The TV Shows & Podcasts To Binge This Month

The Book Club

If you’re always searching for your next great read, The Book Club deserves a place on your playlist. Blending thoughtful literary discussion with zeitgeisty insights, Dominic Sandbrook and Tabitha Syrett dive into both classics and modern masterpieces, focusing on a single title every week. Expect smart analysis, behind-the-scenes context and plenty of inspiration for your reading list – perfect for anyone who likes to engage with books on a deeper level.

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Get Birding With Sean Bean

In this unexpectedly soothing listen, actor Sean Bean lends his unmistakable voice to the world of birdwatching. Blending gentle humour with genuine enthusiasm, the podcast explores the joy of connecting with nature. Whether you’re already a keen birder or simply looking for a calming escape, it’s an easy, quietly uplifting addition.

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The Secret World Of Roald Dahl

Peeling back the layers of one of Britain’s most iconic storytellers, this podcast explores the life, inspirations and controversies surrounding Roald Dahl. Combining archival material with expert insight, it offers a nuanced portrait that goes far beyond the books – making it a compelling listen for fans and newcomers alike.

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Ill-Advised With Bill Nighy

Bill Nighy returns with his signature dry wit for a second season of Ill-Advised, bringing his unmistakable voice and offbeat humour to listeners once again. Each episode sees him tackling life’s more trivial – and occasionally more existential – dilemmas, offering advice that’s knowingly questionable but always entertaining. Blending sharp one-liners with moments of genuine insight, the podcast strikes the perfect balance between playful absurdity and unexpected wisdom – perfect for when you want something light-hearted but still smart.

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Personally: Creation Myth

Part of CBC’s acclaimed Personally series – known for its deeply intimate, first-person storytelling – Creation Myth is hosted by writer Helena de Groot and centres on one deceptively simple question: should she have a child? Across the series, de Groot documents a deeply personal and often conflicted journey through relationships, identity and expectation. From conversations with friends and family to encounters with strangers, each episode unpacks the emotional, practical and philosophical weight of that decision – touching on everything from love and marriage to mental health and autonomy. 

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History's Greatest Fails

True, this is a show about history – but not as you know it. This entertaining and sharply produced series revisits some of the biggest missteps, miscalculations and outright disasters from the past. With a witty tone and plenty of surprising detail, it sheds light on the human errors behind major events – proving that even the most powerful figures were far from infallible. Another surefire hit from veteran podcaster Elizabeth Day.

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Foundling

From Tortoise Investigates and The Observer, Foundling is a gripping six-part investigative series led by journalist Lucy Greenwell. It begins with a haunting real-life case: in 1987, a newborn baby was discovered abandoned on a remote country lane in Suffolk – and the mystery of who left her there was never solved. Decades later, Greenwell tracks down that baby – now an adult named Jess – and joins her as she attempts to piece together her origins. What follows is an intricate, emotionally charged search involving DNA testing, long-buried secrets and difficult encounters with those connected to her past. 

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The Idiot

From the team behind Serial – the podcast that redefined the true-crime genre – The Idiot is a new five-part series hosted by journalist M. Gessen, who turns the lens on an unexpectedly personal subject: his own family. What begins as a character study of Gessen’s “least favourite” cousin quickly unravels into something far darker, involving alleged kidnappings, an FBI investigation and a plot to murder his ex-wife. The result is a gripping, deeply human story that blends the narrative depth and investigative rigour Serial is known for with a more intimate, emotionally complex perspective.

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Life Without

Hosted by Alan Davies, BBC Radio 4’s Life Without takes a deceptively simple idea and turns it into something genuinely thought-provoking: what would happen if something essential to our world suddenly disappeared? Each short episode begins with a bold hypothetical – from a world without sleep or salt to one without bees or even the moon – before Davies is joined by a rotating panel of experts, from scientists to psychologists, to unpack the real-world consequences. The result is a mix of intelligent discussion, surprising insight and the occasional darkly comic realisation about just how fragile modern life can be.

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In The Room

Hosted by two former Westminster insiders – ex-Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and former No10 adviser Cleo Watson – In The Room offers a rare, behind-the-scenes take on how British politics really works. Each week, the pair unpack the biggest stories shaping Westminster, drawing on their own experience inside government to explain not just what’s happening, but how and why decisions are made – and where they go wrong. 

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The Pitt

Noah Wyle returns to the world of emergency medicine in The Pitt, a high-intensity drama set over the course of a single shift in a busy Pittsburgh hospital. Playing a senior doctor navigating both medical crises and staff tensions, Wyle leads a strong ensemble cast in a series that leans into realism and urgency. Fast-paced and emotionally charged, it’s one for fans of ER and The Bear-style pressure-cooker storytelling.

Available via an HBO Max subscription

Visit Amazon.co.uk

The Comeback

Lisa Kudrow returns as Valerie Cherish in The Comeback, the cult HBO satire she co-created with Sex and the City’s Michael Patrick King. First airing in 2005, the series was famously cancelled after just one season, only to be revived nearly a decade later in 2014 – and now, it’s back again for a third and final instalment. That stop-start history only adds to its appeal. Following a washed-up sitcom actress desperately trying to stay relevant, the show skewers fame, reality TV and the entertainment industry with a tone that was arguably ahead of its time. 

Available via an HBO Max subscription

Visit Amazon.co.uk

A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough

Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, this Netflix documentary builds on one of the most iconic moments in wildlife film making. Nearly 50 years ago, during Life on Earth, Attenborough came face-to-face with a family of gorillas in Rwanda – a now-legendary sequence that saw them clamber over him as he quietly observed their behaviour, later reflecting on the unique connection he felt with them. That encounter forms the backbone of this film, which follows the life of a gorilla in intimate detail. Combining breathtaking cinematography with Attenborough’s signature storytelling, it’s both a tribute to that original moment and a moving exploration of the natural world.

Visit Netflix.com

Amandaland

The spin-off from the hit BBC series Motherland returns for a second season, putting the spotlight firmly on Lucy Punch’s unforgettable Amanda. Following her attempts to maintain status and control amid the chaos of modern parenting, it delivers the same sharp social satire and painfully relatable humour that made the original so popular – with plenty of standout one-liners along the way.

Visit BBC.co.uk 

Widow’s Bay

Could this brooding island ever rival somewhere like Martha’s Vineyard? Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is determined to make it happen – even if the town’s near-constant fog, lack of decent wi-fi and generally bleak vibe suggest otherwise. His teenage son certainly isn’t buying into the vision, likening it more to a prison than a holiday destination. There’s also the small matter of Widow’s Bay’s reputation: steeped in unsettling folklore and strange occurrences, it feels closer in spirit to Salem than a seaside escape. From Parks & Recreation writer Katie Dippold, the series strikes a smart balance – dry, offbeat humour offsets a genuinely eerie undercurrent.

Visit TV.Apple.com

Rivals

Based on Jilly Cooper’s bestselling novel, Rivals returns for a hotly anticipated second season – and promises even more scandal, ambition and high-stakes drama. Set in the glamorous (and deeply cutthroat) world of 1980s British television, the series follows the ongoing rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and ruthless media executive Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant), as personal vendettas and professional power plays collide. With returning stars including Aidan Turner, Emily Atack and Danny Dyer – plus, new additions like Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett – season two expands the story with deeper character arcs, more explosive relationships and an extended episode run. 

Visit DisneyPlus.com 

The House Of The Spirits

Turning Isabel Allende’s expansive, much-loved novel into a TV drama is no small task but this adaptation leans into its scale with confidence. Executive-produced by Eva Longoria and created with Allende’s backing, it delivers a rich, faithful retelling of a story spanning a generation. At its heart is Clara (Dolores Fonzi), whose clairvoyant abilities sit alongside the sweeping saga of her family. Through their lives, loves and losses, the series charts the wider political and social shifts shaping 20th-century Chile. 

Visit Amazon.co.uk 

Matlock

Kathy Bates leads this sharp reimagining of the classic legal drama, playing Madeline “Matty” Kingston – a brilliant, retired lawyer who reinvents herself under the Matlock name to infiltrate a powerful law firm she believes is hiding a deadly secret. Alongside a strong supporting cast including Skye P. Marshall and Jason Ritter, the series blends case-of-the-week storytelling with a much darker, overarching investigation. That central storyline reaches a dramatic climax in season two, as Matty works to expose a major pharmaceutical cover-up linked to the opioid crisis – leading to arrests, betrayals and a major shift in the show’s direction. Anchored by a commanding performance from Bates, it’s a legal drama that feels both classic and distinctly modern.

Visit NowTV.com 

Beef

After its award-winning first season – led by Steven Yeun and Ali Wong – Beef returns as an anthology, with creator Lee Sung Jin shifting focus to an entirely new story and cast. Season two stars Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan as a wealthy but deeply unhappy couple whose lives begin to unravel after a volatile argument is secretly witnessed – and weaponised – by two younger employees, played by Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny. Set largely within the rarefied world of an exclusive country club, the series explores class tension, ambition and resentment, as a seemingly minor incident spirals into blackmail, betrayal and increasingly destructive behaviour. 

Visit Netflix.com