Iconic duos on BritBox

Sometimes two is better than one, especially when it comes to television.

Whether it’s a romantic pairing, a comedy duo or even the ever-fascinating relationship between hero and villain, having two leads instead of one is almost always a winning combination - and no one does it better than the British.

Time and time again, we’ve seen British programs go on to become international successes and make a lasting impression on TV history. There’s Mr Bean, Dr Who and most recently Fleabag - just to name a few.

So with BritBox being a core offering in the Optus SubHub family, let’s take a look at some of the best duos British telly has to offer.

After six months of an online romance, Gavin and Stacey take the next step in their relationship and finally meet one another face-to-face in the hope of starting the rest of their lives together.

As they juggle the challenges of their new relationship, things become a little more complicated when their friends and family decide to unload their own baggage and opinions.

Running for three seasons, this comedy series stars Joanna Page and Matthew Horne as the leading duo. Gavin & Stacey is also the first time most of us are introduced to James Corden before he began hosting his own talk show ‘The Late Late Show’ and starring in blockbuster films such as Cinderella and Into the Woods.

Before making it big in Hollywood, David Tennant and Olivia Colman starred in the suspenseful crime series Broadchurch as Detective Inspector Alec Hardy and Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller.

Following the mysterious murder of a young boy in a small coastal town, Hardy and Miller are put in charge of solving the crime before the local community tears itself apart and accusations gets worse.

With the pressure of a media frenzy storming the town and residents losing trust in one another, this crime duo must learn to work together to find this unsuspecting killer before another death occurs.

As Time Goes By is often described as an oldie but a goodie. This classic romantic sitcom ran for 10 seasons (and three Christmas specials) between 1992 to 2005 and has recently been inducted into the Top 30 Britain’s Best Sitcoms list.

Starring Academy award winner Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer, As Time Goes By follows two former lovers who are unexpectedly reunited decades after their initial romance during the Korean War.

Even though the series was cancelled before its time, The Fall fandom is experiencing a resurgence with new viewers calling for a continuation or revival.

Set in Belfast, a killer is on the loose and is strangling businesswomen in their own homes, leaving little to no evidence behind.  A passionate policewoman played by Gillian Anderson must go head-to-head with a loving father played by Jamie Dornan who happens to be the serial killer – the only problem is, they might have more in common that she’d like.

Rest assured the above is not spoiler, audiences are quickly made aware that Dornan’s character Paul Spector is the antagonist. Although the series is technically a crime investigation show – much of the storyline explores the similarities and relationship between the two characters.

After five series, two specials and a feature length movie – Absolutely Fabulous has certainly cemented itself as a British must-watch.

Created by Jennifer Saunders, Absolutely Fabulous - or Ab Fab as it’s affectionately called, follows the wild misadventures of Edina (Saunders) and her chain-smoking best friend, Patsy (Joanna Lumley).

Patsy lives in a constant haze of drunken self-absorption while Edina struggles to run her PR agency. Yet despite their differences, they’re the epitome of friendship and are constantly supporting each other through failed relationships and the struggles of growing older.

Peep Show follows the awkward lives of Mark and Jez – who’re a couple of 20-something year old goofballs with nothing in common other than being each other’s dysfunctional roommate.

Mark works in a steady office job and is constantly confused about women - while Jez is an unemployed musician struggling to make his career happen.

The uniqueness of Peep Show is that no matter how dark, stupid or embarrassing the situation may be, the story is mostly told through the internal monologue of each character, all in an ever-so-British way.

Winning two BAFTAs and included on IMDB’s Top Rated TV Series, Peep Show stars David Mitchell as Mark and Robert Webb as Jeremy.

BritBox is available on Optus SubHub where you can manage all your streaming platforms in place.