British television has long been a pioneer in portraying queer stories with nuance, grit, and emotional depth. From mainstream soap operas like Hollyoaks to powerful miniseries like Man in an Orange Shirt, British BL series offer a wide spectrum of gay narratives—from slow-burn romances to tragic love stories, from coming-of-age tales to crime dramas with queer leads.
In this guide, we’ve curated 19 must-watch British BL series that reflect the evolution of queer male representation on UK screens. Whether you’re a fan of tender teen romance like Heartstopper, or prefer the layered adult drama of Cucumber, this list has something for every kind of viewer.
✍️ Also check out our American BL series and Spanish BL series guides for more international queer TV content.
Top British BL & Gay Series
This Is Going to Hurt (2022)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Medical Drama, Dark Comedy | 📅 2022 | 📡 BBC One
Adam is a junior doctor working in the hectic world of the NHS, juggling sleepless nights, medical emergencies, and emotionally draining cases in the obstetrics and gynecology ward. At work, the stress is unrelenting. At home, his long-term relationship with boyfriend Harry is strained by his refusal to come out to his family. When a tragic misdiagnosis leads to a premature birth, Adam begins to unravel under the combined weight of guilt, isolation, and institutional failure.
This series isn’t just a commentary on public healthcare—it’s a brutal, honest portrait of emotional burnout. Ben Whishaw’s raw performance makes every second feel painfully real. It’s not polished or sentimental, but messy in the way real life is. I came away feeling drained, but also seen.
A Very English Scandal (2018)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Political Thriller, Historical Drama | 📅 2018 | 📡 BBC One
Set in the late 1960s, this mini-series dramatizes the real-life scandal of Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe, who attempts to silence his ex-lover Norman Scott through increasingly desperate means—including hiring a hitman. In a Britain still reeling from the decriminalization of homosexuality, Thorpe’s political ambitions clash with the secrets of his personal life, culminating in a scandalous trial that ends his career.
Sharp, darkly funny, and terrifyingly relevant. Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw deliver layered performances in a story that’s as much about power as it is about queerness. It’s a gripping, stylish account of how systemic privilege tries—and fails—to bury the truth.
Heartstopper (Season 1–3, 2022–2024)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Coming-of-Age, LGBTQ+ Romance | 📅 2022–2024 | 📡 Netflix
Charlie and Nick’s friendship at an all-boys school slowly blossoms into romance, as they learn to navigate the joys and fears of teenage love. Alongside them, their diverse group of friends explore queer identity, mental health, and what it means to truly support one another. As they grow, the series gently portrays the evolving landscape of young queer relationships with warmth and empathy.
Heartstopper is pure healing. It dares to show what queer joy, support, and safe love can look like. With delicate animation touches and emotionally intelligent writing, it became a personal comfort watch—and one of the most affirming queer shows I’ve ever seen.
Vicious (2013–2015)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Sitcom, LGBTQ+ Comedy | 📅 2013–2015 | 📡 ITV
Freddie and Stuart have lived together in London for nearly five decades. Snarky, theatrical, and deeply devoted, their daily routine is filled with playful insults, nosy neighbors, and the comfort of familiarity. As they age, their love remains sharp-tongued but enduring, offering a rare glimpse into a long-term gay relationship laced with British humor and heart.
This show is an absolute gem. Watching two out-and-proud legends like Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi trade barbs is a treat, but what really got me was the tenderness beneath the sass. It’s a loud, proud reminder that queer love doesn’t expire—it only gets funnier.
Prime Target (2025)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Tech Thriller, Conspiracy Drama | 📅 2025 | 📡 Channel 4
A young mathematics prodigy makes a discovery about prime numbers that could unlock access to every secure digital system in the world. This revelation quickly draws the attention of intelligence agencies, cybercriminals, and powerful shadow groups. As paranoia and danger escalate, the student must choose between disappearing or using his knowledge to fight back against the system hunting him.
The premise is undeniably cool, but the storytelling stumbles under its own ambition. Instead of building slow-burning intrigue, it rushes into conspiracy tropes, losing emotional weight. Still, there’s something gripping about its potential—if only it had trusted its own silence a little more.
Des (2020)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 True Crime, Psychological Drama | 📅 2020 | 📡 ITV
Based on chilling true events, Des tells the story of Dennis Nilsen, a seemingly ordinary man who turned out to be one of the UK’s most notorious serial killers. Between 1978 and 1983, Nilsen murdered at least 15 young men, targeting them through gay bars and hitchhiking spots. The series follows his arrest, interrogation, and the psychological unraveling that reveals the depths of his crimes—all through the lens of investigators and biographer Brian Masters.
David Tennant’s portrayal is bone-chillingly calm—so controlled that it’s almost more terrifying than gore. But what haunts me most is the courtroom testimony of one survivor, who said, “I couldn’t tell if he was trying to kill me or give me warmth.” This show doesn’t sensationalize queerness—it condemns the negligence that let vulnerable lives slip through the cracks.
London Spy (2015)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Spy Thriller, LGBTQ+ Mystery | 📅 2015 | 📡 BBC Two
Danny is a romantic drifter searching for connection. When he falls for Alex, a quiet and enigmatic man who turns out to be a spy, their tender love story is suddenly upended by tragedy. After Alex disappears and is later found dead, Danny embarks on a dangerous mission to uncover the truth, unraveling a web of secrets, state surveillance, and hidden identities along the way.
The beginning feels like a dream—delicate, sensual, full of hope. But then the narrative veers into murky conspiracy and psychological tension. While the pacing falters, Ben Whishaw’s vulnerability and the poetic visuals kept me invested. A flawed yet poignant exploration of love in the shadows of power.
In the Flesh (Season 1–2, 2013–2014)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Supernatural Drama, Social Allegory | 📅 2013–2014 | 📡 BBC Three
After a zombie outbreak nearly destroys society, a treatment is found for those suffering from “Partially Deceased Syndrome.” Kieren Walker, a reformed zombie, returns to his small village where fear, prejudice, and his own guilt await. As he tries to rebuild his life, Kieren must confront hostile locals, his role in past atrocities, and his lingering trauma as both victim and perpetrator.
Season 1 hit me like a quiet storm—raw, poetic, and tragically humane. Season 2, though darker, expanded the emotional and political themes with more ambition. This isn’t about zombies. It’s about queerness, difference, shame, and survival. The pain of internalized self-hate here is more terrifying than any monster. And the music? Absolutely phenomenal.
Queer as Folk (UK) (1999–2000)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 LGBTQ+ Drama | 📅 1999–2000 | 📡 Channel 4
Set in Manchester’s gay village, this groundbreaking series follows the lives of three men: Stuart, a charismatic player; Vince, his loyal best friend; and Nathan, a 15-year-old just stepping into his sexuality. Through clubbing, hookups, heartbreaks, and real-life challenges, the show explores queerness in its rawest form—unfiltered, unapologetic, and revolutionary for its time.
Forget sanitized queer TV—this was the revolution. With poetic dialogue, deeply human characters, and a refusal to play it safe, it became more than a show—it became a declaration. American remakes may be glossier, but the UK original has soul. Folk, indeed.
Big Boys (Season 1–3, 2022–2025)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Comedy, Coming-of-Age, LGBTQ+ | 📅 2022–2025 | 📡 Channel 4
Based on Jack Rooke’s real-life comedy sets, Big Boys centers on Jack, a closeted, grief-stricken freshman navigating his first year at university. He’s assigned to room with Danny, an outgoing, chaotic straight guy also harboring emotional scars. As their unexpected friendship deepens, both men explore masculinity, mental health, and growing up through therapy sessions, chaotic nights out, and vulnerable confessions.
This show is sneaky good. You think you’re in for a laugh, and suddenly you’re sobbing at a coming-out monologue or a moment of pure, platonic love. Jack’s journey is painfully relatable, and the series handles grief and queerness with incredible heart. That coming out scene? Easily the best I’ve seen since Heartstopper—and in some ways, even braver.
Cucumber (2015)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 LGBTQ+ Drama, Midlife Crisis | 📅 2015 | 📡 Channel 4
From Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk), Cucumber explores the chaos of gay life at midlife. Henry, a 46-year-old insurance worker stuck in a loveless relationship, has his world upended after a breakup triggers a series of impulsive decisions. As he enters a world of younger men, Grindr hookups, and emotional instability, he’s forced to confront what he’s been running from for years—his own fear of intimacy and aging.
It’s raw, uncomfortable, and often infuriating—but that’s the point. Cucumber strips away the fantasy of youth-driven queer media and shows the messy, horny, shame-filled reality of middle-aged gay men. Not always likeable, but unforgettably human.
Man in an Orange Shirt (2017)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Historical Queer Drama, Family Secret | 📅 2017 | 📡 BBC Two
This two-part mini-series contrasts two timelines: one in post-WWII Britain, where a war veteran suppresses his love for another man; and one in the present, where his grandson navigates modern gay relationships amid emotional detachment. A hidden love letter in an old book becomes the bridge between generations, revealing untold stories of shame, sacrifice, and love never lived.
It broke my heart in that slow, British period-drama kind of way. Quiet performances, breathtaking cinematography, and a message that resonates deeply: even when laws change, the scars of silence persist. A must-watch for fans of emotionally layered queer storytelling.
Four Lives (2022)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 True Crime, Social Justice Drama | 📅 2022 | 📡 BBC One
Based on the real-life case of the “Grindr Killer” Stephen Port, Four Lives follows the families of four gay men who were drugged and murdered between 2014–2015. The police dismissed clear signs of foul play, leading to national outrage and calls for justice. The series focuses on the victims’ families—especially Sarah Sak, the mother of Anthony Walgate—and their battle against systemic homophobia and police negligence.
It’s not an easy watch—but it shouldn’t be. This isn’t a serial killer drama; it’s a brutal indictment of how queer lives are still devalued. By focusing on the families instead of the murderer, Four Lives gives dignity to the victims. Quietly devastating, and necessary.
Threesome (Season 1–2, 2011–2012)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Sitcom, Queer-Adjacent Parenting Comedy | 📅 2011–2012 | 📡 Comedy Central UK
A gay man, his straight best friend, and her boyfriend live together as a trio in London. After a wild night out, the three unexpectedly conceive a baby—and decide to raise the child together as a chosen family. What follows is a quirky, heartwarming, and occasionally chaotic exploration of unconventional parenting and friendship dynamics.
Not your typical “gay show,” but the queer themes are undeniable. It’s silly, sweet, and often surprisingly touching. Watching a gay man co-parent in a sitcom context without being reduced to a stereotype felt refreshing. It’s like Friends, but queer-er and slightly drunker.
I Kissed a Boy (Season 1, 2023)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Reality Dating Show, Gay Romance | 📅 2023 | 📡 BBC Three
Hosted by Dannii Minogue, I Kissed a Boy is the UK’s first gay male dating show. Ten single guys are matched into five couples—but instead of chatting first, they meet with a kiss. Sparks fly (or don’t), and the drama unfolds as contestants explore compatibility, rejection, and queer connection in a sunny Italian villa. It’s queer Love Island—but gayer, sassier, and refreshingly honest.
I didn’t expect to get emotional watching a reality show, but this one hit different. Seeing queer men be awkward, sweet, jealous, and vulnerable on mainstream TV was surprisingly moving. Sure, it has its tropes—but the visibility and warmth made it feel historic.
The Long Call (2021)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Crime Drama, LGBTQ+ Detective Story | 📅 2021 | 📡 ITV
Detective Matthew Venn returns to his conservative hometown in Devon to investigate a murder—only to be pulled back into the evangelical community that once shunned him for being gay. As he works to unravel the case, he must also confront long-buried shame, faith, and the complexities of being out in a place that never accepted him.
It’s a quiet show, but emotionally loaded. I appreciated how it didn’t make a spectacle of Matthew’s sexuality—just wove it into his identity as naturally as his detective skills. A somber, atmospheric series that says a lot with just a look or silence.
Emmerdale: Robron (2014–2019)
🇬🇧 UK | 🎬 Soap Opera, Queer Romance, Domestic Drama | 📅 2014–2019 | 📡 ITV
“Robron” is the fan-given name for the relationship between Aaron Dingle and Robert Sugden in the long-running British soap Emmerdale. Their story begins with a secret affair—Aaron, a troubled mechanic with a traumatic past, and Robert, a closeted businessman already engaged to a woman. What starts as manipulation and denial slowly evolves into one of the most emotionally layered and volatile love stories on UK television. Across several years, Robron weather betrayal, violence, therapy, prison, a wedding, and family tragedy—never quite stable, but always magnetic.
Robron wasn’t your average gay couple—they were messy, dramatic, and deeply flawed. But that’s what made them feel so real. Their love was born out of pain and built on hard-won growth. Watching them heal, hurt, and hold on through chaos gave me the kind of queer representation that didn’t sugarcoat anything. It was sometimes toxic, often heartbreaking, and still unforgettable. One of British soap’s boldest romances.
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