Jack Whitehall 'delighted' his forgotten BBC series has resurfaced on Netflix

Jack Whitehall posing at an event
Jack Whitehall has revealed one of his old comedy shows is now on Netflix. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Jack Whitehall has taken to social media to tell fans that one of his old BBC shows Decline and Fall is available to stream on Netflix.

While Jack Whitehall is best known for his role as teacher Alfie Wickers in Bad Education, he has also starred as an expelled Oxford student in a comedy series that might be considered an underrated gem.

Originally airing in 2017, the series follows Jack's character Paul Pennyfeather, who is unjustly expelled from Oxford University and is sent to teach at a public school. It is based on the 1928 novel of the same name by Evelyn Waugh.

What's more, it holds a 91% approval rating on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with the critic consensus reading: "Funny, smart, and well-acted across the board, Decline and Fall brings its classic source material's key themes to life while subtly updating the story for modern viewers."

While the series has not been broadcast on the BBC for years, it has since resurfaced on Netflix, with all three parts available to stream on there now.

Confirming the exciting news, Jack shared a clip to Instagram where he wrote: "Delighted to see that ‘Decline and Fall’ is re-launching on Netflix. Being part of it was such an honour and so much fun #Netflix #DeclineAndFall"

Fans are thrilled it's back on streaming, with one writing: "An all time favourite of the whole family can’t wait to watch it again!"

While another added: "This looks amazing...perfect casting! Can't wait to watch."

And a third wants to watch after reading the book, saying: "I read this in 2023 and it was fab so I will defo watch this"

As well as Netflix, Decline and Fall is available for Prime Video customers too, with all the episodes currently available to watch as part of the subscription. It is currently unavailable on BBC iPlayer.

Decline and Fall has a great cast of talent, with Poirot's David Suchet, Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria, Boiling Point's Stephen Graham, and Game of Thrones' Gemma Whelan all joining Jack Whitehall. 

Across the three episodes, we follow Paul getting kicked out of Oxford, attempting to navigate high society and going on a business trip to Marseille, and with each episode an hour long, there's a lot packed in!

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Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Now she works for our sister site TechRadar in the same role. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress