It’s been a funny old year. While recently we’ve had something resembling a summer, it won’t be long before the temperature drops and the nights grow longer.
Luckily, there’s a raft of all-new and returning blockbuster shows heading to Sky and NOW that will give TV fans all the more reason to stay indoors. This year has already seen the return of hits including House of the Dragon and True Detective, but there’s still a lot to look forward to with new titles from the worlds of Batman, The Walking Dead and Dune on the way.
All this cracking content is available to enjoy with a raft of money-saving Sky deals, including the new Sky Stream free trial that also comes with Netflix absolutely free. Sky Stream is a new way of watching Sky that lets members stream live and on-demand content to the TV using Wi-Fi instead of a satellite dish or aerial.
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It would usually set you back £31 a month, but telly fans can try it absolutely free for 31 days by signing up here. After the free trial period, members can choose to cancel the plan, opt for a rolling contract at £31 a month with the freedom to cancel any time or sign up to Sky Stream for 24 months at £26 a month
Shoppers can also bag the Sky Glass and Netflix bundle thats down to £19 a month for three months and comes with a 55” 4K QLED smart TV with Sky built in. So with this in mind, lets take a look at the biggest and best new shows heading to Sky and NOW this Autumn.
The Penguin
Starring Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot – aka The Penguin – this DC Studios limited series continues the epic crime saga that began with Matt Reeves’ superhero blockbuster The Batman. Picking up after the events of the film, the eight-part drama follows the eponymous gangster as he attempts to rise to the top of Gothham’s criminal underworld.
The Penguin premieres September 20 on Sky Atlantic.
The Day of the Jackal
This contemporary reimagining of the iconic thriller stars Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne as The Jackal – an unrivalled and highly elusive lone assassin – and No Time to Die’s Lashana Lynch as a tenacious MI6 agent in a relentless, global pursuit to catch him. The 10-part series is based on Frederick Forsyth’s novel and award-winning 1973 film.
The series is written and adapted by Top Boy creator Ronan Bennett, with award-winning Game of Thrones director Brian Kirk serving as lead director.
The Day of the Jackal premieres November 7 on Sky Atlantic.
Bag Sky Stream and Netflix for free
Sky has brought back its viral free trial, meaning you can bag a Netflix subscription and Sky Stream for £0 for the first month, a saving of £31.
This means members can enjoy binge-worthy shows like House of the Dragon and The Penguin without paying a penny.
Dune: Prophecy
Set 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), this new six-part series follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. Dune: Prophecy serves as a prequel to the 2021 film Dune and takes inspiration from Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’ novel, Sisterhood of Dune.
The series is slated to premiere in the US on HBO’s streaming platform, Max, in November, so UK fans could expect it to debut here around the same time, though this is yet to be confirmed.
Dune: Prophecy premieres 2024 on Sky Atlantic.
Mission to Burnley: Season two
This football docuseries follows Burnley FC throughout the 2023/24 season, as the club is back in the Premier League and aim to stay there. Real optimism and hope abound as ‘the next big thing’ manager Vincent Kompany looks to build on his incredible season of success in the Championship with an array of new signings.
However, the reality of life in the world’s most lucrative league playing against the likes of Manchester City, Aston Villa and Manchester United soon bites.
Mission to Burnley premieres September 1 on Sky Documentaries.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol
Hot on the heels of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, the post-apocalyptic drama is returning for a second season. The Book of Carol picks up where the latest instalment left off, following fan-favourites Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride).
They both confront old demons while she fights to find her friend and he struggles with his decision to stay in France, causing tension at the Nest. Additionally, Genet (Anne Charrier)’s movement builds momentum, setting Pouvoir on a violent collision course with the Union of Hope in the fight for France's future.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol premieres October on Sky Max.
Sweetpea
Based on C.J. Skuse’s novel, this deviously twisted coming-of-‘rage’ story stars Fallout’s Ella Purnell as Rhiannon: a quiet wallflower on a darkly comedic and intoxicating journey of self-discovery with deadly consequences. Rhiannon doesn’t make much of an impression – people walk past her in the street without a second glance.
She’s continually overlooked for a promotion at work, the guy she likes won’t commit and her dad is very ill. Then everything in her life turns upside down when she’s pushed over the edge and loses control, turning Rhiannon into a young woman capable of anything as she steps into a new, intoxicating power.
Sweetpea premieres October on Sky Atlantic.
Funny Woman: Season two
Based on Nick Hornby’s novel, this comedy-drama follows Barbara (Gemma Arterton), a young working class woman from Blackpool who realised her dream and became TV comedy star, Sophie Straw. The upcoming second series finds Sophie on a high – she is the nation’s favourite, she’s got a group of good friends and her romance with Dennis (Arsher Ali) is full of promise.
But trouble is just round the corner: Dennis’ divorce will take three years, Sophie’s new sitcom flops and she uncovers a devastating family secret. She escapes the turmoil by taking a leading role in a film that becomes a hit, leading Sophie’s slick new US agent to offer her a fresh start in Hollywood.
But Sophie opts to return to London, determined to get the gang back together and to create a new show which reflects her real life and challenges outdated cultural conventions.
Funny Woman season two premieres September 6 on Sky Max.
Brassic: Season six
After an epic end to the last season, the Brassic gang are back with as much wild adventure and hilarity as ever. Reeling from the explosive encounter with Manolito, they set about getting their lives back in order, only now the landscape is changing, people are getting older and the question of growing up looms in the air.
Season six is billed as a ‘madcap journey’ involving man-eating crocodiles, bigamists and a naked cult. The MacDonaghs are creating trouble again, stepping it up a gear as they get high on new-found power. And amongst all this, we’re taken on an emotional roller coaster, with some heartfelt goodbyes and new love interests on the horizon.
Brassic season six premieres September on Sky Max.
Black Widow
This three-part true crime series follows the decade-long police investigation into one of Britain’s most notorious female murderers. Over 20 years, Dena Thompson – who was known as The Black Widow – carried out a sustained campaign of fraud, deception, bigamy and murder.
Using Lonely Hearts columns to lure a succession of husbands and dozens of lovers into her life, she was able to coerce them into giving up their life’s savings, their homes, their families and their freedom based on her bizarre but convincing stories. Dena was finally caught in 2003 and convicted for murder, but after 19 years behind bars, she has been released from prison and her victims are still struggling to understand what happened to them.
Black Widow includes first-hand testimony from those affected by her crimes, with exclusive access to her first husband, who ended up homeless believing he was on the run from the mafia.
Black Widow premieres Autumn on Sky Documentaries.
Sky isn’t the only brand tempting TV fans, as Virgin Media is giving away a free 43” Hisense 4K smart TV or £250 bill credit to customers signing up to one of its TV and broadband bundles by August 18. The deal is available with four Virgin packages: Bigger Combo bundle + Sports HD, Bigger Combo bundle + Movies, Biggest Combo bundle and Mega Volt bundle.
These plans start at £59.99 a month and include hundreds of TV channels – with select bundles including Sky Sports and Sky Cinema – and a free Netflix subscription, as well as superfast fibre broadband with speeds up to 1,130Mbps.