British television programmes with Asian leads

This is a list of scripted British television programmes featuring one or more actors of Asian ancestry as the programme's leading actor portraying the protagonist or protagonists.

1980s

 * The Chinese Detective (protagonist portrayed by David Yip)
 * The Jewel in the Crown (protagonist portrayed by Art Malik)

1990s

 * Goodness Gracious Me (the entire cast)

2000s

 * The Kumars at No. 42 (the entire cast)
 * My Life as a Popat (majority of the cast)
 * M.I. High (first five series starring Rachel Petladwala)
 * Planet Ajay starring Ajay Chhabra
 * The Sarah Jane Adventures (lead characters played by Yasmin Paige and Anjli Mohindra)

2010s

 * Spirit Warriors (majority of the cast), first British television drama series to have a predominantly East Asian cast
 * The Indian Doctor (protagonist portrayed by Sanjeev Bhaskar)
 * Citizen Khan (majority of the cast)
 * Ackley Bridge (half the cast)
 * Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist (majority of the cast)
 * PREMature (majority of the cast)
 * Indian Summers (half the cast)
 * The Bisexual (protagonist portrayed by Desiree Akhavan
 * The A List (protagonist portrayed by Lisa Ambalavanar)
 * Strangers (half the cast)
 * Humans (protagonist portrayed by Gemma Chan)
 * Informer (protagonist portrayed by Nabhaan Rizwan)
 * Man Like Mobeen (protagonist portrayed by Guz Khan)
 * Zomboat (ITV series, protagonists portrayed by Hamza Jeetooa and Ryan McKen)
 * Giri/Haji (protagonist portrayed by Takehiro Hira)
 * Killing Eve (protagonist portrayed by Sandra Oh)
 * 'What We Do in the Shadows' (protagonist portrayed by Kayvan Novak)
 * Almost Never (TV series) (protagonist portrayed by Nathaniel Dass)
 * Departure (TV series) (protagonist portrayed by Archie Panjabi)
 * The Good Karma Hospital (half the cast)

2020s

 * Get Even (protagonist portrayed by Kim Adis) first British show to feature a Southeast Asian lead.
 * Baghdad Central (protagonist portrayed by Waleed Zuaiter) first British produced show with a West Asian Arab lead.
 * Intelligence (protagonist portrayed by Nick Mohammed)
 * Sandylands (protagonists portrayed by Natalie Dew, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Hamza Jeetooa)
 * A Suitable Boy, a miniseries adapted from Vikram Seth's 1993 novel of the same name, (majority of the cast from South Asia)
 * The Irregulars (protagonist portrayed by Thaddea Graham)
 * Shadow and Bone (protagonists played by Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renaux and Amita Suman)
 * Starstruck (co-leads played by Nikesh Patel and Sindhu Vee)
 * We Are Lady Parts (majority of the cast)
 * This Is Going to Hurt (co-lead played by Ambika Mod)
 * Hullraisers (co-lead played by Taj Atwal)
 * DI Ray (protagonist played by Parminder Nagra)
 * PRU (co-lead played by Jaye Ersavas)
 * Count Abdulla (Majority of cast)