The best new programmes and series’ coming to TV and streaming services this October….
LUPIN
Thurs 5 Oct, Netflix
It’s season three for this classy French thriller, and it’s as tense as ever. Professional thief Assane Diop was the only son of a Senegalese immigrant who was framed for a jewel theft. After his father hangs himself in prison, Diop sets out to wreck revenge on the wealthy and powerful Hubert Pellegrini.
We return to find him in hiding, trying to live far from his wife and son. Unable to stand the exile any longer, she returns to Paris to make a proposal to his family. They must leave France and start a new life elsewhere. But the past is never far away, and an unexpected return turns their plans upside down.
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LOKI
Fri 6 Oct, Disney+
After the events of the first season have a profound effect on the entire MCU, we head back for more antics with the legendary God of Mischief. Loki has found himself in a battle for the soul of the omnipotent Time Variance Authority, and perhaps for control of the entire multiverse.
Along with Mobius, Hunter B-15 and a team of new and returning characters, he navigates an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous multiverse. They ‘re on an epic mission to find Sylvie (a Loki variant who was last seen dealing with He Who Remains), Judge Renslayer and Miss Minutes. And, hopefully understand what it means to possess free will and glorious purpose.
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
Thurs 12 Oct, Netflix
The mighty Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass) brings us a mini-series inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, just in time for Halloween.
Carla Gugino (Mr Popper’s Penguins, San Andreas), Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek, Being Julia), Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights) and Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica, Independence Day) lead an ensemble cast in this most unsettling of horror stories.
Ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.
FRASIER
Fri 13 Oct, Paramount+
The rumours are true. Celebrity psychiatrist Frasier Crane is about to enjoy a 12th outing, as this classic American sitcom gets itself a reboot. After returning to his hometown of Seattle, the sophisticated good doctor is now heading back to Boston – where he first appeared on Cheers. Confused? Don’t obsess about it too much.
The accompanies the next stage of Fraiser’s life, as we welcome back a few fan favourites. Plus, we get introduced to a whole new cast of Massachusetts-based characters. And, see America’s most erudite MD finally start chasing a few old dreams. But wait… who is that familiar face? Why, it’s only national treasure Nicholas Lyndhurst!!! “You plonker, Rodney!”
LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY
Fri 13 Oct, Apple TV+.
Despite a culture which encouraged her to sit down and be quiet, Elizabeth Zott becomes an icon for smart women everywhere. Brie Larson (Captain Marvel, Fast X) stars as a scientist whose career path is blocked by a patriarchal society, in this hilarious and intriguing comedy. Think Breaking Bad meets Saturday Kitchen.
Fired form the laboratory where she worked, Zott accepts a job as a host on a TV cooking show. But rather than dish up what’s expected, she turns her expertise to changing our attitudes to food and life. Her ingenious and no-nonsense approach soon starts inspiring a nation of 50s housewives, as well as those men who once underestimated her.
RICK AND MORTY
Mon 16 Oct , E4
The Emmy-winning sci-fi comedy is returning with a ten-episode block, and more seasons promised. So, maybe one or two of the show’s biggest questions are going to be answered.
Part of the show’s success is its ability to blend huge philosophical ideas with both tried and tested sci-fi memes and grotesque humour. For every exploration of the ethics around technology there’s a toilet gag, in its relentless search to push the boundaries. Season 7 finds the outrageous pair on a mission to find the dastardly Rick Prime, and wreck vengeance for what he did to the Smith family. But will this trajectory finally bring peace to Dimension C-137?
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UPLOAD
Fri 20 Oct, Prime Video
A sci-fi comedy series from Emmy-winning writer Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation, King of the Hill). Upload’s third season returns us to a technologically advanced future where nobody dies. Instead, they’re ‘uploaded’ to a virtual reality afterlife if you can afford it.
Nora and the freshly downloaded Nathan are navigating their relationship. Meanwhile, they are racing to stop the mysterious conspiracy which threatens to destroy millions of lives. Back in the real world, Aleesha rises through the ranks of Horizen by managing AI education and finds love. Luke is now alone in Lakeview; forced to pay for his stay in paradise by working in The Grey Zone.
THE GILDED AGE
Mon 30 Oct, Sky Atlantic
New York City in the 1880s is a place of conspicuous wealth and roiling turmoil. This captivating historical drama series by Julian Fellowes immerses viewers in a strict social climate, as a young woman navigates the convoluted upper society of this iconic bustling metropolis.
The lives of the astonishingly affluent van Rhijn-Brooks family and the newly wealthy Russells are intricately connected. Their conflicting goals and rivalry are laid bare in this captivating tale of power, love and privilege. Season three also looks at the expanding black upper class, as well as growing unrest amongst those beneath them – who start seeking their own sense of agency.
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