Searching for a new TV show this month? I’m keeping an eye on Stan’s period drama American Hostage, which puts Jon Hamm front and centre; as well as HBO Max’s Youth, a comic-drama created by and starring Bad Sisters powerhouse Sharon Horgan.NetflixElla Beatty as Lizzie Borden in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.NetflixMy top Netflix recommendation is Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story (September 17).Horror maestro Ryan Murphy’s historic crime anthology returns. The latest season is focused on the young American woman who in 1892 was the main suspect after her father and stepmother were brutally dismembered with an axe. As with 2025’s Ed Gein instalment, Murphy’s long-time collaborator, Ian Brennan, is in charge. But it’s very much a familiar Murphy mix, complete with a nepo-baby lead in Ella Beatty (daughter of Warren Beatty and Annette Bening) as the possibly insane Lizzie, with star power from Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) and Rebecca Hall (The Beauty) as the domineering parents turned victims. Don’t expect a conventional narrative – Murphy fave Sarah Paulson (All’s Fair) will also feature as 1980s serial killer Aileen Wuornos.Also on Netflix: Netflix has been producing sports documentaries since 2021 under the Untold banner. The focus of these feature-length tales moves between criminally adjacent scandals, unconventional protagonists and straight-up weirdness. Australia gets its first entry with Raygun: Breaking Badly (September 1), which takes us back to the 2024 Summer Olympics when Australian competitor Rachael Gunn, aka Raygun, became a global sensation after a disastrous competitive breakdancing performance. Gunn, who has kept a low media profile since, gives her side of the story, explaining her motivation and what it’s like to unintentionally become the meme of the moment.August highlights: The remake of My Brilliant Career revealed a rebellious Australian classic that had been given new relevance, but science-fiction mystery The Last House struggled despite stars Greta Lee and Wagner Moura.HBO MaxSharon Horgan and Sharlene Whyte in HBO Max series Youth.HBO MaxMy top HBO Max recommendation is Youth (September 21).The Irish writer and actress Sharon Horgan has been one of television’s sharpest comic voices for the past two decades: Pulling, Catastrophe, Divorce and Bad Sisters constitute a top-tier CV. In her latest blackly comic drama, Horgan plays a divorced 50-year-old getting the full generational experience. She’s looking for sex and romance in her own life, has an adult son who’s a handful and must help care for her ageing parents. Horgan’s casting instincts remain impeccable, with Harriet Walter (Succession) playing her character’s mother and Rupert Friend (High Desert) as an intriguing acquaintance. If newcomer Aran Murphy looks familiar, it’s because he’s the spitting image of father Cillian.Also on HBO Max: If you’ve ever watched an American crime procedural and struggled to distinguish the role of the FBI, Secret Service, US Marshals and Department of Justice, then Line of Fire (September 22) might be a handy explainer. In this action thriller, an extended family of law enforcement agents – Dad (Peter Krause, Six Feet Under) is with the Secret Service, Mum (Hope Davis, Your Honour) is a US Marshal – have to break protocol and band together when an assassin begins targeting family members. A possible comparison? This Is Us, but with heaps more assault rifles. Creator Josh Safran was responsible for the twisty Disney+ FBI thriller Quantico.August highlights: Lanterns was out to prove that the comic book game still had something to offer.Amazon Prime VideoMaria Sten stars as Frances Neagley in Amazon Prime Video series Neagley.Sabrina Lantos/PrimeMy top Amazon Prime Video recommendation is Neagley (September 16).With the success of Reacher, Amazon Prime Video’s arse-kicking series about a very large former soldier who punishes wrongdoing, a spin-off was always on the cards. The assignment goes to Maria Sten (Big Sky), who has played the uncompromising Frances Neagley, a former comrade and fleet-fisted friend to Jack Reacher. Alan Ritchson’s Reacher does have a guest slot – something tender, like a bar fight or flamethrower practice – but this is very much about Neagley taking charge. Reacher creator Nick Santora helped craft the show, which sees private eye Neagley investigating how a friend’s death is connected to a messianic rehab facility boss (Damon Herriman, Justified).Also on Amazon Prime Video: Since her run as Wonder Woman came to an end, Gal Gadot has been looking for her next hit feature film. The latest effort from the Israeli actress is The Runner (September 2), a London-set thriller where she plays Maia Marten, a lawyer whose morning jog goes sideways when a mysterious figure (Damian Lewis, Billions) kidnaps her son and starts issuing life-and-death ultimatums that make no sense. Maia has to figure out her part in the caller’s plan, while making each stop in time. The accomplished Scottish filmmaker Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play) directs.August highlights: Sterling Point delivered a fresh new take on the coming-of-age romantic drama.Stan*Jon Hamm in American Hostage.StanMy top Stan recommendation is American Hostage (September 20).With Shawn Ryan (The Shield, The Night Agent) as a co-creator, this crime thriller draws on historic events to depict a life-and-death standoff. The setting is the 1970s, with Jon Hamm (Your Friends and Neighbours) as Fred Heckman, an Indianapolis radio reporter so deeply respected in the community that when local man Tony Kiritsis (Giovanni Ribisi, Sneaky Pete) became enraged with his mortgage broker and took him hostage, he repeatedly called Heckman to make his case. Many of their calls went out live to air, even as Kiritsis booby-trapped his captive to frustrate police snipers. It’s a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction outline – done right, the tension should be extreme.Also on Stan: Few franchises these past 10 years have created a more committed fan base than the romantic fantasy Outlander. The time-travel heartbreaker recently concluded after eight seasons, but devotees already had a spin-off to focus on with the prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood (September 19). After a well-received first season, the show returns with further ramifications for the two central couples, who will eventually become the parents of Outlander’s beloved protagonists. With both 18th and 20th century storylines, the plot sometimes needs explanatory schematics, but the yearning glances and fierce physical desire come through loud and clear.August highlights: The Australian documentary Poster Boy: Becoming Zyzz delivered much-needed posthumous clarity, plus Brooke Shields dove into cosy crime with You’re Killing Me.Apple TVPatrick Brammall in new Apple TV thriller Last Seen.Apple TVMy top Apple TV recommendation is Last Seen (September 9).Patrick Brammall’s very good year continues. After a deftly supporting role in The Devil Wears Prada 2 and a celebrated final season of the much-loved comedy Colin from Accounts alongside wife Harriet Dyer, the Australian actor headlines this obsessive thriller set and shot in Victoria. Brammall plays Ian Ridley, a former police detective whose career imploded after his young daughter, Maggie, disappeared without a trace. A decade on, working as a dispatcher, Ian answers a distressed Triple Zero call which he’s convinced is from a teenage Maggie. His response is soon without limits. The supporting cast includes Maxine Peake (Say Nothing) and Brendan Cowell (Plum), as Apple TV looks to make a statement with an original Australian production.Also on Apple TV: Brothers (September 23) comes with an almighty television legacy. The show reunites Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, who in 2014 co-starred as mismatched police detectives in the literary crime drama True Detective. Their new series, however, is a meta-comedy, with the actors playing fictionalised versions of themselves who end up sharing a house together before learning they may be related. Both McConaughey and Harrelson are co-creators of the series, although their original collaborator, David West Read (Schitt’s Creek), departed midway through shooting, with Lee Eisenberg (The Office) stepping in. It’s a genuine mystery what this will be.August highlights: London was calling as a new season of Ted Lasso brought a familiar coach back to a new team.BingeAriadne Sgouros, Leah Purcell and Brendan Cowell in High Country: What Lies Beneath.BingeMy top Binge recommendation is High Country: What Lies Beneath (September 14).The first season of the Australian mystery High Country made excellent use of both atmospheric locations in the Victorian Alps and lead Leah Purcell (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart), whose newly transferred police officer uncovered a conspiracy involving missing people in her tiny rural community. In the show’s second season, Purcell’s Andie Whitford is launched into a dangerous new investigation when a dead body is pulled from a local lake, tearing back more hidden layers of deceit and revenge. The supporting cast has received significant reinforcements, with Purcell being joined by Brendan Cowell (Game of Thrones), Nadine Garner (Savage River) and Ryan Corr (Wakefield).Also on Binge: Of creator Ryan Murphy’s many, many franchises, none has run for longer and been consistently wilder than American Horror Story. The show, which debuted in 2011, is the distillation of his affinity for gore, stylised excess, and radical historic reinterpretation. American Horror Story: 13 (September 25) is something of a victory lap for the series, bringing together fan favourite characters from previous seasons. Jessica Lange (Feud: Bette and Joan) will reportedly reprise four roles, Evan Peters (Mare of Easttown) five, and Sarah Paulson (The Bear) seven. Will it all make sense? Possibly. Will it be completely unfettered? Absolutely.August highlights: An out-of-control holiday with friends made Two Weeks in August everything a White Lotus fan could need.Disney+Glen Powell returns in Chad Powers season two.DisneyMy top Disney+ recommendation is Chad Powers (September 3).Glen Powell loves a good costume. The Hollywood star wore a slew of loopy outfits in the lights-out Netflix thriller Hit Man, and now he’s headlining a second season of this sports star in disguise comedy. After a first instalment that slowly figured itself out, the story will continue with Powell as Russ Holliday, an entitled former college football star who nuked his career but came back to the game after eight less than productive years, now posing as the unknown Chad Powers. With Chad on the field with the University of South Georgia and Russ forging relationships, the new episodes will hopefully dig further beneath the feelgood factor.August highlights: Unquenchable anger was the fuel that made contemporary crime drama Furious one of the year’s best new shows.Paramount+Helen Mirren returns in season two of MobLand.Luke Varley/Paramount+My top Paramount+ recommendation is MobLand (September 18).This London gangland drama, which stars Tom Hardy (Peaky Blinders) as an enforcer for married crime bosses played by Helen Mirren (Prime Suspect) and Pierce Brosnan (Goldeneye), made headlines in May when news broke that Hardy was not turning up on set as part of a disagreement with show runners Ronan Bennett (Top Boy) and Jez Butterworth (The Agency). There were reports Hardy was fired, which were denied, and Mirren had to jump on Instagram to share her love for the show’s lead. Contentious as it possibly was, the proof is now to be found in the finished second season. Everyone involved has something to prove, as the first season was capable but by no means a revelation.August highlights: With Michael Fassbender to the fore, a new season of The Agency confirmed it was one of streaming’s best espionage thrillers, plus an all-star Australian cast in the new drama Dalliance.ABC iviewTimothy Spall as the victim’s reclusive neighbour in Death Valley.BBC/Simon RidgwayMy top ABC iview recommendation is Death Valley (September 11).Don’t be fooled by this British murder mystery. With a weekly case set in rural Wales, Death Valley presents as cosy crime. But the show is actually a delightful two-handed comedy about companionship. When Detective Sergeant Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) gets assigned a case involving foul play, the young detective is flabbergasted to discover the victim’s reclusive neighbour is retired actor John Chapel (Timothy Spall). Having played a 1950s detective on television for decades, John fancies himself the amateur sleuth, and the two form an unlikely and unofficial partnership. Created by Paul Doolan (Trollied), the series enjoys chirpy chemistry between the leads and the whodunit deductions come with droll banter.August highlights: A nun and a (hot) priest were confronted by forbidden love in the British romantic drama Falling.SBS On DemandRamy Youssef, the creator and star of Ramy.SBS On DemandMy top SBS On Demand recommendation is Ramy (September 2).Here’s an outstanding box-set to catch up on. Ramy Youssef gave the ribald bro’ hangout comedy bittersweet parameters, authentic experience and spiky laughs across three acclaimed seasons. As Ramy Hassan, the New Jersey-born son of Egyptian immigrants, the comic crafted a show about a dude whose simple desires usually lead to complications. On screen, Ramy is an observant Muslim not objecting as his parents mention an arranged marriage, but he also has a Jewish girlfriend. This is the first time the show is available on free-to-air, so take the opportunity to catch up.August highlights: Capturing a cross-section of Australia right now, The Airport Chaplain was a compelling new drama.* Nine owns Stan and this masthead.Want more TV? We’ve got you.Newsletter: Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.Logie Awards: Sam Pang claims Gold, Sam Neill is remembered, plus the highs, lows and whoas of the annual TV fest.Exit interviews: The winners of Race Around the World and MasterChef Australia talk about their biggest challenges and their favourite judges.120 movies to watch right now: Don’t miss our guides to all the best movies to watch on Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video and Stan (which is owned by Nine, publisher of this masthead).Watch: Deputy TV editor Meg Watson on what’s worth adding to your list right now.