David Farnor | On 17, Sep 2017

September’s here, so put down the sun cream and pick up your remote – because the next couple of months will see a torrent of top series hit your living room. The wave of peak TV has already begun, with the return of Amazon’s One Mississippi for a second season, weekly offerings of Outlander Season 3, the fresh melodramatic fun offered by Doctor Foster Season 2, Narcos’ action-packed third season, the regal drama of Victoria Season 2, Mitchell and Webb’s darkly funny sitcom, Back, and Tim Roth drama Tin Star on Sky.

But that’s just a taster of what’s on the way, with the coming months including everything from David Fincher’s new Netflix series and The Walking Dead’s eighth run to a Philip K Dick anthology and Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror. And did we mention The Crown, Stranger Things and The League of Gentlemen?

From UK air dates to key VOD services, here’s our bumper preview guide, covering everything you need to see the best TV autumn has to offer on your phone, tablet or telly. (Bookmark this page – we’ll be updating it with release dates as soon as they’re announced.)

Note: Some titles are only available to catch up with on VOD services for a limited period of time.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 Part 2 – 11th September

AMC’s spin-off series from its zombie smash hit, The Walking Dead, has had a bumpy ride since it first premiered two years ago, with an uneven reception for its first season, which improved with its sophomore run. Now, following a dramatic midseason finale, Season 3 returns exclusively on AMC UK, which is included with BT TV. New episodes are available to catch up with on-demand after their broadcast each Monday through BT’s YouView platform, while Season 1 and 2 are available on Amazon Prime Video (you can catch up with our reviews of those here.)

Season 3 has already delivered several big blows, including revelations about Madison’s (Kim Dickens) past and a change of situation for Victor Strand (Colman Domingo). The series’ two strongest players have yet to cross paths in Season 3, but the second half will see them reunite…

Electric Dreams Season 1 – 17th September

Channel 4 may not have Black Mirror, but this looks like equally essential viewing: a 10-episode anthology of standalone stories based on Philip K Dick’s writing. Adapted by such writers as Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica), Jack Thorne (National Treasure), Matthew Graham (Life on Mars), David Farr (The Night Manager) and Dee Rees (Mudbound), the show has assembled an equally impressive line-up of talent in front of the camera, including Steve Buscemi, Timothy Spall, Anna Paquin, Terrence Howard, Richard Madden, Vera Farmiga, Benedict Wong and Brian Cranston. It begins with The Hood Maker, starring Madden) and Holliday Grainger, which is set in a world without advanced technology and where mutant telepaths have become humanity’s only mechanism for long distance communication. But their powers have unintended implications…

The Good Place – 21st September

Mike Schur’s US fantasy drama stars Kristen Bell as Eleanor, a woman who is killed by a tractor-trailer carrying a billboard for erectile dysfunction products. She is promptly welcomed into the heavenly afterlife by Michael (Ted Danson). But when she realises that she’s been mistaken for someone else with the same name, she must keep her identity secret to stay in “The Good Place” – all the while trying to become a better person. Season 1 is released as a box set, at the same time as the first episode of Season 2, with new episodes then arriving weekly after their US broadcast.

Transparent Season 4 – 22nd September

The fourth season of Jill Soloway’s Golden Globe-winning comedy-drama will see the Pfeffermans take off on a spiritual and political journey as they dig deep into their family’s history. Maura heads to Israel to speak at a conference and makes a startling discovery. Adrift in the desert, Maura, Ali, Sarah, Josh and Shelly set off on their own paths to find acceptance, love, and truth.

The Child in Time – 24th September

Before On Chesil Beach arrives in cinemas, get your Ian McEwan fix with this new adptation of his novel, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kelly Macdonald. A lyrical and heartbreaking exploration of love, loss and the power of things unseen, it follows Stephen Lewis, a successful writer of children’s books, who is confronted with the unthinkable: he loses his only child, four year-old Kate, in a supermarket. In one horrifying moment that replays itself over the years that follow, Stephen realises that his daughter is gone. With tenderness and insight, the drama explores a marriage devastated by the loss of a child.

Star Trek: Discovery – 25th September

Star Trek returns to TV 50 years after it first premiered with a new series featuring a new ship (the USS Discovery) and new missions, while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers. With Michelle Yeoh as Captain Philippa Georgiou and Sonequa Martin-Green as First Officer Michael Burnham, the two leads from the show, the exciting diversity proves that the franchise’s timeless ideology is still going strong.

The Deuce – 26th September

Starring James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Deuce follows the story of the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York’s Times Square from the early ‘70s through the mid-80s.

Designated Survivor Season 2 – 28th September

Kiefer Sutherland returns to play the President of the USA in ABC’s entertaining political drama, with episodes arriving weekly within 24 hours of the show’s US broadcast.

Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 9 – 2nd October

Larry David returns once more as himself and, judging by the trailer for this long-awaited return for the HBO comedy, nothing has changed – which is exactly how we want it.

Suburra: The Series – 6th October

Suburra: The Series is a crime thriller set in Rome that describes how the Church, the state, organized crime, local gangs and real estate developers collide and blur the lines between the legal and the illicit in their quest for power. At the heart of the story three young men with different backgrounds, ambitions and passions will have to forge alliances to achieve their deepest desire. Based on the novel of the same name but set several years before, Suburra: The Series, is full of action, drama and crime that sees 20 days of turmoil in 10 powerful episodes.

Mr. Robot Season 3 – 12th October

Picking up immediately following Season 2’s cliffhanger, Season 3 will delve into each character’s motivations and explore the disintegrating relationship between Elliott and Mr. Robot. Bobby Cannavale will join them as Irving, a laconic, no-nonsense used car salesman. Recurring guest star BD Wong has also been upped to a series regular for his role as Whiterose, the leader of the Dark Army, a Chinese-based hacking organisation. Episodes arrive weekly on Thursdays, within 24 hours of their US broadcast.

Lore Season 1 – 13th October

“Folklore has given a voice to our fears…” That’s the voice of Aaron Mahnke from horror podcast Lore, as the series make the leap from your ears to your eyeballs. Amazon’s new show, from the Executive Producer of The Walking Dead and the Executive Producer of The X-files, consists of six separate stories, each one based on real people and events that have led to our modern-day myths.

Mindhunter Season 1 – 13th October

How do we get ahead of crazy if we don’t know how crazy thinks? Two FBI agents (Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany) set out on a sinister investigative odyssey to discover the brutal answers in David Fincher’s new Netflix series, Mindhunter…

The Walking Dead Season 8 – 23rd October

AMC’s smash hit series returns for more undead violence and shocks, as Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) prepare to face off. The zombie drama will have its 100th episode during this new season, and there’s every reason to expect something dramatic, after the nasty events of Season 6 and 7.

Stranger Things Season 2 – 27th October

Netflix’s original series, part-sci-fi, part-horror and 100 per cent 80s nostalgia, was one of the biggest successes of last summer, with the Duffer brothers’ creation bringing us creepy monsters, cool retro costumes and a whole cast of talented young actors. Now, it’s back to pick up events and solve the unanswered questions left by the Season 1 finale, complete with bicycles, Ghostbusters cosplay and a whole load of Eggos.

Alias Grace Season 1 – 3rd November

Adapted from Margaret Atwood’s award-winning novel, Netflix’s six-hour miniseries is based on the true story of Grace Marks, a domestic servant in Upper Canada who – along with stable hand James McDermott (Kerr Logan) – finds herself accused and convicted of the infamous 1843 murders of her employer, wealthy farmer Thomas Kinnear (Paul Gross), and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery (Anna Paquin). Just the thing to replace The Handmaids Tale-shaped whole in your binge-watching life.

Godless Season 1 – 22nd November

Netflix’s seven-part epic western is created by Scott Frank, with Steven Soderbergh and Casey Silver on board as executive producer. It follows notorious criminal Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) and his gang of outlaws, who are on a mission of revenge against Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), a son-like protégé who betrayed the brotherhood. While on the run, Roy seeks refuge with hardened widower Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery), an outcast herself, in a worn-down, isolated mining town of La Belle, NM – governed mainly by women. When word reaches La Belle that Griffin is headed their way, the town bands together to defend against the murderous gang in a lawless western frontier.

She’s Gotta Have It Season 1 – 23rd November

Spike Lee’s first TV series is a 10-episode contemporary update of his own 1986 feature debut. It stars DeWanda Wise (Shots Fired) in the central role of Nola Darling, a Brooklyn-based artist in her late twenties, who is struggling to define herself and divide her time among her friends, her Job and her three lovers: Greer Childs, played by Cleo Anthony (Divergent), Jamie Overstreet, played by Lyriq Bent (The Book of Negroes), and Mars Blackmon, played by Hamilton’s Anthony Ramos.

The Crown Season 2 – 8th December

“I’ve learned more about humiliation in the past few weeks than I hoped I would in a lifetime.” That’s the sound of Netflix’s The Crown returning for Season 2 – and of Queen Elizabeth’s limelight being stolen by her sister, Princess Margaret. The second run of Netflix’s sumptuous costume drama will see Queen Elizabeth’s (Claire Foy) marriage to Prince Philip (Matt Smith) and her empire crumble around her, as she must do what is required to ensure the British monarchy survives. The biggest threat? Perhaps not the ongoing string of Prime Ministers who can’t last the course, but rather Margaret’s (Vanessa Kirby) illicit affair with Lord Snowdown, aka. Anthony Armstrong-Jones (Matthew Goode).

Wormwood – 15th December

Errol Morris and Netflix are teaming up for this six-part show, which explores the limits of knowledge about the past and the lengths we’ll go in our search for the truth. A twisting, evolving story of one man’s 60-year quest to identify the circumstances of his father’s mysterious death. Wormwood examines the case from every possible angle, bringing the viewer face-to-face with some of the United States’ darkest secrets. The show mixes Morris’ legendary interview style, as seen in documentaries such as Tabloid, with a central performance by Peter Sarsgaard, not to mention the untold true story of the CIA, LSD experiments and mind control. This could be a late contender for TV show of the year.

The League of Gentlemen – Date TBC

Hello, Dave? Get ready to go back to Royston Vasey, as Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith and Jeremy Dyson all reunite to mark the anniversary of their disturbingly hilarious, hilariously disturbing classic.

Black Mirror Season 4

Charlie Brooker’s anthology series returns for another batch of worryingly prescient tech tales of horror. Season 4 will consist of six episodes: Crocodile, Arkangel, Hang the DJ, USS Callister, Metalhead and Black Museum. Directors of the new season include John Hillcoat, Jodie Foster, Tim Van Patten, Toby Haynes, David Slade and Colm McCarthy, with a star-studded cast in front of the camera, ranging from Rosemarie DeWitt and Andrew Riseborough to Maxine Peake and Jesse Plemons, who will getting his Star Trek on as the captain of a spaceship in USS Callister (pictured above).

The Punisher Season 1 – Date TBC

Marvel’s spin-off series will see Jon Bernthal reprise his role as the former military vigilante, after stealing the show in Daredevil Season 2. With Steve Lightfoot (Hannibal) serves as showrunner and a cast that includes Deborah Ann Woll (also reprising her role from Daredevil as Karen Page), Michael Nathanson (The Knick), Jaime Ray Newman (Bates Motel), Daniel Webber (11.22.63), Paul Schulze (Nurse Jackie) as a high-ranking member of the CIA, the signs are promising for a tale of revenge, conspiracy and injustice.

Bernthal

Blue Planet II – Date TBC

20 years ago, a team of wildlife film-makers from the BBC’s natural history unit set out to make a series on the world’s oceans, the breadth and scale of which had never been seen before. Broadcast in 2001, the multi award-winning The Blue Planet, presented by Sir David Attenborough, cemented the Unit’s peerless reputation for underwater filming. Now, a generation on, the NHU has returned to these underwater worlds for Blue Planet II, with even more ambitious filming and a fresh cast of extraordinary aquatic animals, spending some four years filming off every continent, and in all of the earth’s oceans, to immerse the audience in some of the most expansive but least known parts of our planet. In short, Blue Planet’s back, get your jaws ready to drop.

Red Oaks Season 3 – Date TBC

Amazon’s endearingly retro comedy, set in the 1980s, follows the growing pains of David, an aspiring filmmaker and his job as a tennis coach at the titular country club in New Jersey, home to a host of weird characters. The show stars Craig Roberts (Submarine: The Fundamentals of Caregiving), with Paul Reiser (Mad About You) playing the disapproving rich dad of the love of David’s life, Skye (Alexandra Socha). The ensemble cast also includes Richard Kind (Inside Out) as David’s dad and Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing) as his mum, not to mention Oliver Cooper (Office Christmas Party) as his stoner friend, Wheeler, and Ennis Esmer (Blindspot) as fellow tennis coach (and eternal scene-stealer) Nash. Back for a third and final season, expect a charmingly nostalgic, emotionally satisfying farewell.

Gunpowder – Date TBC

Game of Thrones may be over for now, but you can still get your Richard Madden fix with this new BBC One thriller, which revises the erroneous belief that the Gunpowder Plot was the brainchild of Guy Fawkes. While Fawkes played a pivotal role, the man who dreamed up the plot and was its driving force was Robert Catesby (Harington), a 33-year old Warwickshire gentleman, a committed Catholic at a time when Protestant England persecutes Catholics relentlessly. Catesby’s refusal to abandon his religion has brought him to the edge of financial, social and psychological ruin, and so he starts to recruit friends and relatives, swearing them to secrecy as he devises an audacious plan. Peter Mullan, Mark Gatiss and Liv Tyler co-star.

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