Over the next four decades, the terrestrial broadcaster aired ground-breaking dramas, nurtured comedy talent, championed cutting-edge journalism and produced endless factual formats. Reality! Appointment! Food! Property! Dirt after the pub! More dates, this time with unfair nakedness! To celebrate the station’s milestone anniversary, we’ve handpicked its 40 best shows. Only domestic originals, rather than imports or acquisitions – which excludes US comedies like Friends, Frasier and Sex and the City or dramas like Lost, ER, Homeland and The Handmaid’s Tale, as well as buy-ins like Taskmaster or Bake Off. Well, it’s fair. Anyway, I’m happy to say: welcome to the best of Channel 4…
40. Countdown (1982-present)
“Scream please Carol!” … Countdown. Photo: Channel 4 One from the bottom of this ranking please, Carol. The first show that aired on the channel is still going strong. An afternoon staple favorite with retirees, students and Twitter meme creators.
39. GBH (1991)
Alan Bleasdale’s state Labor saga, loosely based on the Derek Hatton case, pitted corrupt councilor Robert Lindsay against his mastermind Michael Palin. Both were great, as was the Elvis Costello soundtrack.
38. The Inbetweeners (2008-2010)
Ooh, fwend… The Inbetweeners. Photo: Everett Collection Inc/Alamy Bus Wanderer! Cry! Oh, Fved! The Rudge Park Comprehensive quartet were highly regarded and starred in two successful spin-off films. He made us a poor choice when it came to Channel 4 sitcoms, with (gasp) Black Books, Nathan Barley, We Are Lady Parts, Friday Night Dinner, Chewing Gum, Stath Lets Flats, This Way Up and Drop the Dead Donkey narrowly misses the cut. The first six of the suburbs surpass them through absolute cultural ubiquity.
37. Grand Designs (1999-present)
Kevin McCloud’s house building series has proved the most enduring of Channel 4’s 00s properties, which included Property Ladder and Location, Location, Location. Watch with a mixture of envy and horror as ambitious architectural projects miss deadlines and budgets while Kev tries to look nice in a hard hat.
36. The Autopsy (2002)
They warned him it was illegal, but he went ahead anyway… The Autopsy. Photo: Channel 4 Channel 4 is no stranger to controversy. In fact, they know each other intimately. Over the decades, it’s brought us the delinquent series Red Triangle, the week-long heroin withdrawal series Going Cold Turkey, Drugs Live: The Ecstasy Trial, Naked Attraction, Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and the almighty short-lived Wank Week. This sensational canon also includes the anatomist Gunther von Hagens who performed the first public autopsy in Britain for 170 years in front of a live audience and television cameras. The hat-wearing professor was warned it was illegal but aired anyway, prompting a record number of Ofcom complaints. Pass the scalpel. In fact, don’t.
35. Vic Reeves’ Big Night Out (1990-1991)
Vic and Bob’s surreal variety show made alternative cabaret cool again – comedy was indeed the new rock ‘n’ roll – and proved hugely influential. Right, they just wouldn’t let it lie.
34. One Born Every Minute (2010-2018)
The maternity favorite blazed a trail for the channel’s successful ‘fixed rig’ strand of intimate documentaries. This was followed by 24 hours in A&E, 24 hours in police custody and 24 hours from Tulsa. Okay, maybe not the last one.
33. Alternative Christmas Message (1993-present)
Ddeepfake Queen… it just can’t be the alternative Christmas message. Photo: Channel 4/PA This tradition began in 1993 with self-proclaimed queen Quentin Crisp being punished with the real monarch. Now it’s a festive game. Since then, speakers have included Doreen and Neville Lawrence, Edward Snowden, Ali G, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Marge Simpson, Danny Dyer and a deepfake Elizabeth II. Channel 4 tends to leave sport to stations with deeper pockets. Two notable exceptions were the landmark 2005 Ashes and James Richardson’s weekly Serie A show, which introduced a generation to calcio, the cultured pundit and cappuccinos in sidewalk cafes. Golazzo!
31. A Very British Coup (1988)
Alan Plater’s conspiracy thriller followed the rise of hard-left Labor leader Harry Perkins (Ray McAnally) to 10 Downing Street, only to find his policies thwarted by the establishment. It won four Baftas and an Emmy, and proved a terrifying warning to Jeremy Corbyn. Another Channel 4 record… Desmond’s. Photo: Channel 4 Ah, Porkpie. The warm, gossipy sitcom, set in a Peckham barbershop and starring a predominantly British-Guyanese cast, ran for 71 episodes – still a Channel 4 record. As creator Trix Worrell proudly pointed out, it was also the first time a black-owned business hit UK screens.
29. Educating Yorkshire (2013)
Taking the ‘fixed rig’ technique and running with it, built-in cameras monitored daily events at Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury. Embark on an exciting story as the shy student Musharraf is trained to overcome his stutter by English teacher Mr. Burton. Other series went to secondary schools in Essex, London, Cardiff and Salford. A recap of continental weirdness… Eurotrash. Photo: Channel 4 Bonsoir, my British chumps! In a pre-internet era, Antoine de Caunes and Jean-Paul Gaultier’s review of continental weirdness drew an audience of 3 million to late-night brews, hoping for an unfair nudity and usually getting it.
27. Derren Brown: Mind Control (2000-2003)
The mentalist teased us with his mix of “magic, suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship.” Brown turned to one-off promotions, with 2003’s Russian Roulette condemned by police and 2004’s Séance attracting hundreds of complaints. The late Robbie Coltrane delivered a towering performance in Jack Thorne’s Yewtree-inspired drama about a beloved comedian accused of historical rape. A hauntingly ambiguous treatise on sex, power and celebrity.
25. Come Dine With Me (2005-present)
“What a sad little life, Jane.” The unpretentious dinner competition became a surprise success, exported to 42 countries around the world. Show your appreciation by placing a balloon wire in your mouth. Messrs Buxton and Cornish’s sketch included Toymovies, BaaadDad, Vinyl Justice and all manner of mischief. Unmistakably amateur but full of charm and inventiveness, this was cult television at its purest.
23. Utopia (2013-2014)
Bold and captivating… Utopia. Photo: Ryan Mcnamara/Channel 4 Where is… Jessica Hyde? Dennis Kelly’s conspiracy thriller is deceptively conceived and boldly shot, with bursts of hyperviolence that take you by surprise. Two words: eyeball, teaspoon.
22. Faking It (2000-2006)
A former naval officer becomes a drag queen in Faking It. Photo: Channel 4 Classical cellist becomes a DJ? Stylish gay man turns nightclub liar? Billed as “a modern-day Pygmalion”, this makeover reality series was warm, intimate and brilliantly cast – rather like Gogglebox, which was conceived by its creator, Stephen Lambert. She goes beyond the stable girlfriend Wife Swap, who became too cartoonish and manipulative. The sketch by Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips was endlessly inventive, deliriously funny and very rare during a male-dominated era for television comedy. Many of the same team went on to make the similarly giddy Green Wing.
20. Skins (2007-2013)
What a launch!… the cast of Skins. Photo: Channel 4 A decade before Sex Education or Euphoria, the hard-hitting comedy-drama about Bristolian first-sixters opened the door for teenage TV performances. It proved to be a career launch point for Dev Patel, Nicholas Hoult, Jack O’Connell and Daniel Kaluuya. Get our weekly pop culture email delivered free to your inbox every Friday Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
19. Spaced (1999-2001)
With its quick cuts, film homages and geek-friendly gags, the flatshare sitcom was ahead of its time. Edgar Wright, Jessica Hynes and Simon Pegg’s surreal creation left fans wanting more, running just 14 episodes.
18. The Word (1990-1995)
From the people behind pioneering ‘yoof’ shows Network 7 and Club X, The Word’s innovative mix of live music, quirky exhibitions and uncensored chat invented the ‘post-pub TV’ genre. Oliver Reed got drunk. The L7s dropped their jeans. “The Hopefuls” ate worms and swatted grannies. No wonder it became the scourge of the tabloids.
17. Black Mirror (2011-present)
As if that ever happened… Black Mirror. Photo: Hal Shinnie/Channel 4 Charlie Brooker began his dystopian sci-fi anthology with a story about the Prime Minister violating a pig. As if that ever happened. Visionary dramas continue to attract A-list stars and boldly push boundaries. Like Mae Martin’s gang saga Top Boy and Feel Good, it was pulled by Netflix, but Channel 4 deserves credit for having the courage to commission and commission them.
16. Missions (1987-present)
The investigative documentary arm is Channel 4’s equivalent of the BBC’s Panorama, making regular stories and winning Baftas. Standout headlines include the BNP exposé Young, Nazi & Proud, the medical MMR deep dive: What They Didn’t Tell You and How Councils Blow Your Millions is changing politics. Proper public journalism.
15. Destruction (2015-2019)
Over four funny series, Sharon Horgan and Rob…
