These Are the 11 New Shows You're Going to Want to Stream In October
It's a good month for television. There are beloved series returning for second seasons, brand new romantic comedies to fall for and one spectacular, show-stopping, thrilling show starring two of the biggest movie stars in the world.
If you miss Sex and the City or can't wait to see what Baby Yoda's been up to, there's never been a better time to get comfy and start streaming. Here are our favourite television shows coming in October.
Emily in Paris
When and where? 2 October on Netflix
Here is what you need to know: Emily in Paris is the new show from Darren Star. As in, Darren Star who created Younger. And Sex and the City. Oh, and Patricia Field, who did those unforgettable, iconic costumes on Sex and the City is doing the costumes for Emily in Paris. And it stars Lily Collins as a young marketing executive seconded to the city of light to work with the French division of her company, where she gets an education in pleasure, passion and all things Parisian. Honestly, what else do you need to know? This sparkly romantic comedy is going to be your new guilty pleasure. Block out a weekend to watch the whole thing now.
Tiny World
When and where? 2 October on AppleTV+
Fans of David Attenborough are going to love Tiny World, a fresh documentary series coming to AppleTV+ in October. Narrated by everyone's favourite age defying movie star Paul Rudd, the series follows 200 of the world's smallest, most teeny tiny creatures, charting the world in glorious miniature. It's a fascinating deep dive into the circle of life, presided over with Rudd's innate charm. Family friendly and full of new things to learn, Tiny World is a treat.
The Good Lord Bird
When and where? 4 October on Stan
Ethan Hawke stars in The Good Lord Bird, a miniseries about the spark that lit the fuse of the American Civil War. Hawke plays John Brown, an abolitionist who welcomes Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson), a young Black slave, into his makeshift army as they fight back against pro-slavery groups in Kansas in the 1850s. Based on the prize-winning and critically acclaimed book of the same name, this miniseries marks Hawke's first major foray into television in recent years. With a cast that also includes Hamilton's Daveed Diggs, this is definitely going to be one to watch.
The Haunting of Bly Manor
When and where? 9 October on Netflix
Were you terrified by Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House in 2018? Prepare to relive that horror all over again with The Haunting of Bly Manor, the chilling second season in what has become a terrifying anthology series for the streaming platform. The cast is returning, even though the plot (and the house) are different this time round, suggesting that there will be some supernatural linking of season one to two. But given that spoilers are being extremely closely guarded and even the trailer didn't give anything away other than that season two looks scary as hell, we can't tell you any more than that. Don't watch it with the lights out.
The Spanish Princess (Part 2)
When and where? 11 October on Stan
If you got hooked on the first instalment of the steamy, bodice-ripping melodrama The Spanish Princess, you're definitely going to want to catch the second and final part. Because this season marks the conclusion of our heroine Queen Catherine's story: finally happily married to a young King Henry VIII, she struggles to secure safety for the realm and an heir to the throne. We're guessing you already know the end to this story, and you know it's not pretty. But The Spanish Princess is so beautifully staged that you'll lose yourself in the scheming, backstabbing world of this early Tudor court. If you haven't seen the first instalment, this limited series is an easy binge watch, especially if you love all things historical fiction.
Social Distance
When and where? 15 October on Netflix
How is there already a television show about the coronavirus? Because that's exactly what this is, if the title didn't give it away. Filmed in isolation around the world and overseen by superstar producer Jenji Kohan (she of Orange Is The New Black fame), this show will be a comedic and, occasionally, brutal look at how we maintain social connection when we're also socially distanced. Starring Netflix favourites including Danielle Brooks and Mike Colter, if nothing else it will give you the chance to peek into the homes of some of your most beloved celebrities.
Brave New World
When and where? 16 October on Stan
This sci-fi miniseries has a truly bonkers cast, including Demi Moore (!), young Han Solo Alden Ehrenreich and Jessica Brown Findlay, whom you might know best from Downton Abbey. It's based on the iconic 1932 Aldous Huxley novel of the same name, it's set in a dystopian future metropolis where sex is free, money is shared and anything is possible. When two citizens try to leave and experience a new reality, what they discover there shocks them out of their existence forever. Dystopian shows have proven a bit of a trend of late—think Lovecraft Country and Watchmen, for example. If you binged either of those, you'll probably love this.
The Queen's Gambit
When and where? 23 October on Netflix
If anyone can make the world of chess tournaments sexy, it's Netflix. This miniseries stars Anya Taylor-Joy—you might have seen her as Emma Woodhouse in the sumptuous Jane Austen adaptation earlier this year—as the orphan Beth Harmon, a chess prodigy who will stop at nothing to become a grandmaster. But the world of chess is a rigid and disapproving one. Will Beth be able to break through? This seven episode series looks fantastic, has a great cast—Game Of Thrones' Thomas Brodie-Sangster and director Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood) to name just a few—and feels like it might be the quiet sensation of the month.
The Undoing
When and where? 26 October on Foxtel Showcase
It was supposed to premiere in May, but the coronavirus pandemic derailed those plans. Finally, on 26 October, we're going to get the chance to watch Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant – two of our greatest, most iconic movie stars – go head-to-head in this psychological thriller. Everything seems to be going according to plan for Grace, a successful therapist about to publish her first book, when her husband Mike goes missing, leaving behind a devastating wake of revelations. How will Grace put the pieces of her life back together? And who is the man she married? Written by David E Kelly, the man who wrote those insanely watchable Big Little Lies episodes, and directed by Susanne Bier, who made The Night Manager and Birdbox, The Undoing is going to be the show that everyone is talking about this month.
The Mandalorian (Season 2)
When and where? 30 October on Disney+
Here at Bed Threads, we have a huge soft spot for the world of Star Wars, even more so for The Mandalorian. The series follows a lonely bounty hunter charged with caring for The Child—or Baby Yoda, as he became known on the internet—with each 30-minute episode seeing Mando tackle a new adventure and foe on a different planet. Smart, funny and easy to watch, it's the perfect Sunday afternoon viewing with the whole family. With episodes released week by week on Disney+, you can make a standing date with this galaxy far, far away, or wait until the whole season has been released to watch it in one breathless go.
Condor (Season 2)
When and where? 31 October on Stan
If you're a fan of high octane spy thrillers, this is the show for you. The first season of Condor followed Joe Turner (the super charismatic Max Irons), a reluctant CIA analyst who stumbles into a world of espionage and terrorism. Season two is very much of a similar ilk, only bigger and better. Naturally. With an expanded cast that includes Unreal's Constance Zimmer and everyone's '90s crush Brendan Fraser, this show is mindless entertainment for anyone who can't get enough of The Bourne Identity and James Bond films.
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