If you need some television escapism from the sweltering heatwave – and some respite from the World Cup and Wimbledon – we’ve delved through the TV guides and found you total escapism through 8 sizzling summer shows you can watch this weekend.
From an irresistibly glamorous murder mystery on the French Riviera in Summer ’36 and some cosy murder mysteries, such as Death Valley, to a friends’ holiday turned (very) sour in Two Weeks In August – we have something to fit whatever mood you might be in. So, grab your remotes (and fans) and enjoy our pick of the best shows to survive the heatwave – across ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.
Trying
If you want a warm-hug in a TV programme, we’ve got you covered. Trying introduces us to Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall), a London couple who are desperate to have children but struggling to conceive. After attempting fertility treatment, they decide they want to adopt – and joining them on their rollercoaster ride is a dysfunctional village of friends and family, including Imelda Staunton and Celia Imrie. With series 5 premiering earlier this week, now’s the perfect time to tune in! It’s hilarious and heartbreaking. Trying is available to watch now on Apple TV.
High Seas
There is nothing better than a fresh sea breeze in the sweltering heat, and Netflix’s charming period drama High Seas takes us aboard the dazzling transatlantic ship setting sail from Spain to Brazil in the 1930s, where two sisters Eva and Carolina find themselves at the centre of a web of mysterious happenings. Across the three series, a woman gets thrown overboard, the boat encounters a shipwreck and a passenger threatens to unleash a deadly virus... High Seas is available to watch now on Netflix.
Summer ’36
Now, we wouldn’t mind these temperatures, if we were in the French Riviera, and that’s exactly where Summer ’36 takes us. The centre of the murder mystery is the fancy Riviera hotel in (quelle surprise) 1936, and four very different women become suspects for the murder of prosecutor, Adrien Jacquard (Arnaud Binard). Introducing the prime suspects: Eugénie Berthier (Sofia Essaïdi) a working-class mother; Léonie Morel (Constance Gay) a police assistant helping to release her wrongly-accused father from prison; Blanche Ackerman (Julie de Bona) belongs to one of the region’s richest families and Giulia Vincent (Nolwenn Leroy) a housekeeper struggling with gambling debts. It’s brilliant escapism. Summer ’36 is available to watch now on Netflix.
Mrs Sidhu Investigates
The four-part series, Mrs Sidhu Investigates, adapted from the eponymous BBC Radio 4 programme, takes us to the seemingly sleepy county of Berkshire, where an unlikely crime-busting coalition forms between Mrs Sidhu (Meera Syal), a high-end caterer, and the world-weary Detective Chief Inspector Burton (Line Of Duty’s Craig Parkinson). Mrs Sidhu’s catering services bring her to an assortment of killings, including to a TV set where an actor is murdered and a boxing match where the boxer is held ransom! Mrs Sidhu Investigates is available to watch now on Channel 4.
Death Valley
This cosy crime series Death Valley takes us to South Wales where the unlikely crime-busting duo, the moody John Chapel (Timothy Spall) and spirited DS Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) solve crimes in their local area, while bickering a lot in the process. John is an actor with no prior experience in fighting crime – unless you count his stint as the lead detective on a crime show, and Janie was his biggest fan. Death Valley is available to watch now on BBC.
Two Weeks In August
While we’re dreaming of a holiday abroad, we’d probably give going on this one a miss (but it’s brilliant to observe the drama as a spectator. Two Weeks In August is about a group of old friends happily reuniting on a Greek island – only for the trip to turn somewhat disastrous. The protagonist, frazzled mother, Zoe (Jessica Raine) is hoping to switch off and connect with her troubled Dan (Damien Molony) but an illicit kiss has fractured the group. Zoe unravels emotionally and starts seeing Greek mythological creatures. The culmination of the drama results in the group realising they’re stuck on the island. Two Weeks In August is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
Enola Holmes 3
This time we’re headed to the island of Malta, where Sherlock Holmes’ (Henry Cavill) younger sister, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) is back on our screens to solve mysteries. Just as she’s about to marry Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), she discovers that Sherlock has been kidnapped! Enola Holmes 3 is available to watch now on Netflix.
The Affair
What’s summer without a scandal? This thriller, recently acquired by ITV, introduces us to Noah (Dominic West), a teacher and aspiring novelist who’s on holiday in Montauk, when he strikes up a connection with waitress Alison (Ruth Wilson) – but they’re both married. Across four series, there’s deceit, marital breakdown and even a criminal trial… You can watch all episodes of The Affair now on ITVX.
