10 Best James Norton Shows and Films – and where to watch them

As James Norton prepares to host SNL UK, we look back at 10 of his best pieces of work and where you can watch them.

From playing one of British television’s most chilling villains to leading lavish historical dramas, James Norton has built an impressive career that showcases his remarkable versatility.

Now, the much-loved British actor is stepping into a very different spotlight as he prepares to host Saturday Night Live UK on Saturday, 17 October, with The Streets joining him as the musical guest. The appearance gives fans the chance to see a lighter side of the star, best known for his gripping performances in crime dramas, period pieces and psychological thrillers.

Norton has become one of the most recognisable faces in British drama, earning acclaim for everything from the hugely popular Happy Valley to Netflix’s historical saga House of Guinness. His roles have taken him from the streets of Yorkshire to medieval battlefields and the dangerous world of international deception.

If you’re planning a James Norton binge-watch ahead of his SNL UK debut, here are 10 standout shows and films to add to your list, along with where UK viewers can watch them.

1. Happy Valley (2014–2023)

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer; purchase options include Apple TV, Amazon Video and Sky Store.

Norton’s chilling portrayal of Tommy Lee Royce in Sally Wainwright’s acclaimed Yorkshire crime drama remains one of his most memorable roles. Tommy is a violent, manipulative criminal whose actions have devastating consequences for police sergeant Catherine Cawood, played by Sarah Lancashire.

Norton’s ability to make Tommy both terrifying and disturbingly compelling helped establish him as one of Britain’s most formidable dramatic actors. Across three series, his character’s sinister presence hangs over the story even when he isn’t on screen.

2. House of Guinness (2025)

Created by Steven Knight, the mind behind Peaky Blinders, this lavish historical drama explores the fortunes, rivalries and secrets surrounding the Guinness brewing dynasty in nineteenth-century Ireland.

Norton plays Sean Rafferty, a formidable and enigmatic figure caught up in the family’s turbulent world. The series combines political intrigue, family conflict and period spectacle, making it an excellent choice for viewers who enjoy ambitious historical dramas.

It’s also a chance to see Norton in a role that draws on his ability to convey authority, ambiguity and quiet menace.

3. House of the Dragon (2022– )

Where to watch: HBO Max, NOW and Sky Go in the UK.

Norton’s move into the world of Westeros brings him into the hugely popular Game of Thrones universe. He joins the cast as Ormund Hightower, a member of the powerful Hightower family, in the later storyline of the Targaryen civil war.

The series centres on a bitter struggle over succession, with shifting alliances, family betrayals and spectacular dragon battles. It offers Norton an opportunity to explore a different kind of screen presence in a fantasy epic with an enormous international following.

For fans, his casting is another example of how the actor continues to expand his range across major television productions.

4. Playing Nice (2025)

Where to watch: ITVX, including the free ad-supported service; ITVX Premium is also available.

In this gripping four-part drama, Norton plays Pete Riley, a father whose life is turned upside down when he and his partner discover that their young son was switched at birth with another couple’s child.

What begins as an extraordinary hospital mix-up quickly develops into a deeply unsettling battle over parenthood, loyalty and the meaning of family. As the two couples struggle with an impossible decision, trust breaks down and the emotional stakes grow ever higher.

Norton’s performance captures the anguish of a man desperate to protect the family he loves, making this a particularly compelling watch for fans of tense domestic thrillers.

5. King & Conqueror (2025)

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer; also available through Sky Go, with digital purchase options from Apple TV, Amazon Video and Sky Store.

Norton takes centre stage as Harold Godwinson in this historical drama charting the events that led to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays William of Normandy, the rival claimant whose ambitions bring the two men towards a decisive confrontation.

The series explores the personal relationships, political manoeuvring and shifting loyalties behind one of the most significant turning points in British history.

With Norton playing a king fighting to retain his crown, the drama gives him another opportunity to lead a large-scale production built around ambition, conflict and the price of power.

6. Rogue Agent (2022)

Where to watch: Netflix.

Based on the extraordinary real-life case of conman Robert Freegard, Rogue Agent sees Norton deliver another unnerving performance as a man who convinces people that he works undercover for MI5.

Freegard uses his elaborate lies to manipulate and control his victims, until Alice Archer, played by Gemma Arterton, becomes entangled in his web of deception and begins to uncover the truth.

The film blends romantic intrigue with a tense cat-and-mouse thriller, with Norton making his charismatic but deeply dangerous character unsettlingly believable. It’s a particularly good choice for viewers who enjoyed his darker work in Happy Valley.

7. The Trial of Christine Keeler (2019–2020)

Where to watch: Netflix. Digital purchase through Apple TV Store and Amazon Video; subscription availability may vary.

Norton plays osteopath and society figure Stephen Ward in this six-part dramatisation of the Profumo affair, the political scandal that rocked Britain in the 1960s.

The story follows Christine Keeler, played by Sophie Cookson, as her relationships with influential men become the focus of intense public scrutiny and political controversy.

Norton brings complexity to Ward, a man whose connections to the worlds of politics, high society and sexual scandal place him at the centre of a national crisis. The series offers an absorbing look at class, power, gender and the media’s role in shaping public opinion.

8. McMafia (2018)

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer, Channel 4’s free streaming service and UKTV Play; also available via Sky Go and digital purchase.

In this ambitious crime thriller, Norton stars as Alex Godman, the British-raised son of Russian mafia exiles who hopes to build a legitimate business and escape his family’s troubled history.

When circumstances pull him into the international criminal underworld, Alex finds himself navigating dangerous alliances, money laundering and ruthless power struggles spanning several countries.

The role allows Norton to chart a gradual transformation from a man determined to stay respectable into someone increasingly comfortable with the criminal world he once rejected. It’s a tense, globe-spanning drama that rewards viewers who enjoy morally complicated protagonists.

9. Mr Jones (2019)

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video; digital rental and purchase options may also be available through Apple TV, Sky Store and Amazon Video.

Directed by Agnieszka Holland, this historical film follows Welsh journalist Gareth Jones, who travels to the Soviet Union in the early 1930s and discovers the devastating famine engulfing Ukraine.

Norton plays Jones, a reporter determined to expose the truth despite intimidation, censorship and the enormous political pressure surrounding his investigation. His journey brings him face to face with the human cost of Stalin’s policies.

The film showcases a more earnest and idealistic side of Norton, portraying a journalist whose determination to report what he has witnessed puts his own safety at risk.

10. The Nevers (2021)

Where to watch: ITVX, including its free ad-supported service, with ITVX Premium also available.

Set in the final years of Queen Victoria’s reign, this supernatural drama follows a group of people, predominantly women, who suddenly develop extraordinary abilities.

Norton plays Hugo Swann, a wealthy and eccentric entrepreneur whose interests bring him into contact with London’s unusual new community. His character adds a mix of charm, self-interest and unpredictability to a world filled with political conspiracies and mysterious powers.

Although the series takes Norton into very different territory from his better-known crime dramas, it demonstrates his flair for playing enigmatic characters who are difficult to pin down.

Where to watch James Norton this weekend

With so many memorable performances to choose from, there is plenty to explore before Norton’s appearance on Saturday Night Live UK.

• For his most chilling performance: Start with Happy Valley on BBC iPlayer.
• For a new historical obsession: Watch House of Guinness on Netflix.
• For a gripping real-life thriller: Stream Rogue Agent on Netflix.
• For a tense family drama: Try Playing Nice on ITVX.
• For a sweeping historical epic: Catch King & Conqueror on BBC iPlayer.

Streaming catalogues can change, and some titles may require a subscription or an additional rental or purchase fee. Availability listed here reflects UK services checked in October 2026.

As James Norton prepares to swap dramatic scripts for live comedy, his Saturday Night Live UK hosting appearance on Sky One is a reminder that there’s much more to this versatile actor than the dark and troubled characters that first made him a household name. Whether you’re revisiting an old favourite or discovering one of his lesser-known films, his back catalogue offers something for almost every television and film fan.

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