THE clocks have gone back and the nights are drawing in, so there’s even more reason to curl up on the sofa in front of the telly.
The autumn schedules are packed with tense thrillers, gripping documentaries and a whole raft of new game shows. We pick the best viewing to see you through the cold nights of November and December. . .
THE GIRL BEFORE
BBC1, December
THIS psychological thriller sees Jane (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) move into a mysterious new home owned and created by enigmatic architect Edward (David Oyelowo).
She has to abide by a long list of rather bizarre requests if she is to stay in the property – and initially accepts after falling in love with her new surroundings.
But she feels herself changing and it transpires that the minimalist house once had another female tenant called Emma, who had spooky similarities to Jane.
Emma and Simon – played by EastEnders stars Jessica Plummer and Ben Hardy – had moved into the house to try to start a new chapter in their life.
This tense four-parter is adapted by JP Delaney from her best-selling novel of the same name.
DALGLIESH
Channel 5, November 4
THE late PD James was a legend in crimewriting so an adaption of her work for TV was bound to be electric – and this series won’t disappoint.
Three stories are told over six episodes following Det Chief Insp Adam Dalgliesh (Bertie Carvel) and Det Sgt Charles Masterson (Jeremy Irvine, left).
In the first, Dalgliesh, investigates the death of a student poisoned at a nursing school.
With the second episode of each story airing the next day, viewers are left on tenterhooks for 24 hours.
SITTING ON A FORTUNE
ITV, November 7
CHOOSING the right seat at a dinner party can be stressful enough.
So imagine your choice meaning the difference between bagging £100,000 – or leaving empty-handed.
Gary Lineker is the big-name signing for this one, going from football pundit to game show host.
Players take to the stage and position themselves in a row of seats, one behind the other.
The player at the front gets the chance to answer general knowledge questions, but one wrong answer sees them relegated to the back of the line – and everyone moving up to take their place in pole position.
The aim of the game is staying in the hot seat long enough to bag the fortune.
SHOWTRIAL
BBC1, Sundays
BASED on the debut episode, which aired on Sunday, this five-part series is worth catching up on and sticking with.
From the creators of Bodyguard and Line Of Duty, this police and legal drama has a delicious difference.
Celine Buckens plays Talitha Campbell, estranged daughter of a property tycoon, who is charged with conspiring to murder fellow university student Hannah Ellis.
Shunning help from her wealthy family, Talitha wants Cleo Roberts (Tracy Ifeachor) – the duty solicitor on the night of her arrest – to represent her in court.
Unpleasant Talitha, right with Cleo, leaves viewers wondering if she is a scapegoat who needs help – or a dangerous killer who deserves to be behind bars.
THE SOCIAL MEDIA MURDERS
ITV2, November
THE shocking murder of backpacker Grace Millane features in this real-crime three-parter.
The 22-year-old from Essex met her killer, Jesse Kempson, on a Tinder date in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2018.
After their date he killed Grace, below, at his apartment, then put her body in a suitcase, which he buried in a shallow grave.
Her tragic tale leads a trilogy of real-crime cases where social media played a role in bringing together the victim and the culprit.
Gay teenager Alex Rodda, who was groomed on Facebook before his murder, also features.
So, too, does Molly McLaren, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend. Joshua Stimpson was driven to a rage by seeing images of her new man on Instagram.
THE TOWER
BBC1, November 8
KILLING EVE and Game Of Thrones actress Gemma Whelan leads as Det Sgt Sarah Collins in this thrilling crime drama.
When DS Collins and her colleague DC Steve Bradshaw (Jimmy Akingbola) are called to an incident at Portland Tower, in South East London, they are met by a terrible scene.
On the ground at the bottom of the tower lie the bodies of long-serving police officer PC Hadley Matthews, and a 15-year-old girl, Farah Mehenni.
When she gets to the roof of the tower, Sarah finds a five-year-old boy, Ben, rookie police officer PC Lizzie Adama and Lizzie’s boss DI Kieran Shaw, far right.
The mystery that unravels over this three-parter, which airs over three consecutive nights, makes for must-watch telly.
THE TOURNAMENT
ITV, November 8
ALEX SCOTT is the second sports pundit making her debut as a game show host in this new daytime show for the BBC.
Eight contestants battle each other on the Tournament Run, in a series of tug-of-war quiz matches to try to steal each other’s cash.
Only one player makes it to the end, when they will have the chance to double their money on the Golden Run.
Fresh from A Question Of Sport, Alex promises the quiz show has all the tension of a penalty shootout – and she is such a fan she says she is desperate to be a contestant herself.
Hot on its heels will be another show, The Bridge Of Lies, hosted by hardman Ross Kemp. It is due to air next year.
MONEYBAGS
Channel 4, November 8
A MILLION pounds is up for grabs in this fast-paced game of chance.
Red Dwarf star Craig Charles is in charge as players face a series of questions.
He says he has always wanted to host a game show, but that he waited for the perfect one to come along.
As moneybags marked with each answer pass along a conveyor belt, contestants must make a rapid decision to grab the right sack, right.
Anything from £1,000 to £100,000 is at stake – with a total of £1million passing under their noses each week.
With such a huge amount of cash involved, the life-changing decisions required are bound to make for a tense watch.
I LITERALLY JUST TOLD YOU
Channel 4, November
IMAGINE a game show where the contestants have already been given the answers. Sounds rubbish, right?
With the questions written, literally, as the show is happening, this challenges the contestants to pay attention to everything that is going on.
Which proves to be impossible – and hugely entertaining.
Former Blue Peter presenter Richard Bacon came up with the format.
He had a hunch that most people’s short-term memory is so bad you could supply them with answers and they would still get questions wrong.
It sounds wacky, but host Jimmy Carr reckons that this is the best idea for a TV show he has ever heard of.
LANDSCAPERS
Sky Atlantic and NOW, December 7
OLIVIA COLMAN heads a star-studded cast in this retelling of a chilling true story.
The thriller is based on the 1998 murder of Patricia and William Wycherley, whose disappearance remained a mystery for more than a decade.
Olivia swaps her best-known role as the Queen in Netflix series The Crown for Susan Edwards – the Wycherleys’ daughter.
What follows is the jaw-dropping tale of how Susan and her husband Christopher killed the couple, buried them in their own back garden and went on to spend £245,000 on Hollywood memorabilia.
Harry Potter actor David Thewlis plays Christopher in the “blackly comic” four-parter.
TIGER KING 2
Netflix, November 17
THE saga of America’s most notorious big cat owners captivated viewers last year and this second season has felt like a long time coming.
With Joe Exotic behind bars and Carole Baskin struggling with the unwanted attention of fame, Netflix promises that “stunning” revelations will be unearthed.
Old enemies and friends, including Jeff Lowe, Tim Stark, Allen Glover and James Garretson will be back in this documentary.
But will this sequel live up to the hype that surrounded the first season?
WALK THE LINE
ITV, December
THE X Factor may have gone, but back with some of the magic of the Saturday night talent contest is Simon Cowell’s latest baby.
Hosted by Maya Jama, the new series will see various musical acts perform over six consecutive nights.
And after each performance, judged by a panel featuring singer Gary Barlow, Mabel and Craig David, they are offered money as a reward. But taking the cash means they have to leave the show.
They can, however, gamble and remain in the show.
But “walking the line” means they may get the boot and leave with nothing, or receive even more financial rewards and reach the final.
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