Top 50 BritBox Movies, a list by Kevin Berard

8.0

/729302/

79

/14751/

77

/9112/

3.8

/449911/

94

/301/

92

/14862/

88

/41/

4.0

age 14+

The King's Speech tells the story of the man who became King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George ('Bertie') reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stutter and considered unfit to be king, Bertie engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Through a set of unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country into war.

85

8.2

/598759/

81

/15246/

78

/6201/

4.1

/626642/

92

/131/

95

/33989/

91

/24/

age 13+

King Arthur, accompanied by his squire, recruits his Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot and Sir Galahad the Pure. On the way, Arthur battles the Black Knight who, despite having had all his limbs chopped off, insists he can still fight. They reach Camelot, but Arthur decides not to enter, as "it is a silly place".

84

8.2

/7854/

81

/613/

77

/208/

4.0

/9677/

96

/23/

92

/52/

Actor William Hartnell felt trapped by a succession of hard-man roles while wannabe producer Verity Lambert was frustrated by the TV industry's glass ceiling. Both of them were to find unlikely hope and unexpected challenges in the form of a Saturday tea-time drama. Allied with a team of unusual but brilliant people, they went on to create the longest running science fiction series ever made.

83

7.8

/92195/

78

/2061/

76

/1486/

4.0

/182073/

95

/55/

92

/2513/

83

/16/

After Regina Lampert falls for the dashing Peter Joshua on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are giving chase to three of her late husband's World War II cronies, Tex, Scobie and Gideon, who are after a quarter of a million dollars the quartet stole while behind enemy lines.

81

7.2

/51700/

70

/882/

69

/806/

3.7

/71331/

100

/37/

85

/1353/

83

/21/

4.0

age 11+

When Lucy Honeychurch and chaperon Charlotte Bartlett find themselves in Florence with rooms without views, fellow guests Mr Emerson and son George step in to remedy the situation. Meeting the Emersons could change Lucy's life forever but, once back in England, how will her experiences in Tuscany affect her marriage plans?

80

7.6

/106857/

75

/2619/

73

/1678/

3.7

/57447/

91

/199/

89

/2156/

77

/42/

3.5

age 15+

A woman searches for her adult son, who was taken away from her decades ago when she was forced to live in a convent.

79

7.6

/12481/

77

/265/

71

/137/

3.7

/10419/

87

/30/

84

/1013/

3.5

age 10+

Living with her snobby family on the brink of bankruptcy, Anne Elliot is an unconforming woman with modern sensibilities. When Frederick Wentworth – the dashing one she once sent away – crashes back into her life, Anne must choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart when it comes to second chances.

79

7.9

/8034/

76

/246/

75

/184/

4.0

/15877/

89

/30/

3.0

An undertaker gets married to an old executioner's daughter and, although he doesn't like it, must continue the profession of his father-in-law after his retirement.

77

7.5

/121568/

74

/2415/

73

/1619/

3.9

/107282/

86

/196/

81

/3821/

77

/35/

3.0

age 17+

Set in Los Angeles in 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, is the story of a British college professor who dwells on the past and cannot see his future. We follow him through a single day, where a series of events and encounters ultimately lead him to decide if there is a meaning to life after the death of his long time partner, Jim.

77

7.3

/154010/

74

/10551/

71

/4097/

3.8

/830647/

97

/161/

80

/2001/

77

/38/

3.0

age 6+

A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.

76

7.2

/16311/

71

/281/

67

/182/

3.5

/4511/

92

/51/

79

/354/

71

/22/

3.5

age 11+

When Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert dies, she finds solace in her trusted servant, Mr. John Brown. But their relationship also brings scandal and turmoil to the monarchy.

75

6.9

/273663/

72

/8347/

73

/4682/

3.7

/1650063/

82

/127/

76

/16706/

73

/20/

3.5

age 13+

Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other. Emboldened by her success, she decides to give hopelessly klutzy new student Tai a makeover. When Tai becomes more popular than she is, Cher realizes that her disapproving ex-stepbrother was right about how misguided she was -- and falls for him.

73

7.4

/17550/

75

/418/

72

/279/

3.4

/14087/

80

/550/

Living with her snobby family on the brink of bankruptcy, Anne Elliot is an unconforming woman with modern sensibilities. When Frederick Wentworth – the dashing one she once sent away – crashes back into her life, Anne must choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart when it comes to second chances.

73

7.6

/272369/

74

/4057/

75

/3295/

3.6

/132222/

63

/201/

79

/10215/

58

/38/

3.5

age 17+

The story of Michael Berg, a German lawyer who, as a teenager in the late 1950s, had an affair with an older woman, Hanna, who then disappeared only to resurface years later as one of the defendants in a war crimes trial stemming from her actions as a concentration camp guard late in the war. He alone realizes that Hanna is illiterate and may be concealing that fact at the expense of her freedom.

72

7.2

/7216/

70

/101/

64

/91/

3.7

/5613/

83

/12/

85

/258/

2.5

When the Earl of Gurney dies in a cross-dressing accident, his schizophrenic son, Jack, inherits the Gurney estate. Jack is not the average nobleman; he sings and dances across the estate and thinks he is Jesus reincarnated. Believing that Jack is mentally unfit to own the estate, the Gurney family plots to steal Jack's inheritance. As their outrageous schemes fail, the family strives to cure Jack of his bizarre behavior, with disastrous results.

72

7.1

/23382/

73

/727/

68

/480/

3.5

/20382/

92

/12/

73

/189/

61

/6/

3.0

An opulent beach resort provides a scenic background to this amusing whodunit as Poirot attempts to uncover the nefarious evildoer behind the strangling of a notorious stage star.

75

72

7.6

/17271/

75

/619/

74

/249/

3.4

/18722/

86

/29/

Northern England, 1912. The dinner of a wealthy family is interrupted by Inspector Goole, who only announces that a young woman has committed suicide. Then, he simply asks everyone present, one by one, if they knew her.

78

71

7.9

/12230/

77

/160/

74

/132/

3.7

/4936/

81

/21/

86

/287/

Over several decades throughout the late 19th-century and early 20th-century, Mr Arthur Chipping rises from a shy, nervous teacher to the beloved, revered headmaster of Brookfield School, with his life and career shaped by his love for his wife and his unwavering dedication to his students.

71

7.2

/68891/

73

/1466/

71

/1052/

3.4

/32006/

75

/153/

74

/2654/

64

/29/

3.0

age 12+

As the only legitimate heir of England's King William, teenage Victoria gets caught up in the political machinations of her own family. Victoria's mother wants her to sign a regency order, while her Belgian uncle schemes to arrange a marriage between the future monarch and Prince Albert, the man who will become the love of her life.

71

6.9

/91242/

69

/1663/

66

/1327/

3.2

/44325/

82

/188/

71

/2591/

65

/38/

3.5

age 16+

London, 1956. Genius actor and film director Laurence Olivier is about to begin the shooting of his upcoming movie, premiered in 1957 as The Prince and the Showgirl, starring Marilyn Monroe. Young Colin Clark, who dreams on having a career in movie business, manages to get a job on the set as third assistant director.

70

6.9

/11364/

67

/190/

66

/155/

3.5

/8797/

90

/41/

73

/223/

75

/17/

2.0

A fugitive stumbles onto a movie set just when they need a new stunt man, takes the job as a way to hide out and falls for the leading lady while facing off with his manipulative director.

70

6.6

/43741/

68

/956/

66

/650/

3.3

/39842/

84

/55/

76

/2751/

66

/23/

3.0

age 10+

Emma Woodhouse is a congenial young lady who delights in meddling in other people’s affairs. She is perpetually trying to unite men and women who are utterly wrong for each other. Despite her interest in romance, Emma is clueless about her own feelings, and her relationship with gentle Mr. Knightley.

68

7.0

/67779/

71

/1497/

73

/1230/

3.4

/64380/

58

/140/

74

/12867/

55

/34/

3.0

age 12+

Though young Jane Austen's financially strapped parents expect her to marry the nephew of wealthy Lady Gresham, Jane herself knows that such a union will destroy her creativity and sense of self-worth. Instead, she becomes involved with Tom Lefroy, a charming but penniless apprentice lawyer who gives her the knowledge of the heart she needs for her future career as a novelist.

68

6.5

/129984/

67

/3150/

67

/2890/

3.7

/679445/

57

/218/

56

/13633/

64

/37/

4.0

age 14+

The retelling of France’s iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette - from her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at fifteen to her reign as queen at nineteen and ultimately the fall of Versailles.

71

68

6.6

/9455/

67

/294/

63

/270/

3.2

/8174/

100

/6/

66

/391/

age 8+

An unusual explorer named Gum and his kindly niece adopt three orphans -- Pauline, Petrova and Posy -- and raise them as sisters in 1930s London. But the girls must fend for themselves when Gum doesn't return from one of his adventures. Together, they nurture their passions for acting, aviation and ballet in this charming TV adaptation of Noel Streatfield's novel.

67

6.5

/6728/

64

/137/

62

/92/

3.2

/9370/

65

/110/

68

/303/

64

/32/

3.5

During the 1930s in England, a group of young socialites dominate the national gossip with extravagant and outlandish antics. Among the group is the aspiring novelist Adam Fenwick-Symes, who is attempting to raise enough money to marry fellow member Nina Blount. However, after customs officials confiscate his first manuscript, Fenwick-Symes must recover from the financial setback and figure out new ways to earn money for a wedding.

67

6.6

/8029/

67

/167/

62

/74/

3.3

/4529/

39

/18/

68

/292/

70

/5/

4.0

The plot of his illegitimate son Mordred to gain the throne, and Guinevere's growing attachment to Sir Lancelot, threatens to topple King Arthur and destroy his "round table" of knights.

67

7.5

/65133/

75

/1397/

74

/1166/

3.6

/39488/

62

/52/

81

/1342/

47

/22/

2.0

age 13+

An aged Charlie Chaplin narrates his life to his autobiography's editor, including his rise to wealth and comedic fame from poverty, his turbulent personal life and his run-ins with the FBI.

68

66

6.6

/11612/

73

/292/

64

/180/

3.1

/6713/

78

/9/

70

/249/

Cathy Timberlake is en route to a job interview when a car transporting businessman Philip Shayne covers her in mud. He sends his assistant, Roger, to apologize, but upon meeting Cathy, Roger knows that she would be a suitable match for his boss. Despite their mutual attraction, Cathy and Philip want different things. Philip wants a fling, while Cathy wants a marriage. As they travel to exotic locales, their differing motivations are put to the test.

65

62

6.6

/10377/

71

/272/

64

/192/

3.2

/5333/

55

/11/

71

/212/

age 12+

An Italian socialite on the run signs on as housekeeper for a widower with three children.

67

62

7.0

/7754/

68

/200/

65

/172/

3.3

/13335/

60

/10/

74

/129/

In Moscow in 1983, an American journalist interviews Guy Bennett, who recalls his last year at public school, fifty years before, and how it contributed to him becoming a spy.

67

61

7.0

/4841/

73

/203/

63

/94/

3.3

/3031/

66

/53/

In 1931, budding author Christopher Isherwood goes to Berlin at the invitation of his friend W. H. Auden for the gay sex that abounds in the city. He falls for street sweeper Heinz, paying medical bills for the boy's sickly mother, to the disapproval of her other son, Nazi Gerhardt.

68

58

7.1

/5815/

68

/86/

66

/78/

3.1

/1714/

71

/14/

72

/221/

age 13+

Author Rudyard Kipling and his wife search for their 17-year-old son after he goes missing during WWI.

78

56

7.8

/2087/

78

/41/

66

/42/

3.8

/1798/

92

/857/

Story of the life of Quentin Crisp, an Englishman who was brave enough to live his life according to his own style even in the hostile days of WW2.

67

54

7.0

/3856/

68

/97/

61

/63/

3.3

/1546/

70

/75/

Jane Austen is about to turn 40, but she still hasn't found her ideal man. When Jane is approached by her niece Fanny and asked to help select the perfect husband for the young girl, the aging spinster begins to wonder why it is that she never found a man to share her own life with.

67

50

6.8

/4843/

67

/225/

65

/37/

3.1

/14838/

74

/8/

To save his daughter's Christmas, Andrew goes on a road trip with Dev, his neighbour from hell, to buy an elusive Sparklehoof the Unicorn Princess.

75

47

7.2

/1524/

67

/32/

68

/40/

3.7

/1850/

100

/6/

74

/6/

A society woman believes her husband is having an affair, a misconception which may have dire personal consequences for all involved.

67

40

6.9

/2177/

63

/50/

62

/35/

3.2

/552/

77

/40/

age 16+

Bill Nighy and Miranda Richardson star in a story of grief and celebrity, set in the intense spring and summer of New Labour's election victory and Diana's death. Nighy is a PR guru who has to stop and re-evaluate his world when his daughter threatens to leave his life, perhaps as revenge for his serial infidelities. Richardson plays a mother trying to bury her grief in an unconventional way after the loss of her young son.

64

39

6.6

/1748/

Trakt

72

/74/

64

/28/

2.8

/2998/

Chloe recedes into herself due to her family's uncaring attitude towards her. When she meets Mr. Stink, a smelly man, she invites him to live in her garden shed.

72

35

7.3

/2082/

70

/34/

63

/25/

3.6

/702/

83

/21/

Escaping the dreary wet weather of 1930s England, an eccentric family uproot and ship themselves to the sunnier climes of the Greek island of Corfu.

74

32

7.2

/857/

70

/46/

68

/26/

3.4

/338/

100

/9/

70

/1/

United Kingdom, March 24, 1954. Ten years before the decriminalization of homosexuality, journalist Peter Wildeblood and his friends Lord Montagu and Michael Pitt-Rivers are convicted and imprisoned for indecency and sodomy.

68

21

6.9

/1121/

67

/33/

66

/17/

70

/11/

This intriguing story is set in the 1930s at a country house, where two amateur sleuths, Bobby Jones and Lady Frankie Derwent, try to unravel the mystery behind a tale of murder, suspense and false identities. And the only clues the two have to go on are the puzzling last words of a dying man. Featuring characters created by Agatha Christie, Why Didn't They Ask Evans is a classic crime thriller sure to please murder-mystery fans.

60

21

6.9

/417/

50

/7/

64

/14/

3.2

/272/

57

/59/

Macbeth and his wife murder Duncan in order to gain his crown, but the bloodbath doesn't stop there, and things supernatural combine to bring the Macbeths down.

63

19

7.6

/288/

58

/8/

60

/5/

61

/1125/

An aging King invites disaster, when he abdicates to his corrupt, toadying daughters, and rejects his loving and honest one.

63

18

6.6

/963/

64

/21/

68

/22/

3.3

/260/

53

/9/

When two mysterious deaths mar an otherwise pleasant weekend in the English countryside, unflappable flapper Lady Eileen Brent teams up with the dashing Jimmy Thesinger to solve the dastardly deeds. Their sleuthing leads them into a world of espionage and international intrigue as they discover a secret society known as "The Seven Dials" and the attempted theft of top-secret government documents.

71

18

7.5

/1038/

71

/26/

70

/6/

3.5

/745/

Drama telling the true story of what happens to a teenage girl when she falls in love with the wrong man. The everyday story of young love turns dark and sinister when the handsome and charming stranger seeks to dominate every aspect of the young woman's life. A tale of contemporary Britain that every young person should watch.

66

17

6.5

/681/

67

/20/

66

/21/

3.3

/303/

Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption.

71

17

7.7

/755/

78

/35/

59

/13/