Powerful performance: Benedict Cumberbatch as Vincent, a father who goes off the rails after his son goes missing and starts talking to Eric , the imaginary comfort monster in the Netflix show Eric Photo: Ludovic Robert/Netflix The Tourist, episode two – ★★★★☆
The first episode was the most-watched BBC drama of the year – and the second episode is just as entertaining a lot of fun (and often funnier)). After a car crash in Australia in the first series left him with amnesia, Irishman Elliot (Jamie Dornan) sets out on a quest to discover his true identity that turns out to be darker than expected. In the second series, this time set in Ireland, Elliot and Australian girlfriend Helen (Danielle Macdonald) continue their search for answers. Read our review of The Tourist series two
Watch on: BBC iPlayer
Mr Bates vs the Post Office – ★★★★☆
The period drama that put the Horizon Post Office scandal at the top of the political agenda. We follow the real-life story of Alan Bates, the former Deputy Postmaster who refused for years to let the Post Office get away with it, insisting that its Horizon accounting system worked, and that irregularities in the accounts must mean that the staff running the system were thieves. While it’s never subtle, it’s undeniably powerful and, ultimately, redemptive. Read our review of Mr Bates vs the Post Office
Watch it on: ITVX or Amazon Prime Video
Gladiators – ★★★★☆
The BBC is rebooting the former 30-year-old ITV hit, with each episode featuring four players (two men and two women) taking part in a series of challenges against the Gladiators, a group of elite athletes. Presented by Bradley and Barney Walsh, and despite all the challenges we've come to know and love, it's fun for the whole family. Read our review of Gladiators
Watch on: BBC iPlayer
Multi-generational entertainment: Hosts Bradley and Barney Walsh and the Gladiators, elite competitive athletes, are set to take part in the reboot of the beloved TV show, Gladiators. Photo: James Stack/BBC Big Boys, series two – ★★★★★
A coming-of-age story about a shy boy who goes off to university after coming out as gay. Although he is grieving the death of his father, he is supported by his wonderful family and close university friends. Just as funny and charming as the first series, although the level of sex talk means it's not for the prudish. Read our review of the second series of Big Boys
Watch at:channel4.com
True Detective: Nightland, episode four – ★★★★★
The fourth season of this detective anthology series is spectacular, scary and unforgettable. The story takes place in an Alaskan town so far north that there is no daylight for some time in the winter. We begin with the disappearance of eight people running the Tsalal research station. Detectives Liz (the amazing Jodie Foster) and Evangeline (Kali Reis) are investigating, but they hate each other. Read our review of the fourth episode of True Detective: Nightland
Watch on: Sky or Now
Great: Jodie Foster as Detective Liz Danvers in True Detective: Nightland. Credits: Landmark Media Masters of the Air – ★★★★★
This spinoff to the 2001 series Band of Brothers, which follows a specific regiment throughout World War II, is based on the true story of an American unit sent to England in 1943. Producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks' big budget pays off – the action is breathtaking and the superstar cast is in top form. Read our review of Masters of the Air
Watch it on:Apple TV
Mr & Mrs. Smith – ★★★★☆
An eight-episode TV reboot of the classic film Brangelina that feels surprisingly fresh—it's witty and thoughtful rather than a dumb action movie like the original. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine play spies (at first platonically; soon romantically) disguised as a married couple, doing all the expected spy work but also coping with the mundane annoyances of married life. Read our Mr & Review by Mrs. Smith
Watch on:Amazon Prime Video
Here We Go Series Two – ★★★★★
We follow three generations of a Bedford family in all their chaotic, dysfunctional but ultimately loving glory. While it's not trendy or edgy, it's genuinely funny and quintessentially British. The most promising family sitcom in years and a modern classic. Read our review of the second series of Here We Go
Watch on: BBC iPlayer
A classic in the making: the cast of Here We Go, the quintessentially British family sitcom Here We Go Photo: Jonathan Browning One Day – ★★★★☆
David Nicholls' bestselling book has once again been adapted – this time into an easily digestible and entertaining Netflix TV series. We visit friends Emma and Dexter on the same day every year, from their time at Edinburgh University in 1988 until they are in their 20s and 30s. A sentimental, nostalgic rom-com with two stars (Ambika Maud and Leo Woodall) at the center of a relationship. Read our review in one day
Watch on: Netflix
Boarders – ★★★★☆
Five black teenagers from south London are sent to an exclusive boarding school on a scholarship (a PR stunt on behalf of the school). With great performances and a razor-sharp comedic script that constantly pokes fun at the hypocrisy of diversity and inclusion schemes, this six-part film is a delightfully binge-watching film. Really funny, but at the same time has its own point of view. Read our review of Boarders
Watch on: BBC iPlayer
The Jury: Murder Trial – ★★★★☆
In this television experiment on how juries make their decisions, two jurors, separately from each other, are presented with the same murder case (the real one, with only the names changed). We get a fascinating insight into how jurors actually make their decisions: not strictly and purely based on the facts, but by bringing their various biases and life experiences into the courtroom. A horrific indictment of the British judicial system. Read our review of The Jury: Murder Trial
Watch it on: channel4.com or Apple TV
Truly fascinating: red and blue juries in this television experiment exploring how the British justice system really works. Photo: Rob Parfitt/Channel 4 Ukraine: Enemy in the Forest – ★★★★★
This remarkable documentary takes us inside the daily lives of the special Berlingo battalion who wear body cameras while protecting a railway line in the forest in an industrial region of Ukraine in the Donbass—they are getting much closer to the front lines of the Ukrainian war than any news camera. It's raw, powerful and unfiltered. Read our review of “Ukraine: Enemy in the Forest”
Look at:BBC iPlayer
Kate Garraway: Derek's Story – ★★★★★
The news presenter's husband died in January aged 56 after contracting Covid four years ago, which left him unable to walk. or perform basic tasks without assistance. This devastating third and final chapter in lobbyist Derek Draper's story was a cry for help on behalf of all UK carers under pressure, as well as a powerful testament to the couple's love and Kate's resilience. Read our review of Kate Garraway: Derek's Story
Watch it on: ITVX
A story of love and resilience and a cry for help: Kate Garraway with her husband Derek Draper, who died in January this year. Photo: Television Stills This Town – ★★★★☆
The action takes place in 1981. We follow the individual stories of three working-class teenage cousins: Dante, a would-be poet from Birmingham who falls in with the wrong crowd; Bardon, from Coventry, who was forced to help his IRA father raise funds for the cause; and Gregory in Belfast, struggling to survive amid the city's violence. Clever writing and impressive performances from the leads. Read our review of This Town
Watch on: BBC iPlayer
Mammals – ★★★★★
Although Sir David Attenborough is about to turn 98, he's only getting more prolific – this documentary on nocturnal mammals is his third in 2024 – and it's clear he wants to savor the wonders of the world while he can. The production, taking place in Zambia, Tanzania and Texas, was predictably breathtaking. Read our review of Mammals
Watch on:Amazon Prime Video
Fallout – ★★★★☆
Christopher Nolan's little brother stars in a post-apocalyptic action-comedy set in the '50s in an alternate US history in which Eisenhower-era post-war America is devastated by a nuclear conflagration. The surviving rich people live in underground bunkers. More than 200 years later, Lucy decides to leave her bunker to find her kidnapped father in a Los Angeles wasteland. With kid-friendly humor and OTT action, it's pure entertainment and not what you'd expect from this video game adaptation about nuclear annihilation. Read our review of Fallout
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video
Surprisingly fun for the apocalypse: Ella Purnell as Lucy in the Amazon Prime Video TV show Fallout. Credit: Television Stills Blue Lights Episode Two – ★★★★★
The second series of this Belfast cop show is just as good as the first. A new boss at Blackthorne Station is pissing everyone off, and a new thief at Mount Eden Estate is causing a whole lot of new trouble. With an insightful script and an outstanding cast, this series is a must-watch. Read our review of the second episode of Blue Lights
Watch on:BBC iPlayer
Feud: Capote vs. the Swans – ★★★★★
Tom Hollander gives a mesmerizing, nuanced performance as writer Truman Capote. He quarrels with the “Swans”, ladies of New York's high society who invite him to spice up their dinner table, only to throw him out when he reveals their secrets in a gossipy story. Read our review of Feud: Capote vs. the Swans
Watch at:Disney+
Mesmerizing performance: Tom Hollander as writer Truman Capote Posted by Pari Dukovic/FX The Responder Season Two – ★★★★★< p>Policeman Chris Carson lies to his ex-wife that he is swapping night shifts for a day job when she tells him she is moving to London with their daughter as he never turns up during the day to see her anyway. His attempts to get this supposed new job drag him into a dark underworld. Martin Freeman's career-best performance, as well as the excellent writing and supporting cast, make this a truly excellent series. Read our review of the second series of The Responder
Watch on:BBC iPlayer
Clarkson Farm, series three, part two – ★★★★★
Jeremy Clarkson is back on his farm with all his favorite familiar faces. Excess mushrooms; a cider mill gone wrong; and a day trip to London, viewers continue to be amazed by the show and its antics as it instantly topped the UK streaming charts. It informs, educates and entertains and continues to do much for British farming. Read our review of Clarkson Farm Episode 3 Part 2
Watch onAmazon Prime Video
Farm Capers: Jeremy Clarkson and Caleb Cooper, who both work on Clarkson's farm. Photo: Ellis O'Brien Collection – ★★★★☆
Set in Liverpool, this story of gymnast best friends Kelly and Jess begins with a teenage beach party that ends with one of them (we don't know which one yet) in a critical condition after being pushed underwater. We then flash back a month to see how the girls' friendship turned toxic and led to potential murder. A gripping drama that tackles class, drugs and sex, led by fantastic young newcomer Eva Morgan. Read our review of The Gathering
Watch on: channel4.com
99 – ★★★★★
Football manager Alex Ferguson and his 1999 treble-winning Manchester United side, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles in the same season, give amazing insight into how they did it – and how it all came together didn't fall apart. Informed, smart and with a wealth of critical interlocutors, this is a fascinating look at the psychology of sport. Read our 99 review
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video
“And Solskjaer won!”: The United striker is surrounded by a crowd after scoring the winning goal against Bayern Munich in 1999. Photo: Reuters/Dan Chung Rebus – ★★★★☆
Ian Rankine's Edinburgh detective Rebus gets another adaptation as Rebus and his girlfriend Siobhan set off to solve yet another case. But this revival is more than welcome. The script is smart and always exciting; there's a good dose of caustic comedy; and the main character, Richard Rankin, has intense charisma. Read our review of Rebus
Watch on:BBC iPlayer
The Sympathizer – ★★★★★
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, we follow a North Vietnamese double agent known only as the Captain (the brilliant Hoa Xuande) sent on a secret mission to the United States after the fall of Saigon. Robert Downey Jr., who plays several different roles, shines to show the Captain's gradual introduction to American culture and politics. It's complex and moving – and may change the way you look at the Vietnam War. Read our review of The Sympathizer
Watch at: Sky
Complicated and moving: Robert Downey Jr. and Hoa Xuande in Vietnam War drama The Sympathizer Photo: HBO Eric – ★★★★☆
Set in gritty 1980s New York, this series sounds strange on paper : Benedict Cumberbatch plays Vincent, a puppeteer whose nine-year-old son disappears on his way to school. Vincent responds by starting a relationship with an imaginary monster, Eric. Cumberbatch gives a powerful performance as a father going off the rails, and the show is tonally confident: one moment he's exploring grief, the next Vincent and Eric are dancing in the street. Read our review of Eric
Watch on:Netflix
D-Day: The Unheard Tapes – ★★★★★
This three-part documentary brings the archives to life. audio recordings of D-Day using young actors to lip-sync the testimony contained in the audio recording. With a capable cast and eloquent historians working in the background, this is a moving watch in the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Read our review of D-Day: The Unheard Tapes
Watch onBBC iPlayer
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