March is shaping up to be another great month for television, with a new show from the British film director Guy Ritchie on Prime Video, yet another Taylor Sheridan TV series and documentarian extraordinaire Louis Theroux investigating the manosphere.
So whether you’re looking for a sharp new drama in the shape of Gone, a big laugh from the second series of Last One Laughing UK or searing medical chaos in The Pitt, our critics have found something for everyone to look forward to in the coming month.
Guy Ritchie takes charge with this irreverent action-packed mystery that serves as an origin story for one of the most famous detectives in literary history. The show stars Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Sherlock Holmes in this eight-part series in which the young detective is drawn into a dangerous world after meeting none other than his arch-nemesis, James Moriarty. Holmes’s first case immediately has him drawn into a globetrotting adventure. The series also features Joseph Fiennes, Natascha McElhone (Halo) and Colin Firth.
Released on March 4
The Capture (BBC1)
Launched in 2019, this British mystery thriller — starring Holliday Grainger, Ginny Holder, Ben Miles and Lia Williams — has grown into one the BBC’s most loved dramas. Season three begins 12 months after the exposure of the UK intelligence service’s clandestine video-manipulation programme known as Correction. With Rachel Carey now head of Counter Terrorism Command (CTC), a new geopolitical crisis begins to engulf the service.
Expected in March
• The Capture series 2 review — you couldn’t deep-fake these thrills
Scarpetta (Prime Video)
Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis team up for this series based on the book series by Patricia Cornwell. Kidman is Dr Kay Scarpetta, a psychologist determined to use her skilled medical skills to solve crimes and prove that her big break wasn’t a mistake. The series, written by Emmy-nominated Liz Sarnoff, unfolds across dual timelines, tracing Scarpetta’s journey from her early career in the late 1990s to her present-day return to her home town. Lee Curtis takes the role of Scarpetta’s older sister, Dorothy.
Released on March 11
The Madison (Paramount+)
The Taylor Sheridan universe expands with this Yellowstone spin-off series. Kurt Russell and Michelle Pfeiffer star as a husband and wife, originally from New York City, who relocate to the Madison River valley of southwest Montana following a tragedy. Expect some stunning scenery as well as a poignant look at grief and relationships.
Released on March 14
Gone (ITV)
The presence of David Morrissey is usually an indicator of a high-quality drama. He plays an upstanding private school headteacher who slowly becomes a suspect in the disappearance of his wife due to the investigative work of Detective Annie Cassidy, played by Eve Myles. Written by George Kay (Hijack and Lupin) and partly inspired by the book To Hunt a Killer, co-authored by Julie Mackay, a former detective superintendent, this promises to be a gripping watch.
Expected early March
Last One Laughing UK (Prime Video)
The premise of this show is simple: put ten comedians in a room and kick them out if they chuckle. The first series was a blast of intricate jokes, mischief and two standout hilarious performances from Richard Ayoade and Bob Mortimer. The second series, presided over again by Jimmy Carr and Roisin Conaty, could be even better, with a cast of David Mitchell, Diane Morgan, Romesh Ranganathan, Amy Gledhill, Maisie Adam, Mel Giedroyc, Alan Carr, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Sam Campbell… and the return of Mortimer, who will be on a mission to defend his crown.
Expected in March
Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere (Netflix)
The story of toxic masculinity in the Netflix one-shot sensation, Adolescence, captivated millions. Now the streamer gives us a real-world glimpse into how easily young people, particularly men, can be influenced by what they see online. In this one-off 90-minute doc — featuring interviews with Harrison Sullivan (aka HSTikkyTokky), Myron Gaines, Nicolas Kenn De Balinthazy (aka Sneako) and Ed Matthews — Theroux travels to Miami, New York and Marbella to understand the appeal and fringes of the “manosphere”.
Released March 11
• The 10 best Louis Theroux documentaries you can watch right now
Saturday Night Live (Sky/Now)
For more than 50 years SNL has been a mainstay of American network television (see video above), providing biting satire on the week’s events, big name guest hosts and acting as a breeding ground for many of the most famous comics and comedy actors. The UK has never quite managed to replicate the cult status of SNL, with shows including Saturday Live, The Eleven O’Clock Show and The Nightly Show all failing to become regular fixtures in the schedule. However, with a brand-new troupe of British comedians and the might of the Canadian-American producer Lorne Michaels behind the project, perhaps we could be about to see a new era of sketch comedy born in Britain?
Released March 21
• The birth of Saturday Night Live, the world’s biggest sketch show
The Pitt (HBO Max)
Finally, it’s here: the drama (already released in the US) that beat the much-tipped Severance to the Emmy for best drama. The 15-part medical drama starring Noah Wyle is set in a cash-strapped and overburdened emergency room in a Pittsburgh hospital, where the action unfolds in real time across a single 15-hour shift, from 7am to 10pm. Each episode is dedicated to one of those hours, plunging viewers into the relentless pace and high-stakes decisions of frontline medicine.
Released March 26 in the UK; already available in the US
• The Pitt beat Severance to an Emmy — so why haven’t you seen it?
The Claudia Winkleman Show (BBC1)
Claudia Winkleman hosts The Traitors
BBC
Is Claudia Winkleman the next Graham Norton? That’s the question many at the Beeb will be hoping to find out with her new chat show. Across seven episodes, Winkleman will “welcome the biggest names from the worlds of film, television, music and beyond to her sofa for lively conversation with the help of a studio audience”. Hosting a chat show is no mean feat; let’s hope Winkleman can work her magic.
Expected early March
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