What’s coming soon to Sky and NOW in April 2021?
David Farnor | On 31, Mar 2021
As lockdown restrictions ease further over April, Sky is doing its best to keeping people thinking about staying indoors with a cracking line-up that’s stuffed with impressive premieres.
Mare of Easttown, starring Kate Winslet, arrives in sync with its US broadcast, while UK fans of Grey’s Anatomy finally get the chance to catch a dose of Season 17. Also making a belated debut on our screens is Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement;s supernatural comedy spin-off Wellington Paranormal, while Sky Documentaries continues to bring the latest factual HBO titles, including Antoine Fuqua’s The Day Sports Stood Still. And to round the month off, Sky Arts has two trips to the theatre in store, including Romeo & Juliet, starring Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley, and Hymn, starring Adrian Lester.
Don’t have Sky? You can stream all of the above live and on-demand through NOW, Sky’s contract-free VOD service, which costs £9.99 a month for an Entertainment Membership.
Sky Cinema, meanwhile, follows Promising Young Woman with two other high-profile releases: Unhinged and Antebellum.
Again, if you don’t have Sky, you can stream all of Sky Cinema live and on-demand through NOW, for £11.99 a month.
All of these you can stream in HD by adding a NOW Boost to your account, which costs an additional £3 a month.
Entertainment
Assembly Required with Tim Allen (Sky History, 9pm) – 1st April
Spotlighting the best and brightest builders from across the country, Assembly Required with Tim Allen will put those with a DIY spirit to the test. Competing head-to-head to create mind-blowing builds, we see these crafty makers restore everything from an all-season ice-meltercome-leaf blower, a do-it-yourself jacuzzi and BBQ that doubles up as a bicycle.
A Wilderness of Error (Sky Crime, 9pm) – 4th April
Based on the book of the same name, A Wilderness of Error examines one of the most litigated murder cases in American criminal history – namely, the murders of Jeffrey MacDonald. A former American physician and esteemed US Army officer, Jeffrey MacDonald was accused of murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters in February 1970. MacDonald currently remains incarcerated, but he has always proclaimed his innocence of the murders, claiming they were committed by four intruders who performed a vicious attack on him and his wife. Over five parts, we re-examine MacDonald’s case and dissect fresh new details on one the most prolific murder cases in US history.
Romeo & Juliet (Sky Arts, 9pm) – 4th April
The National Theatre transforms its Lyttleton theatre into a film studio to present this new production of William Shakespeare’s tragic tale, starring Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley in the title roles. Originally planned for the stage and reconceived by director Simon Godwin in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the production also features Adrian Lester, Lloyd Hutchinson, Colin Tierney and Ella Dacres in supporting roles.
The Three Tenors: From Caracalla to the World (Sky Arts, 7pm) – 5th April
It was the most successful classical concert ever known. 30 years ago, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and José Carreras performed together with Zubin Mehta for the first time as The Three Tenors in the thermal baths of Caracalla on the occasion of the Football World Cup in Italy. 1.6 billion spectators watched the concert worldwide – and it catapulted classical music into a completely new dimension. Made to celebrate its 30th anniversary, this film shows the emotional highlights of the first concert and its sequel in Los Angeles.
Wellington Paranormal (Sky Comedy, 9pm) – 5th April
Oh mate, something weird is going down in Wellington. Co-created by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, Wellington Paranormal is a spin-off from their 2014 vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows. Here, cameras follow incurious police officers Karen O’Leary and Mike Minogue as they keep the streets of New Zealand’s capital safe from the unexplainable, with all three seasons available to watch at once on-demand.
The Michelangelo Code: Lost Secrets of the Sistine Chapel (Sky Arts, 9pm) – 6th April
It’s the largest painting in the world, the most ambitious and the most famous. But the hidden meaning of Michelangelo’s masterpiece has eluded 500 years of investigation and speculation. Now, on the 500th anniversary of the commencement of work on the ceiling, art critic Waldemar Januszczak has finally discovered what the great painting is really trying to tell us. Granted unparalleled access to the Sistine Chapel by the Vatican, Januszczak works out the secret code that Michelangelo had hidden in the ceiling, overturns the myths surrounding the masterpiece, and presents an exciting new theory that involves the Branch Davidians of Waco, two della Rovere Popes, a Vatican spin doctor and an intensely religious artist by the name of Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Grey’s Anatomy – Season 17 (Sky Witness, 9pm) – 7th April
The longest-running primetime medical drama in the world returns for more life and death situations in its 17th season. In the midst of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Grey Sloan Memorial and its surgeons’ lives have been turned upside down. We pick things up one month into the pandemic, and it’s all-hands-on-deck as Meredith, Bailey and the rest
of the Grey Sloan doctors find themselves on the frontlines of a new era. The season begins with a double-bill.
A League of Their Own: Road Trip – Loch Ness to London (Sky One, 9pm) – 8th April
Jamie Redknapp, Freddie Flintoff and Romesh Ranganathan hit the road again, being joined along the way by stars from the world of sport and entertainment, including a very special guest appearance from ALOTO alumni Jack Whitehall. Naturally, there’ll be the usual mix of challenges and hijinks on every stop of the trip, with an SAS survival challenge and Highland games in Scotland, and then a rally car race and sheep herding trial in Wales.
New Order: Live from Alexandra Palace (Sky Arts, 9pm) – 10th April
Recorded live on 9th November 2018 – their only UK show of 2018 – New Order perform in front of a sold-out crowd at London’s Alexandra Palace.
I, Claude Monet (Sky Arts, 9pm) – 12th April
Monet’s life is a gripping tale about a man who, behind his sun-dazzled canvases, suffered from feelings of depression, loneliness, even suicide. However, as his art developed and his love of gardening led to the glories of his Giverny garden, his humour, insight and love of life are revealed.
In Ice Cold Blood: Season 1 (Sky Crime, 9pm) – 14th April
In a small town in Pennsylvania in 1999, a 20-yearold aspiring young poet named Jennifer Still was found dead on her bedroom floor by her boyfriend. Lying in a pool of her own blood, Still had been repeatedly stabbed in her abdomen and her throat had been viciously slashed. In a bathroom close by, investigators found a piece of evidence that would prove critical – a single drop of blood in the sink. As investigators unpacked the evidence before them, they soon learned that Still and her boyfriend Kevin were Dungeons & Dragons gamers and were fascinated in a mythical world of wizards, warriors, and witches. Turning to Still’s circle of friends, investigators swabbed a rumoured Wiccon lover and warlock in the desperate search for a DNA match with the blood found in Still’s sink that night. The case went unsolved for years until a shock triple murder took place just minutes away from Still’s home. When investigators found a match in the DNA they had found in the sink that night, they were led to a dark obsession that cost four people their lives.
Nike’s Big Bet (Sky Documentaries, 9pm) – 17th April
This is the story of a scandal that sent shockwaves through the world of running. Alberto Salazar was managing the greatest track team ever assembled when he was found guilty of doping violations and handed a four-year doping ban from all coaching activities from the US Anti-Doping Association. Within a week, Salazar’s actions reverberated right through the athletics community, leaving a vast trail of destruction in their wake.
Dawn to Dusk (Sky Nature, 8pm) – 18th April
This is the natural world throughout the day, around the globe. As dawn breaks each day, the animal world stirs into life. Exploring the course of a single day in the world’s most fascinating wildlife hotspots, in Dawn to Dusk we see the daily dramas of the animal kingdom unfold. From the rainforests of Colombia, to the beaches of New Zealand, to the Arabian desert, spanning hot-blooded mammals to resourceful reptiles, this is a day in the life of the wild.
The Murder of Lee Irving: Disability Mate Crime (Sky Crime, 9pm) – 18th April
This is the story of Lee Irving, whose body was discovered dumped on a patch of grass in Newcastle in 2015 with catastrophic injuries. Lee Irving was twenty-four, but due to a learning disability, had what had been described as a significantly younger mental age. Irving is noted for his warmth and friendliness, but he was ultimately incredibly vulnerable to the influence of others. In Newcastle in 2015, Irving was brutally murdered by people he believed to be his friends.
Hymn (Sky Arts, 9pm) – 18th April
Adrian Lester and Danny Sapani star in Lolita Chakrabarti’s acclaimed powerful and poignant depiction of male bonding, directed by Blanche McIntyre. Two men meet at a funeral. Gil knew the deceased. Benny did not. Benny is a loner anchored by his wife and children. Gil longs to fulfil his potential. They form a deep bond but as cracks appear in their fragile lives they start to realise that true courage comes in different forms. Featuring music from Gil and Benny’s lives, Lolita Chakrabarti’s searching, soulful new play asks what it takes to be a good father, brother or son.
Mare of Easttown (Sky Atlantic, 9pm) – 19th April
Kate Winslet executive produces and stars in this mysterious seven-part crime drama following small-town Pennsylvania detective Mare Sheehan (Winslet) as she investigates a local murder at a time when her own life is crumbling around her. Stricken with grief following her son’s suicide, Sheehan is trying to find normalcy in her own life, but her pain leads her to develop an obsession with various cases of missing and murdered girls in Easttown. With everyone fully aware of her situation and the rumours swirling around her, how will this affect her dogged pursuit of the killer? Episodes air weekly and are simulcast at 3am.
The Invisibles (Sky History, 9pm) – 20th April
The Invisibles charts the astonishing rise of a new generation of drug dealers and those at the forefront of efforts to bring them down. Journey through Medellin, Bogota, Miami, Washington and Sydney to meet the kingpins and world’s foremost experts on the ground. Over six parts, we get a glimpse into the underworld they operate in and the business empires they run.
The Day Sports Stood Still (Sky Documentaries, 9pm) – 21st April
From Emmy-winning director Antoine Fuqua, The Day Sports Stood Still chronicles the astonishing events and global shutdown that occurred in sport in the wake of the coronavirus.
Redknapp’s Weekend Warm Up (Sky One, 10pm) – 22nd April
Football and entertainment superstar, Jamie Redknapp, will be joined by his Dad, footy legend and national treasure,
Harry Redknapp, plus best friend, BAFTA winning comedian, Tom Davis, in this brand-new comedy entertainment show. They’re inviting the biggest and best names in show business and sport to join them for topical football talk, exciting games and celebrity chat. Expect football themed comedy highlights and observations from the games – as well as Harry’s unique and entertaining anecdotes.
Intergalactic (Sky One, 9pm) – 30th April
From award-winning showrunner Julie Gearey (Prisoners’ Wives, Cuffs, Secret Diary of a Call Girl), Intergalactic is a new Sky Original sci-fi drama taking you from the fringes of outer space to the depths of human emotion. The series tells the story of fearless young cop and galactic pilot Ash Harper, who has her glittering career ripped away from her after being wrongly convicted of treason and exiled to a distant prison colony. But during her transport, Ash’s fellow convicts stage a mutiny and seize control of the prison transfer ship. With the flight crew dead, mob leader Tula Quik is intent on reaching the free world – Arcadia – with her gang, and there’s only one prisoner on board who can pilot the ship… With no other options available, Ash must join them on the run towards a distant galaxy and an uncertain future. All episodes arrive at once on-demand.
Persona (Sky Documentaries, 9pm) – 10th April
America has had a fascination with personality testing – and its impact has been astronomical. Embedded in the foundations of everything from dating sites, to job applications to clinical diagnoses, Persona reveals the unexpected origin story of personality testing and the ways its shaped and influenced the world around us.
Exterminate All the Brutes (Sky Documentaries) – Date TBC
Based on works by three authors and scholars — Sven Lindqvist’s Exterminate All the Brutes, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, and Michel-Rolph Trouillot’s Silencing the Past— Exterminate All the Brutes revisits and reframes the profound impact of the Native American genocide and American slavery and the way it
fundamentally informs the present. Over four parts, we explore the exploitative and genocidal aspects of European colonialism, from America to Africa, and its profound impact on society today. Through use of traditional documentary filmmaking, archive material and interpretive scripted scenes, this is a story where history, contemporary life and fiction are wholly intertwined.
The Rookie – Season 3 (Sky Witness) – Date TBC
John Nolan, the oldest rookie in the LAPD, has used his life experience, determination and sense of humour to keep up with rookies 20 years his junior. Nearing the end of his training, Nolan now faces his biggest challenge as a police officer when he must come to terms with the choices he has made in pursuit of the truth.
Sky Cinema
Antebellum – 2nd April
A terrifying new thriller with a kiss of horror from the producer of the acclaimed films Get Out and Us, starring Janelle Monáe. Successful author Veronica Henley is finishing a book tour before she returns home to her husband and daughter. But a shocking turn of events is about to upend Veronica’s existence, plunging her into a horrifying reality that forces her to confront her past, present and future – before it’s too late.
Scoob! – 3rd April
With hundreds of cases solved and adventures shared, Scooby and the gang face their biggest, most challenging mystery ever – a plot to unleash the ghost dog Cerberus upon the world. As they race to stop this global dog-pocalypse, the gang discovers that Scooby has a secret legacy and an epic destiny greater than anyone could have imagined.
Angel Has Fallen – 9th April
Gerard Butler and Morgan Freeman return for this improbably entertaining threequel.
Archenemy – 10th April
Max Fist (Joe Manganiello) is a local drunk who claims to be a superhero from the planet Chromium. He tells anyone who will listen that he was pulled into a wormhole, falling through time and space, and dropped to earth without any of his powers. No one pays any attention to Max except a teenager named Hamster who can’t get enough of Max’s stories. When
Hamster and his sister get in trouble with a vicious drug syndicate led by The Manager, Max takes to the streets as a brutal vigilante hellbent on proving himself as the hero no one believes him to be.
Death of Me – 11th April
A dream vacation in the South Pacific becomes a torturous nightmare in this high stakes horror from director Darren Lynn Bousman (best known for directing several films in the Saw franchise). Christine (Maggie Q) and Neil (Luke Hemsworth) awake on their dream vacation to a hangover and no recollection of the night before. The only clue to the
horrors that transpired is a tape of Neil killing Christine. Their killer vacation soon turns into a game of survival with death itself.
Promising Young Woman – 16th April
Emerald Fennell’s debut feature film is brought to homes across the UK and Ireland on Sky Cinema. Carey Mulligan stars as Cassie – a wickedly smart, fiercely cunning young woman who lives out a double life by night. When an un expected opportunity arises to finally settle a past trauma, Cassie puts a searing plan of revenge into action to finally get the justice she has been seeking for most of her adult life.
Come As You Are – 18th April
Three young men with disabilities (Grant Rosenmeyer, Hayden Szeto, Ravi Patel) flee their overbearing parents for a road trip to a brothel in Montreal that caters to people with disabilities, in order to lose their virginity and embrace their independence. Gabourey Sidibe stars as their jaded nurse driver, Janeane Garofalo and CS Lee also star as concerned parents hot on their trail. Based on the true story of Asta Philpot.
Unhinged – 23rd April
Russell Crowe is the psychopath that could happen to anyone as he live up to the title in this road rage-fuelled thriller. Rachel is a single mother whose bad day gets even worse when she beeps her horn at a fellow driver during rush-hour traffic. After an exchange of words, she soon realises that the mysterious man is following her and her young son in his truck. The initial case of road rage quickly escalates into full-blown terror as Rachel discovers the
psychopath’s sinister plan for revenge.
Baby Done – 25th April
Matthew Lewis and Rose Matafeo are hugely endearing in this charming, funny comedy about parenthood.
Oscars 2021 – 25th April
Oscar season is upon us again and Sky Cinema will be presenting the ceremony live as the year’s big winners are announced.
An American Pickle – 30th April
A crisp, tangy comedy starring Seth Rogen as Herschel Greenbaum, a struggling labourer who immigrates to America in 1919 with dreams of building a better life for his beloved family. One day, while working at his factory job, he falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. Preserved perfectly by powerful process of pickling, he emerges in present day Brooklyn to find that he hasn’t aged a day. But when he seeks out his family, he is troubled to learn that his only surviving relative is his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum (also played by Rogen), a mildmannered computer coder whom Herschel can’t even begin to understand.
Cosmic Sin – Date TBC
Bruce Willis and Frank Grillo star in the new epic sci-fi adventure set in the year 2524, four hundred years after humans started colonising the outer planets. Retired Military General James Ford (Willis) is called back into service after soldiers on a remote planet are attacked by a hostile alien fleet. The threat against the human race escalates into an inevitable interstellar war. General Ford teams up with General Eron Ryle (Grillo) and a team of elite soldiers in a race to stop the imminent attack before it is too late.
Other films coming soon to Sky Cinema in April 2021
1st April
The Blackout: Invasion Earth
4th April
Zeroville
5th April
Boonie Bears: The Wild Life
6th April
Looks That Kill
7th April
The Sunlit Night
8th April
Braking for Whales
12th April
Snow Queen: Mirrorlands
13th April
When Jeff Tried to Save the World
14th April
The Traitor
15th April
Minor Premise
17th April
A Violent Separation
19th April
Cranston Academy: Monster Zone
20th April
To the Stars
21st April
Fukushima 50
22nd April
Wildcat
24th April
The Ride
26th April
The Call
27th April
Golden Arm
28th April
Pinocchio (2019)
29th April
Dead Water