We really did think that 2021 was the peak of great television but so far, 2022 has proven itself to be a year jampacked with a television line-up of dreams.

While 2021 was certainly the year of gripping crime thrillers like Line Of Duty, The Tower and Mare Of Easttown, this year’s programming schedule has already given us a slew of dark dramas and documentaries that we love.

As well as a host of book-to-TV adaptations hitting our screens recently, we’ve also had some returning favourites: Bridgerton, Euphoria, Peaky Blinders and This Is Us have all found their way back to our screens and been the stuff of binge-watch dreams so far. New hotly anticipated series like Under The Banner Of Heaven, The Control Room and The Crown are also at the top of our watchlists.

With that in mind, then, these are some of the best TV shows of the year (so far) and ones that you most definitely need to keep an eye out for later this year.

Sherwood

When we first heard about crime drama Sherwood, we were intrigued by its premise: “spy cops”, miners strikes and British history aren’t plotline themes you hear of everyday. Especially in a BBC thriller, not a documentary.

But with a cast full of familiar British acting talent and a gritty historical premise at its core, the drama has quickly underlined itself as one of the best of the year. It’s set in the Nottinghamshire mining village where writer James Graham (Quiz) grew up and is inspired in part by real events. The drama sees “two shocking and unexpected murders shatter an already fractured community and spark a massive manhunt.”  

An arrow-wielding murderer is on the loose but the tensions of the past are still very much alive and well. ‘Scab’ is the worst thing you can call someone, people still harbour memories over what side of the picket line they were on during the 1984 miners’ strike and, as a result, what seems like a neighbourly town is actually hiding a multitude of tensions beneath the surface.

It’s an almost perfectly executed series and strikes the great balance between reflections on real life history, fictionalised crime and well-paced drama. Basically, you need to watch it immediately if you haven’t already.

Sherwood is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Gentleman Jack: season 2

Off the back of her phenomenal success in BBC’s Vigil, Suranne Jones can really do no wrong in our eyes – that’s why were impatiently waiting to see her back on our screens. The second anticipated series of Gentleman Jack provided us with our fix of Jones’ stellar acting magic, as well as some typically dramatic plotlines.

This season picked up right after the private marriage between Lister (Jones) and Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle) in 1834. But the lives of the newlyweds are anything but pedestrian, thanks to Lister’s ambitious plans to make her mark beyond Halifax and the return of Mariana Lawton (Lydia Leonard). It’s set to be one hell of a series and we cannot wait.

Gentleman Jack is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Killing Eve: season 4

The fourth and final season of Killing Eve is upon us, people. The classic cat-and-mouse game between Eve (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (Jodie Comer) levelled up in its final episodes, like tense previous series. But, of course, with the kind of twist not many were expecting.

“Eve is on a revenge mission, while Villanelle has found a brand new community in an attempt to prove she’s not a ‘monster,’” reads the BBC America synopsis. “This season follows our extraordinary women, each driven by passion, revenge and obsession, building towards a messy, nuanced and totally glorious series finale.”

And if you’re missing the series, have no fear: Fiona Shaw is getting her very own spin-off series.

Killing Eve is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Peaky Blinders: season 6 

It’s official: Peaky Blinders is back with its sixth and final season. The gangster series, which follows the lives of the Shelby family in Birmingham’s post-war slum neighbourhoods, has amassed a cult-like following over the years and for good reason. Full of drama, family politics, grit and unexpected outcomes, the series has now reached its (sad) end.

Have no fear though – a Peaky Blinders film is in the works, due to be released soon.

Peaky Blinders is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

The Tourist

The Tourist throws us straight into the Australian outback where Jamie Dornan (The Fall) stars as a British man being pursued by a vast tank truck trying to drive him off the road. It’s an epic cat and mouse chase that leaves the man waking up hurt in hospital, but somehow alive.

The twist? He has no idea who he is. With merciless figures from his past pursuing him, The Man’s search for answers propels him through the vast and unforgiving outback. As the synopsis says: “Will he unlock the secrets of his identify before those who are trying to kill him catch up with him?”

The Tourist is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

This Is Going To Hurt

One of the hotly anticipated book-to-TV adaptations this year was Adam Kay’s This Is Going To Hurt. The bestselling book, which took us on an emotional rollercoaster, has landed on BBC as an eight-part comedy drama series. Ben Whishaw (Skyfall) stars as Kay while Dame Harriet Walter (Killing Eve) stars as Kay’s mother Veronique alongside Rory Fleck Byrne (Harlots) as Adam’s boyfriend Harry, and Tom Durant-Pritchard (Feel Good) as Adam’s best friend Greg. 

This Is Going To Hurt is a blisteringly funny and politically enraging read, so it’s a welcome relief that the series has retained much of that sentiment – especially since Kay has not only penned the script himself, but is the series’ creator and executive producer.

While many of the scenes leave us laughing, there are more poignant moments to be had – not least because of how relatable and important Shruti (Ambika Mod) is within the series.

This Is Going To Hurt is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Conversations With Friends

We all know how a good Sally Rooney-based BBC drama can have us gripped (see: Normal People) so we were in for a veritable treat with Conversations With Friends. The novel was the author’s debut and the adaptation sees its unique depiction of love and relationships further explored in the kind of heady, sultry way of Rooney’s writing.

The 12-part series, which is primarily filmed in Northern Ireland, closely follows the premise of the book. It chronicles the angsty story of Dublin university students Frances (Alison Oliver) and Bobbi (Sasha Lane), who are discovered by an older woman, Melissa (Jemima Kirke), who is a journalist. Things start to get complicated as Frances develops a romantic connection with Melissa’s husband Nick (Joe Alwyn) and that typical Rooney-esque drama ensues. 

Conversations With Friends is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Inside Man

While not much is currently known about the exact premise of Inside Man, we can assure you that it already looks like one of the dramatic hits of the year. With an ensemble of familiar faces, we know that the four-part series will follow a prisoner on death row in the United States, a vicar in a quiet English town, and a maths teacher trapped in a cellar.

We don’t quite know what their connection is, but it does seem as though paths will cross in some dramatic way. With It’s A Sin’s breakout star Lydia West, Stanley Tucci and David Tennant all starring in this series, it’ll certainly be a captivating watch.

Release date: 2022 (exact date TBC) via BBC One and BBC iPlayer

SAS: Rogue Heroes

Coming from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, this major new series looks like it’ll be the perfect watch for anyone who loves historical drama, action and heroism. 

Filmed on location in the UK and Morocco, SAS: Rogue Heroes is the “dramatised account of how the world’s greatest special forces unit, the SAS, was formed under extraordinary circumstances in the darkest days of World War Two,” according to the synopsis.

Knight says: “It has been a privilege to work on a project which tells the story of a renegade band of soldiers who used wit and imagination as much as firepower to halt the march of fascism across North Africa during the darkest days of World War Two. This is a war story like no other, told in a way that is at once inspired by the facts and true to the spirit of this legendary brigade of misfits and adventurers.”

Release date: 2022 (exact date TBC) via BBC One and BBC iPlayer

Marriage

We love a drama that gives us a stark reflection of what modern love looks like and BBC’s Marriage looks like it’ll fit the bill perfectly. The four-part drama is “an up-close portrait of a marriage – sometimes funny, sometimes moving, always revealing,” according to the synopsis.

Marriage sees married couple Ian (Sharpe’s Sean Bean) and Emma (Unforgotten’s Nicola Walker) negotiate the turbulent highs and lows of their 30-year marriage. 

The synopsis states: “We see them dealing with the insecurities, the ambiguities, the hopes and the fears that are part of all marriages, as the drama explores the risks and the gifts of a long-term intimate relationship.”

Release date: 2022 (exact date TBC) via BBC One and BBC iPlayer

The Split: season 3

The Split was one of the most watched drama series on BBC iPlayer in 2020 so you just know we were counting down the day till the third and final season came to our screens. And it certainly did not disappoint but warning: grab the tissues. 

As described by the BBC: “Set in the fast-paced, complex world of London’s high-end divorce circuit, The Split is an authentic, multi-layered, witty examination of modern marriage and the legacy of divorce.”

“Following the messy lives of the three Defoe sisters, Hannah (Unforgotten’s Nicola Walker), Nina (Annabel Scholey) and Rose (Fiona Button) and their formidable mother Ruth (Deborah Findlay), writer Abi Morgan is set to conclude the trilogy with the most dramatic and heart-breaking season to date as we watch a divorce lawyer confronted by her very own separation.”

The Split is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Four Lives

If true crime is one of your beloved TV genres, Four Lives should be at the top of your watchlist. Exploring the tragic murders of ‘Grindr serial killer’ Stephen Port, the BBC drama stars Stephen Merchant (The Office) as Port and Sheridan Smith (Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps) as Sarah Sak, the mother of one of the victims.

The real-life case happened between June 2014 and September 2015, when Port drugged, raped and killed four young men. The three-part BBC One drama follows the family’s fight for justice and tells the story of four of Port’s victims: Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor. Viewers all had the same reaction to the series’ searing finale, which makes it an unmissable watch.

Four Lives is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

The Responder

The Responder is the BBC’s latest high-octane drama for any crime drama fans out there. 

According to the synopsis, it follows “Chris (Martin Freeman), a crisis-stricken, morally compromised, unconventional urgent response officer tackling a series of night shifts on the beat in Liverpool. 

“Whilst trying to keep his head above water both personally and professionally, Chris is forced to take on new rookie partner Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo). Both soon discover that survival in this high pressure, relentless, night-time world will depend on them either helping or destroying each other.”

The Responder is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Mood

This ground-breaking drama is one of the standouts from the slate of new content coming to BBC Three recently. Starting off as a one woman play, creator Nicôle Lecky is bringing her genius to the small screen.

“Told in part through the songs that she creates, Mood follows Sasha, a 25-year-old wannabe singer and rapper,” the synopsis states. “She wants to be a major recording artist, but right now she’s a bedroom artist: spending her days smoking weed and stalking her ex-boyfriend (Jordan Duvigneau) on Instagram, and avoiding her mum (Jessica Hynes), her step-dad (Paul Kaye) and sister Megan (Mia Jenkins).

“When she is kicked out of her family home, Sasha is forced to fend for herself, sofa-surfing with local dealer Saleem (Mohammad Dalmar), until she moves in with party girl Carly (Lara Peake), who introduces her to the exciting world of social media influencing. But as the gap between her online presence and her dream of being a singer continues to grow, Sasha finds herself struggling to escape a world that is more complex and darker than she could have imagined.”

Mood is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Wahala

The hotly anticipated novel by Nikki May is unreleased but is already set to be one of the most talked about books of 2022. It’s also being adapted as a new BBC drama that we can’t wait to dive into and is being adapted by Theresa Ikoko, who was BAFTA-nominated for standout cinematic hit Rocks.

According to the synopsis: “Wahala follows three 30-something Nigerian-British female friends living in London, successfully navigating a world that mixes roast dinners with jollof rice.

“Simi, Ronke and Boo have been best friends for years, sharing every aspect of their careers, family lives and relationships with one another. But when the beautiful, charismatic and super wealthy Isobel infiltrates their friendship group, mounting tensions, unravelling bonds and unearthed secrets have shocking and tragic consequences.”

Ikoko also revealed that the series is “Big Little Lies meets Girlfriends” and will be an “amazing celebration of Nigerian British culture.”

Release date: 2022 (exact date TBC) via BBC

Chloe

Chloe is a six-part original series all about obsession, deceit, identity and grief, created and written by Sex Education director Alice Seabright.

It follows the story of Becky, a young woman living with her mum and working as a temp, who can’t help comparing herself to the picture-perfect lives on Instagram. And there’s one account that she compulsively returns to: Chloe’s. When Chloe dies suddenly, Becky’s need to find out how and why leads her to assume a new identity and engineer a ‘chance’ meeting with Chloe’s best friend, Livia, and infiltrate Chloe’s group of close-knit friends.

You’ll watch it and instantly want to re-think everything about social media – the sign of any good psychological thriller, if you ask us.

Chloe is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Everything I Know About Love 

Unlike Dolly Alderton’s bestselling book, the new series of Everything I Know About Love follows the fictionalised story of Maggie and Birdy, two young women who have remained best friends since school.

However, when the pair move to London together “to live it large”, a spanner gets thrown in the works – Birdy gets a steady boyfriend.

As the official synopsis reads: “[Everything I Know About Love is] a generous, funny, warm-hearted and uplifting Sex And The City for millennials which covers bad dates and squalid flat-shares, heartaches and humiliations, and, most importantly, unbreakable female friendships.” 

It’ll leave you nostalgic for 2012, Kate Moss for Topshop, reflecting on your own friendship breakdowns and thinking about tone-deaf friends – an all round gem of a series.

Everything I Know About Love is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Rules Of The Game

Rules Of The Game is a gripping four-part thriller about sexual politics in the modern workplace. Starring Maxine Peake (Three Girls, Silk) as Sam, a hard-headed manager at a family-run business in the North West. However, “when Sam arrives at work one day to find a dead body in the office reception she is forced to reckon with not only murky behaviour in the present, but murderous secrets from the past as well,” according to the synopsis.

Rakhee Thakrar (Sex Education) plays Maya, a new HR Director who tries to change the “old-fashioned lad culture”, and begins investigating historic cases of misconduct. Alison Steadman (Gavin & Stacy) plays Anita, a member of the board and the “cold, hardened widower of narcissistic company founder Harry.” 

Susan Wokoma (Enola Holmes) also features as DI Eve Preston, an “immensely driven, thick-skinned, no-nonsense detective who is investigating a case centred around the company,” the synopsis reads.

Rules Of The Game is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Life After Life

Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit) plays Ursula Todd, who is born to Sylvie (Fleabag’s Sian Clifford) and Hugh (Man In An Orange Shirt’s James McArdle) one night in 1910, but dies before she draws her first breath.

On that same night in 1910, Ursula is reborn and survives. “Time and time again, living and dying in different circumstances, Ursula is reborn into a new, alternative iteration of life once more,” the synopsis reads.

“This compelling story follows Ursula as she navigates each new life, through a critical era which spans two world wars, an encounter with Hitler and major life events. But what is it that Ursula so desperately needs to stay alive for?”

As the synopsis states: “Can a perfect life ever be lived? Can the course of history ever be changed? Can Ursula save the world?”

Life After Life is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

The Control Room

This gripping new Glasgow-based thriller tells the story of Gabe (Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D’s Iain De Caestecker), an ordinary man who works as an emergency call handler for the Strathclyde Ambulance Service. As the synopsis reads: “His world is turned upside down when he receives a desperate life-and-death call from a woman who appears to know him but with Gabe under pressure to work out who she is, he makes a decision that threatens to have devastating consequences.”

Joanna Vanderham (Dancing On The Edge) will also be leading the cast alongside De Caestecker and the three part drama will be directed by Amy Neil (Hanna) so we’re in for some high octane drama. 

Also joining the cast will be Sharon Rooney (My Mad Fat Diary), Daniel Portman (Vigil), Taj Atwal (Line Of Duty) and Stuart Bowman (Bodyguard).

Release date: 17 July 2022 via BBC One 

The English

A high-octane epic western led by Emily Blunt? Sign us all the way up please.

The A Quiet Place actor will be leading the cast alongside Chaske Spencer (The Twilight Saga). The six-part drama will follow Cornelia Locke (Blunt), an Englishwoman who arrives into “the new and wild landscape of the West to wreak revenge on the man she sees as responsible for the death of her son,” according to the synopsis. 

“Upon meeting Eli Whipp (Spencer), an ex-cavalry scout and member of the Pawnee Nation by birth, they join together and discover a shared history which must be defeated at all costs, if either of them are to survive.”

The epic story will be a hit for any romance (and western) lovers, we’re sure.

Release date: 2022 (exact date TBC) via BBC

Trigger Point

At this point, all you have to do is mention Vicky McClure and we’re guaranteed to watch but the premise of Trigger Point is also deeply enthralling.

The series sees McClure take on the role of Lana Washington, a bomb disposal operative within the Metropolitan Police’s Bomb Disposal Squad. Produced by Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio and starring Life And Trauma actor Adrian Lester, Trigger Point follows McClure’s character as she works to keep London safe in the midst of a “terrorist summer campaign”. It’s so tense you may be left holding your breath but is a great watch.

Trigger Point is available to watch on ITV Hub now.

Anne

Anne is the heartbreaking fact-based drama, all about the mother who dedicated her life to campaigning as chair of the The Hillsborough Justice Campaign after her 15-year-old son Kevin’s tragic death during the disaster. 

Shameless and Three Girls star Maxine Peake plays Anne Williams and the drama explores the decades-long fight to “demand justice for those who died at Hillsborough and those survivors who continue to suffer.” It’s an emotional but very important watch that brings new light to a slice of British history that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Anne is available to watch on ITV Hub now.

Without Sin

Another Vicky McClure-fronted ITV special that will be coming to our screens in 2022 is Without Sin. The four-part thriller will explore the relationship that develops between a grieving mother and the man she believes murdered her daughter.

The synopsis states: “The Nottingham-based drama focuses upon Stella’s life three years on from the death of her teenage daughter and how she is still hostage to her grief. The loss of her beloved only child has created deep divisions in her life, as she struggles on a daily basis to come to terms with this.

“Wracked with guilt and remorse at the events of that night, she chooses to live a nocturnal existence as an Uber driver. She is estranged from husband Paul, who still lives in the family home. When contacted by Restorative Justice, and in an attempt to move on, Stella and Paul reunite to listen to a taped recording of Charles, who they believe wants to atone for his sins and apologise for murdering their daughter.”

What unfolds is a Restorative Justice meeting but “nothing could prepare her for what Charles has to say next…”

Release date: 2022 (exact date TBC) via ITV

The Suspect

ITV’s new thriller will follow Dr Joe O’Loughlin, a clinical psychologist who appears to have the perfect life – a devoted wife, a loving daughter, a successful career and a publishing deal. He even became a hero online after saving a young patient who was about to jump from the 10th floor of the hospital where he works.

When a young woman is found in a shallow grave in a west London cemetery, police officers investigate whether it was a suicide or a murder. Joe offers his expertise in the case despite a recent diagnosis with a debilitating illness.

The official synopsis continues: “As the investigation into Catherine’s death gathers pace, we start to ask, do we know the real Joe, or does he have a secret life? And has his work as a clinical psychologist allowed him to develop a criminal mindset? Or worse?”

Release date: 2022 (exact date TBC) via ITV

DI Ray

ITV’s tense new series from Line Of Duty’s Maya Sondhi and Jed Mercurio “sends viewers on a thrilling ride through the murky underworld of Birmingham”.  Starring Parminder Nagra (Bend It Like Beckham), the series centres on Leicester-born Rachita Ray, a police officer who takes on a case that forces her to confront a lifelong personal conflict between her British identity and her South Asian heritage.

It effortlessly manages to weave in themes of workplace tension and microaggressions, making for a well-paced drama that, of course, has an unmissably gritty crime at its centre.

DI Ray is available to watch on ITV Hub now.

Litvinenko

David Tennant is set to star as Alexander Litvinenko in ITV’s upcoming drama Litvinenko, which will follow the story of the former Russian Federal Security Services and KGB officer. Litvinenko’s death, from polonium poisoning in November 2006, triggered one of the most complex and dangerous investigations in the history of the Metropolitan Police.

This series will be brought to us from the creators of Lupin and will focus on “the story of the the determined Scotland Yard Officers who worked for ten years to prove who was responsible,” according to the synopsis. It will also portray “Marina, played by Margarita Levieva (The Deuce, The Blacklist), Alexander’s fearless, dignified widow who fought tirelessly to persuade the British Government to publicly name her husband’s killers and acknowledge the role of the Russian state in his murder.”

Release date: 2022 (exact date TBC) via ITV

No Return

Imagine going on an idyllic family holiday, a family member being arrested and then, needing to confront a foreign legal system and growing media coverage. Well, that’s what happens in ITV’s No Return, which sees Sheridan Smith (Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps) play mother Kathy in the series that discusses “parental love, guilt, grievances, and the issues around consent for teenagers”.

The synopsis adds: “Their holiday is a chance to unwind and for Kathy and Martin (Michael Jibson) to spend some much-needed time together. Until unsuspecting Noah (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) accepts a seemingly innocent invitation to a beach party from a fellow holidaymaker, Rosie (Jodie Campbell), who is staying at the same hotel.

“Suddenly Kathy and Martin’s world spectacularly falls apart when they are left desperately fighting for their son’s freedom against extremely challenging circumstances.”

No Return is available to watch on ITV Hub now.

Riches

The six-part drama series will follow the aspirational Richards family as their fast-paced and successful lives begin to be put under a lot of pressure. We say it sounds like it could be the next Black British Succession and we can’t wait to watch.

According to Deadline, the series will span New York and London and  will kick off as self-made millionaire Stephen Richards (played by Hugh Quarshie) suffers a stroke.

Deadline adds: “His family’s secrets and lies rise to the surface and the future of his multi-million pound cosmetics business is placed in peril as the children from his two marriages’ lives begin to collide.”

Release date: 2022 (exact date TBC) via ITV

The Confessions Of Frannie Langton

Period drama lovers, this one’s for you. This four-part series will follow Frannie Langton (played by Karla-Simone Spence), “the young protagonist born into a life of slavery who is fighting to tell her own story”, according to the synopsis.

This powerful drama follows the eponymous Frannie’s journey from a Jamaican plantation to the grand Mayfair mansion of celebrated scientist George Benham and his exquisitely beautiful wife, Madame Marguerite Benham. Events take a dramatic turn as the Benhams are found murdered in their beds and Frannie is accused of a crime she has no recollection of.

Will Frannie recall the haunting events of that night? We can’t wait to tune in and watch this murder-mystery that will also dive into themes of race, class and oppression. 

Release date: early 2022 (exact date TBC) via ITV

Tom Jones

Tom Jones is set to be our new favourite romance-fueled series as it will follow the title character’s complicated journey to find love.

Based on the classic 1749 novel The History Of Tom Jones, A Foundling by Henry Fielding, ITV has said that Tom Jones will be “a picaresque story of the title character’s complicated journey to find real love. Tom Jones has delighted and scandalised readers since it was originally published in 1749.”

Release date: TBC

Sanditon: season 2 

Based on Jane Austen’s incomplete manuscript of the same name, Sanditon tells the tale of Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams), an unconventional heroine who moves away from her countryside hometown to a seaside resort. 

The second season – which came as a welcome surprise to fans after ITV cancelled the series back in 2019 – will see the return of heroine Charlotte, alongside a host of new faces who will surely make their mark on the sleepy seaside setting. 

Sanditon is available to watch on BritBox now.

I Hate You

We love a good comedy series and this new one looks like it’ll be full of all the laughs. From the creator of Friday Night Dinner, Robert Popper wanted to write a comedy about “super intense friends” and I Hate You was born.

The synopsis states: “Two best friends in their 20s – Charlie played by Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education) and Becca played by newcomer Melissa Saint – and their intense, messy friendship in today’s intense, complicated world.

“It’s about the one friend you can say anything to and do anything with: the idiotic in-jokes, and the laughing till you almost puke, as well as the insane bickering and late-night shouting matches. It’s about that one friend you really love – and really hate.”

Release date: 2022 (exact date TBC) via Channel 4 

Screw

A tense new prison drama featuring a cast of familiar faces? Sign us up. 

Screw focuses on Leigh, a female prison officer played by Nina Sosanya, and her working life in an all-male prison.

Channel 4 describes Screw as a series that depicts prison “as never seen before – the uncensored, terrifying and often darkly funny reality of life as a prison officer in an all-male prison in 21st century Britain.” Although she’s dedicated her life to the job, it seems as though Leigh has some secrets of her own that she’s trying to hide from her fellow prison officer colleagues. If you enjoyed the first series as much as us, you’ll also be pleased to know it’s been renewed for a second season.

Screw is available to watch on All 4 now.

The Birth Of Daniel F Harris 

This gripping drama sure sounds like an emotional rollercoaster and we can’t wait to watch. When Danny was a baby, his mum was sadly killed in a car crash. Overwhelmed with grief, Danny’s father Steve bought a house in the middle of nowhere, locked themselves away and told Danny that the outside world was full of monsters.

For 18 years, this continues with the both of them staying in and Danny was happy. But as the synopsis states: “When Danny turns 18 his whole world – everything he’s ever known – explodes in an instant and he has to come to terms with a new world he never knew existed. And find the real monster – the one that killed his mum.”

Release date: 2022 (exact date TBC) via Channel 4

Derry Girls: season 3

The Northern Irish coming-of-age series has come to an end with this third and final season. While we’re a mixture of emotions at the fact that this acclaimed comedy series has wrapped up, it just gives us more of an excuse to re-watch it over and over again.

Derry Girls may have gained international popularity after its Netflix release and two Bafta nominations for best-scripted comedy, but creator Lisa McGee confirmed that this season is the third and final one. She released a statement on the decision stating that “it was always the plan to say goodbye after three series.” 

Derry Girls is available to watch on All 4 now.

Top Boy: season 2

Top Boy returned to Netflix for a fourth season in May, following the success of the first Netflix series which was executive produced by Drake.

The first series on the streaming platform picked up as Dushane (Ashley Walters) returned from exile to his home in London to reclaim his throne in the highly lucrative drug market. He teams up with Sully (Kane Robinson), his spiritual brother, partner and sometime rival who is also returning to the same streets after his own form of exile – prison – comes to an end. 

Awaiting them both though is Jamie (Micheal Ward); the young, hungry and ruthless gang leader whose ambitions leave no place for Dushane and Sully. The second series certainly didn’t disappoint and was full of the same drama, tension and high octane action as the first. While we’ll miss having the series on our screens, we may not have to wait too long for another instalment as Top Boy has been renewed for a third and final series.

Ashley Walters (Bulletproof, Small Island), Kane Robinson, Micheal Ward (The A List, Blue Story), Simbi Ajikawo ‘Little Simz’ all reprised their roles in the new season, with fashion model Adwoa Aboah also making her acting debut on the show.

Top Boy is available to watch on Netflix now.

Anatomy Of A Scandal 

Based on the international bestselling 2018 novel Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan, this Netflix drama is an insightful and suspenseful series about sexual consent and privilege.

Set in London, the producers behind Big Little Lies and Gone Girl are also behind this new series and it didn’t disappoint.

The series follows the story of James (Rupert Friend), a high-flying Home Office minister whose marriage to Sophie (Sienna Miller) is plunged into crisis after the aide that he has an affair with, Olivia, accuses him of rape. We also follow Kate (Michelle Dockery), an ambitious barrister who is well-versed in prosecuting some of the UK’s worst cases of sexual assault. 

Anatomy Of A Scandal is available to watch on Netflix now.

Bridgerton: season 2

The second season of Bridgerton follows Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), the eldest Bridgerton sibling and Viscount, as he sets out to find a suitable wife. 

It closely follows the premise of the second book in which Anthony tries to make Edwina Sharma – aka the “most beautiful debutante of the current season” – his wife. The only problem? There’s an obstacle in his way – Edwina’s older sister, Kate (Simone Ashley).

There are many a stolen glance in this series, as well as badass female leads and a whole lot of scandal. What more could you want from another instalment of Bridgerton, right?

Bridgerton is available to watch on Netflix now.

The Crown: season 5

It seems like an age since we’ve had this addicitive, royal-centric Netflix drama to binge-watch but good news: it’s coming soon.

Jumping forward in time, the new series will likely cover Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ divorce and potentially, Princess Diana’s death. With a new series comes a new cast of familiar faces: Dominic West, Johnny Lee Miller and Elizabeth Debicki will all be joining the fifth season as Prince Charles, John Major and Princess Diana.

As the synopsis states: “The drama isn’t simply about the monarchy, but is about an empire in decline, a world in disarray, and the dawn of a new era.”

Release date: November 2022 (exact date TBC) via Netflix

Heartstopper

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. 

Heartstopper is an LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between. It follows main characters Charlie and Nick who meet at school and become friends, before gradually developing a romantic relationship. If emotional tension is something you’re after, we guarantee you’ll love this series.

Heartstopper is available to watch on Netflix now.

Inventing Anna

Netflix’s Inventing Anna brings the real-life story of ‘fake heiress’ Anna Delvey to life. Her crimes of high-level fraud already drummed up its fair share of audacious drama, so it’s only right it’s being brought to the small screen, right? With the help of Ozark’s Julia Garner, you really do get a good sense of Delvey’s character, her snobbery and her convincing ways.

Inspired by the article “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People” by Jessica Pressler, the 10-episode series will follow a journalist, Vivian, with a lot to prove as she begins to investigate the case of a mysterious heiress.

Inventing Anna is available to stream on Netflix now.

Stranger Things: season 4

It certainly is the year for all things Stranger Things-related as the fourth season has dropped in two separate (but equally engrossing) instalments.

It’s even more explosive than we hoped and you’ll want to grab the tissues for the finale, which had many moments that were completely improvised.

Stranger Things season 4 is available to watch on Netflix now.

The Puppet Master: Hunting The Ultimate Conman

This documentary tells the story of one of the world’s most audacious conmen. 

According to the synopsis: “Over the course of a decade, Robert Freegard controlled, conned and fleeced at least seven women and one man, stealing close to a million pounds. His traumatised victims were led to believe they were accomplices in highly elaborate secret service operations and that their families were in grave danger if they did not obey. 

“Freegard exploited, abused and controlled them with extreme cruelty, confident his victims were too paralysed by fear to escape. Now, in an incredible twist, the story reaches into the present day, with a family who fear for their mother’s safety.”

The Puppet Master: Hunting The Ultimate Conman is available to stream on Netflix now.

The Tinder Swindler 

This documentary film tells the jaw-dropping story of a prolific conman, the Tinder Swindler, who posed as a billionaire playboy on Tinder, and the women who set out to bring him down. 

As well as continuing to surprise us post-production, the documentary has shone a light on love bombing, romance scams and gaslighting.

The Tinder Swindler is available to stream on Netflix now.

Cheer: season 2

It seems like an age ago when the world was enraptured with Netflix’s Cheer and this second series may not have done exactly the same, but was still an enthralling watch. It deals with the aftermath of the show’s first season; the championship win, the newfound fame, rivalries and of course, the coronavirus pandemic.

The show also addresses the controversy surrounding Jerry Harris, one of the show’s breakout stars, who was arrested in September 2020 on a charge of producing child pornography and has since pled guilty to soliciting sex from underage boys at cheerleading events.

Cheer season two is available to stream on Netflix now.

Bad Vegan

How did a top vegan restaurant devolve into a tale of fraud and fugitives? Well, that’s the question at the heart of Bad Vegan, the Netflix documentary that’s just as wild as The Tinder Swindler.

The new four-part documentary comes from Chris Smith, the executive producer of Tiger King and director of Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. It explores how Sarma Melngailis went from being the lauded pioneer of modern vegan cuisine to being known as the ‘vegan fugitive’.

According to the synopsis: “Shortly after meeting a man named Shane Fox on Twitter in 2011, Melngailis begins draining her restaurant’s funds and funnelling the money to Fox after he cons her into believing he could make her dreams – from expanding her food empire to making her beloved pitbull immortal – a reality, but only if she continues to obey his every request without question.”

Bad Vegan is available to stream on Netflix now.

Ozark: season 4 part 2

Well, well, well, Ozark fans. It seems as though the end of the hit Netflix series is upon us and while we’d rather bury our head in the sand and pretend it hasn’t happened, Netflix really did pull through in delivering a bang with its final episodes.

In the first part of the final series, the rollercoaster ride of the Byrde family is in full force but this time round, Mexican cartel boss Omar Navarro’s nephew is a cause of great concern. He’s unpredictable, suspicious and could see the whole money laundering operation come down before them. The end of season four part one saw two major surprise deaths and Ruth was left to fend for herself. 

We won’t spoil how this saga ends but it sure is one hell of a finale.

Ozark season 4 is available to stream on Netflix now.

Girl In The Picture

In the world of true crime documentaries, it can be hard to genuinely surprise us anymore. But this documentary not only is deeply perplexing, it also sets a precedent for how true crime narratives should handle telling a victim’s story.

The film comes from Skye Borgman, the director of equally baffling docufilm Abducted In Plain Sight, and centres on the case of Tonya Hughes. When 20-year-old Tonya is found unconscious on the side of a road in 1990 – and later dies of her injuries – we soon realise that nobody actually knows who she is. Her friends ring her mother to notify her of Tonya’s death, but when she tells them that her daughter died as a baby two decades earlier, there’s only one question to answer: who actually is this woman?

We learn that Tonya is actually Sharon Marshall, the ultimate girl next door who had earned a full scholarship to study aerospace engineering at college – that is until she gets pregnant and disappears with her father, Warren. The story goes from menacing to downright bizarre as we learn that they both adopt fake aliases, get married and Sharon is forced to work as a stripper to make money for Warren. The subject matter, multiple name changes and parallel crimes are enough to make your head spin but the documentary does a stellar job of outlining this labyrinth of timelines to make for one truly wild watch.

Girl In The Picture is available to stream on Netflix now.

Suspicion

This fast-paced drama is the perfect watch for any thriller fans out there. When the son of a prominent American businesswoman (played by Uma Thurman) is kidnapped from a New York hotel, the eye of suspicion quickly falls on four seemingly ordinary British citizens who were at the hotel on the night in question. 

“As they find themselves in a trans-Atlantic cat and mouse race to evade the combined forces of the National Crime Agency and the FBI to prove their innocence, it becomes apparent that not everyone can be trusted,” the synopsis reads. 

“Who is really behind the mysterious abduction, and who is only guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time?”

Suspicion is available to stream on Apple TV+ now.

The Essex Serpent

This star-studded drama is based on the acclaimed novel of the same name. It follows newly-widowed Cora, who is played by Homeland’s Claire Danes, as she arrives at the small village of Aldwinter in Essex, ready for a fresh start after her husband’s death released her from an abusive marriage. 

“She soon becomes intrigued by a local superstition about a mythical creature known as the Essex Serpent that has allegedly returned to the area,” the synopsis reads. “Meanwhile, trusted community leader Will Ransom (Tom Hiddleston) has to deal with the mysterious rumours as they begin to spread.”

It’s an enthralling compelling read – The Essex Serpent was named the 2016 Book of the Year by both the British Book Awards and Waterstones – and the drama series follows suit.

The Essex Serpent is available to stream on Apple TV+ now.

Pachinko

We told you this was the year of the adaptation series, didn’t we? Pachinko is the fan-favourite, New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Korean American author Min Jin Lee and it’s come to the small screen.

Told in Korean, Japanese and English, the adaptation is the first major trilingual US series to hit the small screen. As the synopsis reads: 

“Epic in scope and intimate in tone, the story begins with a forbidden love and crescendos into a sweeping saga that journeys between Korea, Japan and America to tell an unforgettable story of war and peace, love and loss, triumph and reckoning.” This eight-episode series is one we’ll need the tissues for, we can already tell.   

Pachinko is available to stream on Apple TV+ now.

Roar

A feminist anthology series starring some well-known leading ladies? Sign us all the way up, please.

Based on a book of short stories by PS, I Love You author Cecelia Ahern, Roar consists of some “darkly comic feminist fables” and explores womanhood in all its forms throughout the course of eight half-hour “genre-bending” episodes. And what’s better is that some of our favourite actors star. 

Nicole Kidman and Cynthia Erivo feature as well as star Alison Brie (GLOW), Issa Rae (Insecure), Merritt Wever (Unbelievable) and Betty Gilpin (GLOW). Meera Syal (The Split), Fivel Stewart (Atypical) and Kara Hayward (To The Stars) also star. 

Roar is available to stream on Apple TV+ now.

Severance

A fan of Black Mirror? Succession? Excellent, we know you’re bound to love this series.

Severance is a workplace drama like no other. The synopsis reads: “Mark (Parks And Recreation’s Adam Scott) leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.”

The daring “severance procedure” quite literally severs the ties between work and personal life for the workers of Lumon Industries. It’s an intriguing concept and one that makes for an addictive series full of mystery, drama and uncovered truths. Oh, and one heck of a finale. So much so, it’s been renewed for another season.

Severance is available to stream on Apple TV+ now.

The Shining Girls

Elisabeth Moss sure knows how to excel in a dark drama and this one looks is another strong role for her to add to her repertoire.

The Shining Girls is based on the 2013 book of the same by Lauren Bukes, which follows Kirby on a mission to uncover the identity of her attacker after she learns about a number of cases that mirror her attack.

As the show’s official synopsis reads: “When Kirby learns that a recent murder mirrors her own case, she partners with seasoned, yet troubled reporter Dan Velazquez to uncover her attacker’s identity.”  It’s dark, twisted and kept us guessing – and it’s even directed by Moss herself.

The Shining Girls is available to stream on Apple TV+ now.

WeCrashed

If you lapped up the podcast, you’re bound to revel in this upcoming Apple TV+ drama.

The addictive WeCrashed podcast has been adapted for the small screen and we could ask for nothing more than this perfectly ludicrous (and scandalous) tale to be hashed out before our eyes. Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto star as the disgraced couple behind WeWork, Adam and Rebekah Neumann.

As the Wondery description for the podcast reads: “It’s a story of hope and hubris, big money and bigger screwups, and the lengths people will go to chase ‘unicorns.’.” Just brilliant.

WeCrashed is available to stream on Apple TV+ now.

The Gilded Age

If you’re a fan of Downton Abbey, you’re bound to love this period drama series. 

From executive producer Gareth Neame and director Michael Engler – the creative team behind both the award-winning Downton Abbey series and feature film, The Gilded Age focuses on one woman’s move from rural Pennsylvania to New York City during the American Gilded Age.

A culture-shocked and penniless Marian (Gone Hollywood’s Louisa Jacobson) is suddenly thrust into a world of aristocracy and wealth. As the synopsis states: “In a new world, a new age is about to begin.” Agnes van Rhijn (played by The Good Fight’s Christine Baranski) and Ada Brook (played by Sex And The City’s Cynthia Nixon) also star as Marian’s “thoroughly old money aunts”.

And in even better news, The Gilded Age has also just been renewed for a second season.

The Gilded Age is available to stream on Now.

House Of The Dragon

Game Of Thrones fans, it’s time to finally assemble. Based on George RR Martin’s Fire & Blood, House Of The Dragon, which is set 200 years before the events of Game Of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen. 

The family is on the brink of civil war and a bloody battle that will become known as the Dance of the Dragons. Some familiar faces are set to feature, such as Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, who is heir to the throne and younger brother of King Viserys Targaryen (Peaky Blinders’ Paddy Considine).

Truth Seekers’ Emma D’Arcy plays Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, King Viserys’s first-born child. Meanwhile, Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill) plays Ser Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and his daughter Alicent is played by Olivia Cooke (Sound Of Metal).

Release date: 22 August 2022 via Sky Atlantic and Now.

Funny Girl

This new Sky comedy drama series is about a young woman from Blackpool finding her comic voice in the male dominated world of the 1960s sitcom.

The synopsis states: “Bold, stylish, and courageous, Gemma Arterton stars as Barbara Parker – the force of nature who takes London by storm. Her journey from Blackpool beauty queen to comedy superstar and nation’s sweetheart is set during the cultural explosion of the 1960s. It’s the height of the swinging 60s and Barbara Parker has just been crowned Miss Blackpool – but there’s got to be more to life than being a beauty queen in a seaside town, right? She wants to be… someone.”

Landing a part in a ground-breaking new sitcom that will likely have an impact on British comedy for decades to come, Parker has to “find her funny” as  she “re-defines the prevailing attitude to funny women and in the process, reinvents herself.”

Release date: October 2022 (exact date TBC) via Sky and Now.

The Flight Attendant: season 2

The second season of The Flight Attendant is finally here. 

According to the synopsis, season two finds Cassie “living her best sober life in Los Angeles while moonlighting as a CIA asset in her spare time. But when an overseas assignment leads her to inadvertently witness a murder,” the release continues, “she becomes entangled in another international intrigue.”

The new season also sees Feel Good creator Mae Martin joining the show where they’ll be playing the character of Grace St. James. Also joining the cast is Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct, Catwoman) who has been cast in the recurring role of Lisa Bowden, Cassie’s estranged mother who “would prefer to stay estranged.”

The Flight Attendant season 2 is available to stream on Now.

Fear Index

This fast-paced thriller is based on the best-selling novel by Robert Harris. Dr Alex Hoffman (Josh Hartnett) is a computer scientist and genius who is ready to make a killing. 

The synopsis reads: “Alongside his hedge fund business partner and best friend, Hugo, he’s launching VIXAL-4 to investors – an AI-driven system that exploits fear in the financial markets and promises returns of billions. But this is not the day Alex and Hugo had planned on. What follows are the worst 24 hours of Alex’s life – cutting across reality, memory and paranoid fantasy, forcing him to question everything he sees with his own eyes.”

Fear Index is available to stream via Sky Atlantic and Now.

The Rising

This eight-part supernatural crime thriller is the ideal pick for anyone who enjoys a chilling drama.

The synopsis reads: “Neve Kelly is dead. Understandably, she’s scared and confused by this new (non) existence, but moreover, when she realises she has been murdered, she’s furious. Determined to find her killer and get justice, she takes advantage of her new supernatural abilities to go where the police can’t and investigate her own death. 

“In doing so, she uncovers deeply buried secrets and is forced to re-examine everything about her life and the people she cared about.”

The Rising is available to stream via Sky One and Now.

The Lazarus Project

Imagine being trapped in one day in time, forever repeating time. Well, that’s the premise of this new action thriller that features I May Destroy You star Paapa Essiedu.

The synopsis reads: “1 July 2019. A date that George (Essiedu) can never forget… No matter how hard he tries. Trapped in a loop that keeps returning him to 1 July, he discovers the existence of a secret group known as The Lazarus Project – a crack team of agents who prevent global catastrophe by resetting time.

“George signs on with the colourful group as their latest recruit, but when his wife is killed and his colleagues refuse to reset time to save her, George goes rogue and puts a plan in motion that has the potential to destroy the planet.”

The Lazarus Project is available to stream via Now.

The Midwich Cuckoos

An exciting modern-day reimagining of John Wyndham’s science fiction classic starring Keeley Hawes and Max Beesley. But trust us, the children are definitely not to be trusted in this one.

The synopsis states: “Midwich is a quiet commuter town where nothing much happens. That is, until the twilight hours of a late summer’s day, when everyone within a set area of the town falls unconscious. The curious incident seems temporary and those affected regain consciousness, but every woman of child-bearing age inside the zone has suddenly and inexplicably fallen pregnant. 

“As the children of the phenomenon grow, it becomes clear they are not of this world.”

The Midwich Cuckoos is available to stream via Now.

Gangs Of London: series 2

One of the biggest Sky Original dramas in recent times returns, with the map of London redrawn one year on from the violent and tumultuous events of the first series. 

Since the collapse of the Wallace Dumani empire, a gold rush threatens the city with gangland anarchy. The synopsis continues: “As investors intervene, a new gang is enlisted to restore status quo. Coldly designed to bring other gangs to heel, each faction must now decide where their loyalties lie. Who will win the battle for the soul of London?”

Release date: 2022 (exact date TBC) via Sky Atlantic and NOW TV

The Baby

This darkly comic horror series sounds like the stuff of weirdly wonderful nightmares.

The synopsis reads: “When 38-year-old Natasha (Michelle de Swarte) is unexpectedly landed with a baby, her life of doing what she wants when she wants dramatically implodes. Controlling, manipulative and with violent powers, the baby twists Natasha’s life into a horror show. 

“Where does it come from? What does it want? And what lengths will Natasha have to go to in order to get her life back?”

The Baby is available to stream via Now.

Euphoria: season 2

Euphoria is well and truly back, people.  

Regular cast members Zendaya (Rue), Sydney Sweeney (Cassie), Alexa Demie (Maddy), Barbie Ferreira (Kat) and Maude Apatow (Lexi) return to our screens for another dose of the hit HBO drama. 

As well as the usual teenage angst, addiction and scandal from the previous season, this second instalment is providing us with wholesome romance, intriguing backstories and some stellar acting.

Euphoria is available to stream via Now with a NOW Entertainment Membership.

The Time Traveler’s Wife

Steven Moffat’s upcoming adaptation of popular novel The Time Traveler’s Wife stars Theo James (Downton Abbey) and Rose Leslie (Vigil).

The series is based on Audrey Niffenegger’s book of the same name, which tells the story of a couple whose marriage is complicated by time travel and was previously adapted as a 2009 film starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana. This series is heartbreaking, romantic and the perfect kind of emotional watch to wile away a weekend with. But you may have to savour it as HBO hasn’t renewed it for another season.

The Time Traveler’s Wife is available to stream via Now.

The Staircase

Calling all true crime fans: The Staircase’s limited series s most definitely worth a watch. 

Having been in development since 2019, this series is full of familiar faces. Colin Firth stars as novelist Michael Peterson, the man who was thrown under a cloud of suspicion following the death of his wife, Kathleen. Toni Collette, known for her roles in Knives Out and Hereditary, stars as Kathleen, Peterson’s wife, while Sophie Turner (Game Of Thrones) plays his adopted daughter, Margaret Ratliff.

It’s not only a dramatic retelling of a truly perplexing true crime case, but it also puts Firth’s indisputable (and convincingly chilling) acting skills on show for all to enjoy.

The Staircase is available to stream via Now.

The Rings Of Power

Having a spent a whopping £327.7 million on the show’s first season alone, we have incredibly high hopes for this Prime Video series.

Set thousands of years before the movies, though, the eight-part series will bring Tolkien’s fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history to our screens for the very first time.

“Beginning in a time of relative peace, it follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth,” promises Amazon’s official release.

Release date: 2 September 2022 via Amazon Prime Video

This Is Us: season 6

Get your tissues ready, folks. The last season of This Is Us is upon us and we’re having to face the fact that we have to say goodbye to the Pearsons.

The sixth series picks up where that shocking season five finale left off and also chronicles Rebecca’s (Mandy Moore) heartbreaking Alzheimer’s storyline. 

It explores Randall and Kevin’s past and futures too while getting some (much-needed) clarity around Kate’s relationship breakdown with Toby, after he took a new job in San Francisco in the last series. A fittingly emotional end to a series that always needs the Kleenex to hand.

This Is Us season six is available to stream on Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video now.

The Rig

Blending horror and thriller, The Rig whisks us away to an oil rig stationed off the Scottish coast in the dangerous waters of the North Sea.

We meet the crew of the Kinloch Bravo, who are eagerly waiting to be collected and returned to the mainland but an all-enveloping fog makes the journey back impossible.

The synopsis adds: “The rig is hit by massive tremors, and they find themselves cut off from all communication with the shore and the outside world,” continues the official synopsis.

“And, as the crew endeavour to discover what’s driving this unknown force, a major accident forces them to ask questions about who they can really trust.”

Release date: early 2022 via Amazon Prime Video

Hacks

Is there anything worse than hearing all the buzz about a series and not being able to stream it here in the UK? That’s how we felt when we kept seeing all the praise for Hacks but now, it’s landed on Amazon Prime Video. 

The acclaimed comedy series has already been confirmed for a third instalment but follows legendary Las Vegas comic Deborah Vance (Mare Of Easttown’s Jean Smart), who is forced to work with Ava (real-life standup comedian Hannah Einbinder), an entitled, outcast 25-year-old comedy writer. What ensues is a dark mentorship and a whole lot of miscommunication – particularly around the fact that Deborah doesn’t understand many of Ava’s jokes.

In total, the series has amassed a total of 15 Emmy award nominations in 2021 so it’s safe to say we’re binge-watching this one as soon as possible.

Hacks is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video now.

Pam & Tommy

This eight-part limited comedy series is based on the true story of the release of the first-ever viral video in history — the sex tape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. 

Played by Lily James and Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy tells the story of the leaked sex tape scandal featuring Baywatch actor Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee that rocked the tabloids in the 1990s. The series follows their whirlwind romance, how their relationship very quickly progressed (marrying after only knowing each other for 96 hours in 1995) and all the drama that ensued.

Pam & Tommy is available to stream on Disney+ now.

The Dropout

Based on the ABC News podcast of the same name, The Dropout chronicles the real-life spectacular rise and fall of Silicon Valley entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes. Once dubbed “The Next Steve Jobs”, Holmes’ revolutionary health technology company was infamously exposed as a scam. 

The synopsis reads of the new Disney Plus drama reads:

“Money. Romance. Tragedy. Deception. The limited series “The Dropout,” the story of Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) and Theranos is an unbelievable tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. How did the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire lose it all in the blink of an eye?”

The Dropout is available to stream on Disney+ now.

How I Met Your Father

The anticipated How I Met Your Father spin-off is a hilarious sequel to the original. Set in the near future, Sophie (played by Hilary Duff) is telling her son the story of how she met his father and features Sex And The City’s Kim Catrall as future Sophie.

It’s a story that catapults us back to the year 2021 where Sophie and her close-knit group of friends are in the midst of figuring out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps and limitless options.

How I Met Your Father is available to stream via Disney+ now.

Queens

Queens follows four women in their 40s who attempt to relive their glory days as a hip-hop girl group. The synopsis reads:

“Estranged and out of touch, follow these four women as they reunite for a chance to recapture their fame and regain the swagger they had as the Nasty Bitches – their 90s group that was once regarded as one of the greatest girl groups of their generation, following the release of a chart-topping single, ‘Nasty Girl’.”

The new series stars hit music artists Eve as Brianna aka Professor Sex and Brandy as Naomi aka Xplicit Lyrics, Naturi Naughton (Power) as Jill aka Da Thrill, Nadine Velazquez (Flight) as Valeria aka Butter Pecan and Pepi Sonuga (Famous In Love) as Lil Muffin.

Queens is available to stream via Disney+ now.

Under The Banner Of Heaven

This upcoming Disney+ series has already been hailed as one of the standout dramas of the year and if the ominous trailer’s anything to go by, we’d already be inclined to agree.

The true crime series is based on the bestselling Jon Krakauer non-fiction novel of the same name and will explore the brutal 1984 murders of Brenda Lafferty and her 15-month-old daughter, Erica. It’s set to be a chilling tale of murder, the Mormon church and government distrust. 

It’s also Oscar-nominated Andrew Garfield’s first small-screen role and he’ll be starring as Detective Jeb Pyre, who will “investigate events that transpired within the Lafferty family”. Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones will also be leading the cast as Brenda while Chloe’s Billy Howle will star as Allen Lafferty and Avatar’s Sam Worthington as Ron Lafferty.

Release date: 27 July 2022 via Disney+

Only Murders In The Building: season 2

Only Murders In The Building was the comedy-drama we weren’t expecting to love as much as we did but we’re buzzing with excitement now that the second season is here and the loveable true crime-obsessed trio are back on our screens.

As well as Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short returning, we also have Cara Delevingne and Amy Schumer joining the second season antics. After the eventful season one finale, the heartwarming group are back and ready to clear their name – but mystery and murder are never far behind them. 

Only Murders In The Building season 2 is available to stream via Disney+ now.

The First Lady

Viola Davis already gives stellar acting performances and her portrayal of Michelle Obama in upcoming The First Lady is set to be another.

The First Lady is a new three-part anthology series that will look at America’s historic presidencies through a female lens.

As the official synopsis reads: “This series will peel back the curtain on the personal and political lives of three unique, enigmatic women, tracing their journeys to Washington through interweaving storylines with an enlightening intimacy, with season one focusing on Michelle Obama, Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt.” 

The First Lady is available to stream via Paramount+ now.

Lead image: BBC