The Best World War II TV Shows on BritBox

What it's about: Blackadder is the name that encompassed four series of a BBC 1 period British sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. All television episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick. Each series was set in a different historical period with the two protagonists accompanied by different characters, though several reappear in one series or another, for example Melchett and Lord Flashheart.The first series titled The Black Adder was written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, while subsequent episodes were written by Curtis and Ben Elton. The shows were produced by John Lloyd. In 2000 the fourth series, Blackadder Goes Forth, ranked at 16 in the "100 Greatest British Television Programmes", a list created by the British Film Institute. Also in the 2004 TV poll to find "Britain's Best Sitcom", Blackadder was voted the second-best British sitcom of all time, topped by Only Fools and Horses. It was also ranked as the 20th-best TV show of all time by Empire magazine.

Where to Watch: 24 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu & BritBox). 24 episodes (100%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 4 services (iTunes, Prime Video & 2 others).

What it's about: In this acclaimed eleven-hours British television miniseries, Charles Ryder, an agnostic man, becomes involved with members of the Flytes, a Catholic family of aristocrats, over the course of several years between the two world wars.

Where to Watch: 11 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video & BritBox). 10 episodes (91%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 2 services (Google Play & YouTube).

What it's about: Our World War is a gripping factual drama series offering viewers first-hand experience of the extraordinary bravery of young soldiers fighting 100 years ago. Drawing on real stories of World War One soldiers it uses the visual techniques and imagery familiar from modern warfare – POV helmet camera footage, surveillance images and night vision – to immerse the BBC Three audience in life on the Western Front. Each episode is closely based on first-hand testimony, interviews and memoirs that reveal often hidden and sometimes disturbing aspects of the combat experience.

Where to Watch: 3 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Netflix & BritBox).

What it's about: At the outbreak of World War I, two teenage boys - one German and one British - defy their parents to sign up. An epic historical drama spanning the five years of the First World War, as seen through the eyes of two ordinary young soldiers.

Where to Watch: 5 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu & BritBox).

What it's about: Small Island is a two-part 2009 BBC One television drama adapted from the 2004 novel of the same title by Andrea Levy. The programme stars Naomie Harris and Ruth Wilson as joint respective female protagonists Hortense Roberts and Queenie Bligh, two women who struggle to fulfil their personal ambitions and dreams amidst the chaos of World War II London and Jamaica.The serial was developed by producers Joanna Anderson and Vicky Licorish of AL Films, having optioned Levy's novel. The script was first written by Sarah Williams and later amended by Paula Milne. It was directed by John Alexander, who also directed the BBC's 2008 adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. The serial consists of two 90-minute episodes that premiered on 6 December 2009, and was shown in the United States on PBS as part of the channel's Masterpiece Classic Collection beginning 18 April 2010.

Where to Watch: 2 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a subscription service (BritBox).

What it's about: During the thrilling social change of the mid-1950s, four remarkable women who previously served secretly during WWII as code-breakers, turn their skills to solving murders overlooked by police. In the process they are plunged into fascinating corners of the city, forge powerful relationships, and rediscover their own powers and potential.

Where to Watch: 4 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a subscription service (BritBox).

What it's about: An enthralling series exploring how the BBC fought not only Hitler but also the British government to become the institution it is today.

Where to Watch: 2 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a subscription service (BritBox).