Best new shows – quick links
BritBox: best new shows
Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators Season 5 – 22 July
Series. The charming crime-solving duo return to the cobbled streets of Shakespeare’s birthplace for more witty mysteries and murders most foul.
After going their separate ways, grumpy ex-detective Frank Hathaway, played by Mark Benton, and warm-hearted ex-hairdresser Lu Shakespeare, played by Jo Joyner, find themselves drawn back together when a new case reignites their unlikely partnership. With their witty assistant alongside them, the team tackles a fresh collection of baffling crimes and eccentric suspects.
Starring Mark Benton, Jo Joyner and Patrick Walshe McBride.
Apple TV: best new shows
The Dink – 24 July
Film (2026). The Dink follows washed up former tennis prodigy Dusty Boyd (Jake Johnson), who has been reduced to coaching unruly children at his father Chuck’s (Ed Harris) suburban country club.
Desperate for his father’s approval, Dusty blindly supports Chuck’s vendetta against the new craze taking over the club: pickleball. But when Dusty reaggravates an old injury, taking away his ability to play tennis, he resorts to the unthinkable in the name of rehab.
He not only tries pickleball but, thanks in part to his enchanting new partner, Candace (Mary Steenburgen), he finds himself actually enjoying it. Torn between two worlds, Dusty is forced to finally face the ghosts of his past athletic failures, including his childhood nemesis, Andy Roddick (Andy Roddick).
Ultimately, Dusty is drawn into a desperate battle for the future of the club, his father’s affection and his very identity.
MUBI: best new films
Lynch: Inland Empire Trio – 24 July
Collection. An intimate look into the creative process of David Lynch, pairing his masterful Inland Empire with two behind-the-scenes documentaries capturing the making of the film.
Includes Inland Empire, Lynch (One), Lynch 2.
A Useful Ghost – 24 July
Film (2025). Something unusual is happening at a family-run appliance factory: spirits have started to possess the products. March, the factory owner’s son, is grieving after his pregnant wife dies from dust poisoning. His world changes when he is reunited with her, now in the form of a vacuum cleaner.
A Useful Ghost is surreal, funny, and politically charged, using absurdist storytelling to explore love, grief, and collective memory.
Netflix: best new shows
WWE: Unreal Season 3 – 21 July
Series. As John Cena retires and injuries rock the ring, what does wrestling’s future look like? Go backstage with WWE insiders as they bring spectacles to life.
Ransom Canyon Season 2 – 23 July
Series. Staten and Quinn chase risky new ventures to bring hope and prosperity back to Ransom Canyon – and grapple with their true feelings for one another.
Starring Josh Duhamel, Minka Kelly, Eoin Macken and Lizzy Greene.
72 Hours – 24 July
Film (2026). To save his career, a 40-year-old ad exec (Kevin Hart) joins a crew of twentysomethings for a wild Miami bachelor party after they mistakenly add him to a group chat.
Starring Kevin Hart, Marcello Hernández and Teyana Taylor.
Binge: best new shows
Inside Selling Houses Australia: New Beginnings Season 2
Series. Another season of ‘where are they now?’ episodes.
Prime Video: best new shows
The Sheep Detectives – 24 July
Film (2026). Every night, a shepherd reads aloud a murder mystery, pretending his sheep can understand. When he is found dead, the sheep realise at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it.
Starring Hugh Jackman, Brett Goldstein and Patrick Stewart.
HBO Max: best new shows
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe – 24 July
Series. Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon. Stuart is aided in this quest by his girlfriend Denise, geologist friend Bert and quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass Barry Kripke.
Along the way, they meet alternate-universe versions of characters we’ve come to know and love from The Big Bang Theory. As the title implies, things don’t go well.
Stan: best new shows
Drag Race Down Under vs The World – 24 July
Series. Fan-favourites from Drag Race Down Under go head-to-head with sickening queens from around the world – all vying for the ultimate crown. Get ready for new looks, louder drama, and legendary lip-syncs as the battle for global drag dominance begins.
Five iconic Drag Race Down Under queens will battle six formidable drag artists from around the world, each representing their own country and international series of Drag Race.
The icons competing to be crowned Queen include Art Simone (Down Under),Coco Jumbo (Down Under), Estrella Xtravaganza (España), Flor (Down Under), Lala Ri (USA), M1ss Jade So (Philippines), Michael Marouli (UK), Nikita Iman (Down Under), Nicole Paige Brooks (USA), Raven (USA), and Vybe (Down Under).
ABC iview: best new shows
Kitchen Cabinet Season 8 – 21 July
Series. Join host Annabel Crabb for a brand-new season of Kitchen Cabinet, as she visits the homes of some of Australia’s most prominent political figures. Together they cook a meal, share a conversation, and, as always, Annabel brings dessert.
Hard Quiz Season 11 – 22 July
Series. Tom Gleeson is back with his Big Brass Mug on Hard Quiz. Each week, four Australian enthusiasts provide grist for Tom’s comedy mill, brandishing their outlandish fields of expertise.
New Zealand Spy – 22 July
New Zealand’s newest spies – and the only three who applied – Michael Riviera, Sue Nightingale, and Michael Anderson are tasked with protecting the nation from incoming threats, most notably from their noisy neighbours in Australia.
SBS On Demand: best new shows
Concorde Crash: Days That Shocked The World – 22 July
Documentary. Concorde went into service on 21 January 1976, hurtling along at more than twice the speed of sound, slashing transatlantic flight times from 8 hours to just over three.
For the next 25 years, a fleet of 14 Concordes ruled the skies, the only supersonic airliners in operation. Then, on the 25th July 2000, a Concorde leaving Paris for New York caught fire on take-off. Flight 4590 flew for barely a minute, before crashing into a field and destroying a hotel.
All 109 people on the plane died, as did four on the ground. But why? Investigators describe how the evidence led them to a conclusion that was as simple as it was shocking.
The Quest For Camelot – 24 July
Documentary. Can the stories about King Arthur be proven true? Was the legendary court of Camelot a real place? Join Professor Mark Horton on his journey across Britain to prove real events and places inspired the chivalric myths. Horton scours medieval texts and archaeological sites for a new understanding of the Arthurian legends and what Britain was like after the Romans left in the fifth century.
The Unbelievable With Dan Ackroyd Season 3 – 24 July
Tuesday, 21 July at 9.20pm – Episode One: Strange Sightings From swarms of sinister clowns, to skies raining down murderous birds, these are the strange encounters that leave experts scratching their heads.
Wednesday, 22 July at 9.20pm – Episode Two: Freak Accidents Accidents happen all the time, but every so often, a few defy logic and leave the world stunned.
23 July at 9.20pm – Episode Three: Shocking Missions From a covert op involving toilet paper, to a war sparked by a single tree, to a pilot who turned the skies into a candy drop zone–these are the strange but true missions that defy logic.
24 July at 9.20pm – Season Three, Episode Four: Astonishing Feats History is full of people pushing the limits, but some are more astonishing than others. These feats aren’t just impressive – they’re beyond belief.
