Watch now!
Gavin & Stacey (2007-2019)
This BBC comedy had us all travelling up and down the M4, following the budding romances between Essex boy/s and Barry girl/s Gavin and Stacey, and Smithy and Nessa. Starring Matthew Horne, Joanna Page, James Corden, Ruth Jones, Rob Brydon, and Alison Steadman. Gavin & Stacey is available to watch in the UK on BBC iPlayer.
Bang (2019-)
Acclaimed crime drama - blood, love and human relationships set in the steel town of Port Talbot. Bang is available to watch now on the S4C Clic platform.
Hidden / Craith (2019-)
Gritty detective drama set in North Wales. Perfect for those who like their twists and turns in their storytelling. Hidden is available to watch in the UK on BBC iPlayer. Craith is available to watch in the UK on S4C.
Merlin (2008-2012)
Okay, so it's a fantasy drama - but it's still set in Wales, so we claim it ...! Swashbuckling adventure about the legend of King Arthur and Merlin. Merlin is available to watch in the UK on BBC iPlayer.
Torchwood (2006-2011)
If you've ever thought that Wales would be the perfect gateway for aliens and general sci-fi monsters to enter Planet Earth, well, Torchwood is the show for you. Created by Russell T Davies, you can still find shrines to the series around Cardiff Bay. Torchwood is available to watch in the UK on BBC iPlayer.
Travel shows and documentaries about Wales
Hidden Wales (2019). Will Millard discovers our hidden history, exploring some secret and almost inaccessible locations, showing the country as it has never been seen before.
Wales, Land of the Wild (2021). Features the varied wildlife and stunning landscapes of Wales, from rugged mountains of the north to the seabird colonies off the west coast.
Gareth Edwards’ Great Welsh Adventure (2021). Gareth Edwards and wife Maureen explore more of Wales in series two.
Anorac (2018). Join Huw Stephens as he travels across Wales searching out the heroes of the Welsh language pop scene.
Iolo's Snowdonia (2018). Iolo Williams explores the wilds of Snowdonia.
Wales and Hollywood (2011) A look back at the films that have portrayed Wales over the years, stereotypes, cliches, and all. Featuring Russell T Davies and Eve Myles.
Want to dive into BBC documentaries about Wales? View the comprehensive BBC documentaries from Wales list.
Welsh life portrayed on the big screen
For more comprehensive information, visit the Ffilm Cymru website and the Film Hub Wales website.
Pride (2014). Gay activists in the UK work to help Welsh miners during their lengthy strike in 1984.
Under Milk Wood (2015). A radical and surreal version of the Dylan Thomas masterpiece, featuring Rhys Ifans and Charlotte Church. vid not available
Patagonia (2011). Directed by Marc Evans, this is the story of a young Welsh couple travelling to Patagonia, chasing the Welsh language community that resides there. Selected for the London Film Festival and the Seattle Film Festival.
Resistance (2011). Michael Sheen and Andrea Riseborough star in the moving adaptation of Owen Sheers’ acclaimed novel, set in the aftermath of a Nazi invasion of the UK. Women in a Welsh farming community develop a tense relationship with their invaders.
Submarine (2010). Richard Ayoade’s sweet and quirky directorial debut about a Swansea teen’s travails with his distant girlfriend and warring parents.
Mr Nice (2010). Based on the book by Howard Marks, Rhys Ifans takes on the title role of the elite Welsh drug smuggler.
Welsh classics
Hedd Wyn (1999). The story of the young poet in North Wales competing under his bardic name of Hedd Wyn for the Chair, the most coveted prize of all in the National Eisteddfod, but is called to war.
Human Traffic (1999). The weekend has landed! Five friends spend one lost weekend in a mix of music, love and club culture. A landmark film covering in the British club culture scene.
Twin Town (1997). Irreverent dark comedy drama set in Port Talbot and Swansea - a twisting tale of drugs, alcohol, murder, and revenge.
Tiger Bay (1959). Murder drama featuring a young Hayley Mills, set against the backdrop of the Tiger Bay docklands in Cardiff.
How Green Was My Valley (1941). The story of a hard-working Welsh mining family, documenting life in the Welsh coalfields.
The Proud Valley (1940). Classic starring Paul Robeson. In a Welsh coal mining valley, a young man with a beautiful singing voice is called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice when a pit disaster threatens.
Welsh life on the small screen
The Tuckers (2019). Character-led comedy set in the Welsh valleys, featuring the close-knit Tucker family, who are determined to survive through any means necessary.
Requiem (2018). Psychological thriller set around the suicide of the mother of a talented cellist.
Keeping Faith (2017-). Eve Myles stars as Faith Howells, whose husband, Evan, disappears whilst she is on maternity leave following the birth of their third child.
The Bastard Executioner (2015). Fictional historical drama set in early 14th century Wales, based on the story of knights in the army of King Edward I of England.
Hinterland / Y Gwyll (2013-2016). Popular noir crime drama set in Aberystwyth. Troubled DCI Tom Mathias solves murders while searching for redemption. When it was aired on the BBC in 2014, Hinterland was the first BBC drama with dialogue in both Welsh and English.
Stella (2012-2017). Gentle comedy set in a fictional village in the South Wales valleys, Stella is a 40-something single mum who earns a living doing the locals' ironing. We follow her juggling her family, the chaos of her eccentric friends, relatives and children's fathers.
The Indian Doctor (2010-2013). BBC comedy drama set in a 1960s Welsh mining village which is forever changed by the arrival of the new doctor, a high-flying Delhi graduate.
High Hopes (1999-2015). Cult Welsh sitcom written by Boyd Clack and Kirsten Jones. Fagin, a Welsh entrepreneur with a shady past takes in two young tearaways as apprentices. The series follows their daily lives in the Welsh valleys.
Grand Slam (1978). Welsh classic starring Windsor Davies, about four men who fly to Paris to see Wales play France in the Five Nations Championship match that will decide the Grand Slam title.
Need more inspiration? This list from Wales Online feature a few gems as well: These are the 50 greatest TV shows ever made in Wales (Wales Online)
