“The new Broadchurch”: 7 “outstanding” shows to watch this week on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more

Not got the time or energy to search for something good to watch this week? No problem. We’ve had a sneak preview of all the big TV shows coming to our screens over the next 7 days and we’ve sorted the good from the bad to bring you the outstanding ones.

From the return of a crime drama that might just be the new Broadchurch to the BBC’s next big psychological thriller and a superb Eve Myles drama, there’s so much good stuff coming our way. So, remotes at the ready for the 7 best TV shows to watch this week on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.

The Crow Girl

Paramount

Paramount+’s brilliantly twisty (and tremendously dark!) thriller went down a storm when it premiered last year and, much to our delight, it’s back and as good as ever. Detective Jeanette Kilburn (Eve Myles) has called time on her marriage, having found herself in bed with psychologist Dr. Sophia Craven (Katherine Kelly). Her investigation into the murder of young male asylum seekers also takes a shocking turn as a mummified body is discovered in a church wall, and another is found stashed in a freezer. Is the killer closer than she imagined? Series 2 is arriving on Paramount+ on Monday 20th July.

The Undeclared War

Channel 4

Channel 4’s hit cyber-thriller is back for a second run. Set in 2024, immediately after the end of series 1, the team in the Malware Department at the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) come to terms with a massive Russian cyber-attack – but just as the British finally gain the upper hand, Head of Operations Danny (Simon Pegg) and his team realise that Russia were not the real architects and there’s a new adversary to contend with. It also seems they have a mole in GCHQ. Series 2 is arriving on Channel 4 at 9pm on Tuesday 21st July.

Granite Harbour

BBC

Viewers have called Granite Harbour the new Broadchurch and we don’t blame them. The series is set in Scotland where former Royal Military Police officer Lance Corporal Davis Lindo (Romario Simpson) is, well, adjusting. Having completed his final tour with the Royal Military Police, he dreams of being a detective at New Scotland Yard but instead finds himself dealing with complex murders in Aberdeen, alongside DCI Lara ‘Bart’ Bartlett (Hannah Donaldson). And in the upcoming third instalment, things only get more challenging. Series 3 is arriving on BBC iPlayer on Thursday 23rd July.

Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston

Christian Black

The Night Manager’s Tom Hiddleston is back with a series of a different kind. Fusing scripted drama and investigative storytelling, this three-part docudrama transports us to ancient Rome in the hours before and during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Guided by a team of archaeologists, historians, geologists and disaster experts, Tom will uncover the stories of real people that challenge long-held assumptions about Pompeii and its final hours. Refreshingly original and genuinely fascinating. Arriving on Disney+ on Thursday 23rd July.

Force of Nature

Plimsoll Productions

One for David Attenborough lovers (though sadly, he’s not narrating it!), this natural history series explores how wildlife is adapting to extreme weather and it’s as eye-opening as it is engaging. We follow the impact on every animal from polar bears to chimpanzees, sea otters and flamingos as they face an unprecedented battle to survive. Arriving on ITV1 and ITVX at 7pm on Sunday 26th July.

The Rapture

BBC

An adaptation of Liz Jensen’s bestselling 2009 novel, the BBC’s new rollercoaster psychological thriller follows Gabrielle “Gabs” Fox (Ruth Madeley), a forensic psychologist and new paraplegic recovering from a car crash that left her paralysed and killed her husband. She takes a job in a high-security centre for juvenile patients where she meets teenager Bethany (India Amarteifio), who’s in there for murdering her mother – and claims to have psychic powers. Is she telling the truth, or in fact a manipulative psychopath? Ruth Jones also stars. Arriving on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday 26th July.

The Truthers

MATIAS URIS/NETFLIX

If you’re a fan of creepy psychological thrillers, The Truthers is a must-watch. The film introduces us to Ruth (Stéphanie Magnin), a 30-year-old woman who’s been estranged from her family for some time. When her mother dies in strange circumstances, she returns home to find her retired father Martín (Jose Coronado) grumpy, aggressive and obsessed with a sinister conspiracy theory. The relationship is tense, and it only gets more so as Ruth begins to suspect that Martín might be responsible for her mother’s death. Arriving on Netflix on Friday 24th July.