The BAFTA television nominations dropped yesterday celebrating the best TV of the past year from Happy Valley to Succession. But out with the old, we are more excited by the new shows coming to our screens this spring.
The next few months promise big-budget glossiness in spades: from Kristen Wiig in the period drama Palm Royale to Andrew Scott going all Machiavellian in Netflix’s Ripley and the return of Shonda Rhimes’ rompy period megahit Bridgerton.
So as the warm weather returns, draw the curtains, settle in and enjoy...
Palm Royale
Apple TV+ is the king of high-budget, glossy TV – and Palm Royale serves up exactly that. Set in the 1960s, it tells the story of the disaffected Maxine (Kristen Wiig), who sets out to force her way into Palm Beach high society and secure a spot at its elite table, despite pushback from the women in charge. It looks gorgeous, the humour is acerbic and Ricky ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’ Martin pops up in it.
Apple TV+, out now
3 Body Problem
There is no questioning Netflix’s ambition in this blockbuster adaptation of an insanely convoluted novel by Chinese author Liu Cixin. Game of Thrones showrunners DB Weiss and David Benioff have taken this complicated plot follows mysteries over two interconnected timelines – Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China and present day London – throws in politics, astrophysics and aliens and somehow brings it all together. Mind-meltingly good.
Netflix, out now
Big Mood
For it’s new comedy drama, Channel 4 has brought together the stars from two of its previous big hits: Nicola Coughlan, from Derry Girls, and It’s a Sin’s Lydia West. They play friends Maggie and Eddie, who have stuck together through thick and thin, but with new challenges, and Maggie’s bipolar disorder “making an unwelcome return to form” Eddie begins to question if their friendship is for the best.
Channel 4, out March 28
A Gentleman in Moscow
Amor Towles’ bestselling 2016 novel is getting a glossy screen makeover by Paramount. Ewan McGregor stars as Count Alexander Rostov, a Russian aristocrat who is banished to an attic room in Moscow’s Metropol Hotel following the Bolshevik Revolution. But can the show translate the beautifully whimsical story, which follows Rostov over decades, from the page to the screen.
Paramount+, out March 29
Renegade Nell
It’s quite a pivot from gritty police drama in Yorkshire but Happy Valley creator, Sally Wainwright’s new show is a 17th-century fantasy-drama about a highwaywoman. Derry Girls’ Louisa Harland plays Nell, a bandit who suddenly becomes entangled with a magic spirit named Billy Blind (Ted Lasso’s Nick Mohammed) landing her with magical powers. From the trailer, this really could go one of two ways, but Wainwright’s involvement certainly means we’ve given it the benefit of the doubt.
Disney+, out March 29
This Town
The ever-prolific Steven Knight (whose CV runs from Peaky Blinders and SAS Rogue Heroes to Great Expectations) is behind this latest toe-tapping BBC show about the birth of ska. Set in 1981, it tells the story of a band from Birmingham who become involved in the burgeoning music scene during a time of social unrest. The cast – barring Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery – are relative unknowns, but Knight is sure to make this intriguing new show hit the high notes.
BBC One, out March 31
Ripley
This one has been a long time coming (it was first announced in 2019)… and now, Andrew Scott’s Ripley is nearly here – surprisingly in black and white. Scott plays the infamous conman of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel, and this very loose adaptation follows him as he scams his way to riches in 1960s Italy. Hired by a wealthy tycoon to bring home wayward son, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), Ripley instead inveigles his way into Dickie’s life with tragic consequences.
Netflix, out April 4
Scoop
With the royals in the spotlight could there be a beeter time for this dramatisation of Prince Andrew’s car crash Newsnight interview to land? Gillian Anderson is playing Emily Maitlis, Rufus Sewell is the prince, just two of a star-studded cast that also includes Keeley Hawes and Billie Piper. Based on a book by the former Newsnight editor Sam McAlister, this Netflix show takes viewers behind that scenes of the 2019 interview that went round the world.
Netflix, out April 5
Sugar
Could this series herald the return of the hardboiled gumshoe detective? Colin Farrell is the titular PI John Sugar, tasked with tracking down the missing granddaughter of a famous Hollywood producer. This show oozes attitude – the sunglasses! The vintage cars! The oversaturated Californian landscapes! – and there’s even a noirish voiceover courtesy of its lead actor. Yes please.
Apple TV+, out April 5
Fallout
Video game adaptations are definitely having a moment: fresh off the staggering success of The Last Of Us comes Fallout, another dystopian show about the end of the world. This time, there’s been a massive nuclear war and the survivors have been forced underground into bunkers known as Vaults. Some two centuries later, Lucy (Ella Purnell) heads to the surface to discover what happened after the bombs dropped: the result is gorgeous, retrofuturistic, murderous chaos.
Prime Video, out April 11
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Based on the book of the same name (which is in turn based on a true story), Sky’s big spring title tells the story of Lali Sokolov, a Jewish inmate at Auschwitz has to tattoo new arrivals – but when Gita enters the camp the pair strike up a romance.
Sky, out May 2
Bridgerton Season 3
Dearest members of the ‘Ton, get ready to swoon. Bridgerton’s hotly anticipated third season puts Penelope Featherington (aka Nicola Coughlan) in the spotlight, and this time around, the former Lady Whistledown is on the hunt for a husband. In the hopes of getting one, she enlists old friend Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) as a wingman, but of course, things rapidly take a steamy twist. It’s great to have the Regency romp back on our screens.
Netflix, part one out May 16
Doctor Who
Ncuti Gatwa’s stint in the Tardis kicks off in May with the return of Doctor Who. Already, we’ve been promised The Beatles, a flying visit to Georgian England, countless excellent outfits, and monsters galore. It’s just what the doctor ordered.
BBC One, out May
Queenie
Candice Carty-Williams’ beloved book is finally getting the screen treatment it deserves. Adapted by the author herself, it stars newcomer Dionne Brown as Queenie, a 25-year-old British Jamaican woman. After a messy break-up she is forced to navigate a depressing dating scene, career troubles, and a quarter-life crisis. This is bound to be one of spring’s buzziest releases and packed with great talent (singer Bellah plays best friend Kyazike). Can’t wait.
Channel 4, spring
Red Eye
There’s nothing that TV loves more than a high-octane thriller set on a flight, so with that in mind, ITV’s new show Red Eye looks like good fun. Set on board an overnight trip from London to Beijing, the story promises international intrigue, power struggles and probably a fair bit of life-threatening action. And though the plot is still under wraps, we do know that it stars Richard Armitage and Jing Lusi in the main roles: a powerful pairing if ever there was one.
