DRAMA
His Dark Materials, BBC, TBC
Philip Pullman’s epic fantasy trilogy jumps to the small screen in this joint BBC-HBO adaptation. The opening eight-episode series, based on Pullman’s Northern Lights, follows fearless young heroine Lyra Belacqua in her quest to rescue her friend and learn why sinister “dust” is causing children to disappear.
The Trial Of Christine Keeler, BBC One, TBC
One of Britain’s biggest political scandals, the Profumo Affair, gets a fresh telling in Bafta award-winning writer Amanda Coe’s six-part drama. Sophie Cookson plays the 19-year-old model at the heart of the 1963 scandal over her sexual relationship with Secretary of State forWar
John Profomo. James Norton and Emilia Fox also star.
A Confession, ITV, September 2
This true-crime drama stars Sherlock’s Martin Freeman (pictured) as Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher, the real-life policeman who risked his career to catch a murdererer. A Confession, told in six parts, examines the moral ambiguity surrounding Fulcher’s actions.
The Capture, BBC One, September 3
After returning Afghanistan soldier Shaun Emery, played by Callum Turner, is accused of a crime caught on CCTV, it’s up to DI Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger) to investigate what is real and what is not in the ‘post-truth era’ amid murky going-ons of the secret intelligence service.
Dracula, Channel Four, TBC
Yes, the story has been told a million times but this latest version of Bram Stoker’s tale deserves attention given Sherlock Holmes creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are in charge.
War Of The Worlds, BBC One, TBC
Aliens take on Edwardian England in this much-hyped BBC version of H GWells’ novel. Fans have been waiting patiently for months for the three-part drama, starring Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson, after it got bogged down in post-production – but promotional shots suggest they could be in for a treat.
The Crown, Netflix, November 17
Olivia Colman steals the crown from Clare Foy as Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix’s latest lavish biopic of the British Royal Family. Set between 1964 and 1975 as the seeds are sown for the world’s most famous love triangle between Prince Charles, Camilla and Princess Diana. Helena Bonham Carter stars as
Princess Margaret.
World On Fire, BBC One, TBC
This “heart-stopping” World War Two drama from the BBC coincides with the 80th anniversary of its outbreak. Celebrated writer Peter Bowker tells the stories of “ordinary people who shaped our world” during the first year of the global conflict. The Light (working title), Channel 4, October TBC Jack Thorne, who adapted His Dark Materials for the BBC, also found time to script this emotional drama about a small Welsh community reeling from the aftermath of a devastating construction collapse after numerous children are killed. Sarah Lancaster stars. as the wife of a politician who allowed the doomed project. Giri/Haji, BBC2 and Netflix, TBC
This ambitious tale, spanning Tokyo and London, has been dubbed a possible successor to Peaky Blinders. Policeman Kenzo, played by Takehiro Hira, searches for his estranged younger brother in the UK. Events unravel after he meets Met detective Sarah (Boardwalk Empire’s Kelly MacDonald) which threatens his marriage. Catherine The Great, Sky Atlantic, October 3 Helen Mirren embodies yet another royal lioness, this time as Catherine the Great (inset, below) in this four-part drama. It “delves into the politically tumultuous and sexually charged court of the most powerful female monarch in history” in the 18th century. Carnival Row, Amazon Prime, On Now
Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevigne team up as a detective and winged-refugee faerie intent on stopping a savage killer in the thriller set in aVictorian fantasy world. Marcella, ITV, TBC
Britain’s take on Nordic noir starring Anna Friel as a harassed detective beguiled viewers in their millions when it first aired back in 2016. Marcella writer Hans Rosenfeldt, creator of acclaimed Scandanavian drama The Bridge, is in charge of the script. Criminal, Netflix, September 20
Spanning 12 stories across four countries, Criminal is an ambitious “stripped down, cat-and-mouse drama” between detectives and suspects set in the claustrophobic confines of the interrogation room. Bancroft, ITV, TBC
Sarah Parish’s murderous detective Elizabeth Bancroft meets her match in series two of the psychological thriller. Series one saw her shoot a fellow detective who learned of her dark deeds.The new series is set to be just as dramatic. The Spy, Netflix, September 6 Sacha Baron Cohen has ditched comedy to star in this drama based on the true story of Mossad agent, Eli Cohen, who went undercover in Syriaduring the 1960s. Sanditon, ITV, On Now
Jane Austen’s final, unfinished novel gets the Andrew Davies treatment.The story follows Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) as she arrives in the new seaside resort Sanditon from a quiet village.