Football mania has descended upon us, and while a month-long football extravaganza is a dream for some, it can be a nightmare for others.
With the World Cup now underway across the US, Canada and Mexico, football is set to dominate our TV screens. But for those who have little interest in the beautiful game, there will still be plenty to watch.
From Colin Farrell’s return in Sugar to BB1’s new blockbuster drama, here are five must-watch new shows to enjoy while the World Cup takes centre stage this week.
Outrageous follows the aristocratic Mitford family, while zooming in on the diverging paths of Nancy, Pamela, Unity, Jessica, Deborah and Diana (played by Joanna Vanderham) – the six sisters who would soar to notoriety, and become a major source of public fascination in the 1930s
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Outrageous: BBC1, Sunday at 10.30pm
Never far away from a scandal, connected to some of the most powerful figures of the 20th century and with a talent for self-mythologising, the six Mitford sisters cut a swathe through British society from the 1920s onwards. They continue to fascinate people today, which is why this drama series about them is making a well-deserved move from U&Drama to BBC1. It opens in 1931, when the eldest, writer Nancy (Bessie Carter), is waiting in vain for a proposal from her boyfriend, Hamish. By contrast, her sister Diana (Joanna Vanderham) has a rich, adoring husband, several houses and two children, so why does it seem like something is missing? Back at their family home, Unity (Shannon Watson) and Jessica (Zoe Brough) are gripped by the revolutions taking place around the world, but the political is about to become personal when Diana meets the charismatic politician Oswald Mosley.
The second series of the Light in the Hall features a strong cast led by Siân Reese-Williams as Caryl
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The Light in the Hall: Still Waters: Channel 4, Tuesday at 9pm
If the title sounds familiar, chances are you watched the first series, simply titled The Light in the Hall, in which a young journalist investigated what happened to her best friend who vanished 18 years earlier. Now it’s back for a new run and a new case – as well as a largely new cast. The only main member to return is Sian Reese-Williams, who plays Caryl; she’s now a trainee journalist who’s intrigued by the fact that former resident Rhys is heading back home after serving time for the murder of his activist cousin Llyr in a bombing. He’s about to walk into another period of local unrest, this time over a reservoir expansion, inspired by Llyr’s daughter. Mark Lewis Jones and Nia Roberts also star.
Tim Darby, older brother of stab victim Robert, added his powerful support to the campaign to free Jason Moore
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The Accused: Beyond Reasonable Doubt?: Channel 4, from Thursday at 10pm
At a time when the British legal system is under scrutiny, this new documentary series follows four individuals who believe they were victims of a miscarriage of justice, showing how difficult it can be to overturn a guilty verdict. The first episode focuses on Jason Moore, who was a larger-than-life professional gambler until everything changed in August, 2005. That’s when a journey that Jason believed was to the local sports centre ended up in a street fight. Everyone fled the scene except Robert Darby, who died in hospital of his wounds. With little forensic evidence, the police turned to the testimony of eyewitnesses, and Jason found himself on trial, accused of murder. Jason’s family and friends, and even the victim’s brother, have campaigned for his innocence, but will the emergence of new evidence be the key to freeing him?
Sam Worthington plays a wronged father seeking justice in the new eight-part thriller I Will Find You
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Harlan Coben’s I Will Find You: Netflix from Thursday
For fans of Harlan Coben, it will come as welcome news that another of the bestselling author’s thrillers has been adapted for television. Last year saw the release of Missing You, starring Rosalind Eleazar and Lenny Henry, as well as Lazarus, featuring Bill Nighy and Sam Claflin. Then, on New Year’s Day, Run Away, starring Ruth Jones and James Nesbitt, landed on Netflix. Now, I Will Find You, starring Sam Worthington, Britt Lower and Milo Ventimiglia, is the latest of the American writer’s gripping thrillers to hit the screen. The eight-episode series follows Worthington as David Burroughs, a man wrongfully serving a life sentence for the murder of his son. When he receives evidence suggesting his son may still be alive, David embarks on a desperate quest for the truth. His search leads him out of prison and into a web of secrets, deception and long-buried lies.
Colin Farrell – who is also among the show’s executive producers – heads the cast of Sugar as John Sugar, an enigmatic investigator struggling with personal demons
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Sugar: Apple TV+ from Friday
Colin Farrell reprises his role as private investigator John Sugar in the second season of Apple TV+’s acclaimed drama Sugar. The new series sees the Irish actor investigating the disappearance of the troubled older brother of a rising boxing star, while continuing his own search for his missing sister. As the case unfolds and expands into something far more sinister, Sugar is drawn into a dangerous web of secrets and corruption, forcing him to confront just how far he is willing to go in pursuit of justice. In addition to Farrell, Season 2 of Sugar introduces new cast members Jin Ha, Raymond Lee, Tony Dalton, Laura Donnelly and Sasha Calle, along with special guest star Shea Whigham.