David Farnor | On 31, Jul 2018

Sky Living relaunches as Sky Witness this month, as it doubles down on its line-up of crime dramas and legal thrillers. August, then, promises a barrage of new titles, from a detective series starring Alan Cumming to the new offering from Shonda Rhimes. They’re joined by the return of Ballers to Sky Atlantic for Season 4, a new drama from In the Loop and Peep Show’s Jesse Armstrong, and more episodes of Jim Carrey’s 1970s stand-up comedy-drama. And, for those still playing catch up with one of the most underrated shows of the last five years, Ray Donovan is also returning to Sky Box Sets. And, of course, there are weekly episodes of Sharp Objects to keep you going in between.

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 £8.99 a month for an Entertainment Membership. For more information, click here.

Sky Cinema, meanwhile, is bringing out its big summer blockbusters this August, from Justice League and Kingsman 2 to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. The real star, though, is undoubtedly The Last Jedi, as we all get another chance to relive the surprises, stunning visuals and sheer audacity of Rian Johnson’s thrillingly original Star Wars sequel.

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. For more information on that, click here. For F1 and other sports, you can also sign up to NOW’s Sky Sports Pass on a contract-free basis. For more information, click here.

Here’s your guide to what’s coming soon in August 2018:

TV

Succession: Season 1 (Sky Atlantic, 9pm) – 2nd August

A bitingly funny, provocative new drama series created by Jesse Armstrong (In the Loop, Peep Show) and starring Brian Cox. On his 80th birthday, media magnate Logan Roy (Cox), whose imminent retirement was thought to be a given, shocks his family by announcing he’s staying on indefinitely as CEO of his huge media conglomerate, Waystar/Royco. The news comes as a heavy blow to his son an heir apparent, Kendall, and tempers begin to flare among Logan’s other children as they each question their father’s intentions. Exploring themes of power, politics, money and family, Succession is an often outrageous account of the pitfalls of being part of a wealthy, but emotionally challenged, family dynasty. The first nine episodes will be released all at once on 2nd August, with the finale available to stream on-demand from 6th August, following its US premiere.

Keeping Up With The Kardashians: Season 15 – 6th August

Meet Kim, Kourtney, Khloé, Kendall, Kylie and mum Kris – the original reality TV superstars. Born into Hollywood royalty, they’re gorgeous, kurvaceous drama queens. New episodes from Season 15 arrive weekly on Mondays exclusively on NOW’s hayu Pass, with 24 hours of their US broadcast. (Hayu Pass auto-renews at £3.99 a month until 1st September 2020, £4.99 thereafter unless cancelled.

For the People: Season 1 (Sky Witness, 10pm) – 6th August

To celebrate the launch of Sky Witness (formerly Sky Living), the latest series from hit-maker Shonda Rhimes makes its UK premiere. Set in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, this new courtroom drama follows six talented young lawyers working on opposite sides of the law and handling the most high-profile and high-stakes federal cases in the country. These young lawyers will be put to the test both personally and professionally as their lives intersect in and out of America’s most prestigious trial court.

I’m Dying Up Here: Season 2 (Sky Atlantic, 10pm) – 7th August

Go back to the 1970s with Sky and Showtime’s comedy drama, which explores the stand-up comedy scene in Los Angeles.

9-1-1: Season 1 (Sky Witness, 9pm) – 15th August

Described as “adrenaline-rush TV” by New York Magazine, this fast-paced drama following the high-pressure lives of first responders comes to Sky Witness. Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett (What’s Love Got to Do with It?) leads the all-star cast as LAPD officer Athena Grant, who alongside firefighter Bobby Nash (Peter Kraus, Six Feet Under) and 911 operator Abby Clark (Connie Britton, Nashville), is thrust into heart-stopping situations that prove equal parts unpredictable, intense and uplifting. It’s life-and-death drama at its most exciting.

Insecure: Season 3 (Sky Atlantic, 10.45pm) – 16th August

Issa Rae’s Golden Globe-nominated comedy returns to Sky Atlantic for season three The acclaimed series is back, following best friends Issa and Molly on their quest to “have it all,” dealing with work woes, romantic escapades and awkward moments along the way.

Ballers: Season 4 (Sky Atlantic, 10.10pm) – 16th August

Dwayne Johnson is back in the game as retired NFL star turned financial manager Spencer Strasmore in the fourth season of Sky Atlantic’s hit comedy drama. This time, Spencer and his partner Joe set their sights on expanding their firm’s foothold in the client management business, weighing an opportunity to purchase an LA extreme-sports outfit run by the fiercely autonomous Lance Klians (special guest star Russell Brand). Meanwhile, Ricky sets down roots in LA with Amber and their daughter, but finds himself yearning for something else, and Charles rallies a group of disgruntled employees as he begins his new tenure with the Rams.

Instinct: Season 1 (Sky Witness, 10pm) – 23rd August

Starring the incomparable Alan Cumming, a deliciously sharp new police procedural drama comes to Sky Witness. Cumming stars as Dr Dylan Reinhart, a former CIA operative turned university professor and author, happily enjoying a quiet life. This all changes when NYPD detective Lizzie Needham (Bojana Novakovic) informs him a serial killer appears to be using his first crime novel as a tutorial for a murder spree. Compelled by the case, Dylan is lured back into his old life, and while he and Lizzie aren’t obvious partners, they find when it comes to catching killers, they just need to trust their instincts.

A League of Their Own: Season 13 (Sky 1, TBC) – Date TBC)

Jack Whitehall may have called time on six years of A League of Their Own laughs, but fear not, Sky One has a super
sub in store. Funnyman Romesh Ranganathan steps up to the spot, joining the James, Jamie and Freddie dream team for the 13th innings of the hit show. And let’s hope he knows the madness he’s letting himself in for, because this series’ tasks, challenges and trivia are as looney and outlandish as ever.

The History of Comedy: Season 2 (Sky Arts, TBC) – Date TBC

From comedy teams such as Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers and The Three Stooges, to clean cut family-friendly
comics such as Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan and Ellen DeGeneres; from boundary-pushing sexual humour across
stage, stand-up and screen to innovative animations like Mickey Mouse, The Simpsons and South Park, the critically acclaimed series returns to examine what makes people laugh and how comedy has affected the social and political landscape throughout history.

Box Sets

Banshee: Seasons 1 to 4 (Box Set) – Date TBC

This Emmy award-winning action drama is executive produced by True Blood creator Alan Ball and scripted by two acclaimed novelists, Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler. Ball described the series as “high-octane entertainment, violent and clever, yet complex”, and who are we to disagree?

Ray Donovan: Seasons 1 to 5 (Box Set) – 24th August/h3>

The multi-award-winning drama stars Liev Schreiber as Ray Donovan, a fixer who makes problems disappear by any means necessary for Hollywood’s richest and most powerful. Aside from Schreiber, the series boasts a stellar cast including Jon Voight, Eddie Marsan, James Woods, Katie Holmes, Ian McShane and Elliott Gould.

Marvel’s Inhumans: Season 1 (Box Set) – Date TBC

The superhero series based on the Marvel comics of the same name revolves around the Inhumans, an alien race with superpowers that gets in contact with Earth. Black Bolt (Anson Mount), the enigmatic leader of the Inhumans, is worried their secret city on the moon Attilan is about to be discovered by humans. When Black Bolt’s brother Maximus (Iwan Rheon) starts a coup on Attilan, he and his family flee to Hawaii, where they try to save themselves and the world from Maximus’s wrath while attempting to adapt to their bright and rather lush new surroundings.

Movies

Justice League – 3rd August

DC’s long-awaited answer to the Avengers picks up after the tragic events of Dawn of Justice, with Superman gone and Planet Earth vulnerable to attack. Hoping to take full advantage is horned and power-hungry big bad Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), a threat so terrible that Ben Affleck’s Batman begins the hunt for any and all metahumans capable of putting up a fight. Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) and lightning fast Barry Allen /The Flash (Ezra Miller) are more than happy to oblige, but Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and the swaggering Aquaman (Jason Momoa) need a little convincing.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle – 10th August

Matthew Vaughn’s outlandish spy caper gets a suitably OTT sequel as Taron Egerton returns as street kid turned suave secret agent Eggsy. This time he, Merlin (Mark Strong) and former mentor Harry (Colin Firth) – apparently not dead after all – are up against a 50s-obsessed psychopath (Julianne Moore) who’s spiked the world’s drug supply with a deadly toxin. Thankfully there’s help at hand from Kingsman’s US-based affiliate Statesman, so say hello to starry support from the likes of Halle Berry, Channing Tatum and Jeff Bridges. Vaughn once again hooks up with regular writing partner Jane Goldman, and there’s even time for an obscenity-ridden cameo from Elton John.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi – 17th August

The epic saga continues with a thrilling eighth instalment that sees the Resistance clinging on as the relentless First Order closes in Our heroes – outnumbered and outgunned as ever – are trapped in a seemingly unwinnable game of cat and mouse. Their best and perhaps only chance for survival lies with self-exiled Jedi Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and the plucky Rey (Daisy Ridley), sent to persuade him to save the day once more. Looper’s Rian Johnson pulls out all the stops here, utilising stunning experimental techniques, Kurosawa-inspired action and narrative twists on par with the series’ most shocking reveals.

Goodbye Christopher Robin – 18th August

Youthful writer A.A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) finds inspiration in the form of his young son, Christopher Robin Milne, which leads him to write a series of Pooh books that bring comfort to millions during the latter years of the First World War. However, when A.A.’s books prove hugely successful, it’s Christopher Robin who has to deal with the sudden fame. Rising Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge has a supporting role while Frank Cottrell Boyce (Railway Man, Millions, Trainspotting 2) delivers the script.

Patti Cake$ – 19th August

An unlikely hip-hop hero rises in this Festival pleaser from one-time Florence and the Machine video director Geremy Jasper. Aussie newcomer Danielle MacDonald is Patricia Dombrowski, aka aspiring rapper Patti Cake$, a New Jersey barmaid with a killa rhyme for every occasion. Desperate to escape her humdrum home life with her alcoholic mum and wheelchair-bound nan, Patti hooks up with her best friend (Siddharth Dhananjay) and a taciturn beatsmith (Mamoudou Athie) to form a band that will blow the world away. Well, that’s the idea. A defiantly indie underdog story with heart and attitude.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle – 24th August

Joe Johnston’s 1995 fantasy adventure gets a crowd-pleasing next-gen spin. So instead of the late, great Robin Williams and an ancient board game, we get a ragtag, Breakfast Club-style group of youngsters discovering a dusty old console and cartridge while stuck in detention. Of course firing them up transports our unlikely heroes to the dangerous jungles of Jumanji, where survival means getting comfortable with their newly acquired avatars – including musclebound adventurer Dr Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) and ass-kicking “killer of men” Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan).

 

Other movies coming soon to Sky Cinema and NOW in August 2018:

1st August
The Odyssey

2nd August
The Ghost of Charnel House

4th August
Fantastic Journey to Oz

5th August
Brigsby Bear

6th August
The Female Brain

7th August
Ali & Nino

8th August
Demon

9th August
Couples Vacation

11th August
Quackerz

12th August
2:22

13th August
Trafficked

14th August
Canaries

15th August
The Resistance

16th August
Waiting for You

20th August
The Truth About Lies

21st August
The Jurassic Games

22nd August
Mountains May Depart

23rd August
Don’t Hang Up

25th August
Tall Tales from the Magical Garden of Antoon Krings

26th August
The Bachelors

27th August
The Competition

28th August
Jackals

29th August
Lost in Paris

30th August
The Boy Downstairs

31st August
Pitch Perfect 3

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