We’re already deep into 2025, and if one thing’s clear, it’s that the year has delivered some seriously fresh TV gold. From bold new dramas to imaginative genre-benders, there’s been no shortage of shows turning heads—and it’s not slowing down anytime soon with the sweeping wartime love story The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Channel 4’s high-altitude thriller In Flight, and a host of other standout debuts that are giving returning favourites a run for their money. Whether you're into gripping mysteries, glossy escapism or emotionally rich storytelling, there’s a whole new wave of TV worth diving into—and trust us, you’ll want to be across it all.
Karen Pirie (Season 2)
Coming soon to ITV1 and STV
It’s 1984 and Catriona Grant (Julia Brown), heiress to an oil fortune is kidnapped at gunpoint alongside her son Adam, with politics assumed as the motivation the press go crazy, however when the culprits fall silent the case runs cold… 40 years later, a body is discovered and DS Karen Pirie (Lauren Lyle) is assigned to reopen the old case, in complete secrecy! With the first key piece of evidence in decades will she be the one to finally discover what happened and why do sinister forces want the case to remain a secret?!
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
BBC One + BBC iPlayer
A passionate love affair, a devastating war, and life after, that is The Narrow Road to the Deep North in a nutshell! We can already sense that this will be one of those dramas that will stick with your for longgg after the credits roll. Prepare to be whisked down three different timelines, showing World War Two Australian veteran Dorrigo Evans’s (Jacob Elordi) life–from the start of his military career and his affair, to being held captive as a prisoner of war in Thailand, and finally, his life in the present (the 80's).
The War Between the Land and the Sea
BBC One + BBC iPlayer
Russell T Davies is diving back into big, bold sci-fi with The War Between the Land and the Sea—and this time, it’s not aliens we’re up against, it’s Sea Devils. Yep, the ancient underwater species are rising, and they’re not here for a swim. With UNIT stepping in to stop the tide (literally), expect epic battles, eerie mythology, and a top-tier cast including Russell Tovey, Jemma Redgrave and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. If you love your thrillers with a supernatural edge and your monsters with a grudge, this one’s going to make serious waves.
The Hack
ITV + STV
The Hack is a gripping new drama that dives into the explosive phone-hacking scandal rocking the UK tabloids in the early 2000s. With David Tennant as journalist Nick Davies uncovering the truth and former Met Police detective chief superintendent Dave Cook (Robert Carlyle) leading the police investigation, expect plenty of twists, tension, and big reveals. If you gripping dramas based on true stories, this one’s definitely worth a watch later this year!
The Guest
Coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn
Get ready for drama with a capital D—The Guest is a twisted new thriller that kicks off when a high-flying businesswoman (Eve Myles) strikes up a friendship with her cleaner (Gabrielle Creevy). But this isn’t your average odd-couple bonding story… things get dark fast. Obsession, power plays and a seriously tense game of who’s really in control—this is one of those shows where you’ll be shouting at the screen and immediately texting your mates to catch up.
Trespasses
Channel 4
In 1975, in a town just outside of Belfast and Catholic schoolteacher Cushla (Lola Petticrew) meets Michael (Tom Cullen), an older married man who defends the IRA. Despite being worlds apart in a relationship that cause all sorts of trouble, they can’t help but be drawn to one another! Gillian Anderson (Sex Education) will star as Cushlas mother!
Riot Women
BBC One + BBC iPlayer
Riot Women dives into the lives of five women who along with two backing singers come together to create a makeshift pun-rock band in order to enter a local talent competition! Juggling demanding jobs, adult children, unreliable husbands and disastrous dates, the band swiftly becomes an escape! This six-part series really highlights the power of friendship, music and resilience of women who refuse to be silenced! So if this sounds like your kind of series then keep an eye on this page for the release date!
King and Conqueror
BBC One + BBC iPlayer
A story of a clash so big that it defined the future of not only a country but also a continent, for a thousand years! King and Conqueror sees Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy as allies, neither with a design on the British throne who suddenly find themselves forced by both circumstance and obsession into a war for the crown! With eight 60-minute episodes we are BIG things and some excellent mis-en-scène (scenery and props)! Now if you’re getting Game of Thrones vibes from the premise then prepare to be even more excited because Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jamie Lannister, Game of Thrones) is starring as William alongside James Norton (Happy Valley)!
In Flight
Channel 4
In Flight is Channel 4’s gripping new thriller that takes off with Jo, a flight attendant (Katherine Kelly), who’s blackmailed into smuggling drugs after her son is arrested overseas for a murder he swears he didn’t commit. Suddenly she’s juggling cabin service with criminal dealings, dodgy gangsters, and customs officers who are way too close for comfort. Packed with drama at 35,000 feet, In Flight is all about how far a mum will go when the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The Cage
BBC One + BBC iPlayer
Sheridan Smith (Cilla, The Teacher) and Michael Socha (Toxic Town, Showtrial) star in this new drama set in a Liverpool casino, where two small-time criminals realise they’re both robbing the same safe. What follows is a tense, funny, and dangerously messy game of survival, with gangsters on one side and the law closing in on the other. From the creator of The Responder.
The Night Manager (Season 2)
BBC One + BBC iPlayer
Eight years after it’s original release date, The Night Manager is confirmed to be returning to our screens with a cast as good as ever. With both Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Olivia Colman (The Crown) confirmed to be returning we are on the edge-of-our-seats with excitement! The plot is still firmly under wraps but we know that there will be a big time jump following the HUGE season 1 finale!
Film Club
BBC iPlayer
If you (like us) are here for the rom-coms then you best get excited because this new drama will tick alllll those boxes! Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education) will be starring as Evie, Nabhaan Rizwan as Noa and Suranne Jones as Evie’s mum Suz. This witty and emotional show will see two movie enthusiasts, Noa and Evie share a weekly film club all where their feelings for each other grow. When Noa has to move, Evie must say how she feels before it’s too late!
First Day on Earth
BBC
Since her debut in Chewing Gum, Michaela Coel has gone onto make her name as a trusted and celebrated voice in female storytelling. Now, it’s been four years since her latest series I May Destroy You and we are very excited for her next personal story. First Day on Earth will see her play a British novelist, Henri, who feels stuck in her career, life and relationships. When she’s asked to relocate to Ghana for work, she seizes the opportunity to reconnect with her heritage. However, she soon encounters unforeseen dangers and finds herself forging a new sense of identity!
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