We spend around 40 hours a week at work, and yet, after a day in the office sometimes the most relaxing thing to do in the evening...is to watch a show about work. Yep, you'd think a TV show about work would be rather tedious, but workplace dramas are actually the furthest thing from boring, with shows set in hospitals, newsrooms and legal offices, they make our regular 9 to 5 look very dull.
And the best thing about workplace dramas is they often have many series to bingewatch. Thanks to the show being located in the same place, and having a similar or rotating cast, it's easy for the shows to get recommissioned each season, giving us plenty to watch each evening.
If you're wondering where to start with workplace dramas or need another series to fill your evenings with, then we've rounded up as we've rounded up the 10 best workplace dramas to binge now on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.
The best workplace dramas
Industry
Where to watch: BBC iPlayer
It should come as no surprise that the cutthroat world of banking makes great TV. BBC drama Industry follows a group of finance graduates as they climb the ladder at fictional bank Pierpoint & Co. We watch them - alongside their senior colleagues - go through a rollercoaster of ups and downs, including office romances, addiction and personal scandals. Can they handle the pressure, or will they crack? It’s a heart-racing, tense watch - and the fourth season is currently airing.
Severance
Where to watch: Apple TV+
Would you do a job if you couldn’t remember what happened during your workday? This is the question is at the heart of Severance, and it’s an eerie take on banal corporate culture. The series, which first aired in 2022 and stars Adam Scott as “severed” employee Mark Scout, is a dark indictment on office culture as well as a gloomy sci-fi horror - where workers become drones and carry out inhumane tasks from depressing cubicles.
Mr Bates vs The Post Office
![itv studiosmr bates vs post officepictured: amit shah as jas,krupa pattani as sam,lesley nicol as pam,ifan huw dafydd as noel,julie hesmondhalgh as suzanne,toby jones as alan bates,monica dolan as jo,asif khan as mohammad,will mellor as lee and shaun dooley as rudkin.this photograph is (c) itv plc and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned above, or itv plc. this photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by itv plc picture desk. this photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of itv picture desk. full terms and conditions are available on the website www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/termsfor further information please contact:patrick.smith@itv.com](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office-itvx-02-68c9329fedda0.jpg?crop=0.668xw:1.00xh;0.238xw,0&resize=980:* "itv studiosmr bates vs post officepictured: amit shah as jas,krupa pattani as sam,lesley nicol as pam,ifan huw dafydd as noel,julie hesmondhalgh as suzanne,toby jones as alan bates,monica dolan as jo,asif khan as mohammad,will mellor as lee and shaun dooley as rudkin.this photograph is (c) itv plc and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned above, or itv plc. this photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by itv plc picture desk. this photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of itv picture desk. full terms and conditions are available on the website www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/termsfor further information please contact:patrick.smith@itv.com")
Where to watch: ITVX
This might just be the most important workplace drama ever created. A dramatisation of the Post Office scandal that saw hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters and postmistresses were wrongly accused of theft and fraud, the 2024 series, led by Toby Jones as the titular Alan Bates, helped bring the scandal to public attention. Since the show aired, more than 100 new potential victims contacted lawyers.
The Bear
Where to watch: Disney+
Chef dramas have been having a moment - and it’s easy to see why! The heat, noise, and barely contained chaos of a kitchen plays brilliantly on screen. The Bear, which first aired in 2022, runs at a frenetic pace - with plenty of shouting and pots (literally) boiling over, as chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) throws himself into his job to outrun his grief.
Ted Lasso
Where to watch: Apple TV+
Who would have thought that a sitcom about football could provide valuable insights about workplace culture? Since its 2020 debut, hit series Ted Lasso has followed an American football coach parachuted into an English club, despite knowing nothing about the beautiful game. What he lacks in tactics, he makes up for in leadership: empathy and clear values that help build high-performing teams. It also helps that the brilliant Hannah Waddingham stars alongside him.
Slow Horses
Where to watch: Apple TV+
It’s hard to imagine a less glamorous office than Slough House. The building is a dumping ground for disgraced MI5 agents, headed up by the greasy and obnoxious Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). But these rejects end up being our unlikely heroes - despite their grubby and unassuming surroundings, and it makes for a thrilling, nail-biting watch.
Mad Men
Where to watch: Disney+
Head back to the 1960s with this critically acclaimed drama set in an advertising agency in Manhattan. Starring Jon Hamm as the ever charming advertising executive Don Draper, Mad Men brings together Draper’s continuing successful career and his struggling personal life. Across seven seasons Mad Men showcases the changing social attitudes of the US in the 60s and 70s.
Silent Witness
Where to watch: BBC iPlayer
This gripping BBC drama just celebrated its 30th anniversary and it's easy to see why audiences keeping coming back year after year. Silent Witness sees a group of pathologists and forensic scientists solving murders through their detailed science work. Every two episodes see the team, who are the heart of the show, solve one set of crimes, with a revolving guest cast.
Law & Order SVU
Where to watch: Various seasons are split across Netflix, Disney+, Sky
Originally a spin-off to the original Law & Order series, Law & Order: SVU has become a beloved show in its own right, now showing its 27th season. Set in Manhattan it follows the police detectives in the Special Victims Unit as they investigate and take to trial sex-based crimes and crimes involving children. The show has nearly 600 episodes to dive into and some are inspired by real life crimes.
The Studio
Where to watch: Apple TV+
Ever wondered what it’s really like to work behind the scenes of Hollywood? Seth Rogen’s comedy drama series The Studio attempts to do just that as Rogen plays the head of a failing Hollywood studio attempting to balance his own creative ambitions and the studio’s need to be a successful business. Starring alongside Rogen are Chase Sui Wonders and Kathryn Hahn and a string of iconic celebrity cameos.
