10 British TV series worth watching over the winter break

“Stonehouse.”

A mini-series about the true story of Labor MP John Stonehouse will be released starting January 2. He became Minister for Post and Telecommunications in 1963 and was destined for a brilliant political career, but a few years later MI5 accused Stonehouse of espionage. The politician went bankrupt and lost office before fleeing to Miami and faking his death while hiding from creditors. The former minister was eventually extradited to the UK and convicted of financial crimes.

The role of John Stonehouse was played by Matthew McFadyen, known for The Heirs. The politician’s wife was played by Matthew McFadyen’s spouse Keely Howes. The series will have a total of three episodes. Stonehouse will be available to watch on ITV1 and will be available on ITVX and BritBox services after the premiere.

“Romantic Getaway.

The comedy mini-series starring comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Katherine Ryan will air on Now and Sky services from January 1. Spouses Alison and Deacon cheat their boss and steal money from him, then go on the run and immerse themselves in Reading’s underworld. Their goal is to do IVF, pay off their debts, and along with that, stay out of the hands of the police. The more carefully they hide, though, the more Alison begins to question whether she wants to have children.

The makers promise a scintillating romcom with a gripping plot from actor and screenwriter Romesh Ranganathan. The mini-series has six episodes, all to be released once on Sky Comedy Channel on January 1.

“Litvinenko” (Litvinenko).

A drama series about the case of Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB and FSB agent, has launched on ITVX. He was poisoned with polonium in 2006. In the hospital, he demands that Scotland Yard officers launch an investigation, for there has been an assassination attempt on him. His wife Marina Litvinenko is also demanding that the British government name those involved in her husband’s murder.

Starring David Tennant, star of Doctor Who. His wife was played by American actress Margarita Levieva. Before filming, Tennant met with Marina Litvinenko to learn more about her character and the investigation. The screenwriter was George Kay, who worked on Killing Eve, and the director was Jim Field Smith. You can watch the mini-series on ITV and ITVX from December 15.

“Mayflies.

BBC One have released a two-part series based on the novel by Scottish writer Andrew O’Hagan. It’s a story of two boys, youthful vows, and their friendship over several decades. James and Tully met in 1986 and became best friends. They listened to their favorite music together, watched movies, hung out at parties and traveled to Manchester from their town in Scotland. Thirty years later, Tully calls James to tell him he has cancer and only has a few months to live.

The series spans two storylines: the events of 1986 and the present day. The 1980s stories are filled with soundtracks from iconic Manchester bands The Fall and New Order. The main characters were played by Scottish actors Martin Compston and Tony Carran. The series will air on December 27 and 28 on BBC One, and will then appear on BBC iPlayer.

“The Confessions of Frannie Langton.

The series is based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Collins, which won the prestigious Costa Book Awards. This is a detective story about a murder that took place in Georgian London in 1826. The main character Franny was born in Jamaica, was a slave on a plantation, and then sent to work in the home of a wealthy London couple. One day the couple are found dead, and suspicion falls on Franny. The girl decides to make sense of the events of that night and find the killer.

The lead role was played by actress Carla-Simon Spence, and the series was directed by Northern Ireland production designer Andrea Harkin. She previously worked on the sci-fi project Soulmates. The Confessions of Franny Langton mini-series is available on the ITVX platform and will also air on ITV.

“The Rig.”

The mystical thriller series about oil rig workers in the waters of the North Sea is out on Amazon Prime starting January 6. A drilling platform finds itself cut off from the outside world due to a mysterious fog. An accident occurs, and the heroes have to resolve conflicts among themselves and fight otherworldly forces.

The series was the first project launched on Amazon Prime Video to be shot entirely in Scotland. The lead roles were played by Martin Compston, Owen Teale and Rochenda Sandall. According to screenwriter David McPherson, the idea for the series came to him in 2018. His father worked in the oil and gas industry and that was the inspiration for the script. McPherson put together a pitch and sent it to a producer who agreed to make a TV series based on the story. A couple years later, Amazon approved the filming and launched the project in 2021. The thriller was filmed on a real oil rig off the coast of Scotland.

“Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama.

Channel 4 is airing the procedural series starring Michael Sheen beginning December 21. The story centers on a real-life lawsuit between Rebecca Vardy and Coleen Rooney, the wives of English soccer players Jamie Vardy and Wayne Rooney. Coleen accused Rebecca of selling information from her personal account to The Sun newspaper and sued the girl. The series recreates these events, parsing the story and what followed. The screenwriters used actual court records as a basis.

The case has been dubbed Wagatha Christie. It simultaneously references Agatha Christie and the term WAGs (wives and girlfriends), which is used to refer to the girlfriends and wives of famous athletes. In October 2022, the case concluded with the court ordering Vardy to pay 90% of his legal costs – this could amount to £1.5 million. BAFTA winner Chanel Cresswell (“This is England”) and Natalia Tena (Nymphadora Tonks in “Harry Potter”) played the lead roles.

“Without Sin.

Psychological thriller explores the relationship between a grieving mother and the man she believes is her daughter’s killer. The main character Stella is going through a terrible grief: her 14-year-old daughter Maisie was murdered in their home. Three years later, the woman gets a job as a cab driver at Uber and is still trying to make sense of what happened: she is estranged from her loved ones and blames herself for the tragedy. One day, investigators contact her and ask Stella and her husband to listen to an audio recording of the confession of their daughter’s killer, who wants to atone for his sins and apologize for Maisie’s murder.

The four-part series will be released on December 22 on ITV and ITX. Vicki Lee McClure, Johnny Harris and Dorothy Atkinson played the lead roles in the film. Interestingly, the movie script was written in Nottingham, filming took place there, and the action of the series again unfolds in this city. The lead singer Vicky Lee McClure – also born in Nottingham.

“Poirot.”

In 24 years, the legendary Hercule Poirot investigative series has had 13 seasons. The lead role was played by the irreplaceable David Souché. He created an unforgettable image of the detective from Agatha Christie’s novels. The writer’s only grandson, movie producer Matthew Pritchard, also agrees: according to him, Souché managed to convey the character most accurately and make him as the author intended.

The series contains all of the writer’s works featuring Poirot. Besides London and England, the action takes place in exotic places where Agatha Christie herself has visited with her archaeologist husband. Thus came “Murder in Mesopotamia”, “Death on the Nile”, “The Rhodes Triangle” and the famous “Murder on the Orient Express”. Choose the right story and join Poirot’s exciting investigations. The series is available on Britbox, ITVX and Amazon Prime.

“Miranda.

Everything in this sitcom revolves around Miranda, her failed dates and ridiculous stories. The heroine is in her thirties, lives with her girlfriend and works in a gift store. Her mother wants Miranda to marry, but she has a troubled love life. She is constantly getting into funny situations and trying to get her longtime friend Gary to like her. That’s the entire plot of the series, but the main thing about it isn’t the stories, it’s the comedian and writer Miranda Hart.

The project’s creators rehearsed each episode over three days and then filmed in front of a live audience at the BBC Television Centre and The London Studios. Miranda has a total of three seasons and four special mini-episodes. You can watch the series on Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer and Now platforms