After spending most of the first half of 2020 cooped up indoors, the prospect of autumn – meaning trips to the park are looking less inviting, as is enjoying some sun in a family member’s garden – might not be the most welcome to a lot of people.
What could help cushion the blow even just a little, though, is the fact there’s some great new TV to get into over the coming weeks and months, catering to a whole range of different tastes.
Here’s a round-up of our top TV picks for the rest of 2020 that might just take the edge off stopping in...
I Hate Suzie
Available now to watch on Now TV, with new episodes on Sky Atlantic every Thursday
What is it? Billie Piper takes the lead in this new black comedy, which centres around the titular Suzie, a minor celeb who suddenly finds herself back in the headlines when personal photos of her are leaked online.
Described as “excruciatingly honest”, the series pulls precisely zero punches, with each episode presented in a completely different I May Destroy You-esque fashion from the one before it.
I Hate Suzie also reunites its star with Lucy Prebble, who previously penned Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, and with its frank approach to taboo themes, it will appeal to a lot of the same audiences.
Watch it if you liked: I May Destroy You, Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, Fleabag
I’m Thinking Of Ending Things
Available to stream on Netflix now
What is it? A new psychological horror film starring Jessie Buckley and Toni Collette, the film centres around a young woman who, unenthused about her new relationship, agrees to accompany him to meet his parents, who just happen to live in the middle of nowhere.
From there, things all start to unravel.
Directed by Charlie Kauffman, whose past writing credits include Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and Being John Malcovich, it doesn’t take a detective to work out that it doesn’t take long before things take an unsettling turn.
It’s definitely a bizarre watch, but also a thoroughly depressing one, so maybe have an episode of Friends or Love Island to treat yourself to afterwards, especially if you’re watching before bed.
Watch it if you liked: Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Midsommar, Russian Doll
Britain’s Got Talent
Airing every Saturday night on ITV
What is it? For obvious reasons, things are running a little differently than usual during this year’s Britain’s Got Talent semi-finals.
With the show having been on pause since the spring, this year’s semi-finals are now underway, with weekly pre-recorded shows airing on a Saturday night. Former champion Ashley Banjo is also a new addition to the panel, filling in for Simon Cowell, who recently injured himself in an electric bike accident.
At this stage, you already know whether or not BGT is your cup of tea, but for those who’ve turned their nose up at the talent format in the past, surely right now is the perfect moment to give it another go?
Watch it if you liked: The X Factor, The Greatest Dancer, Strictly Come Dancing
I’ll Be Gone In The Dark
Available to watch on Now TV now, with new episodes on Sky Crime every Sunday night
What is it? A definite must-watch for any fans of true crime, I’ll Be Gone In The Dark is a new documentary based on the critically-acclaimed book of the same name by Michelle McNamara.
The series tells the story not just of the Golden State Killer – who committed at least 50 rapes and murdered at least 13 people in the 1970s and 80s – but also Michelle’s quest to find the killer’s true identity decades later, which sadly ended in tragedy.
Fans of the book should definitely tune in, though, as the series includes plenty of details not included in Michelle’s book, including events that have transpired since it was published.
Watch if you liked: Making A Murderer, The Jinx, Unsolved Mysteries
Mulan
Available to purchase for Disney+ subscribers
What is it? The latest in a long line of Disney’s live-action remakes, this is the much-awaited re-imagining of the animated classic Mulan, given a more grown-up twist by director Niki Caro, who has stripped the film of its original songs and the main character’s dragon sidekick, Mushu.
Instead, the new Mulan is a film more focussed on “realism”, intended as an epic the whole family can enjoy.
However, the film did take some heat earlier this year following comments made by its leading actor Yifei Liu, while the decision for Disney to charge existing subscribers to watch a film on a service they were already paying for was met with a mixed response.
Watch if you liked: Aladdin, A Wrinkle In Time, Pirates Of The Caribbean
EastEnders
Now airing on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer
What is it? What do you mean “what is it?”. It’s literally EastEnders.
The long-running BBC soap came off air for the first time in its 35-year history back in June, but with production now up and running again (albeit with huge changes, due to social distancing guidelines), the show is finally back on our screens.
Rather than picking up exactly where we left off, though, Walford is a rather different to when we last paid it a visit, with three months having passed for both us and the residents of Albert Square.
How has time changed things for the characters we know and love? We’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?
Watch it if you liked: EastEnders (before it went off air in the first place), Coronation Street, Holby City
Love Island USA
Airing now on ITV2
What is it? The US version of the much-loved British reality show usually takes place in a villa in Fiji, but due to the pandemic, producers have had to think on their feet, instead moving the whole thing to a luxury hotel in Las Vegas.
Once you get over the fact the horizon is peppered with bright lights and skyscrapers – and the “bants” are a lot more American than you’re used to – it’s pretty much business as usual for Love Island, which should be music to the ears of anyone who missed their usual fix this summer.
Watch if you liked: Love Island, Too Hot To Handle, Love Is Blind
Des
Debuts on ITV on 15 September
What is it? ITV is continuing its long line of true crime miniseries based on infamous British murder cases, following in the footsteps of recent offerings like Appropriate Adult, Dark Angel and The Pembrokeshire Murders.
This new three-parter sees David Tennant in the lead role of Dennis Nilsen, who murdered at least 12 young men and boys in North London in the late 1970s and early 80s.
Des will almost certainly not be one for the faint of heart, given the truly horrific nature of Nilsen’s crimes, but for true crime devotees, this will be a must-watch.
Watch it if you liked: Broadchurch, Appropriate Adult, The Pembrokeshire Murders
Criminal
Debuts on Netflix on 16 September
What is it? Alternatively, for those who like a crime drama that’s a little more detached from reality, Netflix has you covered with brand new episodes of Criminal, the police-based miniseries that debuted last year.
Katherine Kelly is once again leading the cast, with Netflix pulling it out of the bag in terms of guest stars, including Kit Harington in his first post-Game Of Thrones role, Catastrophe star Sharon Horgan, Kunal Nayyar of The Big Bang Theory fame and Sophie Okonedo, soon to be seen in Ratched and Death On The Nile.
For anyone who loves the interview room sequences in Line Of Duty but finds the rest of the show a bit heavy, this short-and-sweet series is well worth a stream.
Watch it if you liked: The Stranger, Line Of Duty, Silent Witness
Ratched
Debuts on Netflix on 18 September
What is it? Ryan Murphy has been well and truly on a roll with his Netflix output in 2020, debuting Hollywood (one of our favourite shows of the year) as well as a second series of The Politician, not to mention documentaries he produced like Circus Of Books and A Secret Love.
However, with American Horror Story on ice for the time being, Ratched is the series that Ryan Murphy fans who prefer when he takes a walk on the dark side have been most looking forward to.
Putting his frequent collaborator Sarah Paulson in the leading role, the show serves as an origin story for Nurse Ratched of the classic book One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.
And as if Sarah in a leading role wasn’t enticing enough, the supporting cast boasts Cynthia Nixon, Rosanna Arquette and Sharon Stone, as well as past players from the Murphy-verse like Charlie Carver, Jon Jon Briones and Finn Wittrock. We are ready.
Watch if you liked: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, American Horror Story: Asylum, Girl, Interrupted
Five Guys A Week
Series two begins on 18 September, with the first series available to watch on All 4
What is it? One of our favourite shows of the first half of 2020 is already back for a second series, and it can not come soon enough.
This dating show has a simple enough premise, with a woman moving five guys into her home for a week, and kicking the ones she doesn’t fancy out one by one until she finds her match.
Compared to other dating shows – like Love Island, Too Hot To Handle or even its Channel 4 neighbour First Dates – Five Guys A Week feels a lot more low-fi and less glossy, but that’s what makes for such compelling and addictive viewing.
The contestants very much feel like real people of all ages and backgrounds living ordinary lives, giving it more of a Gogglebox, Don’t Tell The Bride or Come Dine With Me-esque feel than the dating shows we’ve become used to in recent years.
Watch if you liked: First Dates, Come Dine With Me, Celebs Go Dating
Drag Race Holland
Debuts on WOW Presents Plus on 18 September
What is it? 2020 has been a rough year for everyone, but one thing we definitely can’t complain about is not having enough Drag Race to watch.
As soon as series 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race came to an end near the beginning of lockdown, we were treated to the fifth All Stars run (not to overlook RuPaul’s *whispers* Secret Celebrity Drag Race in the middle of all of that, too). And by the time Shea Couleé took her place in the Hall Of Fame, the first series of Canada’s Drag Race got underway.
Now that’s over, did you think that we were done with Drag Race for another? Well, think again.
WOW Presents Plus subscribers will soon have access to the first ever run of Drag Race Holland – so get ready for some niche Dutch pop culture references that will go straight over your head, an obligatory Vengaboys lip sync and a whole lot more phoned-in messages from RuPaul, because even though we done already done had ourses, there’s still more to come.
Watch if you liked: RuPaul’s Drag Race (in its various incarnations), Drag SOS, Glow Up
Us
Debuts on BBC One on 20 September
What is it? Based on the much-loved novel by David Nicholls (of Starter For 10 and One Day fame), Us tells the story of a middle-aged couple, whose marriage hits a bump in the road when their 18-year-old son leaves for university.
When mum Connie tells Douglas, her husband of almost 25 years, that she’s fed up and wants to leave him, he convinces her to let him take her and their son on one last family holiday, which just happens to be a “grand tour” of Europe.
Expect lots of awkwardness, set against some beautiful backdrops.
Watch if you liked: Normal People, One Day, Life Begins
Great British Bake Off
Returns on 22 September on Channel 4
What is it? Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many feared the Great British Bake Off would not be able to go ahead in 2020, at a time when what the nation really needs is some bakery-based escapism, a few softly-spoken innuendos and a nice bit of colour blocking from Prue Leith.
Fortunately, those sneaky Channel 4 bosses managed to film a whole series in secret without telling anyone, the results of which are about to be revealed.
Quite how it’ll go ahead with new host Matt Lucas and a whole lot of coronavirus restrictions (we’re guessing Hollywood handshakes are out the window) remains to be seen, but we’ll definitely be tuning in to find out.
Watch if you liked: The Great Pottery Throwdown, The Great British Sewing Bee, Strictly Come Dancing
Enola Holmes
Debuts on Netflix on 23 September
What is it? This new film centres Enola, the younger sister of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, who has to put her family’s skills for solving mysteries into effect when her beloved mother goes missing.
Enola Holmes boasts an all-star cast including Henry Caville, Helena Bonham-Carter and Millie Bobby Brown, in her first leading role outside of Stranger Things.
And while it’s a family comedy, it was also helmed by Harry Bradbeer, best known for his work with Phoebe Waller-Bridge on more grown-up shows like Fleabag and Killing Eve, so maybe don’t write it off on that basis.
Watch if you liked: Sherlock, Killing Eve, Stranger Things
Little Mix The Search
Debuting on BBC One on 26 September
What is it? Another TV show hit hard by the pandemic, the frustratingly-titled Little Mix The Search was supposed to be done and dusted by now, and instead we haven’t seen a single episode. Fortunately, the auditions will be coming to us before long, and Little Mix fans will finally get their fix of one of the biggest acts in the UK today.
The Search has a fairly simple premise, that sees Little Mix putting together new bands, mentoring them and offering the winning band a supporting spot on their next tour (whenever that may end up being).
Probably not the most challenging of watches, admittedly but who doesn’t love watching Little Mix having some fun together?
Watch if you liked: The Voice, The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent
The Boys In The Band
Streaming on Netflix from 30 September
What is it? Yet another offering from super-producer Ryan Murphy, this is a new feature-length film directed by Joe Mantello.
The Boys In The Band is based on the play of the same name, and features the very impressive cast of a 2018 Broadway revival, including Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells and Michael Benjamin Washington.
Set in the late 1960s, when the original play first debuted, The Boys In The Band features around a group of gay men, who gather together to celebrate one of their birthdays, with tempers quickly flaring as they revisit their past.
Watch if you liked: American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, Looking, Hollywood
Honour
Debuts on ITV later in the autumn
What is it? Keeley Hawes takes the lead in this new ITV drama, which she’s also produced, in which she plays real-life detective chief inspector Caroline Goode, who fought for justice in the Banaz Mahmod “honour killing” case.
Honour has already faced controversy, with many – including Banaz’s own family – criticising the decision to centre the story on Keeley’s character, claiming it perpetuates a white saviour narrative.
Keeley later said of the show: “With something like this – and especially with this – we were all so mindful that we were dealing with real people. Banaz, Caroline, their families, everybody involved, the team, so there is that element of course, and with this, even more so. Much more so, probably, than anything I’ve ever worked on.
“But the responsibility is huge. It’s huge. I felt it every day. I’ve felt it every day since. I really have.”
Watch if you liked: Bodyguard, Line Of Duty, Mrs Wilson
The Haunting Of Bly Manor
Streaming on Netflix from 9 October
What is it? *shudders* It’s taken us since 2018 to get over the trauma of watching The Haunting Of Hill House, and now there’s a brand new horror series to give us nightmares.
Although The Haunting Of Bly Manor is from the same team as Hill House and features many of the same cast, Netflix is taking a leaf out of American Horror Story’s book with this one, setting the new story in a completely different universe, and with returning stars playing brand new characters.
Instead, The Haunting Of Bly Manor is based on the Victorian novella The Turn Of The Screw, telling the story of a young governess who experiences some supernatural goings on when she arrives at a new country manor.
Frankly, it sounds absolutely chilling, but we’re probably going to have binged the whole thing by Halloween, let’s be honest.
Watch if you liked: The Haunting Of Hill House, American Horror Story: Roanoke, Paranormal Activity
Small Axe
Debuts on BBC One later this year
What is it? Steve McQueen’s first TV project has been six years in the making (it was first announced in January 2014!), but by all accounts, it’s going to be well worth the wait.
Small Axe is an anthology series made up of five short films, telling the story of a West Indian community in London spread across three decades.
And the Oscar-winning director has truly assembled an absolutely epic group of actors to bring it all to life. Among the show’s stellar cast are Black Panther’s Letitia Wright, Star Wars’ John Boyega and Malachi Kirby, who previously appeared in Roots and the Black Mirror episode Men Against Fire.
Watch if you liked: Sitting In Limbo, Widows, Top Boy
The Undoing
Debuts on 26 October on Sky Atlantic
What is it? Nicole Kidman’s latest TV venture doesn’t sound like it’s a million miles away from her award-winning stint in Big Little Lies, which is no bad thing for fans of the hit drama.
She plays a hugely successful New York City, whose life is changed overnight by “a violent death”, “a missing husband” and a subsequent “chain of terrible revelations”.
She’s joined in the new series by Hugh Grant (who’d have thought Paddington 2 would give his career the jolt it needed) and, fingers crossed, at least one or two fabulous wigs.
Watch if you liked: Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere, The Night Manager
The Mandalorian
New episodes on Disney+ from 30 October
What is it? Having to wait for a new episode every week, despite the fact it had already been seen in the US months earlier, rather took the shine off The Mandalorian when Disney+ launched back in March. But this time around, we’re getting it at the same time as our American cousins, so it’ll be much easier to avoid spoilers.
The Star Wars spin-off is our only contact with that galaxy far, far away now the most recent trilogy is done and dusted, and we can’t wait to see what’s transpired since we last checked in.
And by that we, of course, mean… what kind of scrapes is Baby Yoda going to get himself into this time around?
Watch if you liked: Star Trek: Discovery, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Guardians Of The Galaxy
Strictly Come Dancing
Returns to our screens in the autumn
What is it? It’s still not clear (including to the BBC, apparently) exactly what form Strictly Come Dancing is going to take in 2020, but times are hard, and we’ll take whatever sparkle we can get at the moment, quite frankly.
What’s interesting to us is that Strictly has managed to get its best line-up in years under such strange circumstances, with Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo, Olympic boxer Nicola Adams, former home secretary Jacqui Smith and comedian Bill Bailey among the contestants we’re most excited to see on the dance floor.
And if nothing else, this year’s Strictly will be appointment viewing when Nicola Adams makes history as one half of the show’s first ever same-sex couple.
Watch if you liked: Dancing On Ice, Great British Bake Off, Britain’s Got Talent
We Are Who We Are
Debuts on BBC Three later this year
What is it? After a summer that saw so few of us actually able to enjoy a holiday abroad, who doesn’t fancy losing themselves in sunnier climes as autumn approaches?
Enter: Luca Guadagnino.
The director perfected sun-drenched romance in Call Me By Your Name, and it looks like he could be about to do it again in We Are Who We Are, a new limited series about two American teenagers who find themselves on a military base in Italy.
“With We Are Who We Are we are attempting to portray the here and now of two families, few generations, many exciting people,” Luca explained. Count us in.
Watch if you liked: Call Me By Your Name, Euphoria, Waves
The Crown
Series four debuts on Netflix on 15 November
What is it? As much as we’d watch Olivia Colman do pretty much anything at this point, the most recent series of The Crown did feel like it largely set the scene for what’s coming next.
And now, our patience is finally about to be rewarded. Because series four of The Crown finally sees the arrival of Princess Diana, played by newcomer to the show Emma Corrin.
Fans should also ready themselves for one of the series’ most controversial introductions to date, with Sex Education’s Gillian Anderson joining the cast as prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
Watch if you liked: The Queen, The Iron Lady, The Tudors
I’m A Celebrity
Returns to ITV this autumn
What is it? After almost 20 years, I’m A Celebrity is ditching the jungle for something a little closer to home, with this year’s contestants setting up camp in a spooky castle in Wales.
Admittedly, this measure is ITV’s response to coronavirus restrictions, but we have to say, we think this could bring something fresh to I’m A Celebrity that we’re looking forward to checking out.
Watch if you liked: Celebrity Big Brother, Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls, The Crystal Maze
Industry
Debuts on BBC Two later this year
What is it? Set in the fast-paced financial district of London, Industry is a new eight-part series looking into the fast-paced world of international finance, as seen through the eyes of a group of young trainees.
If the show rings a bell, that’s probably because of its famous director, Girls co-creator Lena Dunham, who spent time living in Cardiff during production (and, if you recall, got weirdly hooked on Love Island).
Watch if you liked: Girls, Normal People, The Apprentice
Adult Material
What is it? Channel 4′s big new drama for the final quarter of 2020 is Adult Material, focussing on the porn industry, starring Hayley Squires and Rupert Everett.
Hayley plays Jolene, a run-of-the-mill mum of three, who also happens to be one of the UK’s most famous porn stars. According to Channel 4, the show hones in on “Jolene’s world... a place that influences all of our lives, whether we know it or not, but none of us ever truly see”.
Perhaps not one for sitting down with the whole family to watch of an evening, but one we can’t wait to devour all the same.
Watch if you liked: Shameless, Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, Footballers’ Wives
Debuts on Channel 4 later this year
The Circle
Returns to Channel 4 later this year
What is it? One of our most surprising reality TV obsessions of last year, we were over the moon when The Circle (which kind of introduced the world to social distancing before it was cool, just saying) announced it would be back for a third series in 2020.
And not only that – Channel 4 is also going to be throwing a load of famous faces into the mix for a separate celebrity mix. After seeing Richard Madeley’s all-singing, all-dancing, all-twerking stint in last year’s regular series, we can’t wait to see who they can rope in for the celeb series, and how it all plays out...
Watch if you liked: Love Is Blind, Big Brother, Love Island
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