David Farnor | On 06, Sep 2020

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.

With summer over and autumn in the air, the country is adjusting to life after lockdown, but there’s still good reason to stay indoors, not least because of what’s on the way to your screen this month – from the return of Netflix’s Criminal and Amazon’s The Boys to the debut of Awkwafina’s new comedy series, Ryan Murphy’s Ratched and the US remake of Channel 4’s Utopia.

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

Chef’s Table: BBQ

Netflix’s mouth-watering docuseries returns to celebrate the art of the barbecue. The series will introduce us to Tootsie from Texas, who feels her grills with her hands, Lennox from Australia, who likes to cook lettuce and even pastry with fire, Rosalia from Mexico, who is inspired by cooking the way Mayans did thousands of years ago, and Rodney, from South Carolina, who highlights the communal element of bringing people together.

Young Wallander: Season 1

Fresh out of police academy, Kurt Wallander (Adam Pålsson) is pulled into solving the violent incident under the wing of superintendent Hemberg (Richard Dillane). Written by Ben Harris and directed by Ole Endresen and Jens Jonsson, the prequel series paves the way for the iconic detective as we know him in later life.

Cold Courage: Season 1

This international crime drama starring John Simm is based on the award-winning books by Pekka Hiltunen and adapted by David Joss Buckley (Hinterland) and Brendan Foley (The Riddle). Set in London, it introduces two young Finnish women, Mari and Lia, who are drawn together through the “Studio” –– a clandestine group of like-minded people operating off the grid, dedicated to righting the wrongs of the powerful, influential and corrupt.

Away: Season 1

From Executive Producer Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights), this drama celebrates the incredible advancements humans can achieve and the personal costs they face along the way. Hilary Swank stars as American astronaut Emma Green, who is preparing to lead an international crew on the first mission to Mars. But she must reconcile her decision to leave behind her husband (Josh Charles) and teenage daughter (Talitha Bateman) when they need her the most.

The Boys: Season 2

Amazon’s dark superhero saga returns for a second season, which finds The Boys on the run from the law, hunted by the Supes, and desperately trying to regroup and fight back against Vought. In hiding, Hughie (Jack Quaid), Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso), Frenchie (Tomer Capon) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) try to adjust to a new normal, with Butcher (Karl Urban) nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Starlight (Erin Moriarty) must navigate her place in The Seven as Homelander (Antony Starr) sets his sights on taking complete control. His power is threatened with the addition of Stormfront (Aya Cash), a social media-savvy new Supe, who has an agenda of her own.

 

Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge

Louis Theroux is always worth putting on your watchlist, especially when he’s busy scrutinising himself as well as other people. This new series sees him look back at his earliest documentaries and explores how some people’s most fervent beliefs can bring them into conflict with mainstream society – kicking off with Mike Cain, who he first met in the mid-90s, having moved to the hills of Idaho and armed himself for what he saw as an inevitable war with the federal government. Over 20 years later, his views haven’t changed much – but in Donald Trump, he has a president who finally speaks to him.

Power Book II: Ghost

Power Book II: Ghost will pick up where the original series leaves off, starring Mary J. Blige, Cliff “Method Man” Smith as defence lawyer Davis MacLean and several members of the original Power cast. Blige is front and centre of the new teaser, reprising her role as queenpin Monet Stewart Tejada, alongside other familiar faces (including Michael Rainey Jr as Tariq).

The Duchess: Season 1

Fresh off her Netflix special “In Trouble”, Katherine Ryan pitched the streamer an idea based on her life as a fabulous single mom living in London. Season 1 follows Katherine as she debates whether she should have a second child with her estranged and troubled baby daddy.

Justified

Enforcing his own brand of justice, US Marshal Raylan, a strong-willed, quiet law-man haunted by his past, returns to his native town to see that justice is served to those in need.

Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens: Season 1

Awkwafina stars as Nora Linn in this scripted comedy series, based on her real-life beginnings in Queens, New York. Raised alongside her cousin Edmund (Bowen Yang) by her dad Wally (BD Wong) and Grandma (Lori Tan Chinn), Nora leans on her family as she navigates young adulthood in out-borough New York City.

 

The Singapore Grip

This six-part drama is adapted from Booker Prize winner JG Farrell’s satirical novel by Christopher Hampton (Atonement). Set during World War II, it’s an epic story of a British family living in Singapore in 1941 at the time of the Japanese invasion. Luke Treadaway plays the reluctant hero, while David Morrissey is the ruthless rubber merchant who tries to manipulate his future. Charles Dance also stars as Morrissey’s business partner alongside Jane Horrocks, Colm Meaney, Georgia Blizzard, and Elizabeth Tan, as a beautiful and intriguing Chinese refugee.

Des

David Tennant stars in this three-part series about one of the most infamous criminal cases in UK history. Referred to as the “kindly killer”, Dennis Nilsen was a local civil servant who spent five years murdering boys and young men from 1978 to 1983. He would meet and befriend these men before offering food or lodgings for the evening back at his North London flat. Daniel Mays plays the detective, DCI Peter Jay, who brought Nilsen to justice, with Justin Watkins as writer and Nilsen’s biographer, Brian Masters.

The Third Day

Jude Law and Naomie Harris star in The Third Day, the first original drama to be produced by Sky’s new production house, Sky Studios, in partnership with Plan B Entertainment. This unique story is told over six episodes and in two distinct, but interconnected halves; ‘Summer’, following Sam (Law), after he is drawn to a mysterious island off the British coast inhabited by a group of islanders set on preserving their traditions at any cost; and ‘Winter’, following Helen (Harris), who also comes to the island seeking answers, but whose arrival precipitates a fractious battle to decide its fate.

Criminal: Season 2

Netflix’s crime procedural takes place in a tense interrogation room, where the search for answers sometimes comes at a moral cost. The stripped down, cat-and-mouse drama focuses on the mental conflict between the police and the suspect in question – and returns for four more cases with four new suspects.

Ratched: Season 1

“You should bathe more often. Your fingernails are filthy.” That’s the sound of Nurse Ratched bringing her unique bedside manner to Netflix in Ryan Murphy’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest prequel series, starring Sarah Paulson as the iconic asylum nurse.

Long Way Up: Season 1

Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman reunite for this epic new road trip covering 13,000 miles in 100 days. Starting from the city of Ushuaia at the tip of South America, Ewan and Charley journey through South and Central America, using cutting-edge technology on the backs of their electric Harley-Davidson LiveWires to contribute to the sustainability of the planet.

Angel

Angel follows the vampire Angel (David Boreanaz), who is cursed with a soul. Following events that occurred in Sunnydale, the troubled vampire moves to Los Angeles to aid others struggling with their supernatural powers, while on a quest to search for his own redemption. Charisma Carpenter reprises her role from Buffy, again playing Cordelia, alongside Alexis Denisof as Wesley and J. August Richards as Charles.

High Maintenance: Season 4

The Guy with the supply is back for the fourth season of the eclectic New York-based comedy, following the pot-dealer as he makes the rounds to his diverse clientele.

Us

Tom Hollander (The Night Manager), Sofie Gråbøl (The Killing) and Saskia Reeves (Luther, Shetland) star in David Nicholls’ new BBC One drama, based on his own book of the same name. Douglas Petersen is blindsided when his wife Connie tells him that she’s not sure she wants to be married to him anymore. Agreeing to still go on their planned family grand tour of Europe, Douglas vows to win back the love of his wife and repair his troubled relationship with their son Albie (Tom Taylor). What follows is poignant and funny with a globe-trotting backdrop to satisfy anyone’s lockdown wanderlust. All four episodes arrive on BBC iPlayer at once as a box set.

Ghosts: Season 2

The comedy series from the team behind Yonderland and Bill returns for a second season, as Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) continue to work out how to live in their inherited country estate with its ghostly residents. The ghosts have found a way to make their new situation work for them, while the couple are working towards a new money-making venture to fund their perpetual renovations – can they get the ghosts on side? Expect much more not-too-spooky silliness. It will air weekly on BBC One, but all episodes will be available at once on BBC iPlayer.

The Great British Bake Off

Matt Lucas replaces Sandi Toksvig as Channel 4’s baking show returns once more – with Paul Hollywood, Noel Fielding and Prue Leith casting an eye over contestants hoping to outdo any viewer’s sourdough with their own creations. Expect warm humour, reassuring familiarity and some mouth-watering inspiration.

Utopia: Season 1

The eight-part conspiracy thriller, based on Dennis Kelly’s Channel 4 series, is written by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects). It centres on a group of comic fans who meet online and bond over their obsession of a seemingly fictional comic called Utopia. Together, Becky (Ashleigh LaThrop), Ian (Dan Byrd), Samantha (Jessica Rothe), Wilson Wilson (Desmin Borges) and Grant (Javon “Wanna” Walton) unearth hidden meanings cloaked within the pages of Utopia, predicting threats to humanity. They realise these are not just the makings of a conspiracy; they are very real dangers coming alive right now in their world. The group embarks on a high-stakes adventure, bringing them face-to-face with the comic’s famed central character, Jessica Hyde.

Honour

Written by Gwyneth Hughes and directed by Richard Laxton, this new two-part drama stars the always-excellent Keeley Hawes as the real-life detective who brought five killers to justice in the heartbreaking true story of Banaz Mahmod, the young Londoner murdered for falling in love with the wrong man. Honour tells the powerful story of Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Goode’s passionate search to discover the fate of missing 20-year old Banaz. The two parts air on consecutive nights.

Life

Mike Bartlett returns to BBC One to continue the tale of Doctor Foster – sort of. The six-part series follows the stories of the residents of a large house divided into four flats in Manchester. As each of the four stories unfold and intertwine, they tell a larger story about what happens when we step out of our personal space and take a closer look into other people’s lives. Victoria Hamilton reprises her role from Doctor Foster – now going by the name of Belle, rather than Anna – and seeking to rebuild her life anew. Adam James will appear later on in the series, reprising his Doctor Foster role as Belle’s now ex-husband Neil. Add Alison Steadman, Peter Davison and Adrian Lester among other starry cast members and you’ve got our attention.

The Comey Rule

Based on Comey’s No. 1 New York Times bestselling book A Higher Loyalty and more than a year of additional interviews with a number of key principals, The Comey Rules is a behind-the-headlines account of the historically turbulent events surrounding the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath, which divided a nation. Starring Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom) as former FBI Director James Comey and Brendan Gleeson (Mr. Mercedes) as President Donald J Trump, this two-part event series was adapted for the screen and directed by Billy Ray (Captain Phillips, Shattered Glass) and executive produced by Shane Salerno, Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin and Ray. Both episodes are released at once.

Love Life

HBO Max’s hit anthology series charts the journey from first love to last love and how the people we’re with along the way make us into who we are when we finally end up with someone forever. The comedy follows a different protagonist’s quest for love each season, with each half-hour episode telling the story of one of their relationships. Anna Kendrick stars in the first season. Episodes air in double-bills weekly, with the whole box set released at once.

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