The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power
From September 2nd, Prime Video
We’ve been waiting aeons - well, it seems like aeons - for Prime Video’s much-hyped new series based on the writings of JRR Tolkien to arrive, and finally it’s here, a few weeks earlier than originally planned, with two back-to-back opening episodes, and a new episode dropping every Friday after that. Once again we can immerse ourselves in Middle-Earth and meet a new cast of elves, dwarves, wizards, hobbits and orcs, and reacquaint ourselves with some familiar characters, including a young Galadriel, nascent necromancer Sauron, and a fiery Balrog. With a billion-dollar budget, this is the most expensive TV series ever made, and probably half of that went on shrinking Lenny Henry, who is 6ft 3in, to Hobbit size. The story is set thousands of years before the events depicted in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, a time when great powers were forged, vast empires rose and fell, unlikely heroes emerged and unspeakable evil took hold. So pretty much what we see on the news every day. Rings of Power is coming into a very crowded fantasy space, and going up against the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, but we reckon the allure of Tolkien’s world-building will be too tempting to pass up, and the fans will eagerly flock back to Middle-Earth.
Devil in Ohio
From September 2nd, Netflix
Emily Deschanel, sister of Zooey, stars as a psychiatrist whose skill, and sanity, are sorely tested in this dark thriller based on the novel by Daria Polatin. Dr Suzanne Mathis takes in a teenager named Mae who has escaped the clutches of a satanic cult, and introduces her to her family. The inscrutable Mae proves a challenge to get through to, but Mathis hopes a bit of normal family life will help her come out of her shell. Although she has run away from the cult, however, she’s never really free from them, and soon their malevolent influence threatens to tear Mathis’s family apart.
Dated and Related
From September 2nd, Netflix
What’s this: kissing cousins on TV? Relax - this new dating show isn’t how it sounds. It’s not actually about getting off with your relations; instead it’s about helping your immediate family members find love in the big bad world. Just as in Love Island or Too Hot to Handle, a bunch of singletons gather in a luxury villa in the hope of finding the one. But there’s a DNA twist: all the horny hopefuls will be joined by their brother or sister, and each pair of siblings will have to have each other’s backs as they navigate the perils of prime-time flirting and carrying-on. Will they work together to find love, or will they sabotage each other’s chances? Seeing your bro’s clumsy pickup routine up close, or your sis getting taken in by a corny chat-up line, could get totes awks.
Wedding Season
From September 8th, Disney +
It’s like four weddings and lots of funerals in this British comedy thriller series about two young people who meet at a nuptial ceremony and embark on a torrid affair. Katie and Stefan have an instant spark, but Katie is already engaged to a chap who’s well minted. When Katie’s wedding day arrives, her new husband and his family are murdered, and soon the focus turns to the star-crossed lovers. Did Stefan do it out of jealousy? Or did Katie mastermind the murder? Only one way to find out: go on the run, trying to prove their innocence along the way.
Mike
From September 8th, Disney+
The Mike of the title is Mike Tyson, whose very eventful career, marked by a penchant for self-sabotage and getting himself on the wrong side of the law, which this eight-part series dramatises. Trevante Rhodes takes on the tough-as-nails role of Iron Mike - and nails it, according to critics. “Every time I thought something was wrong, I f**ked it up even more,” he says in this gritty, gristly dramatisation of one of the most famous – and most polarising – boxers of all time. Craig Gillespie, the man behind I, Tonya and Pam and Tommy, doesn’t gloss over the unpleasant details of Tyson’s life – the man himself is reportedly none too happy about his portrayal in this series.
Fate: The Winx Saga
From September 16th, Netflix
Northern Ireland has Game of Thrones, but Wicklow has The Winx Saga – although for plot reasons the county has been renamed the Otherworld. Here is where six student fairies attend the ethereal boarding school of Alfea and learn the ways of magic and mystery, and get to experience all sorts of feats of wonder and wizardry – although, just to be clear, Quidditch isn’t on the list of activities. These fairies don’t have wings or little bootees - they’re just like ordinary teens, except they can do tricksy stuff and swirly things with their hands. And, just like teens, they’ve all got one thing on their minds, and it’s not getting an A in potions class. Series two sees the start of a new term at Alfea, with new fairy faces, new romances and new threats.
Designing Miami
From September 21st, Netflix
Florida’s blingiest city is the setting for this home-design show centred around the designer power couple Eilyn and Ray Jimenez, a husband and wife who enjoy not only enjoy a happy marriage but also a healthy rivalry as they compete with each other to impose their opposing aesthetics on some of Miami’s most fab cribs. Eilyn, who runs Sire Design, is the minimalist in the marriage, who likes to keep everything clean and uncluttered. Ray, who heads the design company Raymond Nicolas, is the OTT type; his motto is “more is more”. Between them they have a client roster that can set cash registers ringing at 500 metres, and in this series they are out to add even more value to their rich clients’ homes. Whose design will win the contract? With all that money sloshing around south Florida, everyone’s a winner here.
The Kardashians
From September 22nd, Disney+
Go on, admit it: you’re really looking forward to this return visit to the ultimate K club, where bling is king (and queen), everyone’s on a “journey”, and if you’ve got “issues” there’s nothing better than ironing them out in front of millions of viewers (although no one here actually does any ironing, of course). Yes, the United States’ most glamorous and Insta-friendly dynasty is back, and in case you haven’t been keeping up, they’ve dropped the “Keeping Up with” tag and renamed the show simply The Kardashians. If you think it’s all just sitting around getting their nails polished and their bottoms botoxed, think again: so much goes on in the lives of Kim, Kris, Kourtney, Khloé, Kendall and Kylie that you’ll need a spreadsheet to keep up with the twists, turns and twirls.
The Old Man
From September 28th, Disney+
The Big Lebowski himself, Jeff Bridges, is the titular pensioner in this Disney+ original series, but this guy hasn’t got time for slacking or bowling, because there’s a hitman on his tail determined to wreck his retirement buzz. Bridges plays a former CIA man, Dan Chase, who went AWOL from the agency decades ago after some brouhaha with his superiors. He’s been off the grid for a while, but an FBI agent, Harold Harper (played by John Lithgow), has picked up Chase’s scent, and an assassin is dispatched to take out this geriatric rogue operative. Chase will have to dig out forgotten skills from his past and find new resources if he’s going to make it to that retirement home in Florida.
Jungle
From September 30th, Prime Video
Only the strong survive in this new series set in the world of UK rap and drill music. It’s a jungle out there as rappers, DJs and promoters compete to become kingpins on the scene. The series follows six strangers whose lives are connected in different ways, and who quickly learn that even the smallest actions can have far-reaching consequences. The series is set in the mean streets and heaving clubs of inner-city London, and sounds like a mash-up of fact, fiction and fantasy, with some of the UK’s top rap and drill artists featuring, including Tinie Tempah, Big Narstie, Unknown T, Jordan McCann, Jaykae and IAMDDB.
