Oh 2019, how we will and won't miss you. You were the year of the general election [1], kombucha girl [2], and the bottle cap challenge [3] (actually, so many challenges [4] that we couldn't keep up). But you were also the year of great entertainment. Brits really loved binge-watching both new and original TV shows from the likes of Sky and Netflix, as well as diving into many, many theories [5] about movies that hit the box office.
To get a deeper insight into everything we got sucked into, Google shared its 2019 Year in Search [6], which reveals the people, topics, events, and places that really got people talking — and Googling, of course — and the results are both insightful and at times, hilarious [7]. In the long list, Google presented the top 10 TV shows and top 10 movies that British people loved over the course of the year.
Many of the shows didn't surprise us — *cough* Game of Thrones [8] *cough* — and others gripped the nation more than we expected. As for movies, there were no huge surprises with The Favourite [9] and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood [10] being tapped into the search engine the most.
Read on to see the full list, and no doubt add plenty of things to your never-ending, must-watch list.
TV: 1. Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones [11] needs no introduction and it's absolutely no surprise at all that after season eight aired this year, it was the No. 1 searched TV show of 2019. Brits were looking up everything from spoilers [12], the famous coffee cup blunder [13], and episode recaps [14]. The show scored a grand total of 32 Emmy nominations [15] alone this year.
TV: 2. Chernobyl
The HBO and Sky UK co-production, Chernobyl gripped the nation as the second most searched TV show of the year. The show features nearly all British actors and is based on the lives of real people [16] in its painstakingly realistic account of a national tragedy.
TV: 3. Love Island
You may laugh, but few TV shows get the country talking the way Love Island [17] does, which is how it made top three on the list. Every Summer, a bunch of ridiculously good-looking single 20-somethings move into a villa on the island of Mallorca, and half the country becomes obsessed with their (love) lives as they share beds, swap partners, and battle out to be the winning couple. Love Island is like Big Brother with more bikinis, and though it may not be highbrow, it is truly compelling viewing. In 2020, the show will debut a new Winter series [18], filmed in South Africa.
TV: 4. Line of Duty
Line of Duty [19] is a dark fictionalisation of the world of "bent coppers." This smart police drama goes places other shows are scared to go . . . so it's no surprise the show has been able to pull in big names like Westworld's Thandie Newton, and make it to forth place of the top searched TV show list. It follows the staff of AC-12, the police's anti-corruption unit, and the various members of the force they're investigating. The show has more twists than a bag of fusilli pasta, but that's exactly what'll suck you in immediately. Few shows get people talking the next day the way this does.
TV: 5. I'm a Celebrity. . . Get Me Out of Here!
I'm a Celebrity. . . Get Me Out of Here! might be 17 years old but the nation certainly isn't bored of bushtucker trials just yet. Every year, we watch 12 new campmates eat suspect foods, get spiders thrown on them, and jump out of planes, then we tweet and google about every single aspect of the show, including the campmates.
TV: 6. Stranger Things
Our love for Eleven and the rest of the gang in Stranger Things [20] was still in full swing in 2019 being the sixth most searched show of the year. People were eager to find out what four season has in store for us [21] (including many theories [22]) and which characters sadly won't be making it to the next season.
TV: 7. His Dark Materials
The BBC and HBO's His Dark Materials [23] certainly got the nation talking and made it to number seven on the list. The eight-part series, which is an adaptation of Philip Pullman's fantasy book trilogy of the same name, had a successful first season with a second season already on the way.
TV: 8. When They See Us
Ava DuVernay [24]'s Netflix series When They See Us [25] shows the story of how five teenage boys of colour from Harlem were wrongly convicted of a rape they didn't commit [26] in 1989, as well as the 25-year fight for justice following their conviction. "It's a heartbreaking series to watch [27], as it seems every bit of happiness or optimism leads to tragedy until the end, but ultimately, it's a story that needs to be known," said POPSUGAR's assistant entertainment editor, Mekishana Pierre.
TV: 9. Luther
Good old Luther is still keeping us on the edge of our seats while simultaneously charming the heck out of us, thanks to lead actor Idris Elba. The show has won a clutch of awards, including a Golden Globe for Elba, and has spanned five seasons so far [28].
TV: 10. Killing Eve
Of course Killing Eve [29] had to be in the top 10 list with its many teists and turns. The second season did not disappoint with incredible performances from Sandra Oh [30], who made history as the first Asian actor to be nominated for the Emmy for best actress in a drama. And Jodie Comer [31], who won Best Actress at the 2019 BAFTAs for her standout performance as Villanelle.
Movies: 1. Avengers Endgame
One of the most anticipated movies of the year was Avengers Endgame [32] so it's no surprise that it was the top searched either. Fans certainly had questions, which they furiously searched into Google, and we have answers for most of them [33].
Movies: 2. Joker
Not only was Joker [34] the second most searched movie of 2019 in the UK, it also brought in a staggering $1 Billion at the box office globally [35]. Brits wanted all of the details of Joaquin Phoenix [36] starring role, as well as whether a second instalment is on the cards [37].
Movies: 3. Captain Marvel
Taking third spot is Captain Marvel [38] and we're sure the multiple theories [39] and end credit scene details [40] circulating the internet had something to do with that.
Movies: 4. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood [41] is everything you'd expect from a Quentin Tarantino [42] movie (full of Hollywood's biggest names, fight scenes, and just generally a wild ride) and the 159 minute film sparked a lot of interest from Brits, as the top forth searched movie of 2019. If you came out of the cinema with more questions than you went in with (including a random beauty tip [43]), we've got all the answers you need [44].
Movies: 5. The Favourite
Coming in at number five was the film that won Olivia Coleman an Oscar [45]. We're not sure what we loved more about The Favourite [46]: the true story behind the movie [47], the relationship between the cast, or the many hilarious moments throughout the film.
Movies: 6. Green Book
Green Book [48] made it to the sixth spot of most searched movie of the year, most probably due to the controversy that surrounded the plot [49], actors, and Best Picture win at the Oscars [50].
Movies: 7. The Lion King
The Lion King officially beat Frozen's record of being the highest-grossing animated film [51] of all time. With a cast including Beyoncé — who dropped the single "Spirit" [52] as part of the movie's soundtrack — Donald Glover, James Earl Jones, Seth Rogen [53], and Billy Eichner, we're hardly surprised that it had a high search volume in the UK.
Movies: 8. Aquaman
British people couldn't get enough of Aquaman [54] this year thanks to Jason Momoa [55] being, well, Jason Momoa [56], as well as curiosity regarding details about the end credit scene [57] and when on earth the sequel is going to drop (spoiler: not for a long time [58]).
Movies: 9. It Chapter 2
The second instalment of Stephen King's It [59] still had us all sh*t scared of clowns, but not enough to stop us from Googling it.
Movies: 10. Bohemian Rhapsody
Last but by no means least on the list of most searched movies is Bohemian Rhapsody, the film that won Rami Malek an Oscar for Lead Actor and had us singing at the top of our lungs.