The Best TV Shows on Channel 4

Every Channel 4 Show Ranked From Best To Worst

Leading the pack on Channel 4 are An Audience with... and Brookside, with their initial broadcasts in 1978 and 1982. With its programming history stretching from 1978 to 2018, Channel 4 offers an impressive lineup of over 20 shows. Our curated list, current as of May 2026, showcases over 20 of Channel 4’s highest-rated series.

  • Black Mirror
    Black Mirror (2011)8.3

    Twisted tales run wild in this mind-bending anthology series that reveals humanity's worst traits, greatest innovations and more.

  • Taskmaster
    Taskmaster (2015)8.3

    Greg Davies is the Taskmaster, and with the help of his ever-loyal assistant Alex Horne, they will set out to test the wiles, wit, wisdom and skills of five hyper-competitive comedians. Who will be crowned the Taskmaster champion?

  • The Storyteller
    The Storyteller (1988)8.2

    The Storyteller, aided by his cynical dog, narrates classic folk tales, fables, and legends.

  • The IT Crowd
    The IT Crowd (2006)8.2

    The comedic misadventures of Roy, Moss, and their grifting supervisor Jen, a 'motley crew' of IT support workers at a large corporation headed by a hotheaded yuppie.

  • Peep Show
    Peep Show (2003)8.1

    Peep Show follows the lives of two men from their twenties to thirties, Mark Corrigan, who has steady employment for most of the series, and Jeremy "Jez" Usbourne, an unemployed would-be musician.

  • Derry Girls
    Derry Girls (2018)8.1

    Amidst the political conflict of Northern Ireland in the 1990s, five secondary school students square off with the universal challenges of being a teenager.

  • A Woman of Substance
    A Woman of Substance (1985)7.6

    The life of Emma Harte, from kitchen maid at the beginning of the 20th-century, to respected businesswoman and grandmother in the 1980s. From humble beginnings, Emma Harte starts her business with a small shop, but over the next twenty years, she expands her stores and invests in the growing textile industry in Leeds.

  • Shameless
    Shameless (2004)7.6

    The story of a young group of siblings pretty much abandoned by their parents, surviving by their wits - and humor - on a rough Manchester council estate. Whilst they won't admit it, they need help and find it in Steve, a young middle class lad who falls for Fiona, the oldest sibling, and increasingly finds himself drawn to this unconventional and unique family. Anarchic family life seen through the eyes of an exceptionally bright fifteen year old, who struggles to come of age in the context of his belligerent father, closeted brother, psychotic sister and internet porn star neighbors.

  • Humans
    Humans (2015)7.5

    In a parallel present where the latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a 'Synth' - a highly-developed robotic servant that's so similar to a real human it's transforming the way we live.

  • The Comic Strip Presents...
    The Comic Strip Presents... (1982)7.4

    The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians, who do parodies of films, literature and sometimes major events.

  • 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
    8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (2013)7.3

    Jimmy Carr hosts proceedings as the 8 Out of 10 Cats crew take over the words and numbers quiz.

  • 8 Out of 10 Cats
    8 Out of 10 Cats (2005)7.2

    A weekly, topical panel show based around a huge series of opinion poll surveys carried out around Britain.

  • Celebs Go Dating
    Celebs Go Dating (2016)6.8

    Single celebrities join an exclusive dating agency in a bid to find true love. Matchmakers pair them with non-celebrity partners and the cameras capture every romantic and cringe-filled moment.

  • Brookside
    Brookside (1982)6.2

    The ground-breaking soap set in a housing estate on the outskirts of Liverpool.

  • Naked Attraction
    Naked Attraction (2016)6.0

    The show looks at whether a partner can be found based solely on the naked body and animal magnetism. Two singletons join host Anna Richardson as they seek to choose a date from a selection of six naked people, who will be revealed to them one body part at a time. They then get dressed and head off on a date, to see if there is any chemistry when the clothes come on.

  • The Last Leg
    The Last Leg (2013)5.7

    Adam Hills and co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker provide some offbeat commentary on the significant moments of the past seven days.

  • An Audience with...
    An Audience with... (1978)5.3

    An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by London Weekend Television, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.

  • Hollyoaks
    Hollyoaks (1995)5.1

    The daily soap that follows the loves, lives and misdemeanours of a group of people living in the Chester village of Hollyoaks where anything could, and frequently does, happen...

  • Come Dine with Me
    Come Dine with Me (2005)5.1

    Amateur chefs compete against each other by hosting a dinner party for the other contestants. Each competitor then rates the host's performance with the winner winning a £1,000 cash prize. An element of comedy is added to the show through comedian Dave Lamb, who provides a dry and "bitingly sarcastic" narration.

  • Big Brother
    Big Brother (2000)4.4

    A British reality television game show in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house for several weeks, trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large cash prize at the end of the run.