12 Shows From Channel 4 That Need to Cross the Pond

The streaming revolution was slower to get off the ground in the U.K. than in the U.S., with the BBC iPlayer dominating the competition for most of the 2010s. However, since 2024, when Netflix finally bested iPlayer for the first time, a radical realignment has been underway. Channel 5 (now known simply as “5”), once a third-tier network that mostly aired older American TV series, is officially Paramount’s major streaming success story.

Then there’s Channel 4. Created by the Broadcasting Act of 1980, the network was originally conceived as an alternative to the BBC, with independent series aimed at minority viewers. But the arrival of cable TV in the 1990s undermined that, and, like 5, it spent the last few decades as “that channel with the American TV shows.” However, the network began working on a rebrand in 2015. With the £25 million acquisition of The Great British Baking Show (or at least the tent and branding), it took a major step toward establishing itself globally.

Around the time Telly Visions went on hiatus in September 2025, Channel 4’s ambitious slate was starting to pay dividends. In October, the network announced it had officially become the U.K.’s fastest-growing streaming service and was dominating viewership in its home country. It’s not surprising that when we opened the press release backlog to see what we’d missed, there were a full dozen shows in production without an American distributor in sight.

As one of our services, Telly Visions is committed to raising awareness of shows like these, in hopes that highlighting them will lead to U.S. distribution. Here’s a full rundown of everything currently in the works that we need to see cross the pond.

Dirty Business

Dirty Business recently debuted in the U.K., with the first episode premiering on February 23, 2026. It is the latest in a series of “factual dramas” that have been commissioned in the wake of the success of Mr Bates vs the Post Office. All episodes are written and directed by Joseph Bullman, whose series, Partygate, was another entry in the genre. Here’s the synopsis:

Based on a decade-long investigation into England’s water companies, and telling the real stories of whistleblowers and victims who believe their lives have been destroyed after encountering sewage-polluted water, Dirty Business is a major new factual drama investigating one of the biggest potential corporate scandals in British history.

The series stars David Thewlis (The Artful Dodger) as retired detective Ash, who teams up with his neighbour, biologist Peter, played by Jason Watkins (The Game). After establishing that their local sewage works is not treating sewage correctly, they partner with a sewage plant worker and whistleblower, “Mickey,” played by Asim Chaudhry (The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin). Other stars include Alex Jennings (The Crown), Charlotte Ritchie (Grantchester), and Tom Durant-Pritchard (Miss Scarlet).

Wrong Move

In contrast, Wrong Move is one of the newest shows announced on this list. Created by Ben Edwards (Miss Scarlet), Wrong Move is a darkly comic thriller about three families, the hellscape of buying and selling real estate, and the misguided notion that moving house can fix everything. Here’s the synopsis:

Michael and Catherine, a couple in their 40s, are attempting to save their marriage by moving into their "forever" home, which DS Trevor Bamford is selling to them. Their current "family home" is being sold to Stella and Juliette, whose family has outgrown their "starter home." That starter home, in turn, is being sold to first-time buyers Asif and Emily. But when Trevor calls off the sale, the chain reaction turns deadly.

Edwards wrote all six episodes with director Rene Pannevis (The Tower) helming all installments. It is executive-produced by Rebecca Davies with Ash Atalla & Alex Smith for Roughcut. Casting is expected to be announced ahead of filming later in the spring of 2026.

Maya

One of the few shows on this list we did manage to note before we were shuttered for the rest of 2025, Maya recently had its debut at the 2026 London Screenings in February 2026. Written by Daisy Haggard (Boat Story), she makes her directorial debut co-directing with Jamie Donoughue (The Last Kingdom) in this series from Two Brothers (who were also the team behind Boat Story). Here’s the synopsis:

Forced into a witness protection programme to escape a life-threatening danger, determined and devoted single-mum Anna and her headstrong teenage daughter Maya leave their London lives and Anna’s parents, Nancy and George, behind, and relocate to a small rural town in Scotland. But the trauma of their past continues to haunt them in the form of two hitmen, Benji and Ted who are intent on tracking them down. As the walls close in, it becomes clear that a dangerous and calculating figure from their past, the seemingly charming Bobby, is still a looming and very present threat.

Future OBE Bella Ramsay co-stars as the titular Maya. The series also boasts an ensemble that includes Harriet Walter (Brian & Maggie), Tobias Menzies (Game of Thrones), Ben Chaplin (The Dig), Josie Walker (Andor), Stuart Bowman (Rebus), Tom Courtenay (Unforgotten), and Harry Hadden-Paton (Versailles).

Number 10

Technically, Number 10 was announced before the Telly Visions hiatus, in August 2025. However, the words “political comedy drama by Steven Moffat” gave us pause, so it got stuck in the “to do if the cast is worth it” pile. (The cast was then announced in December 2025, when we were still figuring out the whole “15 years of archives” situation.) As you can see from the above image, the series will star Jenna Coleman, who made her name during Moffat’s year running Doctor Who before going on to headline Victoria, and let’s face it, that’s all we needed to get on board. Here’s the synopsis:

There’s a Prime Minister in the attic, a coffee bar in the basement, and a wallpapered labyrinth of romance, crisis, and heartbreak in between. Set in the only terrace house in history with mice and a nuclear deterrent, it’s the only knock-through in the world where a hangover can start a war.  The government will be fictional and unspecific, but the problems will be real. We’ll never know which party is in power, because once the whole world hits the fan, it barely matters. This is a show about the building and everyone inside. Not just the Prime Minister upstairs, but the conspiracy theorist who runs the cafe three floors below, the man who repairs the lift that never works, the madly ambitious ‘advisors’ fighting for office space in cupboards. Oh, and of course, the cat. 

No word on who will play Larry the Cat, unfortunately, but Coleman will be joined by human actors Rafe Spall (Trying) as the Prime Minister and Katherine Kelly (The Crow Girl) as the Chief of Staff. The rest of the cast is also pretty stacked, including Laura Haddock (Downton Abbey), Jing Lusi (Red Eye), Richard Rankin (Outlander), Rhiannon Clements (Vera), Patrick Baladi (Line of Duty), Alex Macqueen (The Feud), and Emer Kenny (Karen Pirie), among others.

Moffat penned all episodes and teams up with Douglas Is Canceled director Ben Palmer, who will helm all installments with Lawrence Till producing. Moffat also executive produces with his wife, Sue Vertue, for Hartswood Films.

Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping Seasons 1 & 2

I cannot believe we are already into production of Season 2 of Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping, and it’s still not over here. David Mitchell staged a mighty comeback in America with one of BritBox’s biggest hits of 2025, Ludwig. Why his return to sketch comedy with long-time partner Robert Webb has not made it to this side of the pond yet is a mystery, considering all their other sketch comedy series are cult hits in the U.S. It was only the biggest comedy launch for Channel 4 since 2018.

No, there’s no synopsis; sketch comedy shows don’t have those. Personally, I am deeply offended by the lack of fresh Mitchell & Webb on American streaming services, and will have to rely on Channel 4 continuing to upload the best sketches to YouTube until someone gets a clue.

Close to Home

Announced as part of the 2026 commissions in February, and based on Irish novelist Michael Magee’s debut novel of the same name, Close to Home is a story about the generation that grew up in a post-Troubles landscape. Magee adapted his own novel for the small screen with director Diarmuid Goggins (Code of Silence) helming all episodes. Here’s the synopsis:

Close to Home tells the story of Sean, a young man who finds himself back in Belfast. Back from university and back into old habits. Back on the mad all-nighters, the borrowed tenners and missing rent, the casual jobs that always fall through. Back with his brother, his ma and all the things they never talk about. Back where the promised prosperity of peacetime has yet to arrive and every street has a story to tell. One night, Sean assaults a stranger at a party and everything is tipped into chaos.

The series’ high-profile cast includes Anthony Boyle (House of Guinness) as Sean, Jessica Reynolds (A Woman of Substance) as Mairéad, Seamus O’Hara (Say Nothing) as Anthony, and Oisín Thompson (Trespasses) as Ryan. Filming is currently underway in Belfast.

It Gets Worse

Announced while we were on hiatus, It Gets Worse hails from Leo Reich, who created and stars in the A24 co-produced series with Boiling Point director Mounia Akl helming all episodes. A coming-of-age drama about three 20-somethings trying to make it in London, the series is also co-produced by Crave in Canada, so we’re expecting a lot of sex, drugs, and fun romance.

Ethan, Abi, and Sam are best friends from uni, soulmates for life, and dysfunctional roommates. It’s been a year since they finally managed to move to London, they have collectively accomplished nothing, and now their landlord is selling up. They’re getting kicked out. What now? Can they keep their friendships alive when they are dispersed across a city that seems to want them dead? Can they find a six out of ten or higher to have bad sex with? Can they get their shit together when the world is so obviously falling apart? Probably not. But they’re going to have fun trying.

The cast for this thing is shockingly stacked, to the point that it’s genuinely surprising A24 hasn’t gotten anyone in America to sign on yet. The main ensemble includes Emily Fairn (The Responder), Olive Gray (Sex Education), Sean Delaney (Killing Eve), Dane Williams (Bergerac), India Mullen (Normal People), and small-screen newcomer John Tothill. The supporting cast includes Andrew Scott (Sherlock), Lena Dunham (Too Much), Blake Harrison (Bookish), and Kirsty Bloom (Supacell), among others.

Careless

This one was announced relatively recently, in January 2026, right about the time we were shifting our archives. Careless is a co-production with Australian streamer Stan, a four-part thriller from The Cry author Helen Fitzgerald and Louise Fox (Broadchurch). Here’s the synopsis:

When Scottish backpacker Robbie finds himself in Sydney, he is determined to become a live-in carer for a notorious rock’n’roll legend, Mike, who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. To his delight, he nails the interview and gets the gig. But, as he grows closer to Mike, he also grows closer to Mike’s wife, Angela, and it becomes clear there’s something in Robbie’s past that may put them all in serious danger.

Solly McLeod (Tom Jones) stars as Robbie, with Richard Roxburgh (Catherine the Great) as Mike and Robyn Malcolm (Mystery Road: Origin) as Angela. The series also stars Katie Leung (Bridgerton), Thomas Weatherall (The Narrow Road To The Deep North), Alison Peebles (Dept. Q), and Mabel Li (The Testaments).

Fox is the lead writer, along with Christian White (Relic); the series is directed by Stevie Cruz-Martin (Safe Home). Production is currently ongoing in Scotland and Australia.

Tip Toe

The other series on the list we managed to cover before we were cut off is the LGBTQ+ drama Tip Toe, created by Russell T. Davies. Originally announced in February 2025, the series entered production in September and released its first images in December. Considering Davies’ run of hit shows like It’s a Sin, Queer as Folk, and Years & Years, we would have assumed this would have an American distributor by now, despite the recent Doctor Who unpleasantness. Here’s the synopsis:

Leo and Clive have lived next door to each other in Manchester for almost 15 years. But just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe. The series, populated with a cast of vibrant characters and underscored with Davies’ trademark wit and deft humour, is an urgent tale that brings a spotlight to bear on the prejudices which are creeping back into our lives, in a story that speaks not just to the queer community but to the world today.

The series stars Alan Cumming (The Traitors) as Leo and David Morrissey (Sherwood) as Clive, Leo’s unsmiling and troubled next-door neighbour. Supporting actors include Elizabeth Berrington (Lost Boys & Fairies), Iz Hesketh (Renegade Nell), Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo (Wednesday), and Paul Rhys (Saltburn), among others. Davies penned all episodes with Peter Hoar (The Last of Us) directing.

Break Clause

Another series announced in August that we backburnered at the time is the romantic series Break Clause. Starring Samuel Bottomley (How to Have Sex) as Ben and Lara Ricote (who viewers would recognize if Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping were over here) as Lil, the series is about a couple who break up before their lease is up and are stuck living together in the interim. Here’s the synopsis:

Their relationship's over. Their tenancy isn't. Break Clause follows Ben and Lil as they navigate their breakup whilst stuck in the same flat. Moving on from your first love is hard enough. Moving out is even harder...

The cast also includes Lucy Black (Gentleman Jack), Hammed Animashaun (Black Ops) as Paul, Michael Workéyè (Lynley), Jessica Knappett (Avoidance), Nathan Foad (Our Flag Means Death), Assa Kanouté (Boarders), and Lucas Jones (Get Millie Black), among others. All episodes are written by Jess Bray (The Outlaws) and directed by Alice Snedden (Starstruck).

The Siege

The Siege is another much more recent commission, announced as part of Channel 4’s 2026 slate in February, that we didn’t have the bandwidth to focus on. The series is being adapted from Operation Mincemeat author Ben McIntyre’s best-selling book of the same name, with Slow Horses’ Will Smith penning all episodes. A 1980s-set political thriller based on real events, this is the kind of series streaming services once fought over. Here’s the synopsis:

30th April 1980. Six armed Arab Iranian separatists burst into the Iranian embassy in London, taking hostage the 26 people inside, demanding autonomy for their people. Over the next six days, the gunmen, the hostages, and the police struggled with each other for control of the situation while the soldiers of the SAS mounted plans for a daring mission to break the siege that would be witnessed by the watching world. Coupling thriller tension with poignancy, insight, and humour, this six-part limited series brings audiences the definitive account of a pivotal moment in history, when Britain and the world held its breath.

The series boasts an A-list cast, with Morrissey, Danny Dyer (Rivals), and Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees (The Voice of Hind Rajab) leading the ensemble, and Asim Chaudhry and Alex Jennings also co-starring. The series also features (deep breath, everybody!) Leo Bill (Funny Woman), Kevin Doyle (Happy Valley), Stephen Campbell Moore (The Gold), Sean Pertwee (The Pale Horse), Sam Troughton (Black Doves), Lorne MacFadyen (Starstruck), Aneurin Barnard (Time), Mark Bonnar (Guilt), and Gwilym Lee (SAS: Rogue Heroes), among others. Filming has not yet commenced.

Up to No Good

Last, but certainly not least, there’s Up To No Good, which came with no American distributor attached when it was announced in August 2025. Based on Helene Tursten’s short story collections An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good and An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed, it’s being co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and stars Glenn Close. At the time, with no cast but an American, we stuck it on the back burner for further review and were rewarded in February 2026 with a roster worth adding to the list. Here’s the synopsis:

The series follows Maud Oldcastle, a hilariously brusque, cantankerous, ruthless older woman—and those are her nice qualities. She is also a killer. Determined to break from a lifetime spent caring for her sister, Maud sets out to claim a long-overdue second act, but when a suspicious young detective investigating a death in Maud's building starts to believe there is more to her than meets the eye, Maud is forced to reckon with her crimes, present and past.

Close stars as Maud, with Penelope Wilton as her sister, Charlotte, and Claudia Jessie as the detective assigned to the case. The rest of the cast will include Gloria Obianyo (Andor), Anita Dobson (Doctor Who), Ben Crompton (Game of Thrones) as Barry, and Meera Syal (The Wheel of Time).

The six-part drama is written by Nina & Moses Raine, a pair of playwrights making their television debut as a writing duo. All episodes will be directed by Lee Haven Jones (A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story).

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