Welcome to your weekly rundown of all the shows that are actually worth watching over the next 7 days. It’s safe to say the TV schedules are pretty packed right now, which is why we’re on hand to deliver your hand-picked list of what to watch and when. And if we don’t consider them to be in the "fantastic" category? They don’t make the cut.
Top of our list is Apple TV+’s latest Mick Herron adaptation, Down Cemetery Road, which will have you hooked from the very first scene. We’ve also got a 5-star detective drama coming our way in the form of Art Detectives, as well as the only Death in Paradise spin-off we really care about, Return to Paradise. So, forget the endless scrolling, because these are the 8 shows to watch on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more this week.
Down Cemetery Road
After what’s felt like an exceptionally long wait, Apple TV+’s next Mick Herron (ahem, Slow Horses) adaptation is here. Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson lead the cast as struggling Oxford private eye Zoë Boehm (Thompson) and Sarah Tucker (Wilson), the latter of whom becomes obsessed with the whereabouts of a child she believes to have gone missing and enlists Zoë's help. The pair soon find themselves in a complex conspiracy that reveals that people long believed dead are still among the living, while the living are fast joining the dead. Buckle up! Available to watch on Apple TV+ from Wednesday 29th October.
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Art Detectives
What do you get when you combine murder and antiques? A 5-star detective drama known as Art Detectives, of course. This British series was a huge hit when it first aired on Acorn TV in the US and now, it’s coming to U&Drama. Starring Stephen Moyer, Nina Singh and Larry Lamb, the series is set within the London Metropolitan Police’s smallest department - the Heritage Crime Unit, which is headed up by art lover DCI Mick Palmer (Moyer). His only colleague is the tenacious, young detective DI Shazia Malik (Singh) who's keen to learn the ropes and together, the mismatched duo get to work solving brutal murders connected to the art world. A fine way to invest your time. Available to watch on U&Drama at 8pm on Thursday 30th October,
Return to Paradise
This Death in Paradise spin-off brought more than a little merriment (and murder!) to our lives when it arrived on the BBC last year and now, it's about to do so again with what Head of BBC Programme Acquisitions, Sue Deeks, has called a “fiendishly clever" series. The Australian drama follows DI Mackenzie “Mack” Clarke (Anna Samson), who's built a career for herself in London with the Met Police but, after she’s accused of tampering with evidence, makes a return to her hometown of Dolphin Cove in Australia. In series 2, she’s solving more puzzling crimes, but personal issues - such as the impending wedding of her ex - are something of an inconvenience. Available to watch BBC iPlayer from Friday 31st October.
IT: Welcome to Derry
This eight-part drama is based on Stephen King’s 1986 novel It - and it’s not for the fainthearted. Adapted for the small screen by siblings Andy and Barbara Muschietti, who both worked on the 2017 and 2019 It films, the series serves as a prequel to the films and delves into the origins of murderous clown Pennywise (played by Bill Skarsgård). Exploring his motivations, we’re expecting a truly spine-tingling watch – just in time for Halloween. Available to watch on Sky and NOW from Monday 27th October.
The Ridge
If you didn’t catch the launch of this dark psychological thriller last week, there’s still time to catch up. The series revolves around Mia (Lauren Lyle) who’s trying to escape addiction and a ruined career in Scotland, when she accepts an invitation to her estranged sister Cassy's wedding in New Zealand. When she gets there however, she learns that her sister has died, having fallen from a mountain ridge - or so she's told. You see, Mia believes Cassy was pushed and murdered and sets about hunting for the killer. Continues on BBC Two on Thursdays at 9pm and on BBC Scotland at 10pm. The series is also available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Trigger Point
The third series of Vicky McClure’s brilliant police drama has kicked off in impeccable fashion and we’re already hooked. If you’re not familiar, the series follows Lana Washington (McClure), a Metropolitan Police explosives officer who, along with her team, dedicates herself to keeping the capital safe from explosive devices and terrorist threats. The six new episodes will see them investigate a bomb threat that soon reveals itself to be the start of a sinister vendetta. One that’ll please Line of Duty fans. Continues on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm on Sunday 2nd November.
Celebrity Traitors
With only three episodes to go, anything is possible at this stage of Celebrity Traitors. Is Jonathan Ross being set up by his fellow Traitors Alan Carr and Cat Burns? We think so. Will Alan Carr actually make it to the end? Undecided. Or is Nick Mohammed about to out them all? Probably. We'll be tuning in to find out. Continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th October at 9pm.
Daisy May and Charlie Cooper’s NightWatch
The brother and sister duo behind some of our favourite comedy in recent years, including Am I Being Unreasonable? and This Country are back with a new BBC series. The siblings are exploring the world of paranormal activity, sleeping over at some of the UK’s most haunted places including an abandoned Victorian prison and an old pub frequented by highwaymen in Cannock Chase. Expect equal parts hilarity and horror. Starts on Sunday 26th October on BBC Two at 9.30pm. Also available on BBC iPlayer.
