Ann DroidDiane Morgan and Sue Johnston team up for a quirky sitcomYear: 2026Certificate: 12Watch now on BBC iPlayerQuirky Mandy and Philomena Cunk comedian Diane Morgan stars as a humanoid care robot, assigned to help recently widowed Sue (Sue Johnston) live independently in this six-part sitcom. Written by Morgan and Sarah Kendall (who created the BAFTA-nominated Frayed), it offers a playful look at whether robotic droids might one day offer something resembling genuine companionship.Sue is gifted Linda, a secondhand 'AnnDroid Z58/100 Basic Eldercare Robot' by her son, Michael (Motherland's Paul Ready), who is moving out of the house he's been sharing with his mother to try to fix his failing marriage. Linda is a socially inept early model, delivering a steady stream of misunderstandings and disorder, while an unexpected bond between human and bot steadily forms.The opening episode takes a while to find its rhythm. Some early repeated jokes wear thin, and the mother-son dynamic initially feels more strained than amusing. Stick with it, though, because once Linda arrives the comedy sharpens considerably as the dry humour and awkward exchanges that have defined Morgan's past work come to the fore, particularly through Linda's painfully literal observations. Beneath the laughs, themes of grief, loneliness and embracing life at an older age give the series emotional grounding. Despite its slower start, Morgan's robotic delivery paired with the sharply observed writing makes Ann Droid an odd, charming and ultimately rewarding treat. (Six episodes) The Five-Star WeekendJennifer Garner stars in a drama about women finding themselves on the island of Nantucket Year: 2026Certificate: 15Watch now on NOWWhen high-flying food blogger Hollis Shaw (Jennifer Garner) loses her husband, her world seems to fall apart – and all she wants is a distraction. This distraction comes in the form of a weekend away with friends from different parts of her life, at a fancy house in Nantucket, and that weekend is the basis for this eight-part drama based on the novel by Elin Hilderbrand. Hilderbrand also wrote The Perfect Couple, a story also set in Nantucket. That was a murder mystery adapted with some style for Netflix, but The Five-Star Weekend is much more of a drama about women coming to terms with where they are in their lives. It's no less moreish, though. The cast is top drawer, and includes Chloe Sevigny as the understandably bitter Tatum, Regina Hall as Dru-Ann, a woman with work issues, D'Arcy Carden as Brooke – whose husband is asking a lot of her – and Gemma Chan is Gigi, a more recent associate of Hollis. The result is a show that is so, so easy to watch that you barely notice the episodes slip by, in between the quality of the cast and loveliness of the setting. (Eight episodes)Ride Or DieHannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer star in an odd-couple action comedyYear: 2026Watch now on Prime VideoJudith (Hannah Waddingham) and Debbie (Octavia Spencer) have been friends for 20 years. They get on like a house on fire but Judith has been keeping a secret from her closest pal all this time – she's an assassin. That all changes one night, when the two of them end up involved in a running gun battle and Judith has to come clean. Then Debbie has to go into hiding and Judith finds herself on a road that may force her to choose between her friend and her job. Waddingham and Spencer are very different in all senses of the word, and they make for a fun odd-couple pairing at the centre of this eight-part action comedy. There's decent support, too, from Bill Nighy as Judith's paymaster, and the script has a wry British voice courtesy of its creator – Tessa Coates, a long-time figure on the British comedy scene known for her sketch group Massive Dad and solo stand-up. It's nice to see her getting a global platform with this Amazon show. (Eight episodes) Evolution (2026 Series)Chris Packham explores the evolutionary journeys of five modern animalsYear: 2026Certificate: pgWatch now on BBC iPlayerThere's some big science in this natural history series, but Chris Packham keeps it accessible, and upbeat – his wonder and enthusiasm for the natural world is positively infectious. It's the story of how five animals evolved into the creatures we know today, and there's lots to consider in the big picture of evolution. Ultimately, though, it all boils down to one thing, a single cell named Luca, aka the Last Universal Common Ancestor, from which all life on Earth evolved. The fascination lies in the detail and, starting with the elephant, Packham reveals how, over billions of years, our last common ancestor became this 'complex, enormous and beautiful' animal. As well learning why the elephant evolved to be the largest land mammal on Earth today, we also find out why it has a trunk, with its 90,000 miniature muscles, and tusks, the teeth that never stop growing. Future episodes tell the stories of the ostrich, bat, dolphin, and horse, exploring different themes that tell the story not just of these animals, but of all life on Earth. (Five episodes)Lucky (2026 series)Anya Taylor-Joy stars in a seven-part crime thriller about a heist gone wrongYear: 2026Certificate: 15Watch now on Apple TVAnya Taylor-Joy stars in a seven-part crime thriller that starts in high gear and stays there. Adapted from Marissa Stapley's novel by Jonathan Tropper (also the man behind Apple's Your Friends & Neighbors), Lucky is the story of a couple who pull off a daring heist, only for something to go wrong – leaving Lucky Armstrong (Taylor-Joy) on the run from both the law and outlaws in Las Vegas. Sporting various haircuts and colours as the show pushes on and with her character caught somewhere between victim and action hero, Taylor-Joy is a compelling presence at the centre of this twisting tale. The wider cast also features Justified's Timothy Olyphant as her jailbird dad and the great Annette Bening as a pivotal character whose nature we won't reveal here. Rest assured you won't miss when she turns up, though. Taken as a whole, the series manages to feel both gritty and glossy, familiar and different – like Lucky herself, its style sits somewhere between pulp fiction and class act, but the one thing that's certain is that it'll pull you eagerly from one episode to the next. (Seven episodes) The WestiesJK Simmons stars in a gangland drama set in 1980s New YorkYear: 2026Watch now on MGM+There's more than a touch of The Sopranos to The Westies, a 1980s-set gangster drama about the war between Irish and Italian-American gangs in New York. The show's ace in the hole is Oscar-winner JK Simmons as Eamon Sweeney, leader of the Irish gang – the Westies of the title – while running him a close, brooding second is Bosch star Titus Welliver as Glenn Keenan, a childhood friend of Sweeney's who now works for the New York City Police Department, and is about to receive an assignment that will take him into the heart of gangland New York.Another familiar face on the case is Grantchester's Tom Brittney, as Sweeney's largely sensible underling James 'Jimmy' Roarke. Then there's Jimmy's Joe Pesci-style wildcard of a friend, Mickey Flanagan (Stanley Morgan), who's back in town but not at all in his right mind. Taken together, you've got the ingredients for a gangland epic that, with the right handling, could run and run. Someone might want to find Brittney a better wig should there be a second series, though. (Eight episodes) The Hairdresser MysteriesCosy comedy mystery starring Sally Phillips as a sleuthing 1970s hairdresserYear: 2026Certificate: pgFrom the moment Lily Petal (Sally Phillips) roars into view in her yellow sports car, T. Rex blasting from the speakers, you know she's destined to bring some excitement to the provincial town of Blossom Vale, where she's come to open a hair salon. And as she gets to know the locals in this cosy new mystery, 1970s-obsessed Lily reveals a remarkable skill: her years as a stylist to the stars in London have given her an uncanny knack for discerning clues to people's character from their hairstyle alone. Enter a succession of incredible, and incredibly bad, wigs and hairdos.With tongue firmly in cheek, this is an ideal star vehicle for Phillips, a comedy actress who first made her name in nineties to noughties sketch comedy Smack The Pony and has been a supporting player in countless hit comedies since, from Miranda to I'm Alan Partridge, Austin to the Bridget Jones movies. It's great to see her take the lead here, though, in a show that isn't just cosy but funny too – it's written by acclaimed playwright Jim Cartwright, best known for The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice, which was adapted into an award-winning film starring Jane Horrocks. (Six episodes)Chorus GirlsSeventies-set Danish series following a troupe of female dancersYear: 2023Certificate: 15Set in the mid-1970s, this Danish series (with English subtitles) is a blackly comic drama following the women of the chorus line at the Circus Revue, a variety show of a breed that's all but died out these days – and here it's very much in its last gasp. It opens with the auditions as we meet the team behind the revue, as well as the eight new additions to the line-up, ahead of a summer season.The 1970s were an era when people drank alcohol at all times of the day – including at work – and when women were still expected to have a man provide for them. The all-female dancers include a spirited newlywed, a mother trying to escape her abusive husband and a veteran dancer whose time in the spotlight is numbered. And it's through them that we experience the 1970s and its casual sexism, in a show that is also filled with levity, warmth and resilience. (Eight episodes)The HawkWill Ferrell stars as a washed-up golf pro in this goofy comedy seriesYear: 2026Certificate: 15Watch now on NetflixWill Ferrell is well-known for his goofy comedy stylings on film, but The Hawk is his first TV comedy – unless you count his star-making stint on Saturday Night Live. For this Netflix series, co-created with his old SNL writer friend Harper Steele, Ferrell stars as washed-up golf pro Lonnie 'The Hawk' Hawkins, a character who is very much in the warmly ridiculous Ferrell wheelhouse of big physical comedy. Hawkins languishes in the minor leagues, dreaming of a return to the PGA, and finally finds a way to do it – but at what cost? Ferrell is actually a keen golfer in real life – in 2007, Golf Digest ranked him 100 on a top 100 list of Hollywood golfers, just below Heather Locklear – and quipped that the show was an exercise to 'play a lot of golf'; he does some of the on-screen playing here. On the cast, he's joined by another old SNL buddy, Molly Shannon, and Luke Wilson – whose brother Owen had his own golfing comedy, Stick, over on Apple TV. (Ten episodes)The Dark (2026 series)Tense and shadowy psychological serial killer thrillerYear: 2026Certificate: 15Watch now on ITVXDCI Monica Kennedy (The Nevers' Laura Donnelly) wears a very sombre and serious expression throughout this new thriller, but then, she doesn't have much to smile about. There's a serial killer stalking innocent young men, carefully posing their naked bodies to cause maximum upset. Their gruesome manner of death is described to Monica by the quirky pathologist (Hayat Kamille) who then concludes 'Oh Monica, there truly is a wicked monster out there.'Set in Scotland in the 1990s, and based on the books by GR Halliday, this six-parter is aiming for the grim, angst-ridden atmosphere of 90s crime thrillers like Silence Of The Lambs and Se7en, Cracker or Touching Evil. Cosy crime this very definitely is not.Kennedy is the sort of detective who can get inside the minds of the worst of humanity. Despite having a young daughter at home, she's dedicated to the job, talks tough, and might even have a bit of a death wish, frequently flying into action without back-up. She's definitely more Clarice Starling than Vera Stanhope.In an era when all crime shows seem to serve their murders with a wry nod and a wink, it makes a change to get back to a place where evil really exists. You do have to be in the mood for the murky shadows that come with it, though. (Six episodes)Murder 101 (2026 documentary)The real-life story of Tennessee schoolchildren who cracked a cold case wide open Year: 2026Watch now on Prime VideoAt a high school in Tennessee, Alex Campbell has spent years putting his sociology students to work on cold case murders. Mr Campbell is passionate about teaching, and didn't necessarily see the aim of the class as to solve the case but to teach the children about the unseen struggles of others – it is a sociology class, after all. Then, one day, the children developed a profile of the killer that helped crack the case of the 'Redhead Murders' open once again, reviving an investigation into the case of dead women's bodies that were dumped on roadside across the US in the 1980s. This three-part documentary is based on the 15-episode podcast that tells that story, and takes you inside the classes where it happened as the children engage with the case, relate it to their own lives and just keep digging in that dauntless way that children do. It's an extraordinary story, yes, but almost as interesting is the way Mr Campbell subtly encourages his children along the way. (Three episodes) The Cult Of NatureBoyThe disturbing story of an apparent utopia that turned into a nightmare cult Year: 2026Watch now on Disney+In 2016, a charismatic social media influencer named Eligio Bishop was preaching online that we should all go into nature and live at the utopia he had found in Costa Rica. Bishop called his organisation Carbon Nation, and would tell people online that their lives were not 'how life was supposed to be'. Many people heeded that call. They flocked to his side from across the world and many recall having a great time at first – until events took a dark turn. This four-part documentary hears disturbing first-hand allegations of abuse and manipulation from former members of Carbon Nation, an organisation that soon started to seem like a cult. Those accounts are supplemented by disturbing footage of activities inside, many of which were livestreamed at the time, including footage of Bishop pronouncing himself 'the truth' and 'god'. Ultimately he was found guilty of rape and false imprisonment and sentenced to life in prison. (Four episodes) The Tech Billionaire TakeoverAn investigation into how far the tech and crypto elite want to take their power and influenceYear: 2026Certificate: 12Watch now on BBC iPlayerWhether he is a trillionaire or just a bogstandard billionaire, Elon Musk has the means to pay for power and influence. And, in the technology sphere, he is not alone. Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg have changed how we live our lives, starting with shopping and communication, but what's next? And how far do the tech billionaires intend to go?Reporter Matt Shea meets Chinese-born crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun who, in between trips into space, is becoming increasingly involved with global politics, signing a big deal with the Trump family. Sun and others have set their sights on overhauling the global financial system – and democracy itself, believing that technology can put the power back into the hands of the people. But is it really just another way to keep the wealth in the hands of the few? The 12 richest people in the world own almost the same total wealth as the bottom half of humanity. It's unlikely the billionaires would want those numbers to change. (59 minutes)The SentinelsFrench sci-fi drama about First World War super-soldiersYear: 2025Certificate: 15Watch now on BBC iPlayerA wartime drama with a sci-fi twist, this French series (with English subtitles) imagines that in France during the First World War scientists are working on a secret super-soldier project, a serum that fixes injuries and makes successful recipients (i.e. those who don't die) inhumanly strong and almost invincible. It's a project not without moral ambiguity, or toxic side-effects.After suffering horrific injuries on the battlefield (it's a gory and graphic show, too), French soldier Gabriel (Louis Peres) is selected to become one of the project's guinea pigs. Outside the laboratory and the training base for the super soldiers, dubbed Sentinels, other mysterious forces are also in play, mingled with Nazi collaborators, spies, and ordinary French people striving to survive the war.With a potential for a reunion between Gabriel and his wife Irène, the show builds a wider, more labyrinthine picture, with its own unique world that's part Frankenstein, part Penny Dreadful, part Deadpool. It's loaded with style and swagger but also delivers on action, intrigue, and excitement. (Eight episodes)Outback Terror: The Falconio MurderRevisiting the shocking murder of a British backpacker in 2001Year: 2026Certificate: 12When British backpacker Joanne Lees was rescued from the Australian Outback in 2001, she had survived a horrifying ordeal. Her boyfriend Peter Falconio was not so lucky. It was a shocking case that captured headlines both in the UK and Australia, with Lees and her story of how she escaped coming under undue and grossly unfair scrutiny. Meanwhile, Falconio's body was never found.In 2005, Bradley Murdoch was convicted of Peter's murder, and the assault and attempted kidnap of Joanne. He died in prison in 2025, and the location of Peter's body died with him.This two-part series revisits the case almost 25 years on, returning to the crime scene with two world-leading experts including a former FBI profiler, who re-examine the evidence and testimonies as they search for new insights that might lead them to Peter's final resting place, hoping to give his loved ones peace after all this time. (Two episodes)Heartstopper ForeverThe British teen romance comes to a close with this feature film finale Year: 2026Certificate: 15Watch now on NetflixAfter three series of Heartstopper's addictive up-and-down teen romance and other dramas, the stories of Nick, Charlie and friends come to a close with this film. It's written by Alice Oseman, who also wrote every single episode of the Netflix show, and draws on Volume Six and the novella Nick And Charlie from her original series of hugely popular graphic novels. The question of the film is, can first love last forever? It's certainly a pertinent one for Nick and Charlie, who spent so long getting together in the first place, but now face the unenviable challenges of a long-distance relationship. And they aren't the only ones confronting the vexing questions that come with growing up, either. The result is an enjoyable confection that brings Nick and Charlie's story to a close in a concise way, although some fans may still be left wanting, as there was originally supposed to be an entire fourth series to wrap it up. There is one change in the cast from the series – Anna Maxwell Martin has replaced Olivia Colman as Nick's mum, Sarah – and one big addition, in the shape of acting royalty Derek Jacobi. (111 minutes)AnemoneDaniel Day-Lewis stars in the intense directing debut of his son, RonanYear: 2025Certificate: 15Watch now on SkyWatch now on NOWFew actors have given as many indelible performances as Daniel Day-Lewis, whose 'retirement' in 2017 after Phantom Thread (for which he was Oscar-nominated) was duly mourned. But he's back, in Anemone – the directing debut of his son Ronan, with whom Day-Lewis shares the writing credits.He's brilliant, of course, as Ray, an angry, possibly traumatised former soldier now living like a hermit in a Yorkshire wood, estranged from his brother Jem (Sean Bean, also splendid), former partner (Samantha Morton) and son (Samuel Bottomley).The result is an undeniably heavy and intense tale, in which Jem tries to draw Ray towards some kind of reconciliation but, except for the mighty acting, there is nothing to relieve the film's unrelenting gloom. As such, this is one of those movies that requires a robust state of mind to appreciate. (125 minutes) Gilmore GirlsCosy drama about a mother and daughter in a cute Connecticut townYear: 2000-2016Certificate: 12Watch now on NetflixWatch now on Disney+In the early 2000s, this drama about a mother and daughter living in a cosy New England town became a byword for comfort TV. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who would later give us The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, the Gilmore girls are youthful single mum Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and her witty offspring Rory (Alexis Bledel), who's almost 16 when the show begins. Watching how their lives unfold over the ensuing seven series (and a lesser but still enjoyable four-part Netflix follow-up) is an easygoing pleasure that's smartly written enough to make it feel like it's a worthwhile use of time. Anyone who enjoyed the dialogue on Maisel will recognise Sherman-Palladino's gift for snappy lines here, although the pace of their delivery is more leisurely than in that Amazon show. Lorelai and Rory's home town of Stars Hollow is a lovely place, too, the kind of hamlet we'd all like to escape to for a little while. Look out for Melissa McCarthy as Sookie, Lorelai's enjoyably chaotic best friend and one of Stars Hollow's other kooky inhabitants. (Seven series) Smile 2Supernatural horror movie sequel about a murderous grinning demonYear: 2024Certificate: 18Watch now on Paramount+Watch now on NOWWatch now on SkyWatch now on NetflixPossessing its victims and forcing them to either commit suicide in front of another person or to commit a gruesome killing before a witness to pass its curse on, the smile demon at the black heart of this horror franchise is a truly terrifying creation. This second outing sees it infecting a troubled pop star Skye (British actress Naomi Scott) as she recovers at a drug rehab centre ahead of a comeback tour. Full of creeping paranoia and hallucinations, this is another supremely chilling supernatural horror movie outing. It's not for the faint-hearted or the easily disturbed, but fans of the genre are going to find a lot to gorily relish here as writer/director Parker Finn stretches his chilling horror concept to its extremes. It won't be the last outing for the franchise either, with a third film already receiving the green light. (127 minutes)