BBC snaps up ‘magnificent’ war series fans say is ‘best they’ve seen’

The BBC has snapped up a ‘magnificent’ war series that viewers have raved is the ‘best they’ve seen in years’, dubbing it a ‘work of art’ after binge-watching the show.

Fans have already been tuning in to the series, which was launched on Amazon Prime in July 2025, after it made its way onto free streaming service BBC iPlayer. 

War drama The Narrow Road To The Deep North follows the life of Dorrigo Evans, an Australian army surgeon, throughout the different stages of his life. 

The action begins before World War II, before following on to his time as a prisoner of war after serving on the battlefield, where he struggles to survive and keep the men around him in the extremely harsh conditions alive. 

It also follows the love affair between Dorrigo and the young wife of his uncle, Amy – which remains a key storyline throughout the series.  

The drama goes on to look at Dorrigo’s later years where he’s shown still being affected by what he went through during the war. 

Directed by Justin Kurzel, who is behind the likes of films Macbeth and Assassin’s Creed, the action is all adapted from Richard Flanagan’s novel of the same name. 

It stars Saltburn star Jacob Elordi as Dorrigo, Australian actress Odessa Young as Amy, and The Family Plan’s Ciaran Hinds.

While not based directly on a true story, it’s inspired by the experiences of Australian prisoners of war building the Burma Death Railway in the Far East. 

The original novel draws focus from the life of hero surgeon Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop.

Sparking discussion on Reddit, fans of the show who noticed it had been uploaded to watch for free on iPlayer gushed over the drama.  

One viewer penned: ‘It’s a magnificent piece of work in every way. 

‘Ciarán Hinds is one of my favourite actors and Jacob Elordi was very good in this. Probably his best work so far. Love the music as well.’

Someone else chimed in: ‘I found it brilliant and compelling and am now reading the novel by Richard Flanagan, on which this series is based.’

‘This series cut so deep I can hardly think of another to compare it to. It’s unflinching in its brutality and tragic in its beauty and, whilst being a truly difficult watch at times, rewarding perhaps for being so,’ a third said. 

While a fourth added: ‘Best series or movie I’ve seen in years. Gorgeous filmmaking, freak acting, wonderful score and the themes are larger than life.’

It comes after a ‘masterpiece’ period drama that has been hailed by fans as ‘one of the best TV shows of all time’ has been made available to stream again. 

Compared to hit gangster drama The Sopranos, the series, which stars the likes of Adolescence’s Stephen Graham and Reservoir Dogs’ Steve Buscemi, first hit screens back in 2010 on American platform HBO. 

Now, the gangster series has made its return after 15 years – exciting fans all over again and receiving more 10/10 reviews from viewers on the likes of IMDb. 

Boardwalk Empire follows Buscemi as Nucky Thompson, as powerful, corrupt politician and crime boss in Atlantic City during the Prohibition era, based on the real life figure Enoch Lewis ‘Nucky’ Johnson.

Well-respected Nucky secretly controls much of Atlantic City’s illegal alcohol trade following the ban of all alcoholic drinks – and the background of the Prohibition creates huge opportunities for organised crime. 

The action follows Nucky building his empire through bribery, bootlegging and gangster alliances, all while keeping up appearances in his political career. 

The series closely documents Nucky’s rise to power, and then slow decline, alongside historical figures Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky and Al Capone, played by Netflix star Steven. 

As Prohibition enforcement begins to tighten the reins, rival gangs begin to turn on each other and Nucky is forced to face the consequences of his actions.   

Other key cast members in the high-rated drama include Murder By Numbers’ Michael Pitt, The Notorious Bettie Page’s Gretchen Mol and Nanny McPhee’s Kelly Macdonald. 

Martin Scorsese directed the pilot episode of Boardwalk Empire before serving as an executive producer on the series. 

On IMDb, the show has racked up dozens of 10/10 reviews over the years, leaving it sitting comfortably at a total of 8.6/10. 

While on reviews site Rotten Tomatoes, the drama has an impressive score of 92 per cent, with the score from non-critic viewers at an even more impressive 95 per cent. 

The Narrow Road To The Deep North is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.