HBO<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on Sky Go, NOW and to buy on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
How do you move on from a show as big \u2013 and lucrative \u2013 as The Big Bang Theory? Well, for Kaley Cuoco (who starred as the US sitcom\u2019s girl-next-door Penny for 12 seasons) it was The Flight Attendant<\/a>, a darkly comic murder mystery that cemented her as a star to watch.<\/p>\n
Essentially, The Flight Attendant takes the structure of a classic conspiracy thriller or murder mystery, with shadowy forces uniting against one ordinary person caught in a web of crime and danger \u2013 though in this case, the lead\/victim is a self-destructive, alcoholic flight attendant called Cassie who just goes on a date in Bangkok with the wrong man.<\/p>\n
The next morning, she wakes up next to his bloodied corpse and in the frame for his murder. Now, as she hallucinates conversations with her lover (played by Michael Huisman) she has to find the real killer, unwravel a complex tapestry of shady deals and missing money and mend the relationships she\u2019s broken with her friends and family.<\/p>\n
The end result is gripping good fun \u2013 and it\u2019s no surprise that it\u2019s one-off run has been extended, with season two already in the works. \u2013 Huw Fullerton, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Editor<\/strong><\/p>
29. Ru Paul\u2019s Drag Race UK<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""Programme\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Available on BBC iPlayer and Sky Go<\/strong><\/p>\n
It\u2019s not up for debate that the UK version of RuPaul\u2019s\u00a0Drag<\/span>\u00a0Race puts the US series\u2019 recent seasons somewhat to shame. The original peaking with seasons five and six (we\u2019re eternally grateful for the existence of Bianca Del Rio), relative baby of the franchise\u00a0Drag<\/span>\u00a0Race UK<\/a> has picked up the crown and sceptre to take its place atop the pile of editions which now exist worldwide. Still, nothing could\u2019ve prepared us for the greatness of its sophomore season.<\/p>\n
Brightening a particularly bleak January in lockdown, the cast of queens burst onto screens to deliver looks, lip-syncs and, most importantly, laughs in abundance. If A\u2019Whora\u2019s villain-to-favourite journey, flirtation with supermodel-in-the-making Tayce and eye-popping aesthetic level-up weren\u2019t enough, season two also played host to the real-life drama of a COVID lockdown. Filming was forced to halt in the middle of the series and when the familiar (and a couple of not-so-familiar) faces returned to the Werkroom, Veronica Green was missing due to testing positive for the coronavirus.<\/p>\n
Topped off with a stunning finale, few shows brought us as much unadulterated entertainment in 2021 as season two of\u00a0Drag<\/span> Race UK.\u00a0\u2013 Minnie Wright, News Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n
28. Dopesick<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""Michael\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Hulu\/YouTube<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on Disney Plus<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Writer Danny Strong was behind this gripping eight-part miniseries, which tells the shocking true story of how addictive opioid Oxycontin was aggressively marketed as a safe treatment for moderate pain by the now-bankrupt Purdue Pharma. The series skilfully juggles several different perspectives, taking us from the highest levels of the company to the offices of federal investigators, but most crucially to the ordinary communities that were ravaged by this tale of corporate greed.<\/p>\n
While the characters of injured miner Betsy Mallum and smalltown doctor Samuel Finnix are fictional, their experiences have been carefully composited from a number of very real accounts, many of which were provided by Beth Macy\u2019s acclaimed book\u00a0Dopesick<\/span>: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company That Addicted America. Kaitlyn Dever and Michael Keaton give heart-wrenching performances, emphasising addiction as a nightmarish disease that never truly leaves you \u2013 and making a powerful plea for society to view it as such. \u2013 David Craig, Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n
27. The Serpent<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""The\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
BBC<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on BBC iPlayer, Netflix<\/a> and to buy on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
The New Year kicked off in style with Jenna Coleman and Tahar Rahim taking centre stage in true crime drama, The\u00a0Serpent<\/span>. The slick and suave BBC\/Netflix series told the real life story of Charles Sobhraj, a master conman and killer who prayed on vulnerable tourists in South Asia back in the \u201970s. It\u2019s thought he took the lives of up to 20 holidaymakers, and was known as The Serpent<\/span>\u00a0to those trying to hunt him down due to his ability to hide in plain sight.<\/p>\n
The series looked particularly at the twisting and turning dynamic between Sobhraj (played by Rahim) and his girlfriend Marie-Andr\u00e9e Leclerc (Coleman). Leclerc had her suspicions about her lover, but loved the infamy and excitement that came with the terrible crimes he was committing. Coleman, for her part, played the torn woman well, constantly shifting between being disgusted and in love with her fianc\u00e9 with ease and a haunting flair. Her French accent? Not bad at all.<\/p>\n
The series itself, which ran for eight episodes, was deliberately paced enough to keep you hooked, but never got too bogged down in the details \u2013 which in this real case, were at times very dense. Gripping performances and a haunting story made for an interesting watch, but the real devil was in the details \u2013 this very much looked and felt like the \u201970s due to an outstanding effort from the costume department. \u2013 Helen Daly, Associate Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n
26. Selling Sunset<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""Selling\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Netflix<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Available on Netflix<\/strong><\/p>\n
After much anticipation, the guys and girls at The Oppenheim Group returned for season four of Netflix\u2019s Selling Sunset<\/a>, and it wasn\u2019t just the luxury mansions in the Hollywood Hills that were bigger\u2026 so was the drama.<\/p>\n
Now pregnant, Christine Quinn was about to take her maternity leave, so Jason needed to hire two more agents \u2013 one of whom just so happened to have dated one of Quinn\u2019s exes. You cannot make this up! Nevertheless, the women welcomed new girls Emma (Quinn\u2019s new nemesis) and Vanessa, but upon Christine\u2019s return, things turned awkward.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Chrishell was really on her A-game, following her divorce from Justin Hartley, as she put in an offer for her very, first home, and things at the brokerage were booming, with the return of a former cast member. And it was only about to get better, as Jason announced a new brokerage in The OC, which will be filmed for a spin off show, and the season five trailer teased his and Chrishell\u2019s romance\u2026 talk about piping hot tea! \u2013 Grace Henry, Entertainment and Factual Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n
25. The Underground Railroad<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""The\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Amazon Studios<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on Amazon Prime Video<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Barry Jenkins had already proven himself as one of the finest filmmakers working today with his Oscar-winning drama Moonlight and his superb James Baldwin adaptation If Beale Street Could Talk \u2013 and the American director proved he\u2019s just as adept at crafting masterworks for the small screen with this superb series, based on the novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead.<\/p>\n
The series unfolds in the Southern United States in the 1800s, when young slave named Cora (Thuso Mbedu) escapes her plantation and embarks on a long journey to freedom via a network of underground rail routes and safe houses. She encounters various obstacles on her harrowing trip, and is pursued all the while by vile slave catcher Arnold Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton), who will stop at nothing to prevent her escape.<\/p>\n
Naturally, the tough subject matter ensures that this is not always an easy watch, but the series is made with real lyricism by Jenkins, and there are moments of deep profundity and staggering beauty along the way, while it never tips into exploitation or bad taste. The cast are also universally terrific \u2013 with supporting players including William Jackson Harper and Lily Rabe \u2013 while Nicholas Britell provides a typically brilliant score. \u2013 Patrick Cremona, Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n
24. Love Island<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""Love\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
ITV<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on ITV Hub, Sky Go and BritBox<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
ITV\u2019s Love Island returned for a seventh series this summer, and despite a slow start, the show really heated up by the time Casa Amor came around, with the return of the explosive postcard and many contestants (mainly Toby) jumping ship. Things took another turn following the show\u2019s movie night, which exposed some of the cheeky things contestants had said behind one another\u2019s back \u2013 awkward!<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the villa shenanigans continued, with more head turning, twists, raunchy games, and some romance for several of the contestants \u2013 although some of them have now called it quits\u2026<\/p>\n
Anyway, if it\u2019s escapism that you\u2019re after, then Love Island is the perfect fix. Not short of shady moments, the series is sure to have you in fits of laughter. \u2013 Grace Henry, Entertainment and Factual Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n
23. Back to Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""Daisy\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
BBC<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on BBC iPlayer and to buy on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
The first season of Daisy Haggard and Laura Solon\u2019s\u00a0 Back<\/span>\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0Life<\/span><\/a>\u00a0was lapped up by critics and viewers, such was its brilliance. The story centres Haggard as Miri, a woman who is released\u00a0back<\/span>\u00a0into the wilds of Kent after serving an 18-year prison sentence for a crime which rocked the local community. On her return home, Miri\u2019s bedroom is exactly as she left it, but every other aspect of her\u00a0life<\/span>\u00a0has shifted, and we watch as she scrambles\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0adapt\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0a world which she doesn\u2019t recognise.<\/p>\n
The second season continues on that road but Haggard and Solon have woven in a new thread, which not only carries the dark comedy forwards, but creates fresh tension which you associate more with a thriller. It\u2019s unexpected, but it works seamlessly.\u00a0To<\/span>\u00a0be able\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0retain all of the elements that people loved so much about the first chapter while ensuring that the story continues\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0evolve is no small feat, but Haggard and Solon, being the pros they are, succeed.\u2013 Abby Robinson, Drama\u00a0 Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n
22. Midnight Mass<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\""Midnight\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Available on Netflix<\/strong><\/p>\n
After finding critical acclaim for his work on horror series such as The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, plus winning plaudits for his films Oculus and The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep, Mike Flanagan returned with arguably his best offering yet.<\/p>\n
etflix limited series\u00a0Midnight<\/span>\u00a0Mass offered an eerie examination of an isolated island community that racked up the tension by slowly introducing a classic creature of the horror genre in a manner that felt original and disturbing. Hamish Linklater and Samantha Sloyan are the highlights of a powerful ensemble of performers, with Sloyan\u2019s overbearing and ruthless Bev Keane proving a villain of the ages. Moving, shocking and wholly terrifying,\u00a0Midnight<\/span> Mass is the type of series that binge-watching was made for. \u2013 Lewis Knight, Trends Editor (SEO)<\/strong><\/p>\n
21. Feel Good<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\""Feel\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Netflix<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Available on Netflix<\/strong><\/p>\n
Co-created and co-written by Mae Martin and Joe Hampson, this is the semi-autobiographical story of stand-up comedian and recovering addict Mae and their tumultuous relationship with George. Following on from their breakup at the end of season one, which premiered on Channel 4 last year, in the second season \u2013 picked up by Netflix \u2013 they try again. And it\u2019s not just their relationship that Mae is forced to reckon with in season two. The episodes also track Mae\u2019s recovery in rehab, where a trauma from their teenage years resurfaces and forces them to realise they might be dealing with PTSD.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not all doom and gloom, however. The series makes its points \u2013 about trauma, memory, gender identity and addiction \u2013 through humour and, in the end, hope prevails. With its tender storytelling and nuanced characters, Feel Good draws us into something we see surprisingly little of on mainstream television \u2013 a funny and uplifting queer love story. \u2013 Molly Moss, Trends Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n
Find something to watch now with our TV Guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n
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