Bank holidays are made for peak relaxation in whatever form you fancy. Whether it’s meeting friends for a lazy brunch, gallivanting abroad or catching up with life admin, there’s no denying that having an extra day off work is simply bliss.

This is a judgment-free zone, so if you’d rather spend the long weekend in front of the TV then be our guest. We’ll definitely be doing some of that too. As we approach the tail end of summer, a load of great new series are landing on TV, and this August bank holiday weekend is set to see the detective drama return to our screens in full force.

With three new crime dramas all premiering over the bank holiday – as well as two recently released series you’ll want to catch up on – add them all to your weekend watchlist and thank us later. 

Back in the pre-Covid days of 2019, one BBC drama reigned supreme and led us all to look at CCTV very, very differently. The Capture is back for a second instalment and this time we can expect to feel suspicious of technology in a whole new way.

Holliday Grainger’s DI Rachel Carey is tasked with uncovering ‘invisible’ assassins, deepfake technology and mass corruption at the heart of the British media.

As the synopsis reads: “Entrenched in the UK’s own ‘Correction’ unit, DCI Rachel Carey finds herself in the middle of a new conspiracy – with a new target. But how can she solve this case when she can’t even trust her closest colleagues?”

If you’re looking for a twisted drama that will leave you confused (and with a lot of questions), this is the show for you. And with Paapa Essiedu joining the cast as young rising MP Isaac Turner, we can’t wait to see how this new series will unfold.

Release date: The first episode will air on Sunday 28 August at 9pm, with the second episode airing on Monday 29 August at 9pm.  

There’s something about seeing Adrian Dunbar in the role of a seasoned detective that will, quite frankly, never get old. 

In this new ITV series, Dunbar stars as Detective Inspector Alex Ridley, who is retiring from the police after 25 years of dedicated service. He doesn’t quite want to leave, but his time as an officer doesn’t end as expected when his former mentee DI Carol Farman (Bronagh Waugh) needs Ridley’s unique insight on a murder case.

It’s set to be dark, with an unexpected twist in the investigation – aka all the things we love in a crime drama and perfect for a Sunday evening spent indoors.

Release date: The first episode will air on Sunday 28 August at 8pm on ITV.  

We’ve been waiting patiently for this new thriller, which will leave you unable to trust anyone and coming up with your own line of questioning every 10 minutes.

Poldark’s Aidan Turner leads the cast as Dr Joe O’Loughlin, a clinical psychologist who appears to have the perfect life. He’s recently just saved a patient’s life so is the talk of every media outlet, but also has a devoted wife, loving daughter, a successful career and a book deal. A picture perfect life, if ever there was one.

Of course, as is the way of psychological thrillers like this one, nothing is quite as it seems. Because when the body of a young woman is found in a west London cemetery, Joe ingratiates himself into the case offering his expertise.

Soon, the investigating officers aren’t just left with the question of whether this was a murder or a suicide but rather, does Joe have more to do with it than he’s letting on? When coincidences start cropping up and the façade starts to slip, we’re left to wonder whether Joe is actually leading one hell of a secret second life. Like we said, this one will keep you guessing till the very end and will certainly leave you with all the chills.

Release date: The first episode will air on Monday 29 August at 9pm and will be available afterwards on ITV Hub.    

While we may have been waiting two years for the anticipated second series of this acclaimed crime drama to land, it seems as though those three new episodes really did air in a flash. If you’re yet to get acquainted with this 70s detective reboot, allow us to fill you in.

Van der Valk was not only a successful drama back in its 70s heyday but the newer ITV reboot has been a hit with viewers since it first aired back in 2020. Piet van der Valk (Marc Warren) and his partner, Inspector Lucienne Hassell (The Musketeers’ Maimie McCoy), take on even more intriguing murder cases that involve some very chilling characters. Last season saw the duo tackle criminals in the worlds of high fashion and mysticism but this time we have solicitors and diamond company employees to get acquainted with.

Each episode is two hours long, so you could say they’re like feature films. We say it’s the perfect thing to catch up on when you’re whiling away a long weekend.

Van der Valk is available to watch on ITV Hub. 

The seventh season of this acclaimed BBC drama has certainly set off with a bang. While it may be the last series for Douglas Henshall’s DI Jimmy Perez, it’s definitely not taking its foot off the pedal.

The series airs every Wednesday and rather than being released as a boxset, the weekly episodes keep us hooked and guessing every time. So what better way to spend a weekend than catching up?

This season, DI Perez is investigating the disappearance of a vulnerable young man, Connor, whose family are new to Shetland. But what may seem like an open-and-shut case on the face of it actually may be a window into the darkness this family is running from. Could whatever they are hiding have come back to haunt them? The series has already garnered much viewer reaction, particularly because we’re all intrigued to see how Perez’s storyline will draw to a close.

Release date: Shetland series seven airs every Wednesday on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Scotland at 9pm, with episodes available to stream on BBC iPlayer after airing. 

Lead image: ITV