Coldwater
Coldwater is the first of three Scottish-set thrillers airing this autumn(Image: Mark Mainz)
This six-part ITV drama marks the first of three big-name, Scottish-set thrillers airing this autumn (the others being Channel 4’s Summerwater and BBC Scotland’s The Ridge – see entries below).
The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln leads the cast of Coldwater as a stay-at-home dad seeking to escape London for a fresh slate and middle-aged reinvention in a quiet Scottish village, where his chef wife plans to open a new eatery.
Lincoln’s character strikes up a fast friendship with their oddball neighbour, played by Trainspotting star Ewen Bremner, whose unsettling behaviour soon sparks alarm.
Rounding out the impressive line-up are Indira Varma and Eve Myles, alongside Greg Hemphill, Sanjeev Kohli, Jonathan Watson, Lois Chimimba and Gilly Gilchrist.
Coldwater was created and written by playwright David Ireland. Filming took place in the Dennistoun area of Glasgow last year, with Strathaven in Lanarkshire, Dunlop in Ayrshire and The Lade Inn at Kilmahog, near Callander, also used.
Watch Sundays and Mondays on STV, all episodes available on STV Player now
The Ridge
Lauren Lyle plays a woman fleeing her Scotland(Image: PHOTOGRAPHER:Matt Grace)
Outlander and Karen Pirie actor Lauren Lyle plays a woman fleeing her Scottish homeland, leaving behind a personal and professional life in tatters. Flying out to attend her estranged sister’s wedding in New Zealand, she arrives to find tragic news awaits.
The six-part psychological thriller is a joint project between BBC Scotland and Sky New Zealand Originals, with scenes shot on location in both countries. Jay Ryan, known for his roles in Territory and Top of the Lake, stars alongside Lyle.
Coming to BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer in October
Summerwater
Adapted from Sarah Moss’s page-turner novel, this Channel 4 drama unfolds over 24 hours at a rain-drenched holiday park in the Highlands – a mesmeric tale packed with secret dilemmas, simmering tensions and unspoken conflicts.
The six-part series is described as “an atmospheric mystery, a hilarious and heart-breaking exploration of identity and an existential thriller”, with a cast that includes Dougray Scott, Shirley Henderson and Valene Kane.
Coming to Channel 4 this autumn
Nobody Wants This
This Netflix comedy is about the unlikely relationship that blossoms between an agnostic woman and unconventional rabbi(Image: ERIN SIMKIN/NETFLIX)
Kristen Bell and Adam Brody join forces in this returning Netflix comedy about the unlikely relationship that blossoms between an agnostic woman and unconventional rabbi. Its plot is loosely drawn from the real-life experiences of writer and creator Erin Foster.
The debut series won a loyal legion of fans. Its much-anticipated second run will follow the continued ups and downs of the couple’s deepening romance.
Justine Lupe and Timothy Simons – who stole the show as the pair’s wayward siblings – will be back, with Brody’s wife Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl and The Buccaneers) joining in the fun playing a childhood nemesis of Bell’s character.
Coming to Netflix on October 23
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Shetland
Shetland returns for a landmark 10th series(Image: Jamie Simpson)
The popular murder mystery drama – based on the books of Ann Cleeves – will return to our screens for a landmark 10th series, seeing Ashley Jensen and Alison O’Donnell reprise their roles as DI Ruth Calder and DI Alison “Tosh” McIntosh respectively.
Cast regulars Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson, Lewis Howden as Sgt Billy McCabe and Anne Kidd as forensic pathologist Cora McLean will also be back, with Amandaland and The History Boys actor Samuel Anderson joining as procurator fiscal Matt Blake.
The six-part run will centre around the suspicious death of an elderly woman. Confirmed guest stars include Clive Russell (The Witcher), Ellie Haddington (Guilt), Niall MacGregor (The Bombing of Pan Am 103) and Greg McHugh (Only Child).
Coming to BBC Scotland, BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn
Riot Women
Five middle-aged women form a punk band in Riot Women(Image: Helen Williams)
Aficionados of Sally Wainwright, who coined TV hits such as Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax and Gentleman Jack, won’t want to miss this one.
The six-part BBC drama sees five menopausal women – a teacher, a police officer, a pub landlady, a midwife and a shoplifter – form a punk rock band to take part in a talent contest.
Joanna Scanlan (The Thick of It), Rosalie Craig (Moonflower Murders), Tamsin Greig (Sexy Beast), Lorraine Ashbourne (Sherwood) and Amelia Bullmore (The Buccaneers) play the bold quintet. The cast is filled with familiar faces, including Peter Davison, Sue Johnston and Claire Skinner.
Coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in October
The Hack
David Tennant with Toby Jones(Image: PR)
Set across a decade spanning 2002 to 2012, this ITV drama starring David Tennant and Robert Carlyle weaves together two compelling real-life stories.
The first strand covers the work of investigative journalist Nick Davies, who uncovered evidence of phone hacking at the News of the World, while the second focuses on the investigation into the unsolved murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan.
Tennant plays Davies, with Carlyle as former Met Police Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook and Toby Jones taking on the role as Alan Rusbridger, erstwhile editor-in-chief of The Guardian newspaper.
Watch on STV, Wednesdays, with all episodes available on STV Player now
Brassic
It’s official: Brassic is bowing out, with the seventh series of the comedy drama marking its last hurrah, making it the joint longest-running scripted series on Sky (tying with Trollied).
Danny Brocklehurst, the show’s co-creator and writer, said: “After 50 epic episodes we are ending Brassic on a high.” He added: “We wanted to leave the party while it was still fun, even if saying goodbye is tough.”
His fellow co-creator Joe Gilgun – whose past roles include the This Is England franchise, Misfits and Preacher – stars as the street-smart leader of a disenfranchised gang of friends who find themselves embroiled in caper-strewn misadventures.
Michelle Keegan, Dominic West, Steve Evets and Parth Thakerar are among the cast, alongside Ryan Sampson, Aaron Heffernan, Joanna Higson, Neil Ashton and Bhavna Limbachia.
Watch on Sky, Thursdays. Catch-up with Sky on-demand and streaming service NOW
Only Murders In The Building
Cosy crime crew assemble: our favourite trio of unlikely amateur detectives have a brand-new case. When beloved doorman Lester is found dead at their affluent New York apartment block, our intrepid sleuths suspect foul play.
For those unfamiliar with the premise, the Disney+ series follows neighbours Charles, Oliver and Mabel – played by Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez – who forge an unlikely friendship due to a shared passion for true crime podcasts.
Continuing its tradition of attracting a long and glittering list of guest stars, season five will include Meryl Streep, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Richard Kind, Nathan Lane, Renee Zellweger, Christoph Waltz and Tea Leoni.
Watch on Disney+ now, with new episodes weekly
Stranger Things
Fans of Stranger Things face a rather long and drawn-out goodbye, with the first of four episodes arriving in November, three more following on Boxing Day and then the finale on January 1.
It is a release schedule that means viewers will be kept on the edge of their seats right to the end. Netflix – so far – remains tight-lipped on what the fifth and final season will entail for the residents of the fictional Midwestern town of Hawkins. A rough guess? Monsters and mayhem.
Coming to Netflix on November 27
Lazarus
Harlan Coben’s latest TV project is a “mind-bending” thriller headed for Prime Video. Starring Bill Nighy and Sam Claflin, Lazarus follows a forensic pathologist investigating cold case murders.
The script was co-written with Danny Brocklehurst of Shameless and Brassic fame, who also worked on adaptations of Coben’s Fool Me Once, Stay Close, The Stranger, Safe and The Five.
Coming to Prime Video on October 22
The Morning Show
Deepfakes, conspiracy theories and corporate cover-ups are among the thorny issues front and centre as the Apple TV+ newsroom drama, starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, returns for a fourth season.
The storyline has jumped forward to early 2024, almost two years on from the tumultuous and core-shaking events portrayed in the previous series.
Watch on Apple TV+ now, with new episodes weekly
The Celebrity Traitors
The debut series of The Celebrity Traitors headed for our screens(Image: bbc)
The Machiavellian-themed game show will unveil its first showbiz edition this autumn, with a debut series of The Celebrity Traitors headed for our screens.
Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the famous faces will compete at Ardross Castle, near Alness, Ross-shire, to win up to £100,000 for their chosen charity. A handful of contestants, known as traitors, pick off their castmates, dubbed the faithful, with nightly “murders”.
A mix of actors, athletes, broadcasters, comedians and musicians are confirmed to take part. The 19-strong line-up includes Sir Stephen Fry, Tom Daley, Charlotte Church, Alan Carr, Kate Garraway, Celia Imrie, Jonathan Ross, Clare Balding, Paloma Faith and Mark Bonnar.
Coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in October
Trigger Point
ITV crime thriller Trigger Point returns for a third series with Vicky McClure reprising her role as a London-based bomb disposal officer, aka an “expo”.
Alongside Line of Duty alumna McClure, the cast features Eric Shango, Nabil Elouahabi, Natalie Simpson and Maanuv Thiara, with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels actor Jason Flemyng joining for the latest run.
Coming to STV in October
Black Rabbit
Jude Law and Jason Bateman star as chalk-and-cheese brothers trying to make their mark on New York’s high-stakes nightlife scene with Black Rabbit, their restaurant and VIP lounge.
Treading a precarious tightrope between family ties and financial success, things begin to unravel badly when past traumas and present dangers combine, threatening to jeopardise everything they have worked hard to build.
Watch on Netflix now
Trespasses
Billed as “a forbidden love story set against the backdrop of the Troubles”, this Channel 4 drama will bear familiar themes for anyone who read Across The Barricades by Scottish novelist Joan Lingard in their formative years.
Trespasses – starring Lola Petticrew and Tom Cullen – is based on Louise Kennedy’s acclaimed breakout debut novel of the same name and unfolds in a Northern Ireland town circa 1975.
Catholic teacher Cushla is helping out in her family’s pub when she meets older, married and controversial protestant lawyer Michael, who often defends IRA suspects – what swiftly proves to be a life-changing encounter for both.
Coming to Channel 4 this autumn
House of Guinness
Think Succession but set in the 1860s where the offspring of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness are battling it out to take over his Irish brewery dynasty.
The brainchild of Peaky Blinders and SAS: Rogue Heroes creator Steven Knight, the historical drama sees the siblings forced to overcome personal differences to keep their late father’s legacy alive. James Norton, Anthony Boyle, Dervla Kirwan and Jack Gleeson are among the cast.
Watch on Netflix now
Slow Horses
If you loved Dept. Q with its collection of roguishly brilliant misfits, then this darkly funny Apple TV+ espionage drama – adapted from the novels of Mick Herron – might be just the ticket.
Heading into its fifth season, it follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve in a “dumping ground department of MI5” due to their career-ending blunders. The not-so-merry band is led by the incorrigible Jackson Lamb, played by Gary Oldman.
Watch on Apple TV+ now, with new episodes weekly
Down Cemetery Road
Speaking of Mick Herron, another thriller drawn from his work will soon arrive on our screens. Based on the novel of the same name, Down Cemetery Road is an eight-part Apple TV+ drama that will star Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson as two women in search of a missing girl.
Coming to Apple TV+ from October 29
All’s Fair
Kim Kardashian joining Naomi Watts, Glenn Close and Sarah Paulson as the lead in a Disney+ legal drama may not have been on your 2025 bingo card, but here we are.
All’s Fair is created and written by Ryan Murphy, known for Glee and American Horror Story. It follows an all-female group of divorce lawyers who aren’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with their opposition when handling the business of super elite clients.
Coming to Disney+ in November
