14 Hilarious British Comedies You Can Binge Right Now
By Lacy Baugher
The cast of “W1A”. (Photo: BBC)
W1A
W1A gets its name from the postcode prefix of the BBC’s London headquarters. It follows the story of everyday goings on within the corporation. But, much like The Office, it’s all done mockumentary-style. Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville proves that he’s actually quite a comedian in this series. He plays Ian Fletcher, the new (fictional) Head of Values. His task is to clarify, define, or re-define the core purpose of the BBC and position it confidently for the future. So, an exceptionally vague task. Hilarity predictably ensues.
Bonneville is joined by a very strong ensemble that includes Jessica Hynes, Jason Watkins, Monica Dolan, Hugh Skinner, Nina Sosanya and Sarah Parish. Doctor Who star David Tennant serves as the voice of the narrator.
W1A is technically a sequel series of sorts. It follows on after the equally brilliant Twenty Twelve, a comedy in which several of these same characters were part of the organizing committee charged with putting on the 2012 Olympics. You don’t need to have seen it to enjoy W1A. It’s just a comedy that’s great in its own right. Sadly, Twenty Twelve doesn’t appear to be available on any streaming service at the moment so it can’t be on this list. But keep an eye out for it in the future.
Number of Seasons: 2 (Though rumor has it a third season is due in 2017.)
Where to Watch: Netflix