The March 2019 Watchlist: 26 UK TV highlights for this month
James R | On 04, Mar 2019
Netflix. Amazon Prime Video. BBC iPlayer. NOW. Walter Presents. 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.
It’s no exaggeration to say that March may be one of the best months of TV this year. As well continuing episodes of Alan Partridge, this first week alone sees the return of comedy greats Fleabag and Derry Girls. They’re joined by Leaving Neverland, a new celebrity run of GBBO, and Richard Gere drama MotherFatherSon. And that’s before we even get to the return of American Gods, Queer Eye, Santa Clarita Diet, Billions, Into the Badlands and The OA.
Viewing schedule too packed? We’ve sorted through All The TV to bring you your March watchlist – what’s worth watching, why and where you can find it online in the UK.
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 11
Start your engines! RuPaul is back for another season of lip syncing, runway strutting and all-round being fabulous.
RuPaul’s Drag Race S11 UK air date:
When? 1st March (8.01am)
What channel? Netflix UK
Watch online in the UK:
Netflix UK (£7.99 a month)
Available weekly on-demand
Fleabag: Season 2
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s breakout BBC Three hit is back for a second season of laughs, awkwardness and swearing, as the dry-witted, angry, cash-strapped, grief-riddled, porn-watching eponymous young woman tries to distract herself from the “screaming void” inside her empty heart. She’s once again joined by Olivia Colman (Godmother), Bill Paterson (Dad), Sian Cliford (Claire), Brett Gelman (Martin), Jenny Rainsford (Boo) and Hugh Skinner (Harry), with new faces included Fiona Shaw and Kristin Scott Thomas, plus Andrew Scott as a hot priest – just as Fleabag starts to take on the man upstairs. Read our review here.
Fleabag S2 UK air date:
When? 4th March (10.35pm)
What channel? BBC One / BBC Three
Watch online in the UK:
BBC iPlayer
New episodes live and on-demand weekly
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Season 2
Jeremy Clarkson is back in the host’s chair for another stint of the resurrected quiz show.
WWTBAM UK air date:
When? 4th February (9pm)
What channel? ITV
Watch online in the UK:
ITV Hub
New episodes live and on-demand nightly
Celebrity Great British Bake Off
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer will once again bring together names from the worlds of acting, politics, comedy, sport and entertainment to compete in the GBBO tent and be crowned Star Baker. John Lithgow, Jeremy Paxman, Sally Lindsay, Michelle Keegan, Jon Richardson, Russell Brand, Russell Tovey, Greg Wise, Jess Phillips MP, James Acaster, Big Narstie, Nicola Adams, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Caroline Flack, Hannah Cockroft, Joe Wilkinson, Johnny Vegas, Georgia Toffolo, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, and Rylan Clark-Neal, will be joining Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, plus hosts Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding, for a five-part series. Ready, set, watch!
Celebrity GBBO UK air date:
When? 5th March (8pm)
What channel? Channel 4
Watch online in the UK:
All 4
New episodes live and on-demand weekly
Derry Girls: Season 2
Erin Quinn (Saoirse Monica Jackson) and the gang are back on Channel 4 for another season of coming-of-age comedy set against the backdrop of The Troubles in 1990s Ireland. Erin is joined once again by Orla McCool (Louisa Harland) and friends Clare Devlin (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle Mallon (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) and Michelle’s tag along English cousin, aka The Wee English Fella, and James Maguire (Dylan Llewellyn). With Ardal O’Hanlon also guest-starring as Eamonn, the awkward, middle-aged mummy’s boy of the Quinn/McCool extended family, Season 2 of Lisa McGee’s sitcom promises to be as hilarious as ever.
Derry Girls S2 UK air date:
When? 5th March (9.15pm)
What channel? Channel 4
Watch online in the UK:
All 4
New episodes live and on-demand weekly
MotherFatherSon: Season 1
Richard Gere stars in Tom Rob Smith’s original drama series about Max, a charismatic, self-made US businessman with media outlets in London and around the world. Helen McCrory co-stars as Kathryn, a British heiress estranged from Max, following the breakdown of their marriage some years before. Their 30 year-old son Caden (Billy Howle), runs Max’s UK newspaper and is primed to follow in his father’s footsteps as one of the most powerful men in the world. But when Caden’s self-destructive lifestyle spirals out of control, the devastating consequences threaten the future of the family, its empire, and a country on the brink of change.
MotherFatherSon UK air date:
When? 6th March (9pm)
What channel? BBC Two
Watch online in the UK:
BBC iPlayer
New episodes live and on-demand weekly
Leaving Neverland
Following its Sundance premiere, Dan Reed’s controversial documentary arrives on UK screens, telling the story of two men who recount their experiences of being allegedly sexually abused by Michael Jackson. When allegations of abuse by Jackson involving young boys surfaced in 1993, many found it hard to believe that he could be guilty of such unspeakable acts. Leaving Neverland explores the experiences of James Safechuck, at age10, and Wade Robson, at age seven, who were both befriended by Jackson.
Leaving Neverland UK air date:
When? 6th March (9pm)
What channel? Channel 4
Watch online in the UK:
All 4
New episodes live and on-demand
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 5
Nine-Nine! After Season 5’s premiere on E4 last year, it finally arrives on Netflix for your binge-viewing pleasure.
B99 S5 UK air date:
When? 8th March (8.01am)
What channel? Netflix UK
Watch online in the UK:
Netflix UK (£7.99 a month)
Available all at once on-demand
After Life
“Humanity’s a plague. We’re a disgusting, selfish parasite and the world would be a better thing without us.” That’s Ricky Gervais in his new Netflix series, After Life, which follows Tony, a man trying to cope with his wife’s death. When Lisa suddenly passes away, Tony changes. He decides to live long enough to punish the world by saying and doing whatever he likes – a superpower of not caring that turns out to be tricky when everyone is trying to save the nice guy they used to know.
After Life UK air date:
When? 8th March (8.01am)
What channel? Netflix UK
Watch online in the UK:
Netflix UK (£7.99 a month)
Available all at once on-demand
NOW Apocalypse
Gregg Araki turns to TV with this provocative, surreal comedy, which follows Ulysses (Avan Jogia), who is struggling to figure out his life in the bewildering city of Los Angeles. Kelli Berglund (Lab Rats) co-stars as Carly, Beau Mirchoff (Awkward) as Ford, and Roxane Mesquida (Kaboom) as Severine, all of whom are on quests pursuing love, sex and fame. Between sexual and romantic dating-app adventures, Ulysses grows increasingly troubled as foreboding, premonitory dreams make him wonder if some kind of dark and monstrous conspiracy is going on — or if he is just smoking too much weed.
NOW Apocalypse UK air date:
When? 10th March
What channel? STARZPLAY
Watch online in the UK:
STARZPLAY (£4.99 a month)
Available weekly on-demand
American Gods: Season 2
War continues to brew between gods old and new, as the fantasy epic – based on Neil Gaiman’s bestselling novel – returns for a long-awaited second run. It sees the traditional gods of mythology from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of idols reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs – and they’re not about to take it lying down. Starring Ricky Whittle (The 100) as Shadow Moon, the man caught in the middle of the conflict, the series only gets bigger and bolder.
American Gods S2 UK air date:
When? 11th March
What channel? Amazon Prime Video
Watch online in the UK:
Amazon Prime Video (£5.99 a month)
Available weekly on-demand
Speechless: Season 1
Minnie Driver stars in this US sitcom, which first aired stateside back in 2016. Now on its third run, it finally arrives on UK screens, with Driver playing Maya DiMeo, a mum who will do anything for her husband, Jimmy (John Ross Bowie), and kids Ray (Mason Cook), Dylan (Kyla Kenedy), and JJ (Micah Fowler), her eldest, who has cerebral palsy. In Season 1, as Maya fights injustices both real and imagined, the family works to make a new home for themselves, and search for just the right person to give JJ his “voice”.
Speechless UK air date:
When? 11th March (7.30pm)
What channel? E4
Watch online in the UK:
All 4
New episodes live and on-demand weekly
Bounty Hunters: Season 2
Jack Whitehall and Rosie Perez return in the frenetic comedy as the bumbling antique dealer Barnaby and nononsense bounty hunter Nina team up once again in the second season of the Sky Original Production. This time, the unlikely duo find themselves in Mexico, with a bag full of narcotics and an angry drug lord in the boot of their car.
Bounty Hunters S2 UK air date:
When? 13th March (9pm)
What channel? Sky One
Watch online in the UK:
Sky / NOW (£8.99 a month – an Entertainment Membership auto-renews at £8.99 a month until 1st September 2020, £9.99 thereafter unless cancelled))
Available live and on-demand weekly
Queer Eye: Season 3
The Fab Five – Antoni Porowski (Food & Wine), Bobby Berk (Interior Design), Jonathan Van Ness (Grooming), Karamo Brown (Culture) and Tan France (Fashion) – are finally back to transform the stylistically challenged and into hip and happening savants, and teach us all to love ourselves better.
Queer Eye S3 UK air date:
When? 15th March (8.01am)
What channel? Netflix UK
Watch online in the UK:
Netflix UK (£7.99 a month)
Available all at once on-demand
Turn Up Charlie: Season 1
Idris Elba turns his hand to comedy in this new Netflix series, which sees the Luther star play Charlie, a struggling DJ and eternal bachelor, who is given a final chance at success when he reluctantly becomes a ‘manny’ to his famous best friend’s problem-child daughter, Gabby (Frankie Hervey).
Turn Up Charlie UK air date:
When? 15th March (8.01am)
What channel? Netflix UK
Watch online in the UK:
Netflix UK (£7.99 a month)
Available all at once on-demand
Arrested Development: Season 5 Part 2
The Bluths are back, with Michael Cera, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Portia de Rossi, David Cross and Alia Shawkat reuniting with Jason Bateman for more chaotic silliness.
Arrested Development S5B UK air date:
When? 15th March (8.01am)
What channel? Netflix UK
Watch online in the UK:
Netflix UK (£7.99 a month)
Available all at once on-demand
Billions: Season 4
Axe and Chuck’s battles are far from over as the fourth season of the all or nothing drama begins. With new opponents rising in the form of former AxeCapital player Taylor (Asia Kate Dillon) and dangerous Russian oligarch Grigor Andolov (John Malkovich), can the duo form a fragile alliance strong enough to survive?
Billions S4 UK air date:
When? 20th March (9pm)
What channel? Sky Atlantic
Watch online in the UK:
Sky / NOW (£8.99 a month – an Entertainment Membership auto-renews at £8.99 a month until 1st September 2020, £9.99 thereafter unless cancelled))
Available live and on-demand weekly
Pose
This universally-acclaimed hit drama from Ryan Murphy is arguably one of the most groundbreaking series ever produced. It examines New York’s transgender-Ball culture of the late 1980s and the LGBTQ community during the growing HIV crisis. Black transgender woman Blanca Rodriguez works at a nail salon by day and serves as a member of the House of Abundance by night. After receiving a life-changing medical diagnosis, Blanca becomes determined to open her own house. She starts by taking in 17 year-old Damon, a talented dancer.
The series features the largest cast of transgender series regular actors as well as the highest numbers of LGBTQ recurring actors and crew for a scripted show in television history. It’s already been renewed for a second season.
Pose UK air date:
When? 21st March (9pm)
What channel? BBC Two
Watch online in the UK:
BBC iPlayer
New episodes live and on-demand weekly
The OA: Part II
Netflix’s sci-fi mystery, which is created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, blew people away with its story of Prairie Johnson (Marling), a missing blind girl who returned to the community she grew up in – with her sight restored. Now, it’s returning for Part 2 and promising to catch us all off guard all over again, opening things up into a whole new reality. Alternate dimensions, alternate identities and endless new mysteries, the teaser paves the way for a bigger, more ambitious epic. Start practising your dance moves now.
The OA S2 UK air date:
When? 22nd March (8.01am)
What channel? Netflix UK
Watch online in the UK:
Netflix UK (£7.99 a month)
Available all at once on-demand
Into the Badlands: Season 3 Part 2
As we enter the final chapter of Into the Badlands, an imprisoned Bajie warns Sunny that Pilgrim can’t be trusted. But with his son’s life on the line, Sunny struggles with his decision to help Pilgrim unlock the Meridian Chamber. Meanwhile, M.K., still reeling from the revelation that Sunny killed his mother, is hell-bent on revenge… The final ever episodes of AMC’s martial arts thriller promise to be as action-packed as ever.
Into the Badlands S3B UK air date:
When? 25th March
What channel? Amazon Prime Video
Watch online in the UK:
Amazon Prime Video (£5.99 a month)
Available on-demand weekly
Jane The Virgin: Season 5
Gina Rodriguez returns for one final time as Jane Villanueva, a working, religious young Latina virgin, who becomes pregnant after being artificially inseminated by mistake.
Jane The Virgin S5 UK air date:
When? 28th March (8.01am)
What channel? Netflix UK
Watch online in the UK:
Netflix UK (£7.99 a month)
Available all at once on-demand
The Good Fight: Season 3
The third season of CBS’ US legal drama, set in one of Chicago’s pre-eminent law firms. A storm brews at Reddick, Boseman and Lockhart when revelations of past misdeeds involving a partner come to light. Just as she thought the world couldn’t get any crazier, an incident at home pushes Diane to breaking point. Meanwhile, Lucca is brought a new opportunity and Marissa teaches Maia to toughen up.
The Good Fight UK air date:
When? 28th March (9pm)
What channel? More4
Watch online in the UK:
All 4
New episodes live and on-demand weekly
Dead Pixels
E4’s new comedy is part-live action and part-computer animation. The show is based on a 2016 Channel 4 Blap and follows Meg, Nicky and Usman (Sargon Yelda – Spectre, Innocent), whose lives all revolve around their obsession for the massively popular fantasy game Kingdom Scrolls – a mystical, magical and most importantly virtual world of wizards and wyverns. But when gaming n00b Russell (David Mumeni – Damned) bumbles into their team, the group find themselves increasingly forced to deal with the real world.
The series stars Alexa Davies (Mamma Mia 2), Will Merrick (Poldark) and Charlotte Ritchie (Raised by Wolves). From house parties to disappointed parents to internet perverts, Dead Pixels takes an affectionate, humorous look at the world of online gaming.
Dead Pixels UK air date:
When? 28th March (9.30pm)
What channel? E4
Watch online in the UK:
All 4
New episodes live and on-demand weekly
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 6
The sixth season of the US comedy about a group of New York City police detectives. Peralta and Santiago go on their luxury honeymoon and run into a familiar face. Gina and Boyle get into a family squabble. Jeffords tries to live up to his new nickname.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine S6 UK air date:
When? 28th March (9pm)
What channel? E4
Watch online in the UK:
All 4
New episodes live and on-demand weekly
Santa Clarita Diet: Season 3
The horror rom-com, which stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, follows Sheila, a realtor married to Joel, who lives a vaguely discontented life in the titular LA suburb. Their domestic existence undergoes a dramatic change, though, when she ends up undead – and hungry for something that isn’t exactly vegetarian. Season 2 saw the Hammonds trying to adapt to Sheila’s now-advanced state, evolving into one of Netflix’s best original series, balancing laughs and gore with relationship goals.
Santa Clarita Diet S3 UK air date:
When? 29th March (8.01am)
What channel? Netflix UK
Watch online in the UK:
Netflix UK (£7.99 a month)
Available all at once on-demand
Osmosis
“Are you ready to find out what love truly us?” That’s the question that kicks off the new trailer for Osmosis, Netflix’s new French original. Set in Paris in the near future, it sees a new dating app appear on the market that helps people find their soulmate by collecting data from their brain. But finding true love comes at a price. Are you ready to pay for it? Based on an idea originally produced by Telfrance (Newen group) & Arte France, the showrunner is Audrey Fouché (Les Revenants, Borgia) and the producers are Aude Albano and Claude Chelli. The cast includes Hugo Becker, Agatha Bonitzer and Lionel Lingelser.
Osmosis UK air date:
When? 29th March (8.01am)
What channel? Netflix UK
Watch online in the UK:
Netflix UK (£7.99 a month)
Available all at once on-demand
Hanna: Season 1
Based on Joe Wright’s 2011 film, the eight-episode first season was written by David Farr (The Night Manager), who co-wrote the original feature. Produced by NBCUniversal International Studios, Working Title Television and Amazon Studios, and directed by Sarah Adina Smith (Legion), the series was filmed entirely on-location in Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Morocco, Spain and the UK. While building on the driving action-conspiracy narrative of his feature script, Farr has also re-imagined Hanna’s world for the small-screen with added intimacy, building a portrait of a young woman learning about – and experiencing – for the first time what it is to be female in the modern world.
Raised in total seclusion in the remote woods of Eastern Europe, 15-year-old Hanna (Esmé Creed-Miles – Mister Lonely) has spent her entire young life training to fight those who hunt her and her mercenary father, Erik Heller (Joel Kinnaman – The Killing). Her survivalist skills are finally tested when she and Erik are separated upon their discovery by a rogue CIA operative, Marissa Wiegler (Mireille Enos – reuniting with her The Killing co-star) and her team of agents.
Hanna UK air date:
When? 25th March
What channel? Amazon Prime Video
Watch online in the UK:
Amazon Prime Video (£5.99 a month)
Available all at once on-demand