Slow Horses
Apple TV+, from Wednesday, September 4th
It’s that rarest of things: a brilliant series of novels that has smoothly morphed into an equally brilliant TV series. Gary Oldman returns as the misanthropic MI5 agent Jackson Lamb for this fourth series of Slow Horses, based on Spook Street, the fourth novel in Mick Herron’s spy series. But if you think Lamb and his band of rejects are about to settle into a cosy routine at Slough House, think again. The action and the production values are ramped up for this adventure, with some explosive set-pieces in the mix, and the interplay by the ensemble cast, which includes Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Saskia Reeves and Jonathan Pryce, is as sharp as ever. Hugo Weaving, Ruth Bradley and James Callis join the cast for this series, which centres on links between a terrorist attack and the death of an agent.
The Perfect Couple
Neflix, from Thursday, September 5th
You are cordially invited to the society wedding of the year, hosted by the wealthiest family on the island of Nantucket, off Cape Cod, on the east coast of the United States. No expense will be spared as Benji Winbury, son of the best-selling novelist Greer Garrison Winbury, takes his fiancee, Amelia Sacks, to be his lawful wedded wife. What could possibly go wrong? How about a dead body turning up on the morning of the wedding? That’ll put a dampener on proceedings. Suddenly all the guests have become suspects, while family secrets start to bubble to the surface, and Amelia’s dream of marrying into a rich family turns into a nightmare. Nicole Kidman plays the groom’s novel-writing mother, with Eve Hewson as the bride-to-be, Liev Schreiber as the groom’s dad, Billy Howle as the groom, Jack Reynor as the groom’s brother and Dakota Fanning as the sister-in-law.
Selling Sunset
Netflix, from Friday, September 6th
You know a reality series is long past its sell-by date when the cast members start rabbiting on about “new beginnings”. This is series eight for the real-estate agents of the Oppenheimer Group, and the Los Angeles property market has changed drastically. Apparently, people aren’t so willing to part with huge wads of cash for exclusive properties any more, putting the market into a tailspin. To stay on top of the property game, the high-powered Oppenheimer agents are going to have to up their game and revamp their sales techniques to persuade rich house-seekers to sign on the dotted line. But some drastic measures will have to be taken, and that means bringing bright young sales execs into the business – setting the scene for some serious personality clashes.
The Grand Tour: One for the Road
Prime Video, from Friday, September 13th
Our favourite middle-aged motorheads are back for one last spin down some far-flung roads, and we’ll shed a little tear as we say farewell to Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond (although we won’t tell them that), who have done the smart thing and decided to bow out before being shown the (car) door. For their final Grand Tour special, the trio are driving through the ever-changing landscapes of Zimbabwe on their way to a nostalgic finish in one of their favourite places, Kubu Island in Botswana. They’ve chosen cars they’ve always wanted to drive, so Clarkson is in a 1982 Lancia Montecarlo, May is driving a 1974 Triumph Stag and Hammond is going for a 1974 Ford Capri three-litre. The intention was to go out with a gentle drive through lush mountain greenery and across dry plains, but it’s not long before the trio’s patience – and blood pressure – are sorely tested by rough terrain, bad map-reading and the complexities of the Lancia’s retractable roof.
What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates
Netflix, from Wednesday, September 18th
While Elon Musk is busy giving oxygen to far-right trolls, the Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates is cultivating more interesting company. In this new series the tech mogul looks at the many challenges facing civil society, from the rise of far-right misinformation and the increasing influence of artificial intelligence to the climate crisis, global health and, yes, the income inequality that puts him in the 1 per cent. Gates doesn’t claim to have a crystal ball, but he’s smart enough to see where things may be going, and unlike the know-it-alls who dominate discourse with their uninformed drivel, he’s humble enough to ask the experts. “I have always loved learning,” he says. “Whether at school, Microsoft or now, as a philanthropist I consider myself a student.”
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Netflix, from Thursday, September 19th
On August 20th, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez walked into their family’s Beverly Hills mansion and shot dead their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. The world was gripped by the murder and subsequent trial, in which two very different versions of events were presented to the jury. The prosecution believed the killing was motivated by greed – the brothers simply wanted to get their hands on the family fortune. But the defence claimed that the boys were driven to murder by years of abuse at the hands of their parents. So who were the real monsters? This true-crime docudrama series tells the story of the notorious Menendez brothers, with Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny as the parents and Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch as Lyle and Erik.
A Very Royal Scandal
Prime Video, from Thursday, September 19th
You might find this hard to believe, but there are now two dramatisations of the infamous Newsnight interview between Prince Andrew and Emily Maitlis, a now-classic slice of car-crash TV. Earlier this year we had the Netflix film Scoop, featuring Rufus Sewell as the British royal and Gillian Anderson as the BBC presenter. This TV series stars Michael Sheen as Andrew and Ruth Wilson as Maitlis, but the story is pretty much the same. With questions swirling around about his relationship with the billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual assault of a minor, Andrew thought it would be a spiffing idea to go on UK national television and spin a completely implausible yarn – claiming, among other things, that he couldn’t sweat because of a trauma while he was on military duty. The 2019 interview proved his downfall, and a huge (and costly) embarrassment for the British royal family, but at least it was entertaining enough to warrant two separate productions.
Agatha All Along
Disney+, from Thursday, September 19th
You know Agatha Harkness as the nosy neighbour from WandaVision who gets her own spin-off TV show, and it’s no surprise that Agatha All Along has been expanded from a cheesy theme tune to a full-blown follow-up to Marvel’s marvellous meta triumph. But can it possibly measure up to the brain-scrambling, reality-twisting thrill that was WandaVision? We doubt it very much, but this could still be a lot of fun, as Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) escapes from her cathode-ray containment in Westview and gathers a coven together in a bid to regain her deadly powers. We’ve been promised Halloween scares and lots of Easter eggs, so we’re happy to hang out in Agatha zone – at least until the next series of Wednesday comes along.
La Maison
Apple TV+, from Friday, September 20th
What happens when two of France’s biggest fashion houses go to war? It’s handbags and stilettoes at dawn in this new French-language series about a catwalk rivalry that’ll make Game of Thrones look like a bunfight. Superstar designer Vincent Ledu (Lambert Wilson) is head of his eponymous haute-couture fashion brand, but when a video goes viral, his empire is left tottering and his ruthless rival Diane Rovel (Carole Bouquet), the head of the Rovel luxury group, sees her chance to snatch the glory (and Maison Ledu) for herself. Betrayal, revenge, expensive outfits and exotic locations: sure it’s like Paris Fashion Week with added cruelty.
Nobody Wants This
Netflix, from Thursday, September 26th
Sounds like something a TV exec might have said when pitched yet another warm-hearted comedy series about a well-meaning but mismatched couple. Nobody Wants This stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as Joanne and Noah, who find romance despite being from very different backgrounds. She’s outspoken, provocative and nonreligious; he’s a nice Jewish boy with an aversion to risk-taking – or doing anything out of the ordinary. Can this unlikely pairing find true happiness? We’ll probably never find out, as sitcoms depend on unresolved issues for their very existence. The series co-stars Justine Lupe as Joanne’s charming, quick-witted and sharp-tongued sister Morgan, and Timothy Simons as Noah’s eccentric and super-confident older brother Sasha.
