British screenwriter and television producer Russell T Davies is best known as original head showrunner and chief writer for the BBC's revived "Doctor Who" series, but he's also created and written a host of other critically acclaimed series, including "It's a Sin," "Queer as Folk," and "Torchwood." Following the success of "A Very English Scandal" in 2018, Davies released another dramatic mini-series just a year later called "Years and Years." This show is a six-part sci-fi dystopian political drama starring beloved British actors, including Emma Thompson ("Sense and Sensibility"), Rory Kinnear ("Skyfall"), and Jessica Hynes ("Shaun of the Dead").
However, despite being a critical success and releasing on BBC and HBO, "Years and Years" largely flew under the radar. The series struggled to draw a large live audience, particularly in the U.S., where its finale attracted just 265,000 viewers (the highest viewership for the season). Fortunately, "Years and Years" has become somewhat of a cult success since its initial release and, in 2026, this addictive sci-fi miniseries is still worth watching — especially if you're a fan of "Black Mirror."
What is Years and Years about?
This series shows the lives of the Manchester-based Lyons family as it converges on a crucial night in 2019, when they welcome the newest member of their clan — baby Lincoln — at the same time outspoken celebrity Vivienne Rook (Thompson) begins her transformation into a controversial political figure. The cast is made up of some serious British greats. In addition to Thompson, Kinnear, and Hynes, viewers will likely recognize Russell Tovey ("Being Human"), Anne Reid ("Hot Fuzz"), T'Nia Miller ("The Haunting of Bly Manor"), and Lydia West ("It's a Sin") — all of whom play members of the Lyons family.
Across the six episodes, we follow the ups, downs, hopes, and fears of the Lyons family over the next 15 years, amidst ever-changing changing political, economic, and technological landscapes. Telling you any more about the story would stray into spoiler territory, but CNN said of the series: "What Davies has done, essentially, is combine a family soap opera with elements of "Black Mirror." Though, don't expect to be left quite as emotionally devasted as you were after the "Black Mirror" Eulogy episode (Season 7, Episode 5).
The critical reception to Years and Years
"Years and Years" is among the best miniseries with only one season on HBO Max, and critics have praised the series for its cast performance, creativity, gripping story, and Davies' ability to balance horror and humor in his writing. On MetaCritic, the show received a 78 (Generally Favorable) Metascore and 7.8 user score, and on Rotten Tomatoes, it has an average Tomatometer rating of 89% (making it certified "Fresh") and an average Popcornmeter rating of 88%.
RogerEbert.com described the series as "one of the best shows of the summer," writing that the most impressive part is "how deftly Davies uses the big issues of a world in tumult as backdrop for what is a basically a character piece." Variety echoed this, writing that "Years and Years" was "among the most emotionally involving, and best, series to air so far this year." The Cleveland Plain Dealer, meanwhile, described the show as "deeply disturbing yet absolutely riveting." On the other hand, The Wall Street Journal panned the series, describing it as "too close to reality to be funny, or blackly funny, or even absurdly funny," while Time wrote that the show "too often feels like an exercise in liberal masochism."