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Toxic Town is a British drama miniseries written by Jack Thorne which premiered on February 27, 2025. Starring Rory Kinnear and Corby native Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey), the four-part series dramatizes the infamous Corby toxic waste case, often compared to Erin Brockovich.
The show is based on the story of three mothers and their battle for justice following a catastrophic environmental disaster in the East Midlands.
By the early 1990s and late 1980s, Corby had horrifically higher birth defects compared to surrounding districts, leading to a lawsuit from 18 families.
Toxic Town investigates the consequences of the 1980s controversial demolition of Europe's biggest steelworks, when poisonous waste was driven through domestic streets in uncovered lorries as part of an urban renewal initiative.
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If viewers liked watching Toxic Town for its environmental injustice, cover-up by institutions, and struggle for accountability, then here are seven more British dramas based on such real-life scandals and social injustices.
Disclaimer: The following list is ranked in no particular order, and the opinions expressed belong solely to the author.
The Accident, and 6 other British shows to watch if you liked Toxic Town
1) Three Girls (2017)
Three Girls is a three-part British television drama miniseries, written by Nicole Taylor and directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, which aired on BBC One in May 2017.
The series dramatizes the Rochdale child s*x abuse scandal and how the authorities failed to act because they were prejudiced against the victims and did not want to create racial controversy about the abusers.
The series tracks three victims—14-year-old Holly, 16-year-old Amber, and her younger sister Ruby—along with s*xual health worker Sara Rowbotham, who battled to bring the case to light despite being dismissed.
Both Toxic Town and Three Girls reveal failures within institutions and the story of the people who refuse to keep silent in pursuit of justice.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV+
2) Sherwood (2022)
Sherwood is a British crime drama television series by James Graham and starring David Morrissey.
Set in a former mining town still traumatized by the 1984–85 miners' strike, the series is based on real murders committed in Nottinghamshire in 2004 and follows tensions within the community.
The series begins with the murder of ex-union activist Gary Jackson, whose interest in past police undercover activities provokes suspicion. As investigations unfold, ingrained splits in the community emerge.
Internal struggles of past events provoke Sherwood and Toxic Town to show how past injustices define communities in the present.
Where to watch: Prime Video, BBC
3) The Accident (2019)
The Accident is a British drama television series starring Sarah Lancashire, which was first broadcast on Channel 4 in 2019.
It is based in a fictional Welsh town and is about the pursuit of justice by a community when an explosion at a building site kills a number of children.
In Glyngolau town, a proposed new factory is the salvation the town has been holding out for, led by town council leader Iwan. But when his daughter Leona and her mates trespass on the site, there is a horrific accident.
While her mother Polly battles for blame to be placed, tensions build in the town and within the family. A public inquiry puts blame, but further investigation uncovers corruption and incompetence on the part of the authorities.
A preventable disaster and the devastating impact of corporate negligence lie at the heart of both The Accident and Toxic Town, as victims push for accountability.
Where to watch: Netflix
4) The Salisbury Poisonings (2020)
The Salisbury Poisonings is a fact-based drama series starring Anne-Marie Duff, Rafe Spall, and Annabel Scholey. Created by Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn, the series depicts the 2018 Novichok poisoning crisis in Salisbury and the subsequent Amesbury poisonings.
On March 4, 2018, Yulia and Sergei Skripal fall into a coma, triggering a national emergency.
Investigators discover they were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok, unintentionally exposing others, including a police officer and a local couple. The series follows the town's response and the broader impact of the crisis.
A town with an unforeseen public health crisis is central to both The Salisbury Poisonings and Toxic Town, as ordinary people are forced to confront hidden dangers.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Disney+
5) Mr Bates vs The Post Office (2024)
Mr Bates vs The Post Office is a four-part British drama series written by Gwyneth Hughes and directed by James Strong, with Toby Jones leading an ensemble cast.
It dramatizes the British Post Office scandal, where hundreds of subpostmasters had been accused of financial irregularities wrongly because of Horizon computer system faults.
The show, named after the High Court battle of former subpostmaster Alan Bates, reveals the extent of the rogue Horizon system, built by Fujitsu, that gave inaccurate reports of cash shortfalls.
As Post Office Limited prosecutes numerous subpostmasters for fraud, theft, and false accounting, Bates and others form the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance in 2009.
Both Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Toxic Town depict long legal battles against powerful institutions, revealing corruption and injustice.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV+, PBS
6) Chernobyl (2019)
Chernobyl is a 2019 historical drama miniseries regarding the 1986 nuclear accident and its consequences.
It was developed and written by Craig Mazin, and features Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, and Paul Ritter.
The series fictionalizes the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Soviet Ukraine, centered on the rescuers, including firefighters, volunteers, and miners who were mobilized to confine the disaster.
It is based on testimonies from Pripyat citizens, as documented by Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich in Voices from Chernobyl, though her book includes interpretive additions and modifications.
Environmental disaster, government cover-ups, and long-term health effects render Chernobyl and Toxic Town strikingly close in theme.
Where to watch: Prime Video, HBO Max
7) This Is Going to Hurt
This Is Going to Hurt is a British medical comedy-drama miniseries, produced by Adam Kay based on his memoir.
The series is about junior doctors working in a busy NHS obstetrics and gynecology ward, trying to manage their work and personal lives amidst a very stressful environment.
The narrative follows Adam Kay (played by Ben Whishaw) and Shruti Acharya (Ambika Mod), who juggle hospital politics while sometimes breaking the fourth wall to speak directly to viewers.
Set in London in 2006, the drama blends comedy and drama to uncover the hard truth of NHS life.
It demonstrates the human cost to junior doctors, the lack of institutional support, and their often undervalued work, presenting a grimly realistic but engaging vision of life on the health frontline.
Both This Is Going to Hurt and Toxic Town reveal institutional failure and the price of human anguish brought on by systemic indifference.
Where to watch: Apple TV+, Disney+, Prime Video
Viewers can watch all four episodes of Toxic Town on Netflix.
