Whether you’re in the mood for a lavish period drama, a twisty detective series or a can’t-look-away affair thriller, this week’s TV has something for everyone. To save you the effort of searching, we’ve scoured the schedules for the very best shows to watch in the coming days – and, spoiler alert, there’s a lot of good stuff coming.
We’ve got a detective drama for the ages in the form of Channel 5’s Ellis, Brenda’s Blethyn’s exciting new role in a much-anticipated period drama reboot, and Nicole Kidman is taking on of one of literature’s favourite forensic pathologists. So, sit back and relax, because these are the 7 superb shows to watch this week on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.
Gone
ITV
Love a twisty detective drama? Then you’ll enjoy ITV’s latest offering, which is written by George Kay (Hijack), and welcomes Eve Myles (Keeping Faith) back to the small screen as gutsy Detective Annie Cassidy. Annie is investigating the mysterious disappearance of Bristol woman, Sarah (Hollie Bailey), and her main suspect is Sarah’s husband, Headmaster Michael Polly (played by Sherwood’s David Morrissey). But does he indeed have something to hide – or is there more to the case than meets the eye? Arrives on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm on Sunday 8th March and continues at the same time on Monday 9th March.
Ellis
Steffan Hill
Two brilliant detective dramas in one week? We’re not complaining. The first series of Ellis was praised for breaking new ground as the first black solo female-led detective series, with three-time Olivier Award winner and BAFTA nominee Sharon D Clarke delivering a standout performance as DCI Ellis. Now, she’s back and she’s parachuted into troubling criminal cases across the north of England. This time, she’s faced with everything from the suspicious death of a beloved community leader which exposes long-nursed resentments, to the death of a young woman that reveals a hidden network of coercion and exploitation. A true detective drama for the ages. Series 2 is arriving on Channel 5 at 9pm on Monday 9th March.
Scarpetta 
Amazon Prime
Nicole Kidman is stepping into the shoes of one of literature’s favourite forensic pathologists, Dr Kay Scarpetta, in a series she’s been pursuing for nearly 20 years (naturally, she also serves as executive producer). When we meet her, Kay is working in Richmond, America, as the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia and she’s got plenty of criminal cases to help unravel. We’ll also meet her sister, Dorothy, played by the inimitable Jamie Lee Curtis (she’s an executive producer too, of course), and their relationship is, well, complicated. Arriving on Prime Video on Wednesday 11th March.
Madison
Emerson Miller /Paramount +
Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan is bringing us another series worth bingeing. While not a Yellowstone spin-off as such, there’s plenty of family drama in store as we’re introduced to a new cast of characters led by Stacy Clyburn (Michelle Pfeiffer), the matriarch of a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana. The family, including Stacy’s daughters, self-centred Paige McIntosh (Elle Chapman), and Abigail Reese (Beau Garrett), a recently divorced mother-of-two, have relocated after a tragedy. But will their new home provide the emotional recovery they need? Arriving on Paramount+ on Saturday 14th March.
A Woman of Substance 
Channel 4
Move over Vera, A Woman of Substance has been given the reboot treatment with Brenda Blethyn taking on the iconic role of heroine Emma Harte. The eight-part revenge romp is a bold re-imagining of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s classic novel, which charts the rise of the wronged housemaid who channels her rage to become the richest woman in the world. “As a fan of Barbara Taylor-Bradford, it is an unmissable opportunity to play the fierce Emma Harte,” Brenda has said of the role – and we can’t wait to see her in action. Arriving at 9pm on Channel 4 on Wednesday 11th March.
The Claudia Winkleman Chat Show 
BBC
Claudia Winkleman has been busy of late – first The Traitors, then Crufts and now her own chat show. Each weekly episode will see the host welcome the biggest names from the worlds of film, television, music and beyond to her sofa for lively conversation with the help of a studio audience. And for starters? Who better to join her than Jeff Goldblum, Vanessa Williams, Jennifer Saunders and Tom Allen? What Friday nights are made for. Arriving at 10.40pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Friday 13th March.
The Affair 
Sky
It might be seven years since The Affair left our screens, but it remains one of TV’s best relationship dramas and three series of it are coming to ITVX. The extramarital thriller follows Noah (Dominic West), a schoolteacher and aspiring novelist who, while on holiday in Montauk, strikes up a connection with waitress Alison (Ruth Wilson) – but there’s a catch. Both are already married. We see the wider, ripple effects of their decision to take things further, from divorce to custody battles, fractured families and more. Series 1-3 will arrive on ITVX on Friday 13th March.
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