Whether you're in the mood for a gripping documentary about nightmarish neighbours or just fancy laughing at some good old-fashioned stand-up, you'll find the ideal show or film in this expertly curated list from our TV critics.So what are you waiting for? Escape the heatwave, curl up on the sofa and get stuck in!ElleRomcom prequel to Legally Blonde set in mid-1990s Seattle.Year: 2026Certificate: 12Watch now on Prime VideoThis Legally Blonde prequel opens in 1995 on the 16th birthday of Elle Woods – a party that seems to be playing out in a kind of Barbie dreamhouse. The LA high life of Elle is about to come crashing down, though, and the high-schooler finds herself having to start anew in a very different city: Seattle.When Elle arrives in the rainswept home of Nirvana, she finds its cynical residents clad in nothing but dark greens, browns and blues. Is there any space in this world for a girl who prefers life to be a little more... pink?Lexi Minetree is well-cast as Elle, managing to ground the character's chirpiness with intelligence and kindness in a similar way to Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 film, while also nailing the comedy moments. The series around her plays like a blend of high-school romcom and slow-burn mystery, as Elle discovers the flair for fighting social injustice that will ultimately turn her into a lawyer, and struggles to find her identity outside her well-meaning but appearance-obsessed mother.Think of it like a head-on collision between Clueless and Veronica Mars and you won't be far off. The show is also distinguished by featuring the final on-screen role for James Van Der Beek – he doesn't pop up until episode three, though. (Eight episodes)The Good LifeThe great suburban comedy, starring Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal.Year: 1975-1978Certificate: 12Watch now on BBC iPlayerWatch now on NOWWatch now on SkyThe great 1970s sitcom, starring Felicity Kendal and Richard Briers as the eco-conscious Goods, who swap commuting for growing their own veg in very suburban Surbiton. Their neighbours are the hilariously stuffy Margo and Jerry Leadbetter, played by the pitch perfect Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington – and it's the contrast between the two couples that makes the show work so well. Early reviews for The Good Life, though, were far from brilliant. Still, the BBC stuck by the show and it steadily gathered steam, with the viewing public eventually realising it was better than good – it was wonderful. By the autumn of 1976, with the third series in full swing, it was attracting upwards of 17 million viewers every week. That was well over a third of Britain's population at the time. And one of them was the Queen, who rarely missed it. Later, there was even a royal command performance, a special episode recorded in 1978 with the Queen in the audience and a small brouhaha brewing backstage, because Eddington – a Left-leaning Quaker – had declared that he would not feel comfortable bowing to the sovereign after the show. In the event he did bow, but went 'a bit pink'. (Four series) Silo (Series 3)Juliette is back where she started in the third series of the sci-fi mystery.Year: 2026Certificate: 15Watch now on Apple TVJuliette is back where she started in the penultimate series of this sci-fi mystery. Well, sort of. She's back in the original silo she escaped from, but her fame as the only person to leave and return means she has been installed as mayor. But Juliette doesn't remember anything, and doesn't seem to have any power of her own to wield. Is she just a figurehead? The silo seems to be a much more democratic place now the dust from the rebellion has settled, but you get the feeling something nasty is coming. Possibly, when Juliette regains her memory.The story flips between that and scenes set in the past, which promise to show us just how the dystopia surrounding the silos was created and, before the end of the first episode, you may start to suspect at least one connection.Silo is one of the strongest shows on Apple and, indeed, one of the strongest sci-fi shows out there. It wouldn't work nearly as well as it does without Rebecca Ferguson's performance as Juliette, which hits an even higher level this time around. Seeing her trying to piece together the mystery of her life, just as she unravelled the mystery of the silo in series one, makes for unfailingly riveting viewing. (Ten episodes)Worst Neighbour EverNightmarish real-life stories of out-of-control neighbours in the US.Year: 2026Certificate: 15Watch now on Netflix'You never really know who your neighbours are,' reflects one of the contributors to the US show. And this is swiftly proven true in this US series from the creators of Worst Roommate Ever and Worst Ex Ever, which uses first-hand testimony, accounts from law enforcement and colourfully animated reconstructions to delve into nightmarish stories of people next door. Accounts in the series include people mowing their lawn naked, stalking neighbours to the supermarket, calling the police over and over and flat-out, actual explosions that could have taken out entire neighbourhoods. One of the houses is revealed to have 16 firearms inside – watching from a UK perspective, at least, that's something we have to worry about less than suburbanites across the Atlantic. But the idea of secrets simmering behind seemingly perfect suburban facades, and the way small disagreements can snowball into something deadly, is all too relatable wherever you live. (Four episodes) Alexander Armstrong Across AmericaThe genial Armstrong journeys around the US for its 250th anniversary in this four-parter.Year: 2026Watch now on 5 (Ch5)In a four-part series, Alexander criss-crosses the mighty United States, travelling from the historic streets of Pennsylvania to the rugged heart of West Virginia, from Florida's sun-soaked coastlines to the neon-lit spectacle of Las Vegas – before arriving in the otherworldly landscapes of Utah. It's a celebration of the 250th anniversary of American Independence, exploring how a nation founded on bold ideals has grown into one of the world's most powerful countries. The first part opens in Philadelphia, while the second takes Alexander into West Virginia, where, deep in the Appalachians, he finds a fiercely proud and independent group living light years away from the trappings of 21st-century America. He begins his journey with Nate, a homesteader who has rejected modern life and now lives off-grid. Later, he uncovers one of the Cold War's most extraordinary secrets. (Four episodes)Al Murray: All You Need Is GuvThe comedian is on combative form in this stand-up show.Year: 2026This stand-up show from Al Murray's Pub Landlord opens with a unique bit of audience interaction. At the theatre there's a theme park-style splash zone, in which the poncho-wearing punters guffaw merrily while Murray slings badly-pulled pints of beer over their heads for longer than you'd think possible. Not long after, they're on the business end of a firehose of cracks about their weight and relationship statuses. A show with the Landlord is very much a ride, one in which everything is in the firing line – vegan bacon, oat milk, queues in pubs- and a peppering of on-the-line jabs at his audience. 'If they like it, it's banter, it's harassment when they don't,' is a guiding principle and it serves him well, because everyone knows this is a character – a plain-speaking champion of common sense with one foot in the aftermath of the Second World War, a conflict of which the actual Murray is a scholar. The landlord has an instinct for how Britain would fare in a future one, too, perhaps with Germany: 'They've been too quiet for too long,' he warns. You know the show. It is big, and it's cleverer than it looks. (48 minutes) Rik Mayall: Magnificent B'StardProfile of the great British comic known for his wildly energetic performances.Year: 2026Certificate: 15Watch now on SkyIf you think of Rik Mayall, you probably think of him in The Young Ones, Bottom or The New Statesman. One of the boons of this profile, though, is how broad a picture it gives you of his work. The feature-length film is full of the kind of insights and tributes you'd expect – from the likes of Adrian Edmondson, Ben Elton and the comedy producer Paul Jackson, as well as Rik's brother Anthony – but it's footage of such early creations as the bad poet Rick, and Kevin Turvey, the investigative journalist from Redditch, that really jump out.The character work is superb and more subtle than the louder gear he became known for later on. Still, that full-throttle energy was a big part of Mayall's appeal as part of the rising wave of alternative 'punk' style comedy. He wasn't always on in that way, though. His daughters Bonnie Mayall and Rosie Richardson reflect how, at home, Mayall could be quite different. And it's in the way the film marries the two sides of him over its course – that he both believed he was amazing and felt anxious about it, at the same time – that is where it really succeeds as a profile. (98 minutes) The Agency (Series 2)The second series for the London-set spy thriller starring Michael Fassbender and Richard Gere.Year: 2026Certificate: 15Watch now on Paramount+If you've not seen series one of this excellent, slow burn spy thriller, then stop reading because this will contain a spoiler for the finale of that. Okay? Then we'll begin. As we return to the London world of undercover CIA agent-turned-handler Brandon (Michael Fassbender), aka 'Martian', he's caught up in the consequences of turning double agent for the British – represented by an MI6 spymaster played by Hugh Bonneville – to try and save his now imprisoned love, Samia. The main consequence is that he now has to pursue operations that work for both the UK and the US to get what he wants, and the results for us at home are a thrilling chess game full of clandestine meetings, muttered conversations and high stakes espionage abroad (chiefly in Iran). The Agency is up there with the best spy thrillers, and that's partly down to the acting. Spies are all about subtext and few are better at delivering that on screen than Fassbender, but he's far from holding this show up alone – two of the cigar-chomping, whisky-swilling higher-ups working with him at the American Embassy are played by Richard Gere and Jeffrey Wright. The other reason The Agency works is the patience of the plotting and writing. 'Slow burn' can be code for boring when describing some TV shows but with The Agency, it's really not. Just give the show some time and your full attention, and it'll reward you. And once you're done, seek out Fassbender's performance in the spy thriller movie Black Bag. It's a much jazzier watch, but just as satisfying. (Ten episodes) Rolf Harris: Primetime PredatorThe rise and fall of the disgraced Aussie entertainer.Year: 2026Certificate: 15Watch now on Prime VideoThe Australian entertainer Rolf Harris charmed millions with his wobble board and artistic skills, rising to such pop culture and establishment heights that he both played Glastonbury and painted the Queen's 80th birthday portrait. It all came crashing down in 2014, when this national treasure and all-round 'good bloke' was convicted of 12 counts of indecent assault on young girls and women and sent to prison. Harris was released from prison in 2017 and died in 2023, aged 93, but how does his home nation deal with the unpleasant legacy of what this 'quintessential Aussie' turned out to be?This two-part, Australian-produced documentary reckons with that, telling the story of his rise and fall and hearing from survivors in the UK and Australia who are willing to tell their stories after his death. They include a woman who talks about being assaulted when she was a teenager on a Mediterranean holiday, a story about an attack on a TV commercial set, and the heart-rending account of an 11-year-old girl who was abused by him while she was off school due to illness and whose parents did not believe her at the time. Taken together, this is a thoroughly disturbing portrait of how fame can protect predators hiding in plain sight. 'We will never know the full scale of his abuse,' reflects survivor Tonya Lee, words that make you wonder what other abuses are going unreported in plain sight at the moment. (Two episodes)Chris & Martina: The Final SetThe rivalry and bond between Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.Year: 2026Certificate: 12Watch now on NetflixWhen the tennis players Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert first met, it was at a tournament at a country club when they were both teenagers. The two girls became friends, and Evert remembered it was fun because, on the court, 'I was better than her'. 'She was only really close friends with players that could never beat her,' reflects Navratilova of Evert, who then pulled away from their doubles partnership when she felt Navratilova was becoming a threat to her solo game. This break was a prelude to years of fierce rivalry, leading to games that one contributor to this documentary describes as 'Godzilla v Mothra'.Much later, when both women were diagnosed with cancer within a couple of years of each other, their bond has changed again – deepening into something extraordinary. This carefully crafted, feature-length film hears from Evert and Navratilova as they reflect on a lifetime both together and apart, looking back on how what was important to them changed with time, and how their childhoods framed their approach to living. It's a portrait of life lived through two different lenses and one of those documentaries that seem to be about sport but are actually simply about people and the way they choose to live. Expect to be moved. (96 minutes) House Of The Dragon (Series 3)The third series opens with battles and dragons, and adds James Norton to the cast.Year: 2026Certificate: 18Watch now on HBO MaxWatch now on NOWWatch now on SkyThe complaint with both House Of The Dragon and its mothership show, Game Of Thrones, has always been that they made us wait too long for the dragons. Too long for the battles. That's not a problem at the start of series three, in which action and dragons are very much at the forefront. After a bit of scene-setting to remind us who everyone is in the fight between Alicent and Rhaenyra – if you don't remember, we recommend rewatching series two because it's complicated - the meat of the 72-minute opener is given over to battle, mostly on sea but also on the land and in the air, and with the promise of more to come.There are consequences from of all this fighting, chiefly for the parent-child relationships in the higher echelons of Westeros. The Sea Snake is sailing into battle with his illegitimate son; Alicent is trying to keep her new king, also her son, out of danger through high-risk means; while Jacaerys attempts to make his will felt against his mother, Queen Rhaenyra. We won't spoil how any of it pans out but, suffice to say, it's a dramatic opener.Meanwhile, a new power waits in the wings - a shiny new lord in the shape of James Norton as Ormund Hightower, leading a shiny army into the muck of the battle between Rhaenyra and Alicent. You'll have some calmer episodes after the first one to process it all. (Eight episodes)Life, Larry And The Pursuit Of UnhappinessSketch comedy series on US history, starring Larry David.Year: 2026Certificate: 15Watch now on HBO MaxIn 2024, Larry David called time on his great, semi-improvised TV comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm. The Seinfeld co-creator isn't one to lay fallow for long, though, and the result is a sketch comedy series that has nothing less than the whole of American history as its playground - hence the title, which is a play on 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' from the Declaration of Independence.The setting may be different but Curb and Seinfeld's theme of social awkwardness (and that improvised approach) remains, with one sketch finding Larry as a man trying to kiss a nurse in that famous VJ Day celebration picture, only to be branded a 'pervo-Nazi'. Is there anywhere in history that Larry can be happy? It's produced by the Obamas and not in a hands-off, name-only way either – Barack appeared in one of the trailers and he's set to appear in one of the sketches, too. The guest list beyond him is similarly stellar and includes Jon Hamm, Jane Krakowski, Sean Hayes, Kathryn Hahn, Jerry Seinfeld, Vince Vaughn and Isla Fisher. (Seven episodes) Jon Snow: A Last Big StoryVeteran reporter files one last report after his Alzheimer's diagnosis.Year: 2026 Certificate: PGWatch now on Channel 4'At the beginning I wanted to hide it, there's so much prejudice. Any sort of hint of mental decay, you're sort of dead. There are moments when it pops up but it's not an all day, every day condition, and that's what I cling onto.'There was a massive show of support for Jon Snow when he announced his Alzheimer's diagnosis in June 2026 and this remarkable film shows Jon as he manages the condition with his neuroscientist wife, Precious Lunga, at his side. Then it shifts, as Jon comes across the shocking story of an environmental disaster in Zambia where he and Precious live some of the year.Jon's old journalistic instincts kick in and he's on the phone to Ben de Pear, his former editor at Channel 4 News, going back out into the field to bring the story to global attention. Meanwhile, Precious has a private call with Ben, advising him how to look after Jon, whose condition means he has good days and bad days.For the most part, Jon is the vibrant, compassionate broadcaster we all know, still sporting colourful ties and recounting amusing stories and anecdotes, but there are also more telling moments when he is altered: when he asks the same question over and over during an interview, for example. Overall, seeing the good days and the bad days in this way makes the film the most fitting of final stories for Snow. He exposes a scandal, while also demonstrating that Alzheimer's is not immediately the death sentence many assume it to be. It changes you, but does not completely erase you. (75 minutes)Enola Holmes 3The third film about Sherlock's canny teenage sister.Year: 2026Certificate: 12Watch now on NetflixLife has moved on for Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) in the splashy but uneven third film about Sherlock's canny teenage sister. She's getting married to Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), but is she willing to give up her surname, her identity as a Holmes, for the man she loves? Luckily, she has some time to figure that out. On the way to the wedding in sun-kissed Malta, Enola learns from Dr Watson (Himesh Patel) that Sherlock (Henry Cavill) has been kidnapped, and sets off to find him. The Mediterranean-set third movie has a script from Jack Thorne like the first two, but a different director - Philip Barantini, who directed Thorne's Adolescence, so expect a slightly darker tone from this one. Not too dark, though: 'I wanted to challenge myself and make something my daughter could watch,' says Barantini, who also directed the tough kitchen drama Boiling Point. 'She's eight and loved the first two films, so making something she could really be part of was one of the key reasons I wanted to do this film.' The resulting film has some promising moments and certainly tries to deliver a lot, but rarely gets out of second gear when it comes to the plot. So adjust your expectations accordingly. (105 minutes)Summer's Last ResortComedy that's a Gen Z-style take on The Parent Trap.Year: 2026A kind of Gen Z take on The Parent Trap, this mix of romcom and coming-of-age tale stars M3GAN's Violet McGraw as tense teen Summer. One day, her livewire single mum Milly (Sophia Bush), strikes up a relationship with Glenn (Jerry O'Connell), her school vice-principal. And Summer is not impressed. The enjoyably ridiculous plot then sends their possibly soon-to-be blended families off on a five-star holiday, and chaos ensues from there. The film has a mix of humour – gross-out, slapstick, nicely turned verbal gags – but the best thing about it is the characters. Summer's mum is basically a child who Summer has had to parent, and she's resentful about that; her younger brother is wise beyond his years in a way that may crumble, you suspect, when he hits puberty, and as for Glenn's daughter? Well, she's certainly a handful. We'll leave it at that.Summer's Last Resort is one of those films that ends up being way more entertaining than you expected. Directed by Melanie Scrofano from a script by Emily Andras (who also wrote the fantasy western series Wynonna Earp, in which Scofano starred for years), it's a comedy that punches above its weight. (96 minutes) Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd StoryThe New Yorker who hosted a racy TV call-in show.Year: 2026Certificate: 18Watch now on HBO MaxFrom 1977 to 1998, New York's Robin Byrd hosted a public access TV call-in show that celebrated all things to do with sex. Back then, public-access TV served a similar function to the internet now, providing a platform for anyone to get their opinions out there – and boy did Byrd do that, offering advice on everything under the sun from her exercise routine through to safe-sex tips at the height of the Aids epidemic. Not everyone liked it but Byrd, a free-loving but fervent warrior of the Sexual Revolution, overturned attempts at censorship in the Supreme Court in 1996, becoming a free speech champion on top of everything else. This documentary meets her as she turns 69 and then 70 and, while there is plenty of footage of those racy days making TV by the seat of her pants (her sound man was deaf; her technical director colour-blind), its heart lays in portraying her partnership with Shelly, a man who seems utterly devoted to his 'orgy queen' and has been married to her for 50 years. Shelly now has dementia, and Robin takes him on a trip to the place where they first met to stir his memories. It's a poignant journey; a look back, rather than ahead.Like all the best profiles of its kind, this marries the private and (very) public face of its subject so, by the end, you come away feeling like you know them. And Byrd won't be easy to forget. (79 minutes) Fire CountryMacho California firefighter drama with impressive action sequences, now back for series four.Year: 2022-Certificate: PGWatch now on NOWWatch now on SkyLegendary US TV producer Jerry Bruckheimer is behind this California firefighting drama, and the action sequences certainly live up to his reputation for big, exciting television. The story comes from its star and creator, Max Thieriot, who plays a maverick convict with a burning desire to redeem himself, and does so by putting his impressive biceps to work as a firefighting volunteer alongside the professionals. This is a very American story of men who do the right thing no matter what, also a Bruckheimer hallmark – but it comes with twists as the town where Bode (Thieriot) is put to work is also his hometown, and he has some thorny personal connections there.Thieriot is a solid hero figure with a neat twinkle in the eyes, and has charismatic support from the older cast playing figures higher up the firefighter chain, notably Billy Burke (Twilight) and Diane Farr (Numb3rs). If you're after something less soapy than Chicago Fire and less right-on than 9-1-1: Lone Star, Fire Country's impressive fire sequences and macho cast could well fit the bill. The third series begins with a bang when there's a helicopter crash - and even though it happens during the wedding of Gabriela and Diego, the firefighters leap into action. Cast additions in series three include Jared Padalecki (Supernatural), Constance Zimmer (House Of Cards) and The Hunger Games' Leven Rambin as feisty firefighter Audrey James. The latest fourth series opens with the station in turmoil in the wake of the Zabel Ridge fire. (Four series)Suits LAWest coast spin-off of the popular legal drama.Year: 2025Watch now on Channel 4The hit legal drama Suits thrived on its sharp dressing and even sharper dialogue, and this sequel series, which shifted coasts from New York to California, arrived in 2025.Set in the LA offices of former prosecutor turned entertainment lawyer Ted Black (Arrow's Stephen Amell) and his partner Erica Rollins (Lex Scott Davis), the winning formula was somewhat lost in translation - though this first and only series does come to life when original Suits star Gabriel Macht reprises his role as shark-like Harvey Specter. Other characters from the original series pop up, including Louis Litt and Daniel Hardman, while there are also a steady stream of actors playing themselves. Look out for Patton Oswalt, Community's Yvette Nicole Brown and Brian Baumgartner (Kevin from the US Office). No huge names there, but they do add colour to the show. (13 episodes) HeroesThe pre-Marvel superhero drama that gripped audiences around the world.Year: 2006-2010Certificate: 15Watch now on NetflixWatch now on Prime VideoA cheerleader discovers she can heal from any injury. An artist realises he's painting the future. A geeky computer whiz finds he can teleport, and a cop becomes aware he can hear people's thoughts. What connects these seemingly separate people? This ambitious US sci-fi drama threads many disparate storylines together, with a cast that includes Milo Ventimiglia and Hayden Panettiere and Zachary Quinto on great form as the villain, Sylar. Bet you've forgotten Christopher Eccleston was in a few episodes, too. Series one is absolutely brilliant, even if the following three didn't live up to the very high bar which that sets. It's notable that it came along in 2006, not long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off with Iron Man in 2008. (Four series)