Stop scrolling! 12 “unmissable” TV dramas to watch on Netflix, the BBC and ITV this bank holiday

Whether you’re planning a weekend away or you’re embracing the opportunity to recharge your batteries at home this bank holiday, there are plenty of brilliant TV dramas to indulge in along the way. In fact, you might be questioning your plans altogether by the time you’ve finished reading this article.

From Sharon Horgan's latest role in Disney+'s The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox to James Norton's return to our screens in the BBC's much-anticipated historical drama, King & Conqueror, we’ve rounded up 12 unmissable shows that are worth your attention this bank holiday. So sit back, relax and get ready to binge our pick of the very best...

Freezing Embrace

Channel 4’s Walter Presents has snapped up the second series of this Nordic crime thriller, which is set in the small Finnish town of Porvoo where criminal inspector Antti Hautalehto is tasked with solving rather complex – and increasingly dark – cases. The second six-part instalment sees Hautalehto facing another chilling wave of deaths in Porvoo and this time, the murders are ritualistic. In a bid to crack the case, he teams up with a former art forger who’s just been released from prison. Chilling indeed. Series 1 and 2 are available to watch on C4 Streaming from Friday 22nd August.

The Count of Monte Cristo

This U&Drama series was called "better than 10/10" when it first aired in Switzerland last year, and it's perfectly cast with Jeremy Irons and Sam Claflin playing the leads. The eight-part series is an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s 1846 book of the same name, an adventure tale of love, betrayal and revenge that centres around young sailor Edmond Dantès (Claflin) who's been falsely imprisoned. When fellow prisoner Abbé Faria (Irons) tells him where a vast treasure is hidden, however, Dantès escapes, finds it and embarks on a completely new life. Available to watch on U now.

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox

Bad Sisters star Sharon Horgan takes on a somewhat different role in this new Disney+ drama, which tells the true and all too familiar story of Amanda Knox (played by Grace Van Patten), a former exchange student in Italy who was wrongfully convicted of murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher. Horgan plays Amanda's mother Edda Mellas and, over the course of eight episodes, we see the tragic story play out, including Amanda's desperate bid for freedom. Available to watch on Disney+ now.

King & Conqueror

We’ve spent far too long waiting for this new historical drama to arrive, and we can’t wait to see what producer and star James Norton has in store for us. King & Conqueror takes us back to the 11th century and sees Norton play Harold, Earl of Wessex, as he prepares to face Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s William, Duke of Normandy, at the famous Battle of Hastings. Despite Norton saying he's “very nervous” about the whole thing, we have a feeling it won’t disappoint. Available to watch on BBC One and iPlayer from Sunday 24th August.

One Night

Loved Big Little Lies? Then this is one for you. Toxic Town’s Jodie Whittaker leads the cast as one of three women (Nicole da Silva and Yael Stone play the other two), whose bond was all but destroyed by the traumatic events of one night 20 years ago. Now, at the age of 40, Nicole da Silva’s Simone has written her debut book, which has become an unexpected overnight success - but it soon becomes apparent that the devastating storyline is just a little bit similar to the tragedy these women experienced all those years ago. The six-part drama was originally released on Paramount+ in 2023 is now available to binge in full on ITV – hurrah! Available to watch on ITVX now.

The Gilded Age

If you missed the return of Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes’ hit period drama earlier this year, you’re in for a treat. The drama revolves around Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson), a young woman entering 1882 New York City's social scene who finds herself in a war between her old money van Rhijn-Brook aunts (played brilliantly by Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon) and their new money Russell family neighbours (played by Morgan Spector and The White Lotus’s Carrie Coon). Things get more than a little rocky in the latest instalment (series 3), with arranged marriages, risky business ventures and even divorce all on the cards. All three series are available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

Hostage

Suranne Jones is one of those people who we’d watch in almost anything, but her new role as the British Prime Minister has got us particularly enthralled. Netflix’s much-anticipated drama stars Suranne as Abigail Dalton, the newly-elected PM whose time in office is far from straightforward. With a major healthcare crisis on her hands, a fierce rivalry with French President Vivienne Toussaint (Julie Delpy) and a kidnapping (involving her husband, no less) to deal with, you can expect quite the action-packed series. Available to watch on Netflix from Thursday 21st August.

Ridley

If you’re a Line of Duty fan, you’ll be pleased to hear that star Adrian Dunbar is officially back on our screens. Ridley’s second four-part instalment sees Dunbar reprise his role as retired detective turned police consultant, Alex Ridley, and he’s got a mysterious vanishing, a major shooting and even a jewellery heist to deal with. He also co-owns a jazz club, which he sings at… yes, Adrian Dunbar really does sing! Available to watch on ITVX now.

Mudtown

We’re calling this U&Alibi drama the new Keeping Faith and it might even top it. The series centres around Newport’s Magistrates Court where experienced Magistrate Claire Lewis Jones, played by Erin Richards, faces a series of moral dilemmas when her past catches up with her. When Ned Humphries, a childhood friend of Claire’s daughter Beca, faces arson charges, Claire's loyalty to her community is put to the test. Things only get worse when local criminal kingpin Saint Pete (Tom Cullen) appears on the scene, because Claire and Saint Pete have some serious history. It’s one that’ll have you on the edge of your seat! Available to watch on U&Alibi now.

In Flight

If you watched Paramount+’s The Crow Girl, you’ll already know how brilliant Katherine Kelly is and she proves the point once again in Channel 4’s twisty crime thriller.This six-part series sees Kelly play flight attendant Jo, whose whole life is turned upside down when she finds herself blackmailed into using her job to smuggle drugs. With her son’s life at the centre of negotiations, it’s a situation no mother would ever want to find themselves in. The question is, can she find her way out of it without losing everything? Tune in to find out! Available to watch on C4 Streaming now.

Classified

First broadcast in Canada under the title Classé Secret in 2022, this 10-part thriller has recently arrived on Channel 4 courtesy of Walter Presents – and it’s got a lot going for it. Classified hinges around Rachel and Émile, two married Canadian Security Intelligence Service agents who live a normal and quiet life with their two daughters. Glorious, it seems. But when a shooting takes place near the American embassy, things take a rather terrifying turn. We’re talking snipers, subterfuge and a whole lot of secrets. Available to watch on C4 Streaming now.

Wednesday

At last, the Nevermore Academy has opened its doors once again, with series 2 now available to stream in full on Netflix. Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is plunged into a new bone-chilling mystery, while her parents, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez Addams (Luis Guzmán), have an increased presence on campus. The new series also introduces some very exciting guest stars, including Joanna Lumley, who has joined the cast as Hester Frump, Morticia’s mother and Wednesday’s closest ally. Part 1 is available to watch on Netflix now.