Money Heist season 5
Friday, September 3rd
The most popular foreign-language show ever produced by Netflix is coming to an end. Money Heist (La Casa de Papel in the original Spanish) has been a constant in the streaming service's worldwide charts, achieving a blockbusting 65 million views. Its creator, Alex Pina, is not known for his subtlety: the series is full of flash Tarantino-style set pieces, with a style reminiscent of early-1990s action thrillers, so expect a lavish finale. Split into two parts, with the second set for December, and it's going to be a long goodbye. Season five sees the crew tackling the final stages of their heist: pushed to their limits, the intensity and paranoia force the gang into a bloody war – a savage, brutal conclusion to this compelling crime epic.
Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space
Monday, September 6th
Netflix enters new territory with this almost-real-time docuseries about Inspiration4, September's pioneering all-civilian space mission. Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arcenaux, Dr Sian Proctor and Chris Sembroski are the team chosen to embark on this monumental multiday trip orbiting Earth. The series will initially detail the unconventional selection process and gruelling training regime before partnering with YouTube for the live launch on September 15th and then broadcasting the craft's return.
On the Verge
Tuesday, September 7th
While we await whatever Sarah Jessica Parker and Michael Patrick King are concocting with And Just Like That, the Sex and the City revival, Netflix is offering On the Verge. Created by and starring Julie Delpy, it's a dramedy about four women in their late 40s. With a cast that also includes Sarah Jones and the bizarrely underrated Elisabeth Shue, it looks at motherhood in multiple forms: those whose journey to being a parent started later in life, those who are at the stage of raising teenagers and those who are in the middle of a separation and are adjusting to a new homelife. All are at the precipice of discovering a dynamic future for themselves.
Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali
Thursday, September 9th
Blood Brothers is the product of the contentious $100 million Netflix deal that Kenya Barris, the Blackish creator, eventually walked away from because he believed the streaming service didn't appreciate his voice. The documentary delves into the intense relationship between Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali, two black cultural titans who changed history. For three years their lives intertwined as they converted to Islam and spoke passionately about black freedom, black power and pride in black America at a time when segregation was still rife. These charismatic men who charmed the world but were also subject to violent hate became each other's confidants. Through historical footage and interviews with Malcolm X's daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, Ali's brother Rahman and daughters Maryum and Hana, and public figures such as the civil-rights activist Al Sharpton, it pieces together how the bond between the pair tragically dissolved through the faith and ideology that had brought them together.
The Women and the Murderer
Thursday, September 9th
This French true-crime documentary recounts the events surrounding the manhunt for the serial killer Guy Georges, aka the Beast of Bastille. Georges was responsible for the murders of seven women and countless sexual assaults in the early 1990s. The documentary focuses on the indefatigable spirit of two women, one a police chief and the other a victim's mother who refused to let the case fade from public consciousness, and who fought tirelessly to bring Georges to justice.
Schumacher
Wednesday, September 15th
Made in collaboration with his family and featuring a host of home videos, as well as unseen archive footage and touching interviews with his wife, children, friends and close colleagues, Schumacher is a portrait of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, one of the greatest drivers of all time. It charts Schumacher's early ambition, his entry into the world of motorsports, his rivalry and relationships with his fellow drivers. Sebastian Vettel, Mika Häkkinen, Damon Hill and David Coulthard talk about his determination, exacting standards and sporting ruthlessness. His wife, Corinna, son Mick (who is now building his own F1 career) and daughter Gina shed light on his time away from the track and his life after the brain injury he suffered in a skiing accident eight years ago.
Nailed It! season 6
Wednesday, September 15th
Confectionery perfection has been the pursuit of many during lockdown, with Instagram becoming a personalised picture book for smug budding bakers. But if your banana bread couldn't be fixed by fancy filters, and was usually destined for the bin, Nailed It! is back to make you feel more Nigella-like. The series elevates the truly average, pitting the most ramshackle of home bakers against one another. The beauty of Nailed It! is the giddy joy in witnessing their hideous creations pitched alongside professional masterpieces. Hosted by Nicole Byer, it is The Great British Bake Off's glorious wobbly bits combined with the manic atmosphere of the dying minutes of Ready Steady Cook.
Sex Education season 3
Friday, September 17th
The ribald comedy-drama Sex Education revels in the awkwardness of teendom, where life is fuelled by misunderstandings and unexpressed feelings and where the simplest of actions can become a drawn-out drama. In the third season, student Cal Bowman (Dua Saleh) and tenacious new headteacher Hope (Jemima Kirke) are set to cause a stir. There's also Gillian Anderson's Dr Jean Millburn coping with her pregnancy, Otis (Asa Butterfield) exploring casual sex, Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) examining his identity, Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood) discovering feminism, and Jackson (Kedar Williams-Stirling) succumbing to the exquisite pain of unrequited love. Veering from bawdy body comedy to sensitive social drama, Sex Education runs the gamut of emotions – just like the average day of any hormonal teenager.
Dear White People season 4
Wednesday, September 22nd
As with the complex family drama Transparent, Justin Simien's Dear White People is taking the idiosyncratic route and bowing out with an unexpected musical season. In a very theatrical year for Winchester, it will see 1990s throwbacks and time jumps beyond the pandemic as the class reflect on the most formative year of their lives. The razzle-dazzle is studded with sharp satire as the students try to work out how best to use their voices and celebrate black culture in their senior-year show but also wrestle with wanting to escape their lives and responsibilities.
Midnight Mass
Friday, September 24th
Mike Flanagan, creator of the acclaimed The Haunting of Hill House, returns with the chilling Midnight Mass. With shades of Dennis Kelly's folk-horror The Third Day, and an aesthetic nod to Robert Eggers's The Witch, Midnight Mass tells the story of an isolated island community who experience terrifying events and seemingly miraculous occurrences after the arrival of a young priest, Fr Paul (Hamish Linklater). With his band of familiar players – Midnight Mass stars Hill House alums Kate Siegel and Henry Thomas – and stable of anthology shows, Flanagan seems to be shaping up as the streaming service's next Ryan Murphy.
