Five Things to Watch This Autumn

Aside from the cable-knit jumpers, pumpkin spice lattes and the begrudging acceptance that Christmas is, indeed, just round the corner (despite having just stepped out of the birkenstocks), one of the undeniable silver linings of Autumn is the damn good television that hits our screens this time of year. It really is as if the producers knew that we wanted to curl up, horizontal, and immerse in escapist drama (drama that luckily ends as soon as we switch the screen off) as the evenings get darker and pub-gardens cease to exist in our lives. 

Rather than being holed up in my bedroom, I've finally got back into the habit of watching TV on an actual television (yes, there is life beyond a 11" laptop screen) to, firstly cut out the distracting Topshop browsing mid-show, and also to have that immersive experience that you just don't get with a laptop. Since we can't watch these things in the cinema itself (much to our despair), the next best thing is a television like the Ultra HD TV Panasonic; exactly the kind of screen that's going to make this year's must-see drama that much more dramatic. Here's five to keep your eye out for this Autumn. 

Doctor Foster

Of course this was going to be number one. The programme that hit us all sideways last year with the new levels reached in how much we can hate a fictional character, is back and means business. The first episode of series two already demonstrated just how intense this series will be (again), with affairs, blackmail, lies and secrets behind every door. It's one of the only things I watch in the week (live, may I add) that has my entire attention for the hour and I won't even think about reaching for my phone. If you haven't watched series one, it's on Netflix and a MUST-watch. Seriously. Book out your Sunday. 

Stranger Things

After getting through the first series in a matter of three days (I'm sure there are people out there that did it in one, easy), tell me someone who hasn't been left wanting more from this show. Weird, wonderful and very 80's-infused, making you instantly want to retro-up your wardrobe and start using landlines again, Stranger Things series two is back this October 27th on Netflix (yep, just in time for halloween). If you haven't seen the first series, I'd watch it ASAP. Oh, and prepare to become kind of obsessed with Millie Bobbie Brown - a thirteen year old that is almost definitely cooler than you are. 

The Child in Time

Somewhat a nerdy confession but I'm sure I'm not alone - one of my favourite things to watch on TV or film is book adaptations, be it a literary classic or P.S I Love You. This year, The Handmaid's Tale has been a prime example of this, whether I've read it before or not, I'll want to, instantly. Next on my list, Ian McEwan's novel The Child in Time has been adapted into a BBC, one-off drama so naturally the book is en route from Amazon. If you only know McEwan's work from Atonement, let me tell you, his other stuff gets pretty weird, deep, dark and hard-hitting. Nonetheless, it's immersive and he's one of my favourite authors. The Child in Time is based on a couple coping with the loss of their young child, two years after the tragedy. Oh, and it stars Benedict Cumberbatch - acting and producing. Need I say more. *sets reminder*

Bodyguard

If you're a hardcore fan of Line of Duty, the - very talented - writer has got another gripping police drama in tow for this year, and this time it's amidst the political world. Bodyguard is a six-part drama series following a team of officers who protect royals, politicians and diplomats (hence, Bodyguard), whether they deserve protecting or not. It's portrayed through the eyes of an ex-war veteran, who's characterised as 'volatile but heroic'. To me, BBC dramas are pretty much always on-point (Happy Valley is one of the best), and I can't help but talk about them to everyone the following day... at least it's not reality TV, right?  

Gunpowder

You're going to need a HD television for this one, for sure. Kit Harrison makes his ex-Game of Thrones debut on BBC in a dramatisation of of the Guy Fawkes gunpowder plot to kill King James I. Probably the only way to entice me to watch a historical fiction drama, casting Kit Harrison was a pretty good move, and it turns out, Kit is actually related to the character he's playing (Robert Catesby). Chances are it's set to air around bonfire night, this November and it's even more likely that it's going to be a gooden.  

And, if you haven't been watching, the television adaption of J.K Rowling's Strike has been a Sunday night edge-of-seat indulgence that's worth a binge.

*This post was created in collaboration with Panasonic.