August will see a number of fan-favourite shows returning to our screens, including the Nicola Walker-led crime series Annika and beloved detective show Ridley (starring the king of the Line of Duty one-liner, Adrian Dunbar).
There’s also a Netflix juggernaut (and TikTok sensation) back, almost three years after it first became a mega-hit, and some brand new British shows to delve right into too (one of them fronted by James Norton, if you happen to be a fan). So if you’re looking for something new to line up in your watch list, head right this way for Digital Spy’s recommendations of what to watch in August…
BBC
Annika
Get ready to return to Scotland as Nicola Walker’s popular detective Annika Strandhed will be back on the BBC this month for a second season, nearly two years after it premiered on U&Alibi.
Other returning cast members include Jamie Sives as DS Michael McAndrews, Katie Leung as DC Blair Ferguson, and Paul McGann as Jake Strathearn, while fans will be introduced to the new character of DS Harper Weston (played by Doctor Who’s Varada Sethu).
Annika season 2 will premiere on 2 August on BBC One at 9pm, with all episodes available on BBC iPlayer the same day.
BBC
King & Conqueror
The BBC’s epic new period drama, centred around the 1066 Battle of Hastings, will finally hit our screens this August.
King & Conqueror stars James Norton and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Harold, Earl of Wessex, and William the Conqueror respectively. As teased in the action-packed trailer, the drama will see the pair battle for the throne.
The cast also includes Clémence Poésy, Emily Beecham, Eddie Marsan and Juliet Stevenson.
King & Conqueror will be released on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in August, but an exact date is yet to be confirmed.
Netflix
Wednesday, season 2
The first part of the second season of Netflix phenomenon Wednesday is finally set to arrive, almost three years since the show became a hit on the streaming platform and went on to become one of its most-watched series of all time.
A spin-off of The Addams Family, the supernatural series follows Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) as she transfers to Nevermore Academy, a school for “monstrous outcasts”. Returning stars also include Emma Myers and Catherine Zeta Jones, while a new bunch of characters are due to introduced through the cast additions of Billie Piper, Thandiwe Newton and Joanna Lumley.
Wednesday season two part 1 airs Netflix on 6 August, with the second part premiering on 3 September.
Channel 4
In Flight
Written and co-created by Marcella’s Mike Walden and Slow Horses’ Adam Randall, Channel 4’s new crime thriller has been described as a “captivating” watch. Teasing what to expect from the drama, Walden and Randall said: “In Flight is our spin on the noir genre, a high stakes, stylish, romantic thriller with iconic characters and nerve shredding action.”
It stars Katherine Kelly as a mother and flight attendant, who finds herself “entangled in a dangerous criminal syndicate” in a bid to protect her family.
In Flight will arrive on Channel 4 on 12 August.
Netflix
Hostage
Netflix’s new British thriller, starring Suranne Jones, is set to be one of the streamer’s big UK releases this year, with writer and director Matt Charman saying that Jones’ performance will “blow the Netflix audience away…”
In the fictional drama, Jones will play the newly-elected British Prime Minister Abigail Dalton, while co-star Julie Delpy is in the role of French president Vivienne Toussaint. The synopsis says: “When the British Prime Minister’s husband is kidnapped and the visiting French President is blackmailed, the two political leaders both face unimaginable choices.”
Hostage will release on Netflix on 21 August.
Netflix
Long Story Short
Long Story Short is the new adult animated series from the creator of BoJack Horseman, Raphael Bob-Waksberg. This new show will introduce the Schwooper siblings, charting their triumphs and disappointments, hopping back and forth from childhood to adulthood.
And there’s even more BoJack going on behind the scenes too, as Bob-Waksberg will be joined by a number of the same producers, and Corey Campodonico and Alex Bulkley from animation studio ShadowMachine, which worked on both BoJack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie, are serving as co-executive producers. Count us in.
Long Story Short will premiere on Netflix on 22 August.
ITV
Ridley
The highly-anticipated new season of the Adrian Dunbar-fronted detective drama (no, not that one) has already aired in the US, but fans have been waiting patiently for a UK release date for season two – particularly after how season one ended.
Ridley (Dunbar) will be back to work with DI Carol Farman (Bronagh Waugh), as the pair try to solve even more mysteries. While an official date has yet to be confirmed, we’re expecting Ridley to drop on ITV at some point this month – so watch this space.
Ridley season 2 will arrive on ITV in August.
Severn Screen
Mudtown
Mudtown (also known as Ar y Ffin) was filmed back-to-back in both English and Welsh, with the latter version already premiering in Wales in 2024. It stars Broadchurch’s Matthew Gravelle, as well as Erin Richards (The Crown), Tom Cullen (The Gold) and Aisha-May Hunte (Death Valley).
Coming to U&Alibi this August, the “gritty” crime drama has been described by the broadcaster as a “must-watch for fans of layered crime drama…”
Mudtown is coming to U&Alibi, an exact release date has not been confirmed.
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TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK’s biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world’s oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).