TV Shows to Improve Your British English

Today I’ll be answering a listener request and giving my recommendations for TV series that will help you practise listening to the British accent and hone your pronunciation.

I’ve included 14 British TV programmes of varying genres and also a couple bonus American shows. Which ones do you like?

Episode Summary

Fantasy – Game of Thrones

Various UK and world accents, exciting story. Some vocabulary may be unuseful (dragons, castles) and speech isn’t always clear over battles/music.

Horror/Survival – The Walking Dead

Full of American accents. Great for listening practice and a favourite show of mine.

Historical – Vikings & Downton Abbey

Vikings: Mostly fake Scandinavian accents, challenging for learners. Downton Abbey: Old-fashioned English but generally standard and clear.

Crime – Dexter & Sherlock

Dexter: Normal American accents in everyday situations. Sherlock: Very British, RP accent, though fast speech.

Realistic Science Fiction – Humans & Black Mirror

Humans: Standard British accents, clear speech. Black Mirror: Mostly clear accents, some Scottish/Irish/USA accents, dialogue not too complex.

Science Fiction – Doctor Who

Good stories, some sci-fi vocab, clear London/UK accents.

Comedy – Peep Show & The IT Crowd

Peep Show: Awkward, realistic London situations. IT Crowd: Funny IT office situations with Irish and British accents.

Game Shows – Would I Lie to You?, 8 Out of 10 Cats, QI

Accents vary by guest. Humor is easy to follow; QI has perfect British accents and is educational.

Real Stuff – Top Gear, Embarrassing Bodies, Planet Earth

Top Gear: Car vocabulary. Embarrassing Bodies: Medical topics. Planet Earth: Simple, clear narration from David Attenborough, great for beginners.

⭐️ Transcript

Preview: Let's take a look at the transcript to improve our vocabulary and listening skills. Watch the live transcript below or click to open in a new window. Key phrases with natural examples, ability to search for text, PDF copies too.

What's your favourite TV show?

Comment your thoughts below.

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Mmm

12 March 2022 at 12:47 am

Hello Michael.
If you don’t mind, I have a question for you, I remember you said you are speaking two languages, so did you learne the two languages at the same time, or you felt that you become fluent in one of them and then decided to start learning the another language?

Really like your podcast and I listen to one episode a day.

Michael Lavers 936Admin
12 March 2022 at 12:01 pm

Hi! That’s a great question. I spoke about it in more detail in episode 73 linked below.
https://www.levelupenglish.school/podcast73/

To answer briefly, I studied Japanese first until I got to an intermediate level, then I started Chinese. I’ve tried learning 2 languages at the same time before and it’s really tough! I always recommend getting one to a higher level before started a 3rd language (especially if the languages are similar).

1. Mmm
  12 March 2022 at 2:48 pm
  
  I’m really excited to reach that episode. Thank you to your reply. According to your answer I intend to learn Mandarin when my level become c2.