If you thought April had already delivered on the TV shows front, it seems we haven’t seen anything yet. This week, we’re getting more than even we bargained for with a rather large helping of crime dramas, a much-anticipated police procedural and the return of a Happy Valley favourite to our screens.
Perhaps most excitingly, we’ve got a new series starring Sheridan Smith, which we’re already calling crime drama of the year (The Cage, if you’re wondering). There’s also a twisty new psychological thriller in the form of Unchosen and a moving new drama from Baby Reindeer creator, Richard Gadd. So, buckle up, because these are the 7 superb shows to watch this week on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.
Mint
BBC
Want to know what it’s like to be part of a powerful crime family? Then it’s worth watching Mint. In the eight-part series, we meet Shannon (Emma Laird), the naïve and fiercely romantic daughter of one such crime family. Shannon is searching for love in the shadow of her gangster father, Dylan (Sam Riley), devoted mum Cat (Laura Fraser), older brother Luke (Lewis Gribben) and family matriarch, grandma Ollie (Lindsay) – and it’s far from easy. Arriving on Monday 20th April at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Unchosen
Justin Downing
The big bosses at Netflix are finally bringing us a fantastic new psychological thriller starring Happy Valley royalty. The six-part series enters us into the murky world of a fictional religious cult led by Mr. Phillips (Christopher Eccleston). Happy Valley’s Siobhan Finneran plays his loyal wife, while Molly Windsor is Rosie, the devoted mother who comes to the realisation that she might be better off out of it. But how easy is it to escape a cult when you’re bound by its rules? Arriving on Netflix on Tuesday 21st April.
Criminal Record
Matt Towers
It’s back to London for the second series of Apple TV’s critically-acclaimed crime drama starring the brilliant Cush Jumbo and Peter Capaldi. When a young man is stabbed to death at a political rally, June Lenker (Jumbo) and Daniel Hegarty (Capaldi) are forced into an uneasy partnership (expect plenty more clashes). But what begins as a hunt for a murderer quickly turns into an undercover operation to foil a far-right bomb plot in the heart of the capital. Series 2 is arriving on Apple TV on Wednesday 22ndApril.
Saint-Pierre
UKTV
One for police drama fans, this Canadian series is finally making its debut on U&Alibi and we have a feeling it’ll be worth the wait. Allan Hawco and Josephine Jobert play two seasoned officers who, despite their very different skills and approaches, work together to solve crimes on the remote French archipelago of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. And despite the islands seeming like a quaint tourist destination, they’re actually home to some of the worst kind of crime around. Arriving on Wednesday 22nd April at 9pm on U&Alibi.
Running Point 
Courtesy of Netflix
Kate Hudson is returning to the small screen as Isla Gordon, the reformed party girl turned basketball team president. Series 2 finds her battling to retain control of the LA Waves thanks to a renewed effort by her brother Cam (Justin Theroux) to reclaim his post. And that only adds to the fact she’s still trying to prove herself in a historically male-dominated sports world. It’s safe to say Isla won’t be resting on her laurels any time soon. Series 2 is arriving on Thursday 23rd April on Netflix.
Half Man
BBC
Baby Reindeer creator, Richard Gadd, is bringing us an all-new show that’s set to be just as impactful. The series follows Ruben (Stuart Campbell) and Niall (Mitchell Robertson) – not related in blood but as close as you can get – through four decades of their lives, charting the highs and lows of their relationship over the years. Capturing 30 years in the lives of two broken men, expect a moving exploration of the intense fragility of male relationships – and just how easily they can disintegrate. Arriving on Friday 24th April on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The Cage
BBC
We’re on tenterhooks for this one, which is very likely to be the crime drama of the year. The series is set within the drama-filled world of a Liverpool Casino where Leanne (Sheridan Smith) and Matty (Michael Socha) work. When they discover they’ve both been stealing from the same safe, their lives are set on a collision course – with each other, the local gangster they’re taking money from, and the police. Arriving on Sunday 26th April at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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