Can’t-Miss Boxed Sets for Fans of British TV
There was a time when the only way a Yank could catch an episode of a British television show was to pray it came up in the rotation on the local PBS station. But these days, there’s a new British invasion underway, and it’s changing the face of television with some of the most addictive, original, and handsomely-produced dramatic fare to be found… anywhere. TV this good will make Anglophiles of us all (and lest you think we’ve forgotten about your favorite aristocrats, servants, and midwives, make sure to check out our list of recommendations for fans of Downton Abbey).
Doctor Who: The Complete 8th Series
Nothing can rile a Whovian like a debate over which Doctor is the best. There have, after all, been a dozen of them in the 50 years (!) since this BBC sci-fi series debuted. In this eighth series collection, Peter Capaldi takes over the role of the popular Time Lord, accompanied by the perky Jenna Coleman as Clara. You’ll find everything you’ve come to expect from the modern incarnation of the series: high drama, splashy effects, absurd plot twists (a dinosaur in Victorian London? Why not?), and nail-biting adventures through time and space. An essential gift for any Who-head on your list, unless of course you can find a real-life working TARDIS.
Doctor Who: The Complete 8th Series
Nothing can rile a Whovian like a debate over which Doctor is the best. There have, after all, been a dozen of them in the 50 years (!) since this BBC sci-fi series debuted. In this eighth series collection, Peter Capaldi takes over the role of the popular Time Lord, accompanied by the perky Jenna Coleman as Clara. You’ll find everything you’ve come to expect from the modern incarnation of the series: high drama, splashy effects, absurd plot twists (a dinosaur in Victorian London? Why not?), and nail-biting adventures through time and space. An essential gift for any Who-head on your list, unless of course you can find a real-life working TARDIS.
Sherlock The Complete Seasons 1-3 Gift Set
The world may not have been clamoring for yet another reinvention of the Sherlock mythos, but this British-made series gave us what we didn’t know we needed. Set in modern-day London, the show is built around the computer-like brain power and questionable social skills of Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and the sad-sack mumblings of partner Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman). Andrew Scott steps it up a notch as classic Holmes foe Moriarty, giving the character a maniacal lunacy that is an absolute scene-stealer. This gift set features not only all three seasons, but miniature busts of Sherlock and Watson.
Sherlock The Complete Seasons 1-3 Gift Set
The world may not have been clamoring for yet another reinvention of the Sherlock mythos, but this British-made series gave us what we didn’t know we needed. Set in modern-day London, the show is built around the computer-like brain power and questionable social skills of Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and the sad-sack mumblings of partner Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman). Andrew Scott steps it up a notch as classic Holmes foe Moriarty, giving the character a maniacal lunacy that is an absolute scene-stealer. This gift set features not only all three seasons, but miniature busts of Sherlock and Watson.
Midsomer Murders Series 10
There’s something inherently comforting about British mysteries, even if they feature, say, a ghastly murder. Somehow, they’re cozy even when things turn grim. Case in point: the long-running BBC series Midsomer Murders, based on the popular Chief Inspector Barnaby novels by Caroline Graham. Set in the fictional county of Midsomer, the series follows DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) as he investigates murderous ne’er-do-wells. These episodes, from the series’ 2006-2008 run, feature such memorable cases as a director who literally loses his head, an electrocuted rock star, and a photographer strangled with the cord of his own light meter.
Midsomer Murders Series 10
There’s something inherently comforting about British mysteries, even if they feature, say, a ghastly murder. Somehow, they’re cozy even when things turn grim. Case in point: the long-running BBC series Midsomer Murders, based on the popular Chief Inspector Barnaby novels by Caroline Graham. Set in the fictional county of Midsomer, the series follows DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) as he investigates murderous ne’er-do-wells. These episodes, from the series’ 2006-2008 run, feature such memorable cases as a director who literally loses his head, an electrocuted rock star, and a photographer strangled with the cord of his own light meter.
Masterpiece Mystery: Inspector Lewis 7
A spin-off of the Inspector Morse series, Inspector Lewis is another gem of the British crime-solving genre. Detective Inspector Robbie Lewis (Kevin Whately) and partner James Hathaway (Laurence Fox) take on the precinct’s most baffling crimes, which is fortunate considering the number of mysterious deaths in the brainy Oxford area. Series Seven sets up a shift in the show’s existing dynamic, reenergizing the formula and providing plenty of material for seasons to some.
Masterpiece Mystery: Inspector Lewis 7
A spin-off of the Inspector Morse series, Inspector Lewis is another gem of the British crime-solving genre. Detective Inspector Robbie Lewis (Kevin Whately) and partner James Hathaway (Laurence Fox) take on the precinct’s most baffling crimes, which is fortunate considering the number of mysterious deaths in the brainy Oxford area. Series Seven sets up a shift in the show’s existing dynamic, reenergizing the formula and providing plenty of material for seasons to some.
Poirot Series 13
It’s hard to believe this is the final collection of episodes featuring David Suchet’s transcendent performance as Agatha Christie’s marvelous Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot. Suchet has been playing the character for a quarter of a century, and to say he has it down would be a vast understatement. Series 13 aired in late 2013, and consists of the episodes Elephants Can Remember, The Big Four, Dead Man’s Folly, The Labours of Hercules, and the appropriately bittersweet Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case. It’s been a solid run for Suchet and the series, and we like to think of Poirot finally kicking back with a well deserved crème de cassis.
Poirot Series 13
It’s hard to believe this is the final collection of episodes featuring David Suchet’s transcendent performance as Agatha Christie’s marvelous Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot. Suchet has been playing the character for a quarter of a century, and to say he has it down would be a vast understatement. Series 13 aired in late 2013, and consists of the episodes Elephants Can Remember, The Big Four, Dead Man’s Folly, The Labours of Hercules, and the appropriately bittersweet Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case. It’s been a solid run for Suchet and the series, and we like to think of Poirot finally kicking back with a well deserved crème de cassis.
Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Complete Cases Collection
Why settle for just the final series when you can own the entire run? Spread across 28 discs, this hefty set will do wonders for the little grey cells of any Poirot fan. It gathers up all 70 episodes, remastered and restored to their original U.K. broadcast order. Extras include a couple of featurettes, a tour of the Orient Express, multiple photo galleries, production notes, and a companion booklet.
Shop all British TV
Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Complete Cases Collection
Why settle for just the final series when you can own the entire run? Spread across 28 discs, this hefty set will do wonders for the little grey cells of any Poirot fan. It gathers up all 70 episodes, remastered and restored to their original U.K. broadcast order. Extras include a couple of featurettes, a tour of the Orient Express, multiple photo galleries, production notes, and a companion booklet.
Shop all British TV