Everything British Worth Streaming in October 2025

The final months of 2025 are upon us, and it's rough sailing for just about everyone on this side of the pond. That's pretty bad, since the first nine have been some of the worst this decade. (A remarkable, if horrifying achievement.) However, the last quarter of the year does have one significant benefit, as the cluster of holidays (Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's) is the one remaining time TV and streaming networks can guarantee viewers tuning in to watch things when they air.

October is also when some networks have chosen to start their fall TV debuts in recent years, primarily out of self-interest, so that they are not competing with each other. That works out well for viewers, who get an elongated debut window, with tons of shows that have already debuted continuing through the month, just as a second wave of new titles arrives.

The result is that (other than Netflix, which still won't admit binge dropping is actively hurting its viewership), nearly all our streaming services this month only have two or three titles apiece, because they also already have two or three shows continuing from September through the end of the month. So let's run down everything British (or British adjacent, as the case may be) worth watching that's debuting in October 2025.

The Graham Norton Show Season 33

It's that time of year again, when BBC America reminds us that it still technically exists as a cable channel and that it still has the long-running Graham Norton Show contract, allowing viewers not to have to wait months for it to air. Season 33 debuted on Friday, September 26, on BBC One and will start airing on BBC America/streaming on AMC+ six days later, beginning Thursday, October 2, 2025. The show airs and streams weekly episodes through March 2026, with usual holiday breaks.

The Light in the Hall/Y Golau Season 2

Acorn TV put all its chips on Murder Before Evensong, which debuted on Monday, September 29, and will stream weekly episodes through the end of October. However, it will have one new addition for the Welsh language lovers, with the return of The Light in the Hall (Y Golau) for Season 2. Two episodes debut on Thursday, October 23, 2025, with one episode to follow each week through November.

Down Cemetery Road

As has been the case since the beginning of 2025, Apple TV+ continues to faithfully air one episode of a British show a week, regardless of its other programming. Most of October will feature new episodes of Slow Horses Season 5, which debuted at the end of September. However, its finale will be directly followed by the debut of Mick Herron's other best-selling thriller series, The Oxford Investigations, starring Emma Thompson as PI Zoë Boehm and Ruth Wilson as her client, Sarah. Two episodes debut on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, with one a week to follow through the end of November.

Karen Pirie Season 2

Even BritBox has calmed down a little after the massive list of debuts the past few months. It helps that October already has multiple major shows continuing with new episodes, including Sister Boniface Mysteries Season 4, The Change Season 2, and new series Lynley, Return to Paradise, and The Hardacres. To that lineup, the streaming service will also add the return of Karen Pirie for Season 2, which ITV hopes will become its eventual replacement for Vera. The three feature-length episode season debuts Thursday, October 2, 2025, with new episodes weekly through mid-month.

Beyond Paradise Season 3

The first season of Death In Paradise's second hit spinoff, Return to Paradise, will wrap up mid-month, but never fear, the same day it concludes, BritBox will finally start airing the long-delayed third season of Beyond Paradise, which has apparently moved house from its mid-spring berth to become a late fall series. Di Humphrey Goodman returns with his family and friends to continue solving crimes in Devon, which may not be as beautiful as St. Marie, but it's within commuting distance of London. After having to commute to the Caribbean for three seasons on the parent show, it's a different kind of paradise. Season 3 debuts Tuesday, October 14, 2025, with one episode a week through Thanksgiving.

Ten Pound Poms Season 1

The bad news is that this was initially intended to be the debut of Sally Wainwright's Riot Women, aka We Are Middle Aged Ladyparts, starring five of your favorite period drama actors as an all-female punk band. Unfortunately, BritBox has moved the release date to January 2026, so instead, we'll get a different show I've been hoping to see make its way over: Ten Pound Poms, the Stan-BBC coproduction about the British ex-pats who sailed to Australia post-World War II, hoping to start new lives down under. The series debuts with two episodes on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, and will follow with one episode a week through Thanksgiving.

Obituary Season 2

Disney becomes very American when the holidays roll around, so it's no surprise that there's only one British title across the plethora of its branded streaming services. Hulu — the independent part of Hulu that actually produces original series — has it as part of its Halloween offerings, the return of the hilarious Irish-set Obituary. The Siobhán Cullen-led dark comedy series is about an obituary writer who starts helping pensioners along so she can keep a steady supply of work. Season 2 adds Máiréad Tyers of the late lamented series Extraordinary, so it's double trouble when all episodes arrive on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

Donkerbos

Even MHz Choice is getting in on the action this month; the foreign language streaming service has scooped up the South African series Donkerbos (Dark Bush), a dual-language show in English and Afrikaans. Set in the Namibia region of Donkerbos, from where the series takes its name, the mystery-thriller stars Erica Wessels as an ostracized detective investigating the murders of six children. Call it the first entry into a new Afrikaan Noir canon, and watch all episodes starting Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

Steve

The last year has seen Netflix's once massive lists of British debuts shrink in the face of multiple changes to the landscape, including its own decision to focus on expanding its non-English language offerings. However, the streaming service's desire to finally win a Best Picture Oscar, plus its tendency to hold off releasing its most award-worthy shows until the final three months of the year, has resulted in a bit of a throwback list this month. October is stacked, starting with the first award hopeful, Steve, Cillian Murphy's indie project, which Netflix funded in hopes of another Oppenheimer moment. The film streams on Friday, October 3, 2025.

Victoria Beckham

The inevitable sequel to its smash-hit David Beckham docuseries, Netflix now brings viewers one focused on his wife, Victoria Beckham, the former Spice Girl turned Fashion Designer, who is as much of a celebrity in her own right as her spouse. All episodes drop on Thursday, October 9, 2025.

The Woman in Cabin 10

Keira Knightley has gone full Netflix, first with Black Doves and now in the feature film The Woman in Cabin 10, an Agatha Christie-style whodunit where all the suspects are trapped on a massive yacht. Knightley stars as the film's detective, a middle-class journalist trying to stay afloat among the wealthy elites after seeing a murder she wasn't supposed to. The film debuts Friday, October 10, 2025.

A House of Dynamite

Steve and The Woman in Cabin 10 probably won't make the grade come awards time; however, the Kathryn Bigelow-directed A House of Dynamite, which features a hybrid American-British cast, including Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Jared Harris, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke, almost certainly is. It received rave reviews on the film festival circuit; however, it remains to be seen whether the average subscriber is as interested in watching a nuclear war as an escape from the horrors of 2025. The film will hit theaters starting Friday, October 10, and stream on Netflix in time for Halloween (because this kind of horror film is deeply terrifying), on Friday, October 24, 2025.

The Ballad of a Small Player

Netflix's second major awards contender, The Ballad of a Small Player, starring Colin Farrell, is also set to debut in October. It also had its debut on the film festival circuit last month alongside A House of Dynamite, scoring near-rapturous reviews. The film will get cursory screenings in theaters starting Wednesday, October 15, and will stream on Netflix beginning Wednesday, October 29, 2025.

The Diplomat Season 3

The Diplomat is sticking to October arrivals since Season 2 of the American-British hybrid political series from The West Wing producers debuted there to high ratings in 2024. Season 3 brings in big names from both sides of the pond, as Bradley Whitford joins the cast as the U.S.'s new First Gentleman, and Keri Russell lands a new main squeeze in the form of Poldark's Aidan Turner. All episodes debut on Thursday, October 16, 2025.

Frankenstein

Netflix's third major contender for the 2025/2026 awards season is the new remake of Mary Shelley's seminal Frankenstein for a new generation. Directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring a murderers' row of talent, including Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, David Bradley, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz, the new film is being hailed as one of the best adaptations committed to screen. Like Ballad and Dynamite, this film will be in theaters for a few weeks, starting Friday, October 17; it will stream on Netflix post-Halloween, beginning Friday, November 7, 2025.

The Twits

Netflix has been quieter about its Roald Dahl Universe since it failed to market Wes Anderson's Henry Sugar live-action short film sufficiently in 2024. However, The Twits is expected to do better, since it is an actual animated film, which won't be given a theatrical release. Instead, Netflix will serve it up to every kid's profile on the day it arrives, Friday, October 17, 2025. Expect every single one to have watched before November.

The Witcher Season 4

Finally, Netflix is doing what it can to prevent its one-time British-ish fantasy hit The Witcher from completely crashing and burning since Henry Cavill made the incredibly short-sighted choice to quit the series to return to the big screen as Superman... a role he was unceremoniously fired from less than a month later. Poor Liam Hemsworth was already the butt of jokes as the lesser Hemsworth in comparison to brothers Chris and Luke; now he's going to have to live through being the lesser Geralt as well. All episodes of this doomed season arrive on Thursday, October 30, 2025.

Murdoch Mysteries Season 19

Pity Acorn TV, which has not yet been able to renegotiate the Murdoch Mysteries contract with the CBC, and must still wait 120 days from the new season premiere (aka February of next year) until it can begin streaming the series weekly. Meanwhile, Ovation has already swooped in and secured the right to air episodes simultaneously on its cable channel alongside the Canadian broadcast up north. Season 19 of the long-running cozy crime series will air on Ovation (and stream via cable login) starting Monday, October 6, 2025, with new episodes through May 2026, like the classic TV series it is.

Watson Season 2

Speaking of old-school TV, Paramount+ has two British-ish shows returning to its American broadcast network, CBS, which will both stream the next day on the Paramount streaming service. First up, Season 2 of the Sherlock-without-Sherlock (except now it has a Sherlock) medical mystery drama Watson. The contemporary New York City-set series will even introduce a British actor, Robert Carlyle, as the non-titular famous detective when he appears, which makes me question if this show will make it to Season 3. The series premieres on Monday, October 13, at 10 P.M. ET on CBS, and airs one episode a week into 2026. Episodes stream starting on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, on Paramount+.

Ghosts Season 5

The BBC series Ghosts may be dead, but the American version is still alive and haunting CBS for another season. The U.S. version is up to Season 5 and will debut on CBS on Thursday, October 16, at 8:30 p.m. ET, with weekly episodes airing into 2026. Episodes stream starting on Friday, October 17, 2025, on Paramount+.

The Guest

A late-breaking update that Paramount+ didn't bother to send out until October 2, that's technically going to premiere on Showtime. (Yes, Paramount+ is still abusing the Showtime moniker.) The company has scooped up The Guest, the ITV thriller starring Eve Myles and Gabrielle Creevey, in which the former takes the latter under her wing, only to regret it deeply. The four-episode series will debut on Paramount+ on Friday, October 17, and then air on the Showtime cable network at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 19, 2025, with subsequent weekly releases through mid-November.

Harlan Coben's Lazarus

Amazon Studios is mad that Netflix developed the Harlan Coben reset-in-the-U.K. franchise and then cornered its own market by acquiring the rights to all of Coben's novels, including those he hasn't yet released. In fact, the streaming producer was so mad that it hired....Harlan Coben to write them one. Coben's brand-new mystery story, Lazarus, which he wrote as a screenplay to avoid any Netflix conflicts, will star a more distinguished cast than the Netflix adaptations, with Bill Nighy and Sam Claflin as the series leads. It also almost certainly will flop in comparison as well. All episodes debut on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, on Amazon's Prime Video.

The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Halloween

The one bright spot of the latter half of 2025 has been that The Great British Baking Show has thus far stayed on the rails for its first month of episodes. For October, we'll get a bonus round for American viewers, as Roku debuts The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Halloween, where once again our American celebrities give Prue Leith the respect she deserves and absolutely zero to Paul Hollywood, as he deserves. You deserve it too. All episodes start streaming on the Roku Channel on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.