15 Best TV Shows Set in London

London has a way of stealing scenes. Its streets, estates, parks, and landmarks give stories a real sense of place, whether the plot follows royalty, police work, or everyday life. The shows below use the city as more than a backdrop and build their characters and conflicts inside recognizable neighborhoods and institutions.

This list spans different eras and corners of the capital so you can explore the city through crime dramas, political series, workplace stories, and comedies. Each entry notes what the show covers and where in London it is set or filmed, so you can trace the routes on a map and pick what fits your mood.

‘Sherlock’ (2010–2017)

This modern adaptation brings Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective into contemporary London with Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss as creators and Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman leading the cast. It aired on BBC One over four series with feature-length episodes plus a Victorian-themed special, and it keeps the core duo’s partnership at the center while updating the cases to fit today’s city.

Filming turns real locations into touchstones for fans. The 221B exterior stands on North Gower Street with Speedy’s Café beside it, and St Bartholomew’s Hospital features in key moments. You will also spot landmarks around the South Bank, the City, and Westminster, making the routes between scenes easy to follow on foot.

‘The Crown’ (2016–2023)

This drama follows the reign of Queen Elizabeth II from early years to modern times with Peter Morgan as creator and a rotating cast portraying the royal family. It runs across six seasons and tracks government changes, foreign trips, and family milestones while anchoring its story inside the institutions that shape national life.

Many London settings are recreated with historic buildings that stand in for royal and political sites. Lancaster House frequently doubles for Buckingham Palace interiors, while the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich appears in ceremonial sequences. Number 10 Downing Street is reconstructed on soundstages, and scenes set around Whitehall and Westminster provide a steady view of the city’s power center.

‘Luther’ (2010–2019)

This crime series follows DCI John Luther, a detective in the Metropolitan Police, as he handles high-stakes cases against dangerous offenders. Created by Neil Cross and broadcast on BBC One, it spans five series with standalone cases and ongoing arcs that thread through London’s serious crime unit.

The production uses the city’s mix of glass towers and Victorian streets to set an atmosphere that feels immediate. Filming locations include areas around Southwark, Shoreditch, King’s Cross, and the Thames bridges, with station exteriors and office blocks used for police and corporate settings. The show’s movement between boroughs mirrors how investigations jump across the capital.

‘Top Boy’ (2011–2023)

This drama charts rival crews, family ties, and survival around a fictional East London estate with Ronan Bennett as creator. The first two seasons aired on Channel 4, and later seasons continued on Netflix with returning characters and new storylines that build across the city’s council estates and markets.

Filming roots the story in Hackney and neighboring areas with estates such as Samuda on the Isle of Dogs and locations around De Beauvoir used across different seasons. Street markets, corner shops, and bus routes appear throughout, giving a clear sense of daily life in East London and how local geography shapes every decision characters make.

‘The Thick of It’ (2005–2012)

This political series looks inside ministerial offices and party backrooms with Armando Iannucci as creator. It ran across four series and specials on the BBC and follows civil servants, press officers, and ministers as they try to manage policy, media, and internal battles from one meeting to the next.

The show is firmly set in Whitehall and Westminster with many scenes staged in London office buildings that stand in for government departments. You see committee rooms, media scrums, and corridors that match the area around Parliament and Downing Street, which helps explain how announcements, briefings, and reshuffles move through the city in real time.

‘Fleabag’ (2016–2019)

This two-season series was created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and follows a Londoner navigating family, work, and relationships while running a small café. It started on BBC Three in the UK with international distribution on streaming and keeps its story focused on a tight circle of characters who live and work in central neighborhoods.

Filming took place around Camden and Islington with recognizable streets, mews houses, and canals forming the backdrop. You can spot small independent cafés, neighborhood churches, and townhouse fronts that reflect the area’s mix of old and new buildings, which makes the city feel present in every scene.

‘Ted Lasso’ (2020–2023)

This comedy-drama follows a football coach who takes charge of AFC Richmond and learns his way around the English game and the city. Developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly, it ran for three seasons on Apple TV+ and balances training ground routines with the rhythms of life in southwest London.

Richmond is central to the show’s identity, and filming uses real streets and shops around Richmond Green and Paved Court. The Prince’s Head pub appears as the local watering hole, and training ground sequences use facilities in Hayes, while match days draw on stadium exteriors familiar to London football fans.

‘Gangs of London’ (2020)

This crime saga explores power struggles among criminal families and organizations across the capital. Created by Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery for Sky Atlantic with international distribution through AMC, the series builds arcs that cross business fronts, construction sites, and private residences tied to different boroughs.

Production leans on a wide range of London settings to map alliances and rivalries. You will see the City’s skyline, canal paths, derelict warehouses, and new developments in areas such as Wembley and Greenwich. These locations help trace how money and influence move through the city’s districts.

‘Call the Midwife’ (2012)

This period drama adapts Jennifer Worth’s memoirs and follows midwives and nuns serving families in Poplar in the late 1950s and beyond. It premiered on BBC One and continues across multiple seasons, covering medical practice, social change, and new arrivals that shift the community’s needs.

The production recreates East End streets at Chatham Historic Dockyard and on studio backlots, with Poplar’s housing and docks carefully represented. Bikes, prams, and narrow alleyways build a clear map of the neighborhood, and recurring routes between Nonnatus House, the clinic, and local tenements give viewers a grounded sense of place.

‘Whitechapel’ (2009–2013)

This series follows a police team investigating copycat crimes that echo historic cases linked to the East End. It aired on ITV across three series with storylines that connect present day investigations to figures such as Jack the Ripper and the Kray twins through research, archives, and forensics.

The Whitechapel and Spitalfields area frames much of the action. Brick Lane, market streets, and Victorian terraces provide textures that match the district’s history, while station houses and back alleys help stage searches and stakeouts. The show’s use of real street grids makes casework feel tied to specific corners of East London.

‘Prime Suspect’ (1991–2006)

This crime drama centers on DCI Jane Tennison as she works complex cases inside the Metropolitan Police. Created by Lynda La Plante for ITV, it runs through seven series with each case unfolding over feature-length parts that track team dynamics, interviews, and evidence across multiple units.

The series is rooted in London with locations that reflect the city’s housing estates, interview rooms, and incident rooms. You see the movement between stations, Crown Prosecution Service offices, and court steps, which lays out how investigations progress through the capital’s institutions.

‘Only Fools and Horses’ (1981–2003)

This long-running sitcom follows market traders Del Boy and Rodney as they chase deals and look after family in Peckham. Created by John Sullivan for the BBC, it includes seven series and numerous specials and builds an extended cast around tower blocks, lockups, and the local pub.

Although some exterior scenes were filmed outside the borough, the world of Peckham is depicted through recurring spots like the Nag’s Head and the Trotter flat in Nelson Mandela House. Markets, high streets, and estate courtyards show how southeast London life unfolds week to week for small businesses and neighbors.

‘Industry’ (2020)

This workplace drama follows graduates competing for permanent roles at the investment bank Pierpoint and Co in the City. Created by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay and produced by HBO and the BBC, it spans multiple seasons and charts trading floors, compliance checks, and client dinners as careers rise and fall.

London’s financial districts provide a clear map for the story. Canary Wharf and the Square Mile appear through glass lobbies, river walks, and rooftop views, while after-hours scenes move to restaurants and bars in nearby neighborhoods. The commute between desks, gyms, and shared flats illustrates how work and the city shape each other.

‘Spooks’ (2002–2011)

This series follows MI5 officers as they handle national security threats from surveillance to counter-terror operations. It aired on BBC One across ten seasons and uses a mix of serialized arcs and standalone missions to cover the unit’s work and its impact on personal lives.

The show places its headquarters inside Thames House with interiors staged at Freemasons’ Hall to represent the security service. Fieldwork sequences move across Westminster, the South Bank, and transport hubs, and safe houses and meeting spots use real streets, which helps viewers understand how operations play out across the capital.

‘Ripper Street’ (2012–2016)

Set in Whitechapel in 1889, this period crime series follows H Division as it investigates cases in the aftermath of the Ripper murders. It began on BBC One and later continued with Amazon, with storylines that connect police work to journalism, medicine, and dockside trades in the East End.

Although much of the series was filmed in Dublin’s historic districts to recreate Victorian London, the production design maps directly onto Whitechapel’s lanes, yards, and police stations. Recurring sets like Leman Street station and surrounding courts make it easy to visualize how law and daily life fit together in that part of the city.

Share your favorite London-set shows in the comments and tell us which neighborhoods you love seeing on screen.