“Flawless genius”: 10 “sensational” and “magnificent” workplace dramas on BBC, Netflix and more

Military bases and police stations are great for exciting, action-packed stories, and city streets are perfect for classic crime tales. However, most people don’t actually spend their lives in those places. If you want your story to feel relatable, a workplace setting is often a better choice.

These shows aren’t always set in typical office environments—many don’t take place in offices at all. However, the relationships between people at work—like managers and employees, colleagues, and those dealing with suppliers or starting new jobs—feel very real and relatable.

1. Industry (BBC iPlayer)

This story follows a group of young finance professionals as they rise through the ranks at a bank. It explores how their drive and desire for wealth ultimately lead to their downfall, suggesting that unchecked ambition can be self-destructive.

Love affairs at work, struggles with addiction, and private scandals are creating chaos – and it’s unclear who will make it through unscathed.

2. Severance (Apple TV)

This captivating sci-fi story transforms the ordinary world of office work into a complex and intriguing mystery. Employees at Lumon Industries have chosen to divide their minds into two distinct parts: an ‘innie’ that experiences work life, and an ‘outie’ that enjoys life outside the office, with neither side knowing what the other is doing.

Well, blissfully for the outies, at least.

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The show, currently working on its third season, features Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at a mysterious company. It’s a darkly funny and unsettling take on office life, blending satire with horror and comedy.

3. The Bear (Disney+)

It’s incredibly intense! The show follows the chaotic and high-pressure environment of a small Chicago sandwich shop. After his brother’s tragic death, highly skilled chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) comes home to try and save his family’s struggling business, hoping to transform it into a top-rated restaurant.

Don’t let the loud moments scare you away – this is a deeply moving story about how past hurts affect families and the drive to create something new. It’s a powerful emotional experience delivered with sharp, witty characters and humor.

4. Ted Lasso (Apple TV)

The setting this time is a soccer stadium, where Jason Sudeikis plays an American football coach brought in to turn around the struggling Richmond FC. He inspires the team – made up of players who are self-absorbed, overly confident, and lacking self-esteem – to work together and ultimately achieve success. Over three seasons (with a fourth on the way), he leads the underdog team to the top of the league, all while knowing virtually nothing about soccer itself.

Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein deliver standout performances as Ted’s boss and a key, tough-but-reliable veteran player, respectively, helping to make the show a success.

5. Slow Horses (Apple TV)

Meet Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), a cynical and lazy boss who manages a team of spies who didn’t quite make the grade, in what many consider the most unpleasant workplace imaginable: MI5’s bottom-of-the-barrel department.

Even though the characters have flaws – you might even grow fond of the hilariously misguided Roddy Ho – the team occasionally succeeds in their missions. And Gary Oldman delivers an unforgettable performance as a truly disgusting character.

6. Mad Men (Disney+)

Featuring Jon Hamm as the charismatic advertising executive Don Draper, Mad Men delves into the competitive world of 1960s advertising agencies, revealing a workplace where men generally had more advantages than women.

This film is incredibly stylish and captivating, offering a look at a seriously flawed character who skillfully manipulates the people around him. And let’s not forget the amazing fashion and overall aesthetic – the suits, dresses, hairstyles, and even the smoking add so much to the experience!

7. Silent Witness (BBC iPlayer)

The popular BBC crime show recently marked its 30th year on air, and for good reason. Viewers consistently tune in to watch the brilliant team of forensic experts investigate crimes and deliver justice.

So, every week there are new faces popping up, but Dr. Nikki Alexander, played by Emilia Fox, is definitely the one in charge. Honestly, it’s a bit of a formulaic show, but it’s surprisingly addictive – it’s got that soapy drama thing going on, and I really appreciate how competent and professional everyone is portrayed. It’s a fun watch!

8. The Studio (Apple TV)

Seth Rogen’s new comedy-drama series is being called “fast-paced, exciting, and genuinely enjoyable.” It offers a revealing look behind the scenes of Hollywood, exposing the often cutthroat business side – the relentless pursuit of profit and self-preservation – that drives everything, even creative choices.

Seth Rogen stars as the leader of a movie studio in trouble. He dreams of making a prestigious, artistic film with Martin Scorsese, but his bosses demand a profitable, product-placement-filled blockbuster. The movie follows his attempt to balance these two very different goals – and, predictably, he manages to pull it off!

9. WeCrashed (Apple TV)

This isn’t just a story about what happened at WeWork, but about the changing world of work itself. WeWork was a startup that aimed to completely transform shared office spaces. Initially hailed as a major success story of the new ‘gig economy’, the company reached a staggering $47 billion valuation, but it ultimately proved to be an unsustainable bubble built on unrealistic promises and questionable leadership.

Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto played a married couple whose company experienced a dramatic rise to success, followed by a stunning collapse.

10. The Chair (Netflix)

We’ve seen TV shows set in many workplaces – sports teams, restaurants, film sets, and advertising firms – but rarely within a university. Sandra Oh often played a frustrated character in Killing Eve, and this new show, a humorous look at life at an Ivy League school, allows her to showcase her comedic talent while still playing someone a bit annoyed.

Workplace drama at that institution is just as cutthroat and manipulative as the power struggles you see in shows like Game of Thrones, so be ready for a long and challenging experience.

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2026-04-11 11:20