After a summer packed full of hard hitting dramas and the return of beloved series of the past, you’d be forgiven for thinking that 2023 had nothing left to give. But you’d be wrong, and as we head into Autumn, there’s no shortage of must-watch television for your diary.
Here’s our rundown of the stuff worth watching on the small screen this autumn.
THRILLER QUEENS
Male action heroes? Meh. Autumn’s most gripping dramas aren’t just for the boys
JASMINE JOBSON IN… Platform 7 (ITVX, coming soon) The Top Boy scene-stealer witnesses a suicide at a railway station and finds chilling memories being stirred up. Clue: they’re not about rail-replacement bus services.
ASHLEY JENSEN IN… Shetland (BBC1, Oct) There’s been a mur-durr. The Extras star replaces Douglas Henshall to become the first female lead of the windswept Scottish detective drama.
JODIE FOSTER IN… True Detective: Night Country (Sky Atlantic/Now, coming soon) The double Oscar-winner tackles the strange disappearance of all six staff members at an Alaskan research station. Surely an HR matter?
DAISY HAGGARD IN… Boat Story (BBC1, coming soon) The Back To Life star plays one half of a pair of ordinary skint civilians who stumble across a boat load of cocaine and hatch a plan to sell the haul and split the cash, not snort it.
JODIE WHITTAKER IN… Time (BBC1, Oct) Jimmy McGovern’s prison drama returns with Whittaker, Bella Ramsey and Tamara Lawrence playing female inmates. Prisoner: Cell Block H, with the H for hard-hitting.
MORVERN CHRISTIE IN… Payback (ITV1, 4 Oct) A widow seeks vengeance for her husband’s death by trying to bring down the crime boss behind his murder. What could possibly go wrong?
SAMANTHA MORTON IN… The Burning Girls (Paramount+, 19 Oct) A female vicar along with her teenage daughter arrive to make a fresh start in a sleepy village that certainly isn’t all it that seems. And not in a Dibley way.
GEMMA ARTERTON IN… Culprits (Disney+, Nov) The former Bond girl’s criminal crew find themselves being killed off one after another following a high-stakes heist. Now that’ll teach them.
EMMA CORRIN IN… A Murder at the End of the World (Disney+, Nov) This murder mystery sees Corrin’s amateur sleuth investigate a death at a remote retreat. Think The White Lotus in snowsuits and mink mittens.
YOUR PERIOD DRAMA TIMELINE
Choose your ye olde series by the decade to which you’re most drawn…
1620s Mary & George (Sky Atlantic/Now, coming soon) Julianne Moore stars in the pearl-clutchingly outrageous true story of courtly schemer Mary Villiers, who moulded her saucy son George (Nicholas Galitzine) to seduce and kill King James I.
1870s The Buccaneers (Apple TV+, 8 Nov) Based on Edith Wharton’s unfinished novel, this bosom[1]heaving romp follows a group of American girls in tightly corseted London. Coming over, seducing our men and stealing our money...
1880s The Gilded Age (Sky Atlantic/Now, 30 Oct) Julian Fellowes’ handsome HBO drama returns for a second season of hats, high-society psychodrama and rival opera houses in late 19th-century New York. But mainly hats.
1930s Archie (ITVX, November) Jason Isaac suits, boots and suaves it up as Cary Grant (born Archibald Leach) in this bio-drama. From his height of fame, it flashes back to trace his story, from Bristol childhood to Hollywood stardom.
1940s All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix, 2 Nov) Based on Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer-winning door-stopper novel, this weepy war epic stars Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie. Tissues and Wikipedia to hand.
1950s Lessons In Chemistry (Apple TV+, 13 Oct) Brie Larson leads this adaptation of Bonnie Garmus’ feminist hit as a pregnant scientist who empowers a nation of downtrodden housewives via her TV cookery show. A bra-burning Nigella?
1960s Three Little Birds (ITV1, Oct) Sir Lenworth Henry’s Windrush drama is inspired by his own mother’s journey from Jamaica to the Midlands. Three young women fight to build new lives and make the ‘mother country’ their home.
1980s Joan (ITVX, coming soon) Westeros’ best-known divorcée Sophie Turner plays real-life gem thief Joan Hannington. When her husband goes on the run, a London housewife turns to crime — a sure fire way to get over Joe Jonas.
1990s The Crown (Netflix, Nov) The final series of Peter Morgan’s sumptuous royal soap covers 1997 to 2005, including the aftermath of Diana’s death and Wills and Kate’s student romance. Snakebite and a snog, your royal highness?
TV KICKS OFF
Score an autumn docuseries hat-trick about the beautiful game
THE PLAYER Beckham (Netflix) With intimate access to Goldenballs himself, spicy wife Victoria and their inner circle, this four-parter tells David Beckham’s definitive story, OCD and all.
THE WAG Coleen Rooney: the Real Wagatha Story (Disney+) Eagerly awaited series about the libel case that obsessed the nation, told via exclusive access to Insta-sleuth Rooney herself. It’s... on your streaming account.
THE FANS Welcome to Wrexham (Disney+, now streaming) The footballing fairytale continues unabated. Hollywood heroes Ryan Reynolds and the other bloke try to steer the Welsh club back to the big time.
RE-REWIND
TV nostalgia is on-trend with a raft of Nineties and Noughties revivals
BIG BROTHER (ITV1 & ITV2)
THEN The original ‘social experiment’ gripped us with its romances, fight nights and cult characters.
NOW Come to the diary room for this reboot, five years after the reality favourite last aired.
GLADIATORS (BBC1, coming soon)
THEN Wolf! Jet! Ulrika-ka-ka! Fash the bash! Referee John Anderson! Pugil sticks! Awooga!
NOW Bradley Walsh and son Barney host ‘the ultimate test of speed and strength’. Contender ready!?
NEIGHBOURS: A NEW CHAPTER (Amazon Freevee, now streaming)
THEN Kylie, Jason and Bouncer the dog in the sun-kissed, double denim-clad Australian soap.
NOW Saved from the axe by Amazon, with Guy Pearce returning and Mischa Barton joining.
DEAL OR NO DEAL (ITV1, Oct)
THEN Noel Edmonds and the mysterious banker presided over the red box-opening gameshow.
NOW Stephen Mulhern takes the helm, now with a top prize of £100,000. Deal… or no deal?
SURVIVOR (BBC1, coming soon)
THEN A reality hit worldwide but ITV’s Noughties version got low ratings and lasted just two series.
NOW Joel Dommett welcomes castaways to the Dominican Republic. Who’ll be the Sole Survivor?
FRASIER (Paramount+, 12 Oct)
THEN Kelsey Grammer won endless Emmys as Dr Frasier Crane in the classic Nineties comedy.
NOW Britain’s own Nicholas Lyndhurst joins the fun as Frasier returns to Boston for a new chapter
GAME SHOWS GO LARGE
A trio of high-concept reality contests are coming our way
Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix, 22 Nov)
This promises to outdo the corpse strewn dystopian first series as 456 players compete to win $4.56m, the biggest cash prize in TV history.
007’s Road to a Million (Amazon Prime Video, Nov)
In this global adventure, contestants will be shaken and stirred competing for a £1m jackpot, while Brian ‘Logan Roy’ Cox reins in the swearing as host.
The Traitors (BBC1, Nov)
And Claudia Winkleman is back in her Highland castle for the follow-up to last year’s word-of-mouth phenom The Traitors (BBC1, Nov). O come all ye faithful.
