Dear Mama
From Sunday, October 1st, Disney+
A revolutionary mother, a rap-god son: this five-part docuseries tells the story of Afeni Shakur and her son, Tupac Shakur, blending the action between the political turmoil of the 1960s and 1970s, and the rise of rap and hip-hop in the 1980s and 1990s. Afeni was an outspoken advocate for black rights and feminism, and she became a pivotal figure in the Black Panther movement, challenging its macho culture from within. Her son was a musical visionary, and following his murder in 1996, Afeni turned her talents to protecting her son’s legacy.
Beckham
From Wednesday, October 4th, Netflix
Imagine getting to hang out with Posh and Becks and get an intimate glimpse into their lives. Film-makers Fisher Stevens and John Battsek were given unprecedented access to the football legend, his wife Victoria and their family and friends, and the result is this four-part docuseries telling the story of how David Beckham rose from working-class roots in London to becoming one of the world’s greatest footballers and a cultural icon to boot. Never mind that, though – can we get a look inside Posh’s walk-in wardrobe?
Lupin
From Thursday, October 5th, Netflix
Gentleman thief Assane Diop is back and planning his most daring heist ever in this third series of Lupin, but has he bitten off more than he can chew? Omar Sy stars as France’s most notorious jewel thief, and this time his eye is set on a treasure known as the Black Pearl. But Assane’s enemy Hubert Pellegrini has framed him for a murder, and he is now the most wanted man in France. How will he steal the pearl with every policeman in Paris watching closely? Easy: just send the cops an invitation to the heist.
Loki
From Friday, October 6th, Disney+
Tom Hiddleston returns as the “time variant” version of the lovable Marvel villain, and expect more temporal twists and turns as the god of mischief turns hero and tries to stop the biggest threat to the universe since Thanos. He’s back with the Time Variance Authority, who are tasked with preventing the multiverse from sprouting endless new timelines, and trying to persuade Mobius (Owen Wilson) to help him track down Loki variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino). But just to add to the confusion, this is a different variant of Mobius – will he be any more amenable than the previous one? And will anyone be able to tell us what’s going on?
Beauty & the Beast review: On the way home, younger audience members re-enact scenes. There’s no higher recommendation
Matt Cooper: I’m an only child. I’ve always been conscious of not having brothers or sisters
A Dublin scam: After more than 10 years in New York, nothing like this had ever happened to me
Patrick Freyne: I am becoming a demotivational speaker – let’s all have an averagely productive December
Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe
From Friday, October 6th, Prime Video
To what lengths would you go to find your perfect partner? This docuseries tracks one person’s experience after she signed up with Twin Flames Universe, an online community that promises to help you connect with your “twin flame” – no matter what the cost. As journalist Alice Hines becomes more embroiled in the Twin Flames world and interacts with its founders, Jeff and Shaleia Divine, she begins to suspect she’s fallen in with a dating cult – a sort of Scientology for singletons. The series features interviews with current and past members to learn how Jeff and Shaleia inspire such obsession among their followers.
The Fall of the House of Usher
From Thursday, October 12th, Netflix
A rich, ruthless family who hate each other’s guts; an avenging angel/demon; and a fresh hell for everyone in the audience: welcome to Poe Land, where the works of Edgar Allen Poe are gleefully mashed into horrific new shapes. Roderick Usher and his sister Madeline preside over a toxic family pharmaceutical empire in this wicked new horror series directed by Mike Flanagan and playing like Succession meets Friday the 13th. When the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying in various nasty ways, it’s time to dig into the family vault to uncover those long-buried secrets.
Goosebumps
From Friday, October 13th, Disney+
Five high-school friends unwittingly unleash an army of dark forces from the underworld in this new comedy horror series based on the books by RL Stine. You’ve probably already seen the movies starring Jack Black, but Disney are bringing the scary fun to the small screen, so expect even bigger electricity bills this autumn as the kids keep their lights on all night. Each episode is based on a different Goosebumps book, and includes Say Cheese and Die!, The Haunted Mask, The Cuckoo Clock of Doom and Night of the Living Dummy.
Lessons in Chemistry
From Friday, October 13th, Apple TV+
Brie Larson plays a scientist turned TV chef in this series set in the early 1950s, and based on the novel by Bonnie Garmus. Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant young graduate with ambitions to be a world-class scientist, but the men in her lab would prefer if she would just go back to the kitchen. She also has a talent for cooking (“it’s just chemistry”), and when she’s offered a role as the presenter of TV cookery show Supper at Six, she proves a big hit with viewers. But the TV execs are none too happy when their star adds some political hot potatoes to the menu.
Bodies
From Thursday, October 19th, Netflix
Four detectives must work together to solve a murder – but there’s just one problem. Each sleuth lives in a completely different age. This mind-bending mystery begins when the same body is found in London’s East End in four different time periods: 1890, 1941, 2023 and 2053. The detectives must somehow communicate with each other across the different timelines if they’re going to crack this time-jumping case. The detectives discover a link with enigmatic political leader Elias Mannix (Stephen Graham), and stumble on a conspiracy that spans the decades.
Upload
From Friday, October 20th, Prime Video
For a dead guy, Nathan Brown’s life is getting pretty complicated. Following his untimely death, Nathan has his consciousness uploaded to a digital paradise called Lakeview where presumably he’ll enjoy eternal fun and games. But of course it’s not that simple, and soon he ends up trying to solve his own murder while navigating the perils of a virtual afterlife. In series three, Horizen, the company behind Lakeview, has opened a new digital world beyond the grave: Freeyond. Meanwhile, Nora has regenerated Nathan’s body and downloaded him back into the real world, but now there’s a back-up copy of Nathan in Lakeview.
