{"id":721135,"date":"2026-07-31T15:25:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T15:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/721135\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T15:25:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T15:25:14","slug":"better-than-shetland-9-outstanding-tv-shows-to-watch-on-itv-netflix-the-bbc-and-more-this-august","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/721135\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cBetter than Shetland\u201d: 9 \u201coutstanding\u201d TV shows to watch on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more this August"},"content":{"rendered":"

What do you do when you\u2019ve been aimlessly scrolling though every TV channel in search of something decent to watch, and still haven’t found anything? You turn to Good Housekeeping, of course. We\u2019ve been busy combing through the schedules to find the very best shows to watch this August – and the good news? There are some very good series coming our way.<\/p>\n

From Anna Maxwell Martin<\/a>\u2019s eagerly anticipated return to our screens in the BBC\u2019s beloved detective drama, Ludwig, to the best police drama we\u2019ve seen in ages (Hit Point, if you\u2019re wondering) and a detective drama that\u2019s better than Shetland<\/a>, there\u2019s plenty to sink your teeth into, wherever your mood takes you. So, remotes at the ready for the 9 outstanding dramas to watch this August on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.<\/p>\n

Bookish\"two<\/p>\n

Nicolas Velter<\/p>\n

Audiences loved Mark Gatiss\u2019s cosy crime series when it arrived on U&Alibi last July, so of course it\u2019s returning for a second run. Gabriel Book (Gatiss) is back in his bookshop in Archangel Lane and he\u2019s drawn into the world of spiritualism when he\u2019s asked to help solve the mysterious case involving medium, Harold Sneed (Jason Watkins). He also has a puzzling murder at a gentleman\u2019s outfitters to solve, as well as a thieving Duchess (played by Miranda Richardson) to deal with. Expect another glorious instalment. Series 2 is coming to U&Alibi this August. <\/p>\n

Ludwig\"tx<\/p>\n

BBC<\/p>\n

It was the BBC\u2019s biggest new scripted show of 2024 and now, rather pleasingly, Ludwig is getting a second run. Now a fully-fledged police consultant, puzzle genius John \u201cLudwig\u201d Taylor (David Mitchell) will once again use his unique skillset to hunt down criminals in rural Cambridgeshire, while also trying to find out exactly what happened to his brother, who inexplicably vanished and abandoned his family. Anna Maxwell Martin also returns, with Fleabag\u2019s Sian Clifford and Celebrity Traitors\u2019 Mark Bonnar joining the cast. Series 2 is coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this August. <\/p>\n

Murder in a Small Town\"murder<\/p>\n

Fox<\/p>\n

Netflix has snapped up this popular Canadian series, which follows the escapades of big city detective Karl Alberg (Rossif Sutherland). When he relocates to an idyllic harbour town, Karl expects a fresh start and a chance to reset after the psychological toll that policing has had on him \u2013 but what he gets is far from it. The town has its fair share of secrets, and Karl must call upon all the skills that made him a world-class detective to solve the murders wash up on his shore. If you\u2019re a Shetland fan, Murder in a Small Town is marginally better. Series 1 and 2 are coming to Netflix on Saturday 1st August. <\/p>\n

Van Der Valk\"van<\/p>\n

ITV<\/p>\n

ITV\u2019s best reboot in years is back! Having first launched in the 70s, the series returned in 2020 with Marc Warren taking on the titular role as the street smart but unapologetic Dutch detective tracking down Amsterdam\u2019s murderers – and it was every bit as good as the original. Now, Van der Valk is faced with a fresh set of cases, from the murder of a scientist on the verge of a major cancer treatment breakthrough to the disappearance of a famous singer. Series 4 is coming to ITV1 and ITVX at 8pm on Sunday 2nd August. <\/p>\n

Professor T\"this<\/p>\n

ITV<\/p>\n

After three too-good-to-miss series featuring the OCD-suffering genius criminologist Professor Jasper Tempest (Ben Miller), he’s back for a fourth instalment. Series 4 is set six months after the shocking series 3 finale and the team must overcome their grief to tackle a dangerous new crime wave that\u2019s making its way through town. There\u2019s also romance on the cards for his mother, Adelaide (Frances de la Tour), and therapist, Helena Goldbery (Juliet Stevenson). Series 4 is coming to ITV1 and ITVX this August. <\/p>\n

Lioness\"nicole<\/p>\n

Ryan Green<\/p>\n

Nicole Kidman\u2019s megahit spy series is making its eagerly anticipated comeback. If you\u2019re new to the series, the drama follows an all-female crew of undercover CIA operatives (known as, you guessed it, the Lionesses) who are tasked with infiltrating terrorist organisations using subversive tactics – think befriending the wives and girlfriends of dangerous terrorists. Leads Zoe Salda\u00f1a, Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman all reprise their roles and things aren\u2019t exactly about to get any easier for them. Series 3 is coming to Paramount+ on Monday 3rd August. <\/p>\n

Ted Lasso\"two<\/p>\n

Michael Becker<\/p>\n

At long last, Hannah Waddingham is returning to our screens in Apple TV\u2019s hit workplace drama. Series 4 will make an exciting pivot, as the titular Ted (Jason Sudeikis) is coaching a second division women\u2019s football team, and there\u2019s a refreshed cast including stars from Adolescence (Faye Marsay), Sex Education (Tanya Reynolds) and Peaky Blinders (Abbie Hern). The question is, how will Ted fare in his new role \u2013 and will Rebecca (played by Hannah) continue on her path of romantic happiness? Series 4 is coming to Apple TV on Wednesday 5th August. <\/p>\n

Hit Point\"person<\/p>\n

Joss Barratt<\/p>\n

If you enjoyed Line of Duty or Blue Lights, U&Dave\u2019s first original drama is one you won\u2019t want to miss. The six-part series follows Leo (Nick Blood) and Bella (Saffron Hocking), two 30-something detectives who are tasked with a case that pulls them into dangerous West London underworld. The result is an gripping blend of personal and professional betrayal, romance and heart-stopping action. Coming to U&Dave on Thursday 13thAugust. <\/p>\n

Sunny Nights \"two<\/p>\n

ITV<\/p>\n

Loved Netflix\u2019s Big Mistakes? Then we\u2019d highly recommend giving Sunny Nights a watch. The darkly comic drama introduces us to brother and sister, Martin (Will Forte) and Vicki Marvin (D\u2019Arcy Carden), who move from America to Australia with dreams of making it big with their spray tan business. As the business struggles and they find themselves strapped for cash, their financial woes turn out to be the least of their problems as they soon find themselves on the wrong side of Sydney\u2019s criminal underworld. Brilliantly escapist viewing. Coming to ITVX on Sunday 16th August. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What do you do when you\u2019ve been aimlessly scrolling though every TV channel in search of something decent…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":721136,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[238452,96,14255,391,56,54,55,238451],"class_list":["post-721135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-august-tv-shows","tag-entertainment","tag-shetland","tag-tv","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-what-to-watch-in-august"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=721135"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721135\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/721136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=721135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=721135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=721135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}