Chief of War
Friday 1 August, Apple TV+
Set in the late 18th century, this blood-soaked series created by Jason Momoa and Thomas Paʻa Sibbett tells the true story of Hawaii’s unification from the rarely told indigenous perspective. Kaʻiana (Momoa), a formidable warrior, returns from abroad to find his homeland embroiled in a brutal campaign led by Kamehameha I (Kaina Makua) to unite the islands. At first a fierce ally in the fight against colonisation, Kaʻiana turns against Kamehameha in a rebellion that reshaped Hawaii’s future.
Wednesday season two part one
Wednesday 6 August, Netflix
The first series of Wednesday is Netflix’s most watched show of all time, so it’s no surprise the Tim Burton produced Netflix gothic phenomenon is back for a second season. Jenna Ortega reprises her role as the pouty, pigtailed Wednesday Addams with a chilling new psychic vision: her werewolf roommate and best friend Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers) is going to die. Determined to unravel the mystery before it’s too late, Wednesday digs into her family’s tangled past, uncovering its matriarchal secrets with the help of new characters – including Joanna Lumley as her flamboyant Grandmama Hester Frump.
Love is Blind UK series two
Wednesday 13 August, Netflix
The dating social experiment returns for a second British series to once again ask the ultimate question: is love truly blind? Hosted by power couple Matt (of Busted fame) and Emma Willis (former Big Brother host), the show sees a fresh group of British singles search for lasting love. Hidden behind the walls of their isolated “pods’” sparks begin to fly and wedding vows are written before ever laying eyes on their partner. Though – shockingly – awkwardly proposing to a wall isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Alien: Earth
Wednesday 13 August, Disney+
Set in 2120, two years before the events of Ridley Scott’s 1979 film Alien, this chilling prequel series from Fargo creator Noah Hawley brings the iconic sci-fi horror saga back to earth. When a spaceship mysteriously crash-lands, Wendy (Sydney Chandler) – who is not a typical human being, but a synthetic body with a child’s consciousness – and her rag-tag team of tactical soldiers are sent to investigate. If you thought the xenamorphs were the problem, just wait until you see what they find.
Butterfly
Wednesday 13 August, Prime Video
Rooftop stakeouts, screeching car chases, near-miss gunfights: Butterfly promises all the pulse-pounding action that comes with trying to leave behind a life of espionage. It follows mild-mannered former US intelligence official David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim) who finds himself dragged back into the dangerous world he tried to leave behind while hiding out in South Korea. Soon he’s on the run from Rebecca (Reyna Hardesty), an agent with a sociopathic streak and orders to kill. It may sound like a typical adrenaline-fuelled spy series, but at its heart, Butterfly is about the hardest mission of all: repairing a broken family.
Limitless: Live Better Now
Friday 15 August, Disney+
The deliciously buff Chris Hemsworth is on a mission to strengthen his mind, as well as his muscles, in the second season of his show, which documents the actor’s attempts to live better for longer. I’d be lying if I said I’ll be tuning in just for the science, but this round is all about brain power: from supercharging memory to regenerating damage and confronting mortality. Hemsworth learns new skills, stares down his fears, and pushes both his mental and physical limits: scaling dam walls, plunging into frozen waters – and drumming live for Ed Sheeran in front of 70,000 fans.
Long Story Short
Friday 22 August, Netflix
BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg returns to Netflix with another animation series exploring complicated and strained familial relationships – but this time without hiding behind goofy animated animals. Told across shifting timelines and emotional flashpoints, this semi-autobiographical sitcom about the Schwoopers, a fairly ordinary Jewish American family, offers a grounded, nuanced take on childhood, “little T trauma”, and the chaos of parenting with Bob-Waksberg’s signature raw emotion and clever wit.
The Hunt for Shannon Matthews
Sunday 17 August, Prime Video
Prime Video cashes in on our neverending appetite for true crime by revisiting a case that gripped the nation 17 years ago: the disappearance of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews. What began as a desperate 24-day search for a little girl, became a tale of deception, betrayal, and buried secrets that sparked the biggest manhunt in West Yorkshire since the Yorkshire Ripper. Over two episodes, the documentary not only details the police investigation but also interrogates how the case changed the lives of the local community.
Hostage
Thursday 21 August, Netflix
If I had to choose between Liz Truss, Theresa May, or Suranne Jones for prime minister, I’d vote for Jones every time. As we saw in Doctor Foster and Gentleman Jack, she’s mastered the art of the steely, no-nonsense heroine, and in this gripping political thriller, Jones brings that edge to Downing Street as Britain’s newly elected PM, Abigail Dalton. When her husband (Ashley Thomas) is abducted while the French president is on a state visit, Dalton is forced to choose between protecting her family or saving the country.
Dating Naked UK series two
Friday 29 August, Paramount+
Just when you thought reality dating shows couldn’t push the boundaries any further, along comes another series of Dating Naked – yes, really. Host Rylan Clark returns with his perfectly trimmed beard and mischievous blue eyes to oversee a new group of singles searching for love in nothing but their birthday suits. There might be a new location and some major shake-ups, but the show promises to stick to its original cheeky premise: real connections, no clothes.
