Looking for more Yorkshire on TV? Dive Into These Shows!

Whether you spotted an old episode of All Creatures Great and Small while flicking through the high numbers on your TV, or you discovered The Yorkshire Vet while on your vacation, and are desperate for more, there’s a host of television shows about and featuring the various stunning landscapes of Yorkshire.

With the advent of TV-on-demand, now you can find many of these shows on streaming services, so this post is for those of you who’ve discovered a favorite Yorkshire series, and would like to hunt down some more of this good stuff!

Popular Shows Mostly about or in Yorkshire

1. Last of the Summer Wine (1973-2010): This classic British sitcom is perhaps one of the most famous television representations of Yorkshire. Set in the small town of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, it follows the escapades of a trio of elderly men.
2. Emmerdale (1972-present): Originally titled “Emmerdale Farm,” this soap opera is set in the fictional village of Emmerdale in the Yorkshire Dales. It offers drama-filled storylines centered around the lives of rural community members.
3. Heartbeat (1992-2010): A police drama set in the 1960s in the fictional village of Aidensfield in the North Riding of Yorkshire. It combines crime-solving with a portrayal of rural life during that era.
4. All Creatures Great and Small (1978-1990; 2020-present): Based on the books by James Herriot, this series chronicles the adventures of a veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales. The original series aired in the late 20th century, with a new adaptation launched in 2020, and still shooting today.
5. Happy Valley (2014-2023): A crime drama series set in the Calder Valley, West Yorkshire, focusing on a strong-willed police sergeant dealing with personal and professional challenges.
6. The Yorkshire Vet (2015-present): A reality TV series documenting the lives and work of veterinarians in North Yorkshire, inspired by the legacy of James Herriot. This series is popular in several countries, notably Australia, where it is aired in prime time, on a Sunday evening.
7. Gentleman Jack (2019-present): A historical drama set in West Yorkshire during the 1830s, it tells the story of Anne Lister of Shibden Hall, based on her detailed diaries.
8. Ackley Bridge (2017-2022): A drama series set in a fictional multicultural academy school in the West Yorkshire town of Ackley Bridge, addressing the integration of the white and Asian communities.
9. Where the Heart Is (1997-2006): A drama series set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite, focusing on the lives of the town’s district nurses and the families they care for.
10. The Syndicate (2012-present): Each series of this drama follows a different group of people who win the lottery, with the third series set in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, focusing on workers at a public service department facing redundancy.

Less Notable Shows – or Notable shows, which are less about Yorkshire

The following shows aren’t entirely about Yorkshire, but are notable (and therefore likely to be easy to find on streaming) or do feature the region in a notable manner.

1. Downton Abbey (2010-2015): While not set in Yorkshire, many scenes were filmed at locations throughout Yorkshire, including Harewood House near Leeds. The series itself is set in a fictional Yorkshire country estate and explores the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants.
2. Old Jack’s Boat (2013 – 2015): Old Jack, the owner of a multi-coloured boat called The Rainbow, tells stories to his dog, Salty. The series was filmed in Staithes in Yorkshire, and featured the coast and the maritime setting.
3. To Walk Invisible (2016): A BBC television film about the Brontë sisters, it’s set in Haworth, West Yorkshire, where the Brontë family lived, and delves into the sisters’ lives and their journey to becoming renowned authors.
4. Remember Me (2014): A three-part mystery drama starring Michael Palin, set in Yorkshire. It features Palin as a mysterious elderly man whose admission to a care home triggers a series of inexplicable events.
5. DCI Banks (2010-2016): A crime drama series based on Peter Robinson’s novels, featuring the titular Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks. The series is set in the fictional town of Eastvale in Yorkshire.
6. In the Club (2014-2016): A drama series by Kay Mellor set in Leeds, West Yorkshire, following the lives of a group of expectant parents who met at a local parenting class.
7. The Moorside (2017): A two-part drama based on the true story of the disappearance of Shannon Matthews in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, in 2008.
8. The Royal (2003-2011): A medical drama spin-off from “Heartbeat,” set in a fictional hospital in the 1960s Yorkshire coastal town of Elsinby.
9. The Chase (2006-2007): A drama series set in the Yorkshire countryside, focusing on a family running a veterinary practice.
10. Jericho (2016): A drama set in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1870s, focusing on the community that builds the Ribblehead Viaduct.
11. South Riding (2011): A BBC drama set in the fictional South Riding of Yorkshire, based on the novel by Winifred Holtby, depicting life in the 1930s through the eyes of a modern headmistress.

More Obscure Yorkshire Televisual References

If you’ve got to the end of this list, and are shouting “seen it” a lot, then here’s some left-field choices you may like make. I mean… you’ve run out of Netflix at this point, so why not?!

1. The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister (2010): Before “Gentleman Jack,” this BBC film also focused on Anne Lister, a remarkable 19th-century landowner known for her diaries detailing her daily life and lesbian relationships, set around her home, Shibden Hall, in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
2. A Touch of Frost (1992-2010): This popular detective series starring David Jason as DI Jack Frost was primarily set in the fictional town of Denton, but it was filmed in various locations across Yorkshire, offering glimpses of the region’s urban and rural landscapes.
3. Happy Valley (2014-2023): While already mentioned, it’s worth reiterating the impact of this series for its intense, gripping portrayal of crime and personal drama in the West Yorkshire valleys, specifically the Calder Valley.
4. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2015): A seven-part British historical fantasy TV miniseries set during the Napoleonic Wars in an England where magic once existed and is about to return. While not exclusively set in Yorkshire, significant parts of the story take place there, including scenes filmed in locations such as York Minster.
5. Queer as Folk (1999-2000): Although primarily set in Manchester’s gay village, this groundbreaking series by Russell T Davies included scenes and storylines that took characters into Yorkshire, reflecting the interconnected lives of people across the North of England.
6. Wuthering Heights: There have been numerous adaptations of Emily Brontë’s novel for television, most of which strive to capture the desolate beauty of the Yorkshire moors that form the backdrop to this classic story of love and revenge.
7. Gunpowder (2017): This British historical drama miniseries, starring Kit Harington, is about the planning and failed execution of the Gunpowder Plot, a plan to blow up the House of Lords in London in 1605. It includes scenes set in Yorkshire, where some of the conspirators originated from.
8. Tess of the D’Urbervilles (2008): While Thomas Hardy’s novel is set in the fictional county of Wessex in the south of England, this adaptation for television filmed some of its picturesque countryside scenes in Yorkshire, showcasing the region’s versatile landscapes.

Did We Miss Anything?

You know, it isn’t easy to remember every show which happens across one of the finest regions in the world. Nearly everything good will touch Yorkshire 😉 So, please leave a comment with your favourite Yorkshire television series or show, if it is or it is not mentioned above. We can always add to these lists!