While the colder months (and excuses to cancel your Friday night plans at the last minute) roll in, you’re probably looking for what to binge-watch before 2026 hits you with brand new telly. We heard your call and came to the rescue with our comprehensive list of the absolute best shows on BBC iPlayer from 2025.
The Celebrity Traitors
It would be absolutely impossible - nay, borderline unethical - not to lead with the big hitter of the year. The Celebrity Traitors takes the already-iconic deception game and this time, throws a bunch of national treasures into the castle: Alan Carr, Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie, Niko Omilana, Cat Burns, Tom Daley and even Paloma Faith. Paranoia, plotting and pure chaos ensue. We’re hardly surprised that the finale pulled in a record 11.7 million viewers. It’s pacey, gripping, and hilarious.
The Guest
If you’ve been on social media at any point over the last 12 months, you will have seen The Guest. TikTok has been calling the show “the best thriller of 2025”. A wealthy homeowner hires a struggling young cleaner into a mansion full of secrets in Wales. Add: chaos, crime scenes, suspicion, deception…. No spoilers from us. Just watch, and thank us later.
Celebrity Race Across the World
Sometimes, the only thing that beats a high-stakes challenge is watching a celebrity duo arguing through it. The series challenges them to get from a remote island in the Caribbean to the finish line in Colombia. Starring Roman Kemp, Anita Rani, Dylan Llewellyn and more, Celebrity Race Across the World will keep you laughing and your heart pounding from start to finish. (And googling holidays you can’t afford.)
Blue Lights
If a police thriller is more your vibe, try Blue Lights. Set in Belfast, it’s an action-packed crime drama covering gang violence and community tensions. Starring Siân Brooke, Katherine Devlin and Martin McCann, Blue Lights dives into the world of police recruits who are trying to climb the greasy pole in an uncertain environment. The show was so well-rated that since its launch in 2023, it’s gone on to secure a further three seasons by the BBC.
Doctor Who
Maybe we’re biased, but we’re British, so it would be blasphemous not to call Doctor Who the greatest show of all time. And this latest series keeps the show’s crown firmly on. Our Doctor (Sex Education royalty Ncuti Gatwa) embarks on another epic quest across the galaxy to save space and time as we know it. Filled with suspense, quirky plotlines and a new host of interdimensional enemies, the new series of Doctor Who does not disappoint.
What It Feels Like For A Girl
If you fancy travelling back in time to the early 2000s and couldn’t get enough of It’s A Sin, you need to watch What It Feels Like For A Girl. The show travels back through the formative years of journalist Paris Lees, exploring sexuality, gender identity, friendship and clubbing - all parts of the rich tapestry of life growing up as a queer person in Nottinghamshire. Think: My Mad Fat Diary, but with more glitter lipstick.
Amanda & Alan’s Spanish Job
Anyone who watched The Celebrity Traitors can attest: Alan Carr is the TV MVP of 2025. And there’s nothing better than pairing the Chatty Man himself up with TV’s finest Amanda Holden, who tries to inject some much-needed love into a crumbling house in Southern Spain. Full of sangria, hard hats and giggles - Amanda & Alan’s Spanish Job is just what you need to get you through the cold UK winter nights ahead.
Wild Cherry
If you managed to binge watch The Guest and need some more drama in your life, try out Wild Cherry next. The show follows the story of powerhouse mums Juliet and Lorna, whose lives seem picture-perfect until their daughters are accused of filming a scandalous video by their school. What follows is a journey of danger, suspicion and deceit as this family navigates the fallout. A must-watch.
Ashley Cain: Into the Dangerzone
If you enjoy Louis Theroux but fancy something a bit grittier, Ashley Cain: Into the Dangerzone is the show for you. The documentary follows former footballer Ashley Cain as he travels to some of the most dangerous cities and neighbourhoods in the world - from Brazil’s favelas to South Africa’s poaching hotspots. The show explores gangs, cartels, poverty and urban violence, discovering what life is like for young men living on the margins of life.
Amandaland
This hilarious show is a spin-off of the endlessly popular Motherland, based on the much-loved and unpredictable character Amanda, who is trying to navigate modern parenthood after a divorce, and relocating to South Harlesden. For fans of Peep Show, Fleabag and The Inbetweeners - this is British television at its finest. And with the Christmas special coming, there’s only a few weeks to get caught up. Prepare to laugh, occasionally cringe, and mostly feel very, very, seen.
So what are you waiting for? The TV is right there, calling your name. Catch all of these and more now on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
Thomas Thorn