One of the beautiful things about BritBox is that it’s an avenue into an entirely new ecosystem of movies and television. There are some British series that cross over and become successful in America, but that certainly isn’t true of all of them.
That’s not to say that the series that don’t become big names in America aren’t well worth watching. In fact, much of British television is interesting precisely because the shows feel so different from the way TV is made in the U.S. We’ve selected three shows available on BritBox that are all well worth watching in September.
Extras (2005-2007)
Another short-lived British sitcom from Ricky Gervais, who had already created The Office, Extras tells the story of a regular guy who decides to try to make it in Hollywood. Eventually, though, he resigns himself to working as an extra on major projects, which still gives him a chance to interact with some of the biggest names in show business.
Like so many of the best Hollywood comedies, Extras lives and dies by the guest stars it’s able to snag, and there are plenty of great ones here, with Liam Neeson being a highlight. The whole show is dipped in acid, as is often the case with Gervais’s comedies, but that doesn’t make it any less watchable.
You can watch Extras on BritBox.
Five by Five (2017)
For all of his success in the U.S., not all of Idris Elba’s projects get the kind of attention that they should here. Five by Five is one such project that flew under the radar upon its release, and unjustly so. Less a TV series than five interconnected short films, these stories are all set on the streets of London and chronicle a chance encounter between two people.
Elba only stars in one of the shorts, but he was a major creative voice behind the project, which is infused with a sense of small-scale drama that reminds you how interesting the lives of ordinary people can be.
You can watch Five by Five on BritBox.
Ordinary Lies (2015-2016)
A smart, hugely creative show that takes full advantage of its title, Ordinary Lies tells the interconnected stories of a group of employees working in a car sales showroom. In addition to focusing on a different character every week, the show is also about the ways that small lies about your life can reverberate in ways that you never would have expected.
Although it lasted just two seasons, the show features a strong ensemble, and its willingness to shift the focus in every episode will keep you guessing about where the plot is headed.
You can watch Ordinary Lies on BritBox.