## UK TV Dramas to Watch in 2025 and Beyond: A Den of Geek Guide
2025 promises a bumper crop of British television dramas, offering a diverse range of genres and talent. From established screenwriters like Jack Thorne and Sally Wainwright to exciting newcomers, the year’s offerings are sure to captivate audiences. This guide highlights some of the most anticipated new and returning series, with updates to follow as release dates and further details are announced.
New Dramas Arriving in 2025:
* _Missing You_ (Netflix, January 1st, 2025): The latest Harlan Coben thriller kicks off the year with a captivating mystery. A detective investigates the reappearance of her missing fiancé on a dating app a decade after his disappearance, uncovering long-buried secrets about her father’s murder and her own past. Starring Ashley Walters, James Nesbitt, and Rosalind Eleazar, among others.
* _Lockerbie_ (Sky Atlantic, January 2nd, 2025): This five-part drama, adapted from Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph’s book, recounts the devastating Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. Colin Firth stars as Jim Swire, a father searching for justice. A second Lockerbie-based drama, a BBC/Netflix co-production, is also slated for release in 2025.
* _Playing Nice_ (ITV, January 5th, 2025): A psychological thriller based on JP Delaney’s novel, starring James Norton and Niamh Algar. Two couples grapple with the horrifying discovery that their toddlers were switched at birth, forcing them to make a devastating choice.
* _Patience_ (Channel 4, January 8th, 2025): Ella Maisy Purvis stars as Patience, a self-taught criminologist with autism whose exceptional instincts prove invaluable to crime scene investigations.
* _Prime Target_ (BBC iPlayer, January 8th, 2025): A horror-comedy set during the 1985 home video boom, following three teens on a VHS-fueled quest that unexpectedly leads them into a murder investigation.
* _A Thousand Blows_ (BBC Alba, BBC iPlayer, BBC Four, January 14th, 2025): Billed as the UK’s first high-end Gaelic drama series, this murder mystery follows a Family Liaison Officer returning to Lewis and Harris to investigate a brutal crime.
* _Prime Target_ (Apple TV+, January 22nd, 2025): An eight-part conspiracy thriller from Steve Thompson (_Sherlock_, _Vienna Blood_) featuring a stellar cast, including Leo Woodall and Stephen Rea. A brilliant mathematician on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery finds himself targeted by a powerful enemy.
* _A Thousand Blows_ (Disney+, February 21st, 2025): From Steven Knight (_Peaky Blinders_), this six-part historical drama explores the brutal world of East End London boxing at the turn of the 20th century, inspired by the real-life “Forty Elephants” gang. Starring Stephen Graham and Daniel Mays.
* _Bergerac_ (U and U&Drama, February 2025): A remake of the 1980s detective series, starring Damien Moloney as the titular Jersey detective, now a single father investigating a murder.
Returning Series and Further Anticipated Dramas:
Beyond these confirmed releases, numerous other British dramas are in development or production for 2025 and beyond, including ambitious projects from Jimmy McGovern and Guy Ritchie (titles currently unannounced). These include adaptations of popular novels, true crime stories, historical dramas, and original concepts that span various genres. This list features many anticipated dramas, with updates to be provided as more information is released. Keep an eye on Den of Geek for the latest developments.
(Note: The remaining detailed descriptions of the numerous other shows listed in the original text have been omitted for brevity, but the titles and key details (network, genre, and notable actors where available) are retained in the above lists.)
Written by Louisa Mellor, Den of Geek UK TV Editor.