The finest ITV television programs of all time contain classic ITV episodes from the network’s early days since this list spans the network’s best shows on ITV. The programs at the top of the list have received the most votes, which means they are the most popular.
However, you might find ITV geo-blocked in Australia due to licensing restrictions. Not to worry! ExpressVPN can help you to bypass these restrictions, allowing you to watch UK streaming services like ITV Hub hassle-free in Australia.
Here is our guide to the greatest ITV dramas available to watch on ITV Hub, including how many episodes are available in each series and what the TV reviewers have to say about them.
Endeavour (2012-2022)
Genre: Television Drama
Director: Brady Hood
Writer: Russel Lewis
Cast: Roger Allam, Shaun Evans, James Bradshaw
Seasons: 8
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
After leaving his College without a degree, Endeavour Morse joins the Royal Signal Corps before being moved to the Oxfordshire Police where he finally becomes a Detective Constable.
In 1965, after a murder investigation in the premiere episode, Morse moved to the Police Department, where he began his career as a police officer in Carshall-Newtown.
Note: To access ITV and watch Endeavour, all you have to do is sign up for an ITV subscription plan.
The Durrells (2016-2019)
Genre: Comedy Drama
Director: Roger Goldby
Writer: Gerald Durrell
Cast: Josh O’Connor, Keeley Hawes, Milo Parker
Seasons: 3
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
When Louisa Durrell’s life imploded in 1935, she was a middle-aged Englishwoman. Her husband died a few years ago, and she and her children are struggling financially and emotionally.
They’ll be moving from Bournemouth, England, to the Greek island of Corfu, she reveals. They find themselves in a Homeric conflict as they adjust to life in Corfu, particularly when they learn that the island does not yet have electricity. It is one of the best shows on ITV.
Doc Martin (2004-22)
Genre: Drama
Director: Ben Bolt
Writer: Dominic Minghella
Cast: Caroline Catz, Martin Clunes, Ian McNeice
Seasons:
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
To better serve the residents of the charming beach community of Port Wenn, London-based surgeon Dr. Martin Ellingham moves there to practice medicine as a general practitioner.
His now-widowed Aunt Joan Norton nurtured him while he was a child in the neighborhood. He left London and the high-paying job as a surgeon because of a fear he suffers from. When he first meets the people, he is greeted by a sea of quirkiness.
Downtown Abbey (2010-2015)
Genre: Historical Drama
Director: Brian Percival
Writer: Julian Fellowes
Cast: Phyllis Logan, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern
Seasons: 5
IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
In the eyes of Lord Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, preserving his illustrious family’s legacy, including the opulent Downton Abbey estate, is his life’s work.
Following the death of his heir onboard the RMS Titanic accepts the offer to move onto the large estate with his even more modernist and socially involved mother, the dowager countess, who fights with her overbearing and traditional mother.
You can take advantage of an ITV free trial to watch Downtown Abbey ad-free.
Sanditon (2019 – Present)
Genre: Drama
Director: Charles Sturridge
Writer: Andrew Davies
Cast: Rose Williams, Crystal Clarke, Kris Marshall
Seasons: 2
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
A British historical drama television series, Sanditon, is based on an incomplete manuscript by Jane Austen and stars Rose Williams and Theo James. It was created by Andrew Davies and shown on the BBC in the UK.
Sanditon is a new seaside resort that has just sprung up in the Regency period, and the narrative follows a young and naïve heroine as she tries to navigate her way around it. A must-watch from the list of best shows on ITV.
Vera (2011-2017)
Genre: Crime Film
Director: Paul Gay
Writer: Sally Abbott
Cast: Jon Morrison, Brenda Blethyn, Riley Jones
Seasons: 11
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Deputy Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope serves as the story’s key character. Someone who is obsessed with her job and is motivated by her own demons. If she’s lonely, she doesn’t show it; instead, she confronts the world with sarcastic wit, cunning, and determination.
Sergeant Joe Ashworth is a colleague she can rely on and who has been with her through thick and thin. They work together to tackle each new case with an unrivaled sense of enthusiasm and expertise.
The Chase (2009-2013)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Director: Arthur Penn
Writer: Lillian Hellman
Cast: Jane Fonda, Marlon Brando, Robert Redford
Seasons: 14
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Sheriff Calder is widely believed to be a puppet of oil tycoon Val Rogers. It worries Rogers’ son, who is having an affair with local bad guy Bubber Reeve’s wife, to find that Reeves has escaped jail. Reeves seems to be a source of concern for many people in the town.
In Calder’s plan, Reeves will be brought in alive and uninjured. Calder’s fight for justice will pit him against Rogers, a formidable opponent, and mob violence. It is considered one of the best shows on ITV.
Agatha Christie’s Poirot (1989-2013)
Genre: Murder Mystery
Director: Edward Bennett
Writer: Agatha Christie
Cast: Hugh Fraser, David Suchet, Philip Jackson
Seasons: 13
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
Hercule Poirot, a Belgian ex-policeman who lived in London after the war and got a household name as an infallible private detective, is the hero of this series based on Agatha Christie’s mystery novels and short tales.
In each episode, Poirot and his loyal English sidekick Captain Hastings and/or his Scotland Yard “friendly adversary” Chief Inspector Japp work together to solve a case, usually a murder, for a paying client, or for some other reason.
Midsomer Murders (1997-)
Genre: Mystery, Drama
Director: Renny Rye
Writer: Caroline Graham
Cast: Jane Wymark, John Nettles, Barry Jackson
Seasons: 22
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby’s attempts to investigate multiple murders in the fictitious English county of Midsomer are the focus of the British detective drama.
Sergeants Gavin Troy, Dan Scott, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones, Detective Sergeant Charlie Nelson, and Sergeant Jamie Winter have all worked with the Barnabys during the course of the program.
Inspector Morse (1987-2000)
Genre: Crime Drama
Director: John Madden
Writer: Daniel Boyle
Cast: Kevin Whately, John Thaw, James Grout
Seasons: 8
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Based on the Inspector Morse books by Colin Dexter, the series premiered in 1987 and has been on the air ever since. As he and his sidekick, Detective Sergeant Lewis, work their way through the ranks in Oxford’s Criminal Investigation Department, the program follows Chief Inspector Morse.
Morse is a grouchy beer-loving classical music connoisseur who regularly loses his cool with the sincere but plodding Lewis. It is among the best shows on ITV.
Des (2020 Mini Series)
Genre: Thriller, Crime Film
Director: Lewis Arnold
Writer: Kelly Jones
Cast: Daniel Mays, David Tennant, Jason Watkins
Seasons: 1
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
It is the year 1983. On suspicion of murder, police have taken Dennis “Des” Nilsen into custody. There’s a lot of attention paid to Nilsen’s interrogation throughout the episode, as well as the detectives’ efforts to identify numerous victims.
This is a well-done criminal thriller. That the program relies on so many cliches from real crime murder mystery tales is maybe its gravest flaw. The investigation’s bureaucracy also plays a role in the story’s dramatic tension.
Sherlock (2012-2017)
Genre: Action, Thriller
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writer: Michael Robert Johnson
Cast: Jude Law, Robert Downey Jr. Rachel McAdams
Seasons: 4
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson may call it a day on another successful case now that they have apprehended serial murderer and occult “sorcerer” Lord Blackwood. Sherlock Holmes is forced to renew his search as Blackwood reappears from the dead and starts his murderous spree.
Irene Adler, the temptress who lures him into a tangled web of murder, deception, and black magic – and the fatal embrace of the dauntless detective who must decipher the clues that will lead him into a complex web of murder, deceit, and black magic.
Scott & Bailey (2011-2016)
Genre: Drama
Director: Morag Fullerton
Writer: Sally Wainwright
Cast: Lesley Sharp, Suranne Jones, Tony Mooney,
Seasons: 6
IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
When two female private detectives, one motherly as well as the other emotionally immature, try to apply their unconventional perspectives on life to their police investigations and personal lives.
All this while, they meet with various degrees of success. It is proved to be one of the best shows on ITV.
Angela Black (2021 – Present)
Genre: Drama
Director: Craig Viveiros
Writer: Harry Williams
Cast: Michiel Huisman, Joanne Froggatt, Samuel Adewunmi
Seasons: 1
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
Even though Angela seems to be a happy mother of two, she is concealing the reality that her attractive husband Olivier is a violent and manipulative guy. This darkens further when she is pursued by a stranger.
Her darkest concerns about her husband have been confirmed, and Angela is left reeling. She fights to keep up the front with Olivier and the boys, while Ed encourages her to join forces with him to take action.
If you face any ITV Hub not working with a VPN error, then you must use some basic troubleshooting steps or switch to ExpressVPN.
Gordon Gino and Fred: Road Trip (2018 – Present)
Genre: Travel and Food
Director: Ben Archard
Writer: Ben Archard
Cast: Gino D’Acampo, Gordon Ramsay, Fred Siriex
Seasons: 2
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Gordon, Gino, and Fred are traveling to Finland for the holidays in order to locate Santa. Along the way, they swim under the ice, herd reindeer, cook a Christmas feast for a typical Sami household, search for the Northern Lights, get married in a bar, and meet with polar coffee experts.
The trio goes lobster diving and pastry making in Crete before traveling to the hot springs of Santorini and finally to Mykonos, where they learn how to prepare traditional Greek sausages.
A Confession (2019 Mini Series)
Genre: Legal Drama
Director: Paul Andrew Williams
Writer: Jeff Pope
Cast: Siobhan Finnernan, Martin Freeman, Imelda Staunton
Seasons: 1
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
After a Friday night out in Swindon’s Old Town, Sian O’Callaghan vanishes. As the family awaits news, the authorities look for any hints as to her whereabouts. There is a chance a senior officer who took his own life may be the one responsible for Sian’s abduction, and Fulcher must confront this prospect.
Christopher Halliwell is taken to a secluded area by Fulcher to be questioned regarding Sian’s whereabouts. Watch the series to know what happens next in this best show on ITV.
If you like documentaries like A Confession, where all the secrets are laid out for the world to see, then you must watch Prince Harry’s Interview.
Honour (2020 Mini Series)
Genre: Drama
Director: Richard Laxton
Writer: Gwyneth Hughes
Cast: Mark Stanley, Keeley Hawes, Michael Jibson
Seasons: 1
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Following the police investigation and revelations about police failings in the lead-up to the ‘honor killing’ of Banaz Mahmod, a 20-year-old Iraqi Kurdish woman was murdered on the orders of her family after leaving an abusive marriage for another man.
McDonald & Dodds (2020 – Present)
Genre: Crime Film
Director: Laura Scrivano
Writer: Robert Murphy
Cast: Tala Gouveia, James Murray, Jason Watkins
Seasons: 3
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Following the shooting of a homeless man in the vacant house of one of Bath’s most important entrepreneurs, the inventor Max Crockett, freshly arrived Londoner DCI McDonald, and long-serving detective DS Dodds get together to attempt to find the perpetrator.
The investigation into the inexplicable death of a rich patient at the Mara Retreat is brought in when DCI McDonald and partner DS Dodds are still getting used to their new home in Bath.
Dark Heart (2016-2018)
Genre: Crime Drama
Director: Colin Teague
Writer: Chris Lang
Cast: Joseph Teague, Tom Riley, Anjli Mohindra
Seasons: 1
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
As a method of dealing with the death of his parents, Detective Inspector Will Wagstaffe has devoted his life to catching criminals, even though he has lived longer without them.
However, with her sister’s decision to leave the family home and move in with her new boyfriend Paolo (the new surrogate father), he becomes a model uncle to Harry “Hal.” For the investigation into a string of vigilante crimes, Will must cancel his vacation.
We recommend you use the best VPN’s for ITV Hub to watch the Dark Hearts from your country.
The Long Call (2021)
Genre: Drama
Director: Lee Haven Jones
Writer: Ann Cleeves
Cast: Declan Bennett, Ben Aldridge, Siobhan Cullen
Seasons: 1
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
When a corpse is discovered on a North Devon beach, Detective Inspector Matthew Venn is called in to investigate a case that has no witnesses, no forensic evidence, and no apparent motive.
Matthew is also grappling with the loss of his father and the fact that he has been compelled to return to the town from which he was forced to flee.
More ITVX Guides from ScreenBinge:
- Watch Olivia Attwood The Price of Perfection Episode 1 in Australia on ITVX: Chasing beauty’s secrets, Transformations in a lunchtime whisper.
- Watch The Dry New Episodes in Australia on ITVX: Sobriety’s homecoming, Dublin’s dance with past, family truths.
- Watch Death in Paradise Christmas Special 2023 in Australia on ITVX: Christmas intrigue, A fall, a vanish, and Caribbean mysteries.
- Watch The Martin Lewis Money Show Live in Australia on ITV: Martin’s insights, Navigating finance, news, and consumer wisdom.
- Watch Trump: The Return 2024 in Australia on ITVX: Trump’s comeback, Unveiling the quest for the White House.
Wrapping Up
ITV programs have always been successful in capturing the attention of viewers. Each has a significant following of ardent supporters as well as a plethora of fan sites on social media platforms.
It is a geo-restricted platform that can only be viewed from inside the United Kingdom, but don’t worry; a VPN like ExpressVPN which is one of the best VPNs for ITV Hub will allow you to avoid the geo-restrictions to view exclusive content on ITV in Australia.
Above are the 20 best shows on ITV that you should watch at all costs if you want a series with a unique plot that you can’t get enough of.