Some top shows are coming to our TVs this week, with Game of Thrones spin-off A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms returning alongside BBC2’s Winterwatch plus the new series of After the Flood.
Here’s our pick of the programmes you won’t want to miss…
Jill Halfpenny as DS Sam Bradley and Sophie Rundle as Joanna Marshall in the new season of After the Flood
SERIES
After the Flood; ITV1, Sunday at 9pm
The first series went down a treat with viewers, so it comes as no surprise to see Sophie Rundle back as police officer Jo Marshall in a new six-part run. This time, Jo has been promoted, but that doesn’t mean that life is getting any easier – she soon has a new murder investigation to lead. A body has been discovered in bizarre circumstances and as the threat of moorland fires and more floods circulate, Jo needs to find the killer quickly before tension among the locals reaches boiling point. However, her efforts bring her into conflict with the local authorities, while a personal element to the case causes further issues. Philip Glenister, Lorraine Ashbourne, Nicholas Gleaves and Matt Stokoe also return to the cast.
Peter Claffey stars as Ser Duncan the Tall in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
SERIES
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Now, Monday
The third fantasy adventure series based on George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice And Fire novels, following Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, is another prequel to blood-soaked events in Westeros. Memories of the last living dragon still linger and Prince Baelor Targaryen (Bertie Carvel) is positioned as heir to the Iron Throne. Naive lowborn knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) embarks on an epic quest in uncertain times and chooses Prince Baelor’s little nephew, Prince Aegon (Dexter Sol Ansell) aka Egg, as his trusty squire. Powerful foes and terrifying obstacles await the courageous duo as fissures appear in the noble house of Targaryen.
Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Iolo Williams bring viewers the latest news and wonder of winter wildlife
DOCUMENTARY
Winterwatch: BBC2, Tuesday at 7pm
Presenters Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Iolo Williams will be wrapping up warm as they bring us the new series of Winterwatch. This time, they are based in the National Trust’s Mount Stewart on the shores of Strangford Lough in County Down. There should be plenty of wildlife to observe there – the site is home to 10,000 recorded species, including red squirrels, pine martens and badgers, and takes in woodlands, ghost ponds, rough farmland fields, twisting hedgerows and a tidal lough scattered with green islands. However, there will also be stories from across the rest of the UK as the presenters discover how the birds and animals have coped during the recent cold snap.
Archie Madekwe and Sophie Turner in Amazon Prime’s new high-stakes thriller, Steal
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Steal: Amazon Prime, Wednesday
Originally entitled Haven, this six-parter has been described by its makers as “a contemporary, high-octane thriller about the heist of the century.” At the heart of the story is ordinary officer worker Zara, played by Sophie Turner. What starts as a typical day at a pension fund investment company turns into a nightmare when a gang of violent thieves burst in and force her and her best friend Luke (Archie Madekwe) to remove billions of pounds from the firm’s funds. DCI Rhys (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) is brought in to investigate the crime, but he’s a relapsed gambling addict whose own money problems make dealing with competing interests and secret agendas difficult. “This attention-grabbing series is a uniquely thrilling ride,” claims Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios.
Ashton Kutcher as The Corporation aka Byron Forst in The Beauty
SERIES
The Beauty: Disney+, Thursday
Ryan Murphy’s last project, the Kim Kardashian-starring legal drama All’s Fair, went down like a lead balloon in some quarters, but there are high hopes for his latest offering. Physical perfection comes at a sickening price in a stylish adaptation of the comic book series written by Jeremy Haun and Jason A Hurley. In a dystopian, image-obsessed future, billionaire Byron Forst (Ashton Kutcher) markets a wonder drug which guarantees physical beauty with a single injection. He neglects to fully disclose the unfortunate side effects – recipients have a fever and slowly combust from the inside – as the drug mutates in the wild to become a sexually-transmitted virus. FBI agents Cooper Madsen and Jordan Bennett investigate Forst and the Machiavellian CEO hires an enforcer to erase evidence of corporate malfeasance. The cast includes Regular Murphy collaborator Evan Peters, alongside Rebecca Hall and Isabella Rossellini. The Beauty debuts three episodes this week and further nips and tucks are available on Wednesdays.