If you’ve been reading Bistro Chic for a while, you know how much I love all things British — the stone walls, the church bells, the way a village called Bibury looks like someone built it specifically to be photographed.
What you may not know is that most weeks, my actual connection to Britain happens on my couch, in the form of a cozy mystery or a baking show.
For anyone new to the genre: a cozy mystery is the gentlest possible murder, if there is such a thing. Death happens in a subtle way – no gruesome photos shown. Instead you get a charming amateur sleuth, a small close-knit town where everyone has a motive and a secret, a bit of romance simmering in the background, and an ending that wraps up nicely enough to still let you sleep. Throw in some quintessential dry British humor and I’m hooked.
All three of my mystery and baking favorites have new seasons coming this fall, which is really the whole reason for this post. Let’s take a look at the Brit-based shows I’m currently loving and one that is on my shortlist to watch.
Set in a small French village, this one follows a British antiques dealer who ends up solving murders while running her shop. It’s a British production at heart, so the humor and pacing feel familiar even though the setting is France. I love it for the fun cast of characters, subtle humor and entertaining plots.
Three women in the real English town of Marlow team up to solve murders the police can’t crack. The dialogue is dry and clever in that specifically British way, and the setting has that same honey-colored stone and lush landscape-filled charm I fell for in Bibury and Blockley. It’s a cozy watch that still makes you feel like you’re in on something clever.
The Great British Bake Off (or Baking Show, if you’re reading this from the US like me)
A rotating cast of home bakers are put to the test by two well-known British judges who are also chefs, all while being ever-so politely harassed by two hosts with large personalities – what’s not to love? What keeps me coming back isn’t the competition so much as the friendships that are formed over time. The contestants genuinely cheer for and help one another, which in turn, has you cheering for all of them by the end. While I will miss the lovely and sassy Prue Leith, I look forward to seeing what new judge Nigella Lawson brings to the table….or I should say, tent.
The Other Bennet Sister (On My List!!)
I fully admit that I have not yet started this series, but it’s been on my list for months! While not a baking show or cozy mystery, I’ve read nothing but glowing things about this series, including my sister. It follows Mary Bennet, the overlooked, bookish middle sister from Pride and Prejudice, getting her own story after everyone else has married. I think this is exactly what Jane Austen fans have been waiting for. This is going straight to the top of my binge list and is a must watch before the holidays, given fans of the show are now anticipating a three-part Christmas special that continues Mary’s story.
While I prefer to visit Britain in person, for now, I will have to rely on cringey baking humor and a few judgy fictional villagers with questionable alibis to get me by until my next trip across the pond.
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