PICKS OF THE MONTH: OCTOBER 2024

What to watch this month.

SHOWTRIAL

BBC ONE

When a climate activist is left for dead after a hit-and-run, he uses his dying words to name his killer - a serving police officer. With the country divided, will defence solicitor Sam Malik take on the trial of the decade? Tense legal thriller, starring Adeel Akhtar and Michael Socha.

MR LOVERMAN

BBC ONE

Barrington Jedidiah Walker, Esq. Barry to his mates. Trouble to his wife, his daughters, and his lover. Carmel, his wife of 50 years, senses that Barry has been cheating on her with other women. Little does she know what’s really going on: a secret, decades-long passionate affair with his best friend and soulmate, Morris.

THE CLEANER

BBC ONE

Wicky finds himself on a job for an old childhood school friend, Justin, who it turns out has done rather well for himself. Justin’s got the lot: a dream house, a supercar, an adorable child, a grand piano, and a big pool of blood in his hall where the grand piano unfortunately fell on someone. Good thing Wicky’s there to clean up.

ALMA'S NOT NORMAL

BBC TWO

Alma is back in town and desperate for things to be different. She bags herself a talent agent, who turns out to be a bit of a blagger. She buys herself some new wheels that she can’t afford and lands herself an acting role that is completely demoralising. It’s safe to say, things are not panning out for Alma.

PLAYING NICE (TBC)

ITV1

James Norton and Niamh Algar take leading roles in the limited series. Set against a sweeping Cornish landscape, two couples discover that their toddlers were switched at birth in a hospital mix-up and face a horrifying dilemma: do they keep the sons they have raised and loved or reclaim their biological child?

DI RAY

ITV1

The new series will see Leicester-born DI Ray investigating the murder of a high-profile criminal - sensitive ethnic issues relating to the case ignite racial tensions causing a personal conflict for Rachita, both as a British Asian woman and as a police officer, which she must fight to prevent a turf war erupting on the streets of Birmingham....

DNA JOURNEY

ITV1

The celebrity duos delving into their families’ histories this series are Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston, Jo Brand and Julian Clary, Fay Ripley and Hermione Norris, Sam Thompson and Marvin Humes, Sarah Parish and Jimmy Nesbitt, and John Simm and Philip Glenister.

THE MARTIN LEWIS MONEY SHOW

ITV1

Joined by broadcaster and ex-Olympic athlete Jeanette Kwakye across a variety of live and pre-recorded shows, ITV’s financial guru takes questions coming from the studio audience as well as from people across the country

BIG BROTHER

ITV2

AJ Odudu and Will Best will return as hosts presiding over all the action as a new batch of housemates from all walks of life take up residence in a revamped Big Brother house. Once again the public plays a crucial role, voting throughout the series and ultimately determining the winner who will walk away with a life changing cash prize. Who wins? You decide!

THE LAST LEG

CHANNEL 4

Offering their unmatched satirical insight into current world events, Adam, Josh and Alex will be joined each week by guests from the worlds of comedy, entertainment and politics to help dissect the biggest new stories of the week.

THE HARDACRES

CHANNEL 5

The Hardacres is a rags-to-riches family saga following the lives, loves and fortunes of the working class Hardacre family as they move from a grimy fish dock to a vast country estate in 1890s Yorkshire.

RIVALS

DISNEY+

Based on the celebrated novel by Dame Jilly Cooper and produced by Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios. Set against the backdrop of the drama, excess, and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England, Rivals delves headfirst into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986.

THE DEVIL'S HOUR

PRIME VIDEO

In Series Two, Jessica Raine and Peter Capaldi reprise their roles as Gideon’s true intentions are finally revealed, as he attempts to involve Lucy in his mission to stop an elusive force of evil. Simultaneously a sequel and a prequel to the first chapter, expect nothing but the unexpected…