David Farnor | On 17, Sep 2022

Weekends. Bank Holidays. Half-terms. Christmas. Coronavirus self-isolation. Whatever the reason for you being indoors, TV shows are one of the best cures for having time to fill. From comedy to mystery, sci-fi to crime thrillers, British to French programmes and fantasy to historical dramas, here are the top TV box sets to binge watch the hours away instead of venturing outside.

Whether you use Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Sky, NOW, All 4, Apple TV+ or BBC iPlayer, there’s something here for you:

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

This ambitious, expansive fantasy epic is a thrilling, beautiful return to Middle-earth. (Read our full review)

Lost Ollie

Toy Story goes dark in this hugely moving tale of a homemade stuffed toy – voiced by Jonathan Groff – who is trying to find his way back to his owner. Animated seamlessly into a live-action world, the result is a sweet, sad and (at times) surprisingly frank and bleak in its study of friendship, support and memory.

Bad Sisters

Family loyalty leads to grave consequences in this darkly entertaining thriller.

Trainwreck: Woodstock 99

This jaw-dropping three-part documentary takes us step by step through the 1999 revival of the iconic 60s festival, charting how the attempt to rekindle its blend of peace and music descended into rage and riots. The question as to why it happened isn’t as explored as much as you’d like, but the how is grippingly unpicked – and the question of how these events have since been suppressed in pop culture memory lingers long after the end credits.

Sherwood

James Graham’s brooding crime drama about a divided community doesn’t miss its mark.

Heartstopper

This LGBTQ+ coming-of-age series is a gorgeous, heartfelt piece of television.

Never Have I Ever: Season 1 to 3

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is impossibly charming in Mindy Kaling’s coming-of-age comedy, which follows an Indian-American teenage girl as she navigates high school. The fact that it’s narrated by John McEnroe is the icing on the cake.

Under the Banner of Heaven

This well-acted true crime drama – starring Andrew Garfield as a Mormon police detective – is a thoughtful study of truth and faith.

Abbott Elementary

If easygoing sitcoms are your thing, Quinta Brunson’s comedy set in an underfunded primary school is the best new show that’s streaming right now.

Bloodlands

James Nesbitt is broodingly intense in this gripping, twisting crime drama. (Season 2, comprising another 4 episodes, premieres on 18th September.)

Barry

Bill Hader delivers a career-defining turn in this light-hearted dark comedy, which dazzles in the moral grey areas.

Pachinko

The superb, sweeping drama told in three languages — Korean, Japanese and English — begins with a forbidden love and crescendos into a sweeping saga that journeys between Korea, Japan and America to tell a story of war and peace, love and loss, triumph and reckoning.

For All Mankind

The premise for Ron Moore’s alt-history drama is wonderfully simple and full of fascinating potential: what if Russia won the space race? The opportunity for surprises is apparently immediately, as we see the moon landing take place in 1969, only for a Russian astronaut to end up on our lunar cousin, leaving America facing a red moon in the sky. The response is both shame and determination to catch up, and so we follow NASA as it races to get back in the pilot’s seat. It’s a cracking concept for a series, one that resonates with themes of national identity, global politics and scientific progress.

Ozark

Netflix’s crime thriller is full of brooding tension and absorbing characters.

The Lazarus Project

This twisting time-travelling thriller is a fun mix of suspenseful set pieces and moral dilemmas.

Ms Marvel

Iman Vellani is a revelation in this highly entertaining series that introduces the best new Marvel superhero since Ant-Man.

The Responder

Martin Freeman is blisteringly intense in this searing state-of-the-nation police thriller.

This Is Going to Hurt

Ben Whishaw is brilliant in this blunt diagnosis of the pressures facing the NHS.

Stranger Things

Whether you’ve already binged your way through the penultimate fourth chapter of Netflix’s sci-fi horror hit, or you’re starting from the beginning afresh, there’s no escaping the compelling pull of this scary, funny and warm-hearted retro-thrill ride.

Better Call Saul

Bob Odenkirk delivers a phenomenal turn in this gorgeously crafted prequel to Breaking Bad, which takes what we already know about lawyer Saul Goodman and uses it to build a tragedy in riveting slow motion.

Shining Girls

If you were ever in doubt that Elisabeth Moss is one of the greatest actors working today, Shining Girls will convince you beyond any doubt. A twisting, harrowing, fascinating thriller, it’s grounded, raw study of the lingering effects of trauma, wrapped up in a timey-wimey mystery.

Severance

This dark, dystopian workplace thriller is a disturbingly timely watch – see it before everyone’s talking about in a year’s time.

Peacemaker

John Cena relishes the chance to take centre stage in James Gunn’s darkly entertaining superhero satire.

Yellowjackets

This dark and disturbing ensemble survival thriller is a gripping tale of trauma and consequences.

Wellington Paranormal

Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s sci-fi horror mockumentary is a frightfully funny treat.

The Flight Attendant

This smart, funny, suspenseful murder mystery is a surprising, thrilling ride.

Girls5eva

This note-perfect girl group comedy doesn’t miss a beat.

Gentleman Jack: Season 1 and 2

Suranne Jones is inimitable, intimidating and absolutely electric in this period drama, which follows Anne Lister, the entrepreneur determined to become a power couple with the love of her life, Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle). Season 2 sees things become less straightforward, but one thing that doesn’t change is the male-dominated society in which Anne, Ann and Anne’s former lover, Marianna (the forthright Lydia Leonard), all have to carve out their own stories – and with Joanna Scanlan also joining the cast as another former partner, Isabella “Tib” Norcliffe, things only get more entertaining.

The Split: Season 1 to 3

The Defoe sisters, Hannah (Nicola Walker), Nina (Annabel Scholey) and Rose (Fiona Button) are back for another round of legal dramatics on London’s divorce circuit. Hannah and her sisters make for engrossing, compellingly human television. With so much seething distrust, jealousy and resentment simmering under the surface, the fun lies in seeing each relative use their clients as ammunition to snipe at the others, or support one another through their tumultuous lives. Now in its third season, all those crises have built up to become a wonderfully involving web of problems – and at its heart remain the question of whether there can ever be a future for Hannah and her husband Nathan (the excellent Stephen Mangan). Should they Split or not? Therein lies the pain, fun and suspense of Abi Morgan’s excellently complex scripts.

Hacks

Say hello to your new favourite double-act in this funny, smart and warm odd couple comedy.

Reacher

Alan Ritchison is perfectly cast as Jack Reacher in this rock-solid adaptation of Lee Child’s novel.

As We See It

This ensemble drama about a trio of 20-somethings with autism is funny, sweet and heartfelt TV.

Bridgerton

Be prepared to swoon over this saucy, sumptuous and seriously fun romantic romp.

You

Netflix’s twisted social media thriller, about a bookshop owner who stalks the object of his affection, is enjoyably dark, addictively ridiculous, and enormously fun.

The Morning Show

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” admits Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) several episodes into The Morning Show, Apple TV+’s new newsroom drama. It’s a rare moment of honesty in a show that questions what exactly that is in the modern media age. The result is a star-studded, fast-paced, whip-smart breakdown of the current state of journalism, a show that captures the buzz of a studio, the hum of 24/7 media attention, the pressure of trying to stay true to one’s self while also staying relevant. In other words, it’s everything you could want a flagship TV drama to be.

The Afterparty

This self-aware murder mystery comedy is a hilarious, inventive ride.

Slow Horses

This enjoyably low-key thriller is an entertaining walk on the shabby side of spying.

Station Eleven

This surprising pandemic drama is a cathartic tale of hope and humanity.

Visible: Out of Television

“I think TV profoundly affects the way people feel about themselves,” says someone in Visible: Out on Television, a documentary that examines the relationship of the LGBTQ+ movement and the small screen. The five-part series takes us through the history of both the movement and TV, from the early days when LGBTQ+ people where portrayed as maniacs or deviants to the 1970s when positive portrayals of LGBTQ+ people began to emerge – and through to the current wave of LGBTQ+ creators who have made it within the industry open the door for greater inclusion of talent and voices off screen to wider representation on it. Superb.

Number of episodes
5

Watch online in the UK:
Apple TV+

McCartney 3,2,1

This fascinating string of interviews with Paul McCartney is an accessible, insightful watch.

Number of episodes
6

Watch online in the UK:
Disney+

The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray

Samuel L Jackson delivers a beautifully understated performance in this rich, moving, gripping mystery drama.

Number of episodes
8

Watch online in the UK:
Apple TV+

The Dropout

Amanda Seyfried is perfectly cast in this timely, gripping tale of fraud, ambition and entrepreneurship gone wrong.

Number of episodes
8

Watch online in the UK:
Disney+

Old Enough!

This Japanese reality series that sends toddlers out on errands alone is a surprising, heartwarming delight.

Number of episodes
20

The Beatles: Get Back

Peter Jackson’s long and winding Beatles documentary is an absorbing, entertaining, fascinating watch.

Only Murders in the Building

Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez are a delight to watch in this warm and witty true crime comedy.

Mare of Easttown

Kate Winslet delivers one of the best performances of her career in this gripping detective drama.

Superstore

America Ferrera leads the cast of this hilarious comedy about a superstore staffed by incompetent people that balances rounded characters with a non-stop joke count that rivals The Office. The diversity of the cast is the icing on the cake, also allowing the sitcom to tackle all manner of themes and subjects from across different social divides from a sincere – and laugh-out-loud funny – perspective.

Midnight Mass

Mike Flanagan’s latest is a compelling mix of frights and insights into the human condition.

The White Lotus

Mike White’s scathing dissection of privilege is a deliciously awkward dive into darkness, delusion and just desserts.

The Underground Railroad

Barry Jenkins’ heartbreaking, powerful, beautiful adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel is an astounding achievement.

Squid Game

This darkly entertaining satire of social inequality is a graphic, gripping ride.

WandaVision

“We are an unusual couple, you know.” That’s the sound of Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) returning to our screens for WandaVision, Marvel’s first Disney+ series. Part of the pleasure of WandaVision is seeing just how fastidiously the show recreates every old US sitcom you can think of, and Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen are flawless together, leaning into every comedy beat that comes their way. But the happier their domestic bliss becomes, the less natural and normal everything seems. The innovative result is an entertaining, unusual and unmissable new direction for the MCU.

The West Wing

Aaron Sorkin’s seminal political drama takes us behind the scenes and experience of the inner workings of the White House and the Presidential advisors. Starring a sublime cast including Rob Lowe, Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford and Martin Sheen, this remains one of the best series ever brought to the small screen.

Lupin

This playfully meta take on France’s gentleman thief is slick, charismatic and effortlessly cool.

Dead to Me

Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini are amusing, sweet and heartbreaking in Netflix’s dark comedy about two women who find unexpected friendship amid a perfect storm of grief, loss and betrayal. With James Marsden as an ex-fiancé muddying the moral waters, what emerges is a unique blend of cathartic character drama and unpredictable potboiler thrills.

It’s a Sin

“My friend says it’s a plague.” “Don’t be silly. That’d be all over the news.” Russell T Davies’ astonishing new series is steeped in historical accuracy, period glee and gorgeously likeable characters, as we follow five friends growing up in the 1980s. As we watch them assemble in a London flatshare – including Callum Scott Howells’ endearingly naive Colin, Lydia West’s Jill, gently schooling and support him, Olly Alexander’s Ritchie, a wannabe actor, Omari Douglas’ defiantly ambitious Roscoe – Davies surrounds them with banging tunes and a cast that includes Shaun Dooley and Keeley Hawes. In short, there’s everything here you need to get immediately emotionally involved in this tale of growing pains, forming identities, self-discovery and shared expression. Neil Patrick Harris provides added star power, without distracting from the central cast, as Henry, who takes Colin under his wing and provides some wisdom and shelter. But looming over it all is the shadow of AIDS, and no sooner have we started to care for these characters than Russell T Davies starts to bring home the reality of the unspoken crisis. Prepare to laugh, cry and get angry at the heartbreaking brilliance of it all.

Back: Season 1 and 2

David Mitchell and Robert Webb are brilliantly acerbic in Simon Blackwell’s darkly funny and surprisingly moving comedy about Stephen (Mitchell), who tries to follow in his recently deceased father’s footsteps and take over the family business. His plans are foiled, though, by the unexpected return of his estranged foster brother, Andrew (Webb). As the twists and turns make their relationship increasingly twisted, the show grows into a hilarious but surprisingly thoughtful meditation on belonging, gaslighting, family and identity.

The Mandalorian

This rough and ready sci-fi Western is the best thing to happen to Star Wars since Luke found out who his father was. Read our full review

The Queen’s Gambit

Anya Tayloy-Joy is remarkable in this slick, compelling drama about a troubled chess genius, the orphaned prodigy Beth Harmon.

Succession: Season 1 to 3

The biggest media and entertainment company in the world is controlled by the formidable Logan Family. However, their world changes when their father makes a life changing decision about his role in the company. Created by Jesse Armstrong and starring Brian Cox, this impeccably acted and hilariously painful saga is one of the best TV shows of the past five years. Don’t miss it.

The Good Lord Bird

Is there anything Ethan Hawke can’t do? The versatile actor has brought his earnest brand of charisma to everything from the Before Sunrise trilogy and the intensely disturbing First Reformed to the romantic comedy Maggie’s Plan. But you’ve never seen Ethan Hawke like this – he turns up everything to 11 in The Good Lord Bird, the true tale of John Brown, an abolitionist who may or may not have triggered the American Civil War. A witty, funny, moving and insightful tale of history, civil rights and how to be an ally, this is a contender for one of 2020’s most entertaining and thought-provoking shows.

Ghosts

This hilarious undead sitcom from the Horrible Histories team is quaintly spooky and irresistibly silly.

I May Destroy You

Michaela Coel’s frank exploration of consent is remarkable, personal and uncompromising TV. Read our full review

Into the Unknown

This surprisingly in-depth behind-the-scenes doc is an insightful and inspiring look at making Disney magic. Read our full review

I Hate Suzie

Billie Piper’s bold and bittersweet TV show is sly, sardonic and simply unmissable. Read our full review

Unsolved Mysteries

Netflix’s reboot of the armchair detective series is a pivotal moment for true crime TV. Read our full review

Cobra Kai

This endearingly nostalgic, if occasionally uneven, follow-up to The Karate Kid delivers an entertaining punch. Read our full review

OJ: Made in America

This seven-hour epic documentary puts the history of OJ Simpson into profound, dizzying context.

Selling Sunset

Netflix’s entertaining mix of reality TV drama and property porn is jaw-dropping, compulsive TV. Read our full review

Ted Lasso

Jason Sudeikis is hugely charming as a clueless football manager in this delightful, optimistic TV gem that’s the nicest show of 2020. Read our full review

The Boys

Amazon’s surprisingly timely superhero satire is darkly entertaining, unabashedly violent and certainly never dull. Read our full review

Harlots

Lesley Manville and Samantha Morton are having a ball in this playful period drama about sex and power. Read our full review

Normal People

BBC Three and Hulu’s 12-part adaptation of Sally Rooney’s hit novel is a moving, nuanced and beautiful drama that’s at once smart and sensual. Read our full review

Community

Before Rick and Morty came Dan Harmon’s equally impressive sitcom, which follows a tight-knit group of friends who all met at what is possibly the world’s worst educational institution – Greendale Community College. With Joel McHale, Gillian Jacob, Alison Brie, Donald Glover and Ken Jeong starring, it combines excellent cast chemistry and whip-smart writing with the kind of pop culture references that make this an immediate cult classic.

Into the Night

“If we don’t get out of here, the sunrise will kill as all.” Those are the immortal words that set Netflix’s Into the Night in motion – and they set the tone for a ludicrous thriller. Inspired by Jacek Dukaj’s sci-fi novel The Old Axolotl, the Belgian apocalyptic series introduces us to a world where – yes – the sun is about to wipe out the human race. And so, as people start to keel over with the gradual spread of sunrise across the globe, one plucky airplane full of passengers find themselves racing through the night sky trying to keep one wing ahead of destruction. Barely plausible? Yes. But ludicrously entertaining nonetheless. Read our full review

Taboo

It is 1814 and James Delaney reappears in London, a changed and haunted man, presumed dead in Africa many years before. His return finds his father, Horace Delaney, dead and a country at war with France and the United States. Set to inherit what is left of his father’s shipping empire, James’s arrival not only threatens to disrupt the plans of his half-sister Zilpha and her husband Thorne, but also the ambitions of the mighty East India Company. Tom Hardy swaggers through the web of politics and family tensions with an intensity that makes this atmospheric period drama a riveting, absorbing watch.

New Girl

Zooey Deschanel gets a deserved chance to shine in the lead role of this sitcom, which follow Jess who, after a bad break-up, moves into an apartment loft with three single men – the heartbroken, on-off love interest Nick (Jake Johnson), the would-be playboy Schmidt (Max Greenfield), and the eccentric and sensitive Winston (Lamorne Morris). They find Jess’ behaviour odd, but rally round to support her, resulting in a show that celebrates friendship above all, even as it navigates each character’s romantic escapades.

Scrubs

Ignore the ninth season and ABC’s medical comedy starring Zach Braff is a wonderfully silly modern classic. It follows the life of intern John Dorian (Braff) as he starts his medical career at Sacred Heart Hospital, which is bursting with eccentric staff and patients – including the scene-stealing John C. McGinley as his grouchy mentor, Perry, and Ken Jenkins as the sinister hospital chief Bob Kelso.

The Young Offenders

“We’re kinda like that Robin Hood fella. We rob bikes from the rich, and sell ’em back to the rich.” BBC Three’s laugh-out-loud comedy about two teen delinquents based on the feature film of the same name is as hilarious as it is heartfelt.

Life on Mars

John Simm is great in the role of Sam Tyler, a detective who finds himself transported to the 1970s. Philip Glenister is even better as Gene Hunt, a Manchester police detective who lives up to every stereotype of the period. And then some.

Fear City: New York vs the Mafia

Netflix’s detailed Mafia doc has the tone of a crime drama and the intrigue of a suspense thriller. Read our full review

Upload

“She’s in heaven.” “Oh, which one?” “Lakeview.” “I hear that’s really pretty.” Death. The great leveller. But what if it wasn’t? That’s the kicker of an idea at the heart of Upload, Amazon Prime Video’s new comedy. The show, created by The Office and Parks and Recreation’s Greg Daniels, introduces us to a world where the afterlife has become a digital product – an eccentric place with an absurd sense of humour that will be familiar to anyone who has seen The Good Place. To compare the two, though, is to miss what makes Upload an intriguing and entertaining watch. The show balances its silly streak with a surprising satirical vein, investing as much effort in serious issues of social inequality as it does in slapstick and non-sequiturs.

Quiz

“The bottom’s fallen out of the truth market,” observes someone halfway through Quiz, ITV’s remarkable retelling of the extraordinary story of how Charles and Diana Ingram cheated on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and won a million pounds. Or did they? Based on the play by James Graham, the three-part drama takes its central slice of history and builds it into an investigation into the very nature of truth in our modern, post-truth society – an age where quizzes have remained popular because they simply distil the world into black-and-white, right-and-wrong categories. A sensational story, sensationally told. Read our full review

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK

The UK’s own incarnation of RuPaul’s veritable TV phenomenon has lost none of its delightful, uplifting charm with its second season. The show once again sees the best of Britain’s drag scene competing to impress judges that, this season, include Elizabeth Hurley. While episodes drop weekly, there’s also the whole of Season 1 to enjoy too, with judges ranging from Andrew Garfield and Alan Carr to Graham Norton. Witty, fabulous, and very, very British.

Chernobyl

This haunting, gripping retelling of the 1986 disaster is not only a sweat-inducing thriller but also a timely story of power, corruption and truth. Jared Harris delivers a career-best turn as a scientist juggling duty and morals. The only thing scarier than seeing these heroes trying to stop this manmade disaster from spiralling out of control is seeing them go unrecognised by history that would rather cover them up.

The Wire

David Simon’s superb, hard-hitting drama stars Dominic West (The Affair) as Detective Jimmy McNulty, who along with his fellow investigators attempts to infiltrate a West Baltimore drug ring headed by the elusive Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) and his lieutenant, Stringer Bell (Idris Elba). Still influential, still insightful and still as gripping as when it first aired.

This Country: Season 1 to 3

BBC Three’s hilariously daft and quietly sweet mockumentary – about Kerry and Kurtan Mucklowe (stars and writers Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper) – is charming slice of rural life that balances laughs and sweet sentiment with low-key genius.

Unbelievable

Based on The Marshall Project and ProPublica Pulitzer Prize-winning article, this powerful, gripping drama follows a teen (Kaitlyn Dever) who reports and eventually recants her reported rape, while two female detectives, states away, investigate evidence that could reveal the truth

Parks and Recreation

This flawless sitcom stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, whose leadership of the Parks and Recreation department in Pawnee, Indiana is as earnest as it is incompetent. She and her trusty group of office mates are followed around by a documentary crew, offering a quirky look into their everyday lives. When that ensemble includes Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza and a pre-Marvel Chris Pratt – not to mention Rob Lowe and a scene-stealing Nick Offerman as man’s man Ron Swanson – the result is one of the funniest workplace comedies ever made.

When They See Us

Ava DuVernay’s enraging, powerful, deeply human retelling of The Central Park Five case is essential viewing.

We Are Lady Parts

This funny, smart, surprising comedy about an all-girl Muslim punk band is an uproarious delight.

Schitt’s Creek

Dan and Eugene Levy’s sitcom follows a wealthy family who go bankrupt and whole up in the motel of the only remaining asset they have: an ugly small town named Schitt’s Creek. It sounds like a feast of unlikeable characters, but, like a sitcom cousin to Succession or Billions, this brilliant show teases out their flaws and insecurities until you’re rooting for an oddly sweet group of idiots who learn, grow and progress with every season. An unexpected delight.

Derry Girls: Season 1 to 3

“Protestants hate ABBA!” Every now and then, a TV show comes along with a voice that feels utterly unique. Derry Girls is one of them. From Northern Irish writer Lisa McGee, the Channel 4 sitcom has a neat premise: it charts the coming of age of a group of schoolgirls in Londonderry during The Troubles in the early 1990s. Laugh-out-loud funny and wonderfully heartfelt, you’ll want to be friends with these Derry Girls immediately.

The Good Place: Season 1 to 4

One of the best TV shows of recent years, this fantasy series follows an ordinary woman who is wrongly sent to a pleasant afterlife and must hide in plain sight from its creator, who is unaware of his mistake, as she navigates her surroundings. Kristen Bell stars as Eleanor, who dies and finds herself accidentally in The Good Place, where she absolutely doesn’t belong. She is joined by Ted Danson, who plays Michael, the architect in charge of her neighbourhood. Funny, surprising, profound and moving.

Pose

Ryan Murphy is one of the best things about modern TV. If you’ve ever doubted that, just look at his latest creation, which is vibrant, gripping, emotional and sassy all at the same time. What makes Murphy’s work often so compelling is the way he so deliberately shines his spotlight not on himself but on other people, from Feud’s plumbing of the depths of the sexist engine powering Hollywood to America Crime Story’s hugely detailed character-driven portraits of real life. Groundbreaking in its largely transgender cast, Pose is bursting at the seams with lives and stories just waiting to be told, diving into the underground world of 1980s ball culture, where all those unwelcome in mainstream society, all those who can’t convert the American Dream into an American Reality, find acceptance, respect, support and one heck of a good night, as they strut their fashion sense and realness for everyone else to appreciate. Black transgender woman Blanca Rodriguez (Mj Rodriguez) works at a nail salon by day and serves as a member of the House of Abundance by night, and she’s our window into this world, as she takes in Damon (Ryan Jamaal Swain), a young dancer, and pushes him to audition for the local school. The resulting scene is just one in an endless pile of standout moments, as Swain veritably explodes off the screen with passion, conviction and physical agility. Its a breathtaking climax to a dizzying first episode – and sends you pirouetting into the box set released all-at-once on BBC iPlayer. Strike a pose, then get ready to hold it for eight hours.

Spooks: Season 1 to 10

M:I-5. Not 9 to 5. Even the slogan for the BBC espionage series feels quaintly dated, but for all its love of numerical keypad phones and laptops as cutting-edge gizmos, this spy thriller is still grippingly modern, as it never relied on technology to make its programme relevant: the series’ real secret weapon was its focus on character, which was driven by increasingly far-fetched plots. With a cast including David Oyelowo, Richard Armitage, Matthew Macfadyen and Nicola Walker, that means you have a show that’s as hugely entertaining as ever.

Inside No. 9: Season 1 to 6

Nothing says winter like a spooky horror story, and who better to inject chills directly into your spine than Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton? The pair are kings of creepy, a status that has been reinforced over multiple seasons of their superb series Inside No. 9. Alongside Black Mirror, the show has inspired the return of anthology programmes to our screens, serving up a collection of short tales, which range from funny to frightening. These impeccably crafted one-act plays are thrillingly varied, increasingly imaginative and consistently excellent; previous chapters (each one set in a different nine-themed location) have included silent comedy, Shakespearean farce and even 70s-style retro scares, complete with old-fashioned video cameras.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

With one of the most recognisable creative voices around, Amy Sherman-Palladino’s defiantly witty, wittily defiant new project, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, was one of the most successful Amazon Pilots ever, almost immediately receiving a two-season order from Amazon Studios. Starring Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards) as a dedicated, happy Jewish housewife in 1950s New York, the show charts her strict family life, her role as a woman, and her newfound fascination with stand-up comedy – and the conflict this causes. Sherman-Palladino’s trademark charm and attitude are everywhere you look. Packed with female empowerment, moments of real emotion, and more quips than anyone can keep up with in one viewing, Mrs. Maisel is far more than a placeholder for that Gilmore Girls-shaped void in your life. Read our full review

Add to Watchlist