The BBC is doubling-down on original programming this year and already appears to have another hit on its hands, following the runaway success of Normal People. This time, it’s Vikram Seth’s best-selling novel A Suitable Boy getting the Beeb small screen treatment. And once again, they’ve done an impressive job adapting a much-loved book for TV in a way capable of winning new fans, without carelessly alienating any old ones. See for yourself – here’s how to watch A Suitable Boy online no matter where you are in the world right now.
A Suitable Boy cheat sheet
A Suitable Boy airs on BBC One every Sunday starting from Sunday, July 26 at 9pm.
Six episodes have been announced and while it will be exclusively available on the BBC for now, it has been announced that it will be available on Netflix globally sometime next year.
While you will need a UK TV license to watch A Suitable Boy online or on TV, those currently outside of the country can use a VPN to stream like they’re home.
One of the longest novels ever published in the English language, A Suitable Boy details the lives of four Indian families living in post-British occupation India dealing with arrange marriages, racial castes and the melting pot of identities and beliefs in one vast country.
While the book’s 1,400 pages is epic in length, the TV adaptation has been brought down to just six episodes, condensing the key themes into a much more manageable format.
When you watch A Suitable Boy online, you will likely see the focus fall on Lata Mehra – the protagonist of the book and now TV show – as she contends with her arranged marriage, other love interests and the strict approval of her family.
The great news for Brits looking to watch A Suitable Boy online is that it has been made easy for you, with the entire show airing through the BBC. For other countries…it won’t be quite as simple. While it has been announced that the show will eventually come to Netflix for a wide range of countries, that won’t be for another year. Luckily, for those from the UK currently out of the country, there is still a way for you to catch it.
We’ve listed everything you need to know about how to stream A Suitable Boy in the UK and abroad below including dates, times, channels and more.
How to watch A Suitable Boy on the BBC in the UK
You can watch A Suitable Boy on BBC One live on TV. The first episode of the show will be airing on Sunday, July 26 at 9pm and the second episode will follow at the same time on Sunday, August 2. The last four episodes then follow every Sunday at 9pm.
Know you’ll miss an episode or prefer to watch it on a portable device? The BBC will be hosting each episode on BBC iPlayer so you can watch it after it airs. You just need to make sure you have a valid UK TV license.
Obviously things get a little bit more complicated if you’re currently outside of the UK. If you’re living abroad or away on holiday, using a VPN can allow you to tune into a UK server and watch like you’re home. Find out more below.
How to watch A Suitable Boy on the BBC from abroad
If you’re currently living in the UK then watching A Suitable Boy is simple. If you’re abroad however, things get a bit more complicated. Trying to tune in to BBC iPlayer will hit you with a geo-block telling you that you’re in the wrong country.
Luckily, this is easy to resolve, as you can simply download and use a VPN to watch it. A VPN is a smart piece of tech that allows you to alter your IP address to appear elsewhere in the world, in this case – the UK.
Then, you can easily, sit back and indulge in a binge watching session of the TV adaptation of Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy.
Which VPN is best? Well, finding the right VPN is actually pretty tricky, simply due to the vast number of them available. But we always recommend ExpressVPN.
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Once you’ve installed the software on your chosen device, simply choose a UK location and click connect then voila! You’re watching A Suitable Boy from back home in the UK. View Deal