Best new shows – quick links
Best new shows
The Ark Season 3 – 25 August (Binge)
Series. Sci-fi drama The Ark follows the remaining crew of a spacecraft known as Ark One, attempting to survive after a catastrophic event.
Sister Boniface Mysteries Season 4 – 26 August (BritBox)
Series. The Vespa-riding, genius Catholic nun is back, and this time she’s facing down killer scarecrows. The award-winning Sister Boniface returns to the rural English village of Great Slaughter for another season of cozy mysteries set in the 1960s, in this spin-off of Father Brown.
Played by Lorna Watson, Sister Boniface splits her time between her duties at the convent, her winemaking, and her role as scientific adviser to the local police. Season four is the show’s weirdest and wildest yet, sending the team into a string of increasingly outlandish cases: a fatal game show, a deadly town-wide women’s strike, and yes, those murderous scarecrows.
Starring Lorna Watson (The IT Crowd, Christmas at the Riviera, Forget Me Not), Jerry Iwu (Sex Education, Innocent, Halal Daddy), Max Brown (Downtown Abbey, Paradise Lost, Beauty and the Beast), and Ami Metcalf (Allied, Pan, Crawl).
The Undeclared War Season 2 – 27 August (Stan)
Series. Tensions are high in the new season of cyber-thriller The Undeclared War when the elite Malware Department at GCHQ has to manage the devastating aftermath of a Russian cyber-attack. Just when it seems the UK has gained the upper hand, Danny and the team uncover a far more dangerous threat.
Returning cast members include Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), Hannah Khalique-Brown (Black Doves), Alex Jennings (The Crown, This Is Going To Hurt), as well as new cast member Siân Brooke (Blue Lights).
Dark Matter Season 2 – 28 August (Apple TV)
Series. In Season 1, the series followed Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton), a physicist, professor and family man who – one night while walking home on the streets of Chicago – is abducted into an alternate version of his life.
Wonder quickly turns to nightmare when he tries to return to his reality amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could have lived.
Season 2 picks up with the Dessens as they settle into a quiet life in a world that finally seems safe until the unimaginable forces them to run once again. As Jason’s obsession with the Box deepens, Daniela’s (Jennifer Connelly) growing paranoia pushes her to the brink, threatening to tear their fragile stability apart.
Elsewhere, Amanda (Alice Braga) and Ryan (Jimmi Simpson) join forces in a desperate attempt to find their way home. With Blair (Amanda Brugel) determined to stop him, Leighton (Dayo Okeniyi) relentlessly chases his grand vision of creating a perfect world.
The Cage – 30 August (ABC iview)
Series. Two casino workers discover they’re both stealing from the same safe, entangling them with each other, the gangster they’re robbing, and the police.
Recent best new shows
You’re Killing Me – 17 August (Stan)
Series. Set in a quiet New England town, You’re Killing Me follows bestselling novelist, Allie, who joins forces with an aspiring writer and podcaster, Andi, to investigate the murder of a close friend. The unlikely duo run into trouble, however, when they clash with a local police detective.
Executive produced by and starring Brooke Shields, the series co-stars Amalia Williamson (Sullivan’s Crossing) and Tom Cavanagh (The Flash, Scrubs).
Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey Season 2 – 18 August (SBS On Demand)
Series. The new season of Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey sees Shaun Micallef accompany six prominent Australians back to the places their ancestors once called home. Armed with historical research, misplaced confidence and a passport, Shaun helps uncover family stories that have lain hidden for generations.
Guests include Pia Miranda, Denise Scott, Matt Okine, Luke McGregor, Kate Langbroek and Tony Armstrong.
Outer Banks Season 5 – 20 August (Netflix)
Series. After losing one of their own, the Pogues chase revenge and redemption as they pursue a stolen artifact with the power to change their fortunes.
Starring Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline and Madison Bailey.
Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job Season 2 – 20 August (ABC iview)
Series. Amanda Holden and Alan Carr purchase a dilapidated 17th century house for one euro in idyllic Tuscany and spend the summer transforming it into an Italian dream home.
Stillwater Season 5 – 21 August
Kids and family series. Season 5 follows siblings Karl, Addy and Michael, who have a very special next-door neighbour: a wise panda named Stillwater. His friendship and stories give them new perspectives on the world, themselves, and each other.
