Lady’s 12 Entertaining TV Shows Set in London

Today I want to talk about TV shows set in London. I’ve written about films set in London and filming locations in London, so it’s about time I shared A Lady in London’s top picks for TV series set in London.

TV Shows Set in London

The UK capital is a popular place to film. From movies to documentaries and home videos, London has been used as a backdrop for everything from the silver screen to my YouTube channel.

That means there are a lot of great TV shows set in London. Whether it’s Netflix series set in London or London reality TV shows, there are a lot of good ones to choose from.

To narrow it down, my list is going to focus on TV series that are set in one particular part of London. Given I like exploring London neighborhoods, I find them a fun way to see different parts of the city through the medium of television. I hope you enjoy the list.

1. Only Fools and Horses – Peckham

The 1980s series Only Fools and Horses is one of the most classic TV shows set in London. It follows the lives of market trader Del Boy Trotter, his younger brother Rodney, and their grandfather, and their attempts to get rich.

The action is set in south London’s Peckham, where a replica of Del Boy’s iconic Reliant three-wheeler car can still be seen on the corner of Lyndhurst Way and Peckham Road today.

While the show wasn’t actually filmed in Peckham, it still shows what the area was like in the ’80s. It’s a great one to watch if you know contemporary Peckham and want to see how much this London neighborhood has changed.

This award-winning series holds the record for the highest UK audience for a sitcom episode, and Del Boy has been named one of the 100 Greatest TV Characters by a Channel 4 poll.

Only Fools and Horses has even contributed catchphrases to everyday British language, including ‘lovely jubbly’ (meaning ‘fantastic’) and ‘you plonker’ (meaning ‘you idiot’).

2. EastEnders – Walford

Going strong since 1985, EastEnders is one of the staple TV shows set in London. This beloved soap opera follows the everyday lives of local residents in the fictional east London borough of Walford.

Much of the on-location filming takes place in Watford. Scenes are shot in local churches, the snooker club, the courtrooms, and the cemetery.

Since its inception, the award-winning EastEnders has been one of the top-rated TV series in Britain. It’s the perfect one to watch if you want to get stuck into a long-running soap set in the UK capital.

3. Upstairs, Downstairs – Belgravia

Upstairs, Downstairs is another of the classic TV shows set in London. It tells the story of an entitled family (the ‘upstairs’ element) and their servants (the ‘downstairs’ element) between the turn of the 20th century and 1930.

The show is set in an elegant townhouse at 165 Eaton Place in London’s upscale Belgravia. Against this backdrop, the series depicts the societal changes that took place during the period and the gradual decline of the British aristocracy.

This 1970s TV series set in London won awards in both the UK and the US. It also inspired both spinoffs and novelizations. It’s a great one to watch if you like period dramas.

4. Yes Minister – Whitehall

Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister are more classic TV shows set in London. These 1980s political sitcoms follow the career of Jim Hacker, who tries to enact policy and administrative changes in the face of resistance from the civil service.

Both TV series are set in a cabinet minister’s office in Whitehall. Some scenes take place in members’ clubs, and a couple were set in the Foreign Secretary’s House of Commons office and a committee room there.

Yes Minister received a number of awards and was once voted number 6 in a BBC poll to choose Britain’s best sitcom. It’s a good one to watch if you like political satire.

5. Jeeves and Wooster – Mayfair

Based on P. G. Wodehouse’s comedic stories, Jeeves and Wooster is another of the best TV shows set in London. It follows a young gentleman named Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves, who saves his employer from many a scrape.

The London-based action largely takes place around the high-end neighborhood of Mayfair. Scenes were shot in various locations around the UK capital, including Home House in Portman Square, Senate House in Bloomsbury, and 2 Mansfield Street in Marylebone.

Originally aired in the 1990s, Jeeves and Wooster was set in the 1920s and ’30s. It’s the ideal one to watch if you like a lighthearted comedy and a heavy dose of Britishness.

6. House of Cards – Westminster

The original House of Cards is a 4-episode British political drama that takes place in the wake of Margaret Thatcher’s resignation at Prime Minister.

Based on the novel by Michael Dobbs, it’s about Francis Urquhart and his twisted scheme to rise through the ranks of the ruling party and ultimately become Prime Minister.

Aired in 1990, House of Cards is set in Westminster. There are exterior shots of the Houses of Parliament, Admiralty Arch and The Mall, Westminster Bridge, and Buckingham Palace.

This award-winning show is perfect to watch if you liked the American version of House of Cards and want a British comparison.

7. Sherlock – Baker Street

It’s hard to think of a more beloved London character than Sherlock Holmes. The 2010 series Sherlock that set his antics in contemporary London brought him into modern times.

True to Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, Sherlock’s residence at 221B Baker Street was filmed in London. However, the actual footage was shot at 187 North Gower Street near Euston station and much of the rest of the series was shot in Cardiff.

Still, this adaptation of Doyle’s work has been one of the more popular 21st century TV shows set in London and has won numerous awards. It’s a great one to watch if you love Sherlock Holmes and want to see a new take on a classic.

8. Ted Lasso – Richmond

The comedy series Ted Lasso is one of the most beloved TV shows set in London. It follows the story of Ted Lasso, an American football coach who moves to London to coach a soccer team.

The action is set in London’s Richmond, where Ted lives on Paved Court and hangs out at The Prince’s Head pub on Richmond Green.

While Ted Lasso was mostly filmed in Richmond, some scenes were shot in other parts of the UK capital as well. From Notting Hill to South Kensington, there are lots of London neighborhoods that feature in the TV show.

If you’re in the mood for a feel-good series, Ted Lasso is hard to beat. It’s also a great one for expats, as there’s lots of cross-cultural humor.

9. Bridgerton – Greenwich

The period drama Bridgerton is another popular TV show set in London. It takes place in the early 19th century, and it follows the lives of the Bridgerton family and its circle of friends.

Scenes from the TV show were filmed in various locations in London, including Greenwich. The facade of the Bridgertons’ elegant Georgian house is actually Ranger’s House, an English Heritage site in Greenwich Park.

Other scenes from the show were filmed in and around the Old Royal Naval College, the Greenwich Park rose garden, and the Queen’s House.

If you love historical fiction, great costumes, and a good marriage plot, Bridgerton and spin-offs like Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story are for you.

10. The Crown – Buckingham Palace

The royal series The Crown is another of the most beloved TV shows set in London. It follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II from her childhood into her later years.

Scenes from The Crown are set all over the world, but a lot of the action takes place in London. From Clarence House to Buckingham Palace, many royal landmarks feature in the show.

Lesser-known places were also used as filming locations. These include the lovely Holland Park Mews, which featured in the final episode of Season 2.

The Crown is the show for you if you love all things royal and you want to learn more about Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and modern British history.

11. Call the Midwife – Poplar

Call the Midwife is another great TV show set in London. It takes place in the 1950s, and it follows the lives newly-qualified midwife Jenny Lee and other midwives and nuns from Nonnatus House, a nursing convent in London’s East End.

The action is set in Poplar, a poor part of east London at the time. Scenes were filmed in places like King George V Dock, St. Joseph’s Missionary College in Mill Hill, and Saville Road in Silvertown.

Outside of London, The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent and the Chiltern Open Air Museum in Buckinghamshire were used as filming locations as well.

This is a good show to watch if you like a period drama and you’re interested in 20th-century British history.

12. Slow Horses – Barbican and Regent’s Park

Slow Horses is another of my favorite TV shows set in London. A spy drama, it’s about a team of MI5 agent misfits and their clever (yet off-putting) boss.

They’ve all found themselves relegated to working in Slough House, an office for agents who have displeased the powers that be. But one way or another this second-rate team manages to save the day in every season.

Much of the show is filmed in and around Barbican (where Slough House is) and Regent’s Park. From scenes along Regent’s Canal to places in the City of London, there are lots of recognizable filming locations in this show.

Slow Horses is for you if you like a spy thriller and you love Gary Oldman.

Best TV Shows Set in London

I hope you’ve liked looking at this list of TV shows set in London and that it’s inspired you to watch some of the great series that have been based in the UK capital over the years.

It’s a great way to see the city, explore its neighborhoods, and experience London without leaving home. Happy viewing!

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