David Farnor | On 02, Aug 2021

Netflix. Amazon Prime Video. BBC iPlayer. NOW. Walter Presents. Apple TV+. There’s so much TV to watch these days in so many places that it can be hard to keep up. Every month, we boil down what’s on the box to the essentials you need in your streaming queue.

We’ve sorted through All The TV to bring you your August watchlist – what’s worth watching and where you can stream it online in the UK:

The Equalizer

Queen Latifah stars in this reboot of the classic 1980s crime drama of the same name. Latifah plays Robyn McCall, an enigmatic former CIA operative who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn. McCall comes across to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she is “The Equalizer” – an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who’s also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption.As McCall acclimates to civilian life, she is compelled to use her considerable resources to help Jewel, a teenager accused of murder and on the run from the criminals who framed her for the crime. Episodes arrive weekly.

Black Monday: Season 3

With the financial world in their cocaine covered rearview mirror, everyone’s favourite do-badders face an existential question – what’s a player to do when their balls have been taken away? The answer… change the game. And while there may be dark clouds on the horizon, this posse always comes to reign.

I Am: Season 2

Suranne Jones, Letitia Wright and Lesley Manville star in this anthology created by Dominic Savage, which comprises a trio of authentic and thought-provoking tales of contemporary female experiences and themes, including trust, relationships and mental health. Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster – pictured) will star in I Am Victoria, alongside co-star Ashley Walters (Top Boy, Bulletproof). It is a meditation on the anxieties that often lie beneath a veneer of happiness and success. Letitia Wright will star in I Am Danielle, alongside CJ Beckford and Sophia Brown. It is a reflection on the trials of young love and in the age of social media, where trust and betrayal go hand in hand. Lesley Manville will take the lead in I Am Maria, alongside Michael Gould (Rogue One, Darkest Hour) and Gershwyn Eustache Jnr (Small Axe, I May Destroy You). It takes a look at a long-term relationship and the unexpected distress and opportunities encountered at life’s crossroads.

Cruel Summer

The series, which premiered on Freeform in the US in April, hails from executive producers Jessica Biel and Michelle Purple (The Sinner), and follows the aftermath of a popular teen going missing, only for an outcast to seeming take over her life. Spanning three summers in the 1990s, it begins with Kate Wallis disappearing without a trace, only for the seemingly unrelated Jeanette Turner transform from a sweet and awkward outlier to the most popular girl in town, eventually becoming the most despised person in America.

Mr Corman

Created by, directed by and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, this 10-episode series follows the days and nights of Josh Corman, played by Gordon-Levitt, an artist at heart but not by trade. A career in music hasn’t panned out, and he teaches fifth grade at a public school in the San Fernando Valley. Darkly funny and deeply heartfelt, the dramedy aims to speak for a contemporary generation of 30-somethings – rich with good intentions, poor with student loans and yearning to become real grown-ups sometime before they die.

Hit & Run

A man searching for the truth behind his wife’s death becomes caught up in a dangerous web of secrets and intrigue stretching from New York to Tel Aviv.

Pose: Season 3

Ryan Murphy’s groundbreaking drama returns for its final, moving season, taking us forward to New York in 1994. As the AIDS epidemic continues to ravage their community, the ballroom scene is changing. Ambitious young Lemar has struck out with a house of his own, the House of Khan, aiming to capitalise on the scene’s mainstream success by monetising its talent and creativity. But Blanca still sees her role as mother in a different light and rises to the challenge of getting her house in order to stand for different values. However, she has her work cut out. Can she provide hope and gather her flock?

Ghosts: Season 3

This hilarious comedy series from the team behind Yonderland and Bill stars Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond, as well as Lolly Adefope and Katy Wix. It follows a young couple, Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe), who unexpectedly inherit a grand country estate only to find it is both falling apart and overrun with ghosts. Season 3 sees a historical documentary team come to film at Button House, only for Alison and the ghosts to discover that the assassination plot they’re exploring involves one of their own…

What If?

What If…? flips the script on the MCU, reimagining famous events from the films in unexpected ways. Marvel Studios’ first animated series focuses on different heroes from the MCU, featuring a voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their roles. The series is directed by Bryan Andrews; Ashley Bradley is head writer. Episodes arrive weekly.

Stargirl: Season 2

Based on the DC Comics superhero Courtney Whitmore created by Johns and Lee Moder, Stargirl follows high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger, School of Rock) as she inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to take up the legacy of a long-lost superhero team – The Justice Society of America – and stop the villains of the past. Luke Wilson co-stars.

Riverdale: Season 5, Part 2

The CW’s teen drama finally returns for the second half of its fifth season.

Modern Love: Season 2

From Once and Sing Street veteran John Carney, this anthology series is inspired by the real life stories from the popular New York Times column of the same name, charting tales of love and relationships in all their complexities and beauty. Season 2 comprises eight half-hour episodes, with a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Tobias Menzies (The Crown), Sophie Okonedo (Ratched), Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody), Tom Burke (Mank), Minnie Driver (Cinderella), Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah), Kit Harington (Game of Thrones), Garrett Hedlund (Mudbound), Anna Paquin (Flack), Miranda Richardson (Stronger) and Lulu Wilson (The Glorias).

Deceit

Niamh Algar, Eddie Marsan, Harry Treadaway and Nathaniel Martello-White star in this four-part drama from Emilia di Girolamo (The Tunnel) that examines the controversial honeytrap at the heart of the high-pressure investigation into the devastating murder of Rachel Nickell in 1992. Examining the complicated and toxic sexual politics of the early 90s and the police’s obsession with the wrong man, Deceit enters a dysfunctional world, where a female undercover officer, codename ‘Lizzie James’, is asked to become bait for a suspected killer.

Gone for Good: Season 1

Ten years after losing two loved ones, a man is plunged into another dizzying mystery when his girlfriend vanishes in this thriller based on Harlan Coben’s novel.

Heels

Heels is a story about the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small-town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals, Jack Spade and Ace Spade, war over their late father’s legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the good guy, and somebody must play their nemesis, the heel. But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind. Episodes arrive on Sundays.

Ladhood: Season 2

Liam Williams’ critically acclaimed coming-of-age comedy returns. Freshly heartbroken, Liam looks back at his noughties’ adolescence in search of answers to his modern-day millennial angst.

The White Lotus

With an ensemble cast including Murray Barlett (Looking), Connie Britton, (Nashville), Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls), Alexandra Daddario (True Detective) and Steve Zahn (Treme), The White Lotus is social satire set at an exclusive Hawaiian resort. The six-part series follows the vacations of various hotel guests over the span of a week as they relax and rejuvenate in paradise. But with each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travellers, the hotel’s cheerful employees, and the idyllic locale itself.

Gossip Girl: Season 1 to 6

If you don’t know your Blair Bass from your Chuck Bass, this is your chance to catch up with one TV’s seminal teen dramas, which arrives exclusively on BBC iPlayer before the 2021 reboot.

Changing Rooms

It’s back. Bring on colour, patterns, textures and imagination – and probably a lot less MDF – as Changing Rooms returns for a new version of the hit DIY series. Given a fresh lick of paint for an era of pinspiration and Insta-interiors, the series is once again fronted by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, who will be joined by host Anna Richardson and designers Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead of 2LG Studio, with carpenter and joiner Tibby Singh completing the team. The series once again sees two sets of homeowners from the same neighbourhood work against the clock to renovate a room in each other’s houses. They’ll work with LLB or Jordan and Russell to bring the new looks to life in the chosen rooms, with the designers’ bold and opposing styles ensuring each transformation will be spectacular, innovative and unexpected. The revamped series kicks off in Swansea, South Wales.

Nine Perfect Strangers

Starring Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy, this thriller from director Jonathan Levine and co-writers David E Kelley and John Henry Butterworth follows nine stressed city dwellers at a boutique health-and-wellness resort, trying to get on a path to a better way of living. However, these nine strangers have no idea what’s about to hit them…

Truth Be Told: Season 2

Starring and executive produced by Octavia Spencer, the anthology drama provides a glimpse into America’s obsession with true crime podcasts. Season 2 sees investigative reporter turned true crime podcaster Poppy Parnell (Spencer) dive into a new case that deeply involves her childhood friend, media mogul Micah Keith (Kate Hudson). As developments unfold, their lifelong friendship is put to the ultimate test.

The Chair: Season 2

The Chair follows Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim (Sandra Oh) as she navigates her new role as the Chair of the English department at prestigious Pembroke University. Ji-Yoon is faced with a unique set of challenges as the first woman to chair the department, and as one of the few staff members of color at the university. Starring Sandra Oh, Jay Duplass, Holland Taylor and Bob Balaban.

The Walking Dead: Season 11

Previously on The Walking Dead, our survivors confronted past demons and combated new threats, with friendships and relationships suffering from the mounting collateral damage that is the apocalypse. Alexandria is severely compromised, left a former shell of the home it once was from the carnage and devastation left behind by the Whisperers. Now the town of Alexandria has more people than it can manage to feed and protect – and tensions within the walls are starting to heat up. Episodes arrive weekly.

Britannia: Season 3

In a world of mythic Celtic tribes, psychedelic druids and terrifying Romans, a young girl builds a rebel alliance with a group of misfits in the third series of Jez Butterworth’s anarchic drama. There’s a radical transformation in Cait’s journey as the Chosen One, with a decision that will tie her to the future of her war-torn people and their ravaged land. Roman General Aulus comes under pressure from a new and dark force – otherwise known as his wife, whilst Cantii Queen Amena finds herself in a lethal ménage à trois with both of them. The druid Divis gets a new job which he despises, and Veran goes to the underworld and sees the future. All eight episodes arrive at once.

McCartney 3,2,1

PaulMcCartney sits down for a rare, in-depth, one-on-one with legendary producer Rick Rubin to discuss his groundbreaking work with The Beatles, the emblematic 70s arena rock of Wings and his 50 years and counting as a solo artist. In this six-episode series that explores music and creativity in a unique and revelatory manner, join Paul and Rick for an intimate conversation about the songwriting, influences, and personal relationships that informed the iconic songs that have served as the soundtracks of our lives.

Gossip Girl (2021)

It’s the start of a new school year at the Upper East Side’s elite Constance St Jude, as Gossip Girl returns in an all-new incarnation. The new academic year ushers in the arrival of a newcomer who soon finds herself thrust into a blinding spotlight. While other students cling to their comfortable, glamorous lives, a mysterious presence threatens to upend the status quo. Jordan Alexander, Whitney Peak and Tavi Gevinson star in this 12-part first season, with the first half of six episodes arriving before the second half airs at a later date.

See: Season 2

This sci-fi drama is set in a brutal and primitive future, hundreds of years after humankind has lost the ability to see. Jason Momoa stars as Baba Voss, a fearless tribal leader who decides to raise two children born with the ability to see – only for trouble to come calling. In Season 2 he is struggling to reunite his family while protecting them as the threat of war looms between the Kingdom of Paya and the Trivantian Republic. Despite his best efforts, his wife and sighted children are pulled to the forefront of the conflict, where they come to the attention of his estranged brother, Edo Voss (Dave Bautista), a powerful and cunning Trivantian General, whose long-simmering hatred for his brother imperils them all even further.

Kevin Can F**k Himself

AMC’s comedy follows the dark reality behind a Sitcom Wife, and her plan to take back control of her life. Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek) stars, alongside Mary Hollis Inboden (The Real O’Neals) as Patty O’Connor, Allison’s tough, glass-half-empty neighbour, Eric Petersen (Kirstie) as the protagonist’s husband Kevin McRoberts, Alex Bonifer (Superstore) as Neil O’Connor, the football-loving, beer-swilling, dim-bulb best friend of Kevin, and Brian Howe (Chicago Fire) as Pete McRoberts, Kevin’s father with a regressive sense of humour.

Vigil

This six-part thriller starring Suranne Jones explores the aftermath of a crew member being found dead on board the Trident nuclear submarine HMS Vigil. Police in Scotland are called in to investigate. The catch? The UK’s nuclear deterrent must remain unbroken, so the submarine stays on patrol and Detective Chief Inspector Amy Silva must go aboard to begin an investigation. Although the death was written off as an accidental overdose, Amy suspects foul play. But when the crew close ranks in the face of Amy’s questioning, a new threat overshadows her inquiry. Episode 1 and 2 will air on Sunday and Monday, then new episodes arrive on Sundays.

Stephen

Sharlene Whyte, Steve Coogan and Hugh Quarshie play leading roles in Stephen, the three-part sequel to the groundbreaking ITV drama, The Murder of Stephen Lawrence. Sharlene Whyte (Small Axe, We Hunt Together) takes the role of Doreen Lawrence with Hugh Quarshie (Breeders, Absentia, White Heat, Holby City) reprising his performance of Neville Lawrence from the original drama. Steve Coogan (Stan & Ollie, Philomena) takes the role of DCI Clive Driscoll who led the investigation into the murder of the Lawrences’ beloved son, Stephen. Stephen portrays events from 2006, 13 years after Stephen’s death on the evening of 22 April 1993 in a racially motivated attack whilst waiting for a bus in Well Hall Road, Eltham. Even though Doreen and Neville Lawrence knew the identity of their son’s killers, the original investigation had failed to convict those responsible, and their extraordinary campaign for justice led to a public inquiry which branded Metropolitan Police institutionally racist and brought about sweeping changes in the law. The three-part drama airs weekly on ITV. The Murder of Stephen Lawrence is available on BritBox UK.

Only Murders in the Building

From the minds of Steve Martin, Dan Fogelman and John Hoffman, Only Murders In The Building follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realise a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late.

Back to Life: Season 2

BBC Three’s poignant, thoughtful drama follows Miri, who returns to her hometown after 18 years in prison. Season 2 picks up as she continues trying to move on with her life with a new job and a date. But her past returns to trouble her with the arrival of a surprise visitor. All episodes arrive at once on BBC iPlayer.

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