actually a famous film star. What begins as an awkward one-night encounter develops into a complicated relationship shaped by fame, distance, cultural differences and the ordinary emotional problems that celebrity cannot magically solve.
The premise sounds like a modern version of a classic romantic comedy, but Starstruck is more interested in what happens after the meet-cute. Jessie and Tom have chemistry, but their relationship is not presented as an effortless fantasy. They have separate lives, conflicting expectations and plenty of reasons to avoid making things more serious.
Matafeo is brilliant in the role because Jessie is funny without always being charming. She can be selfish, impulsive and frustrating, but she is also honest about her fears. Nikesh Patel gives Tom enough warmth to stop him from becoming a generic celebrity love interest.
The show’s greatest strength is its emotional realism. It can be silly one moment and surprisingly painful the next, often within the same conversation. The jokes come from awkwardness rather than forced punchlines, and the romance develops through small details instead of endless grand gestures.
If you want a funny British romance series with excellent chemistry and short binge-friendly seasons, Starstruck is an essential watch.
Where to watch: Check BBC iPlayer, Max, Roku or local streaming listings depending on your country.
2. Alma’s Not Normal
Alma’s Not Normal is one of the most distinctive British sitcoms of the decade. Written by and starring Sophie Willan, the series follows Alma Nuthall, a woman from Bolton who is trying to create a more glamorous life for herself despite having very little money, stability or patience.
Alma is an aspiring actress, a former escort and a deeply complicated person who is constantly trying to escape the limitations placed around her. She wants a better life, but her plans are often impulsive, impractical or actively destructive. The people around her are just as complicated, particularly her grandmother Joan and her mother Lin, whose struggles shape Alma’s understanding of love, family and survival.
The show is funny because Alma is outrageous, but its real strength comes from the emotional detail underneath the jokes. It explores class, care, addiction, family trauma and female friendship without losing its sense of humour. Even when the story becomes painful, it remains full of vivid language, eccentric characters and sharp observations.
Sophie Willan gives Alma enormous energy, but she also understands when to let the character become vulnerable. Alma can be selfish and reckless, yet the writing never forgets how hard she is trying to survive.
The series also feels refreshingly specific. Its Bolton setting, regional voice and working-class characters are not background decoration. They are essential to the identity of the show.
Alma’s Not Normal is the best choice here if you want a British comedy that is hilarious, rude, heartfelt and emotionally fearless.
Where to watch: UK availability changes regularly, so check BBC iPlayer, U and current BBC listings.
🎧 Before we reveal our No. 1 pick
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1. Ghosts
Ghosts is the easiest No. 1 choice on this list.
The BBC sitcom follows Alison and Mike, a young couple who inherit a crumbling country house and discover that it is already occupied by a group of ghosts. Alison can see the spirits after a near-death experience, while Mike initially has to accept that his new home is filled with dead residents who have very strong opinions about how the house should be run.
The premise is simple, but the character work is exceptional. Each ghost represents a different period of British history, from the caveman Robin to the disgraced politician Julian, the romantic poet Thomas, the strict Captain and the endlessly judgmental Lady Button. Their personalities are distinctive, but the show never lets them become one-joke characters.
The emotional writing is what separates Ghosts from a merely entertaining supernatural sitcom. The characters are literally trapped in the place where they died, and the show gradually explores what that means. Their jealousy, boredom and arguments are funny, but there is always a sense of time passing around them.
Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe are equally important as Alison and Mike. Their relationship gives the show a warm human centre, while the ghosts create the chaos.
The original BBC series ended after five seasons, but its popularity has continued to grow. A feature-length continuation titled Ghosts: The Possession of Button House has also been announced, bringing the original cast back for another story. You can read more about that development through GamesRadar’s report on the upcoming film.
For current UK availability, JustWatch lists Ghosts as available through BBC iPlayer and other services, although streaming rights can change.
Ghosts earns the top spot because it combines everything a great sitcom needs: a brilliant premise, memorable characters, clever jokes, emotional storytelling and genuine rewatch value.
CONCLUSION
The best British sitcoms of the 2020s have shown that comedy can be warm, uncomfortable, romantic, musical, political and deeply emotional without losing its ability to make people laugh.
Bloods and The Cleaner use unusual workplaces to create comedy from difficult jobs. Big Boys and Alma’s Not Normal prove that sitcoms can discuss grief, class and personal trauma while still being entertaining. Such Brave Girls takes family dysfunction to an extreme, while Here We Go finds humour in the ordinary disasters of domestic life.
For something romantic, Starstruck is the obvious recommendation. If you want a series with a completely original voice, We Are Lady Parts deserves your attention. Amandaland is ideal for viewers who enjoy sharp social comedy, while Ghosts remains the perfect choice when you want something funny and comforting.
My personal recommendation is still Ghosts. It has the strongest ensemble, the most reliable emotional payoff and the best balance between broad comedy and quieter character moments. The show can make you laugh at a ridiculous argument about a television remote and then make you unexpectedly emotional about the meaning of death, friendship and time.
That combination is difficult to achieve, which is why Ghosts feels like the defining British sitcom of the 2020s so far.
Still, this is a decade with an unusually strong comedy catalogue, and several of these shows could become even more important with time. Tell us what you would rank differently, and let us know which British sitcom should have made the list.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the best British sitcom of the 2020s?
Ghosts is the strongest overall choice because it combines an excellent ensemble, a creative supernatural premise, sharp comedy and genuine emotional storytelling. It works as a family-friendly comfort watch, but it is also intelligent enough to reward repeat viewing.
Which British sitcom should I watch first?
Start with Ghosts if you want something warm and easy to binge. If you prefer romantic comedy, watch Starstruck. For darker humour, try Such Brave Girls. Viewers looking for a more emotional coming-of-age series should begin with Big Boys.
Is Ghosts the best British comedy series of the 2020s?
It is certainly one of the strongest. The show has a memorable cast of characters, a clever setting and a rare ability to move between silly jokes and emotional scenes without feeling forced. Its five-season run also gives viewers plenty of episodes to enjoy.
What is Alma’s Not Normal about?
Alma’s Not Normal follows Alma Nuthall, a working-class woman from Bolton who wants to build a more glamorous and successful life. The series explores her relationships with her family, her work, her ambitions and the difficult experiences that have shaped her.
Is Starstruck a romantic comedy?
Yes. Starstruck is a British romantic sitcom about Jessie, a young woman who becomes involved with a famous actor after a one-night stand. The series focuses on the complications that follow, including distance, fame, insecurity and the difficulty of maintaining a normal relationship.
What is the funniest British sitcom on this list?
That depends on your taste. Here We Go is excellent for awkward family comedy, The Cleaner has a gentler and stranger style, while Amandaland is ideal for sharp social satire. For broad ensemble humour, Ghosts is the safest recommendation.
Which British sitcom is the most emotional?
Big Boys and Alma’s Not Normal are probably the most emotional choices. Both shows discuss grief, family problems and difficult personal experiences without abandoning comedy. Ghosts is also surprisingly moving because its supernatural premise is built around loss and the passage of time.
Where can I watch these British sitcoms?
UK viewers should check BBC iPlayer for Ghosts, Here We Go, The Cleaner, Alma’s Not Normal and Amandaland. Channel 4 is the main place to check for Big Boys, while Bloods may be available through Sky or NOW. We Are Lady Parts has different availability depending on the region.
Is We Are Lady Parts suitable for fans of musical comedy?
Absolutely. The show follows an all-female Muslim punk band and uses original music as a major part of its storytelling. It is funny, energetic and character-driven, while also exploring friendship, faith, identity and creative ambition.
What should I watch after Ghosts?
If you want another warm British ensemble sitcom, try Here We Go. If you enjoyed the show’s emotional side, Big Boys is a strong choice. For something more unusual, watch The Cleaner. Fans of the British cast may also enjoy exploring Gavin & Stacey and other BBC comedy classics.
MORE PLACES TO FIND GREAT MOVIES AND TV SHOWS
If you're on the hunt for your next favourite TV show or movie, these websites are useful places to continue your search:
IMDb — Cast information, ratings, episode guides and production details.
Rotten Tomatoes — Critic and audience reviews for films and television.
Metacritic — Aggregated scores and reviews from professional critics.
Wikipedia — Useful for cast details, episode information and production history.
TV Guide — Television listings, recommendations and entertainment coverage.
Entertainment Weekly — Interviews, reviews and entertainment news.
Deadline — Film, television and streaming industry news.
The Hollywood Reporter — Entertainment reporting, reviews and interviews.
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