The BBC is a British institution. Generations of viewers have grown up with the Beeb being the foundation of drama and comedy within the UK, and now in 2025 that only seems to be expanding.
Its free streaming service, BBC iPlayer, offers a simply huge library of content – comedy, drama, sport, movies, reality tv, documentaries... it really has something for everyone.
But with this amount of programming at your fingertips, where should you look for the more unusual or hidden masterpieces? Here are three ideas to get you started.
Mandy
Not all peak television has to be huge budget, effects laden, Hollywood cast stuff with 60-minute run times and a marketing campaign to rival a presidential election. Sometimes, all we need is a 15-minute episode with a tiny British cast and an absolute genius at the helm.
Mandy has that.
After destroying the worlds of science, history and politics with her iconic character Philomena Cunk, Diane Morgan brings us Mandy, a hapless, jobless heroine with big dreams but no real interest in doing anything to achieve them.
Bouncing from job to job, each episode works like one of the Mr Benn cartoons of the 1970s, with the titular character finding herself in a new role, new location and all new adventures.
It's well written, genuinely funny, while also cringe-inducing throughout. Morgan is absolutely outstanding and the whole show is a showcase of her comedy timing and ability to completely absorb a character.
The sitcom is not for everyone, but give it a try and you will be well rewarded.
Annika
Nicola Walker is British drama royalty. There simply isn't an actor working today who is as constantly reliable, talented and watchable as she, and Annika is yet another prime example of this.
Plating the witty and enigmatic Detective Inspector Annika Strandhed, who leads the Marine Homicide unit in and around Scottish waters, Walker is outstanding as always and carries the show to a much higher level than you might expect.
Cases are in-depth and intelligently written, performances are universally great, and the building of the characters really hits home through the clever choice of tone and pace. Nothing is rushed, growth and development is natural and we are all the better for it.
The show is also strangely quite meta in its approach, with plenty of straight to camera, fourth-wall breaking moments as our protagonist gives us narrative and exposition in a unique way. It's a choice that absolutely works.
If you are an avid TV viewer I can only recommend you work to the following mantra: if Nicola Walker is in the show, just watch it.
Mix Tape
Those of us of a certain age will fully understand the importance and significance of making and then giving a mix tape to somebody. It was pretty much the only way you could explain your entire personality to your friends or significant other, because we didn't really talk about our feelings back then.
Released onto the BBC in July 2025, Mix Tape is a four-part comedy drama about Daniel (Jim Sturgess) and Alison (Teresa Palmer) who meet as teenagers in Sheffield in 1989. They fall in love and then like most of us, allow life and time to get in the way.
Reconnecting in the modern day through shared memories and music, is asks the age old question, "Were we meant to be together?"
Sweet, sad, moving and funny, the show is a solid piece of work and deserves to reach a wider audience.
It's also nostalgic in the extreme and might have you questioning your own life choices. However, watch it alone as I recently had to explain the concept of a tape to my teenage son who looked at me with sadness and pity for a long time after.
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