The best TV, Autumn 2019

The Crown season 3, Netflix

It’s been a long time coming. Season three has taken two years to arrive on the shelves of Netflix, mainly because of the change in cast.

Olivia Colman replaces Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth, Tobias Menzies plays Prince Philip, and the screen-shattering Helena Bonham Carter takes on the rebellious Princess Margaret.

This phase in the Royal history covers Elizabeth Windsor’s reign from 1964 to 1976 – encapsulating the Moon Landing and the introduction of Lady Diana Spencer.

His Dark Materials, BBC One

After an appalling movie version, fans of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy deserve something much, much better. Thankfully, the BBC seem eager to deliver.

With an all-star cast including James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, this looks to be a more faithful adaptation – complete with mythical daemons, armoured polar bears, and evil Gobblers.

The War of the Worlds, BBC One

H.G. Wells's novel of alien invasion, one of the first ever written, has been adapted numerous times. This includes a radio broadcast narrated by Orson Welles, which is rumoured to have caused a widespread panic among listeners.

Now, the BBC are making The War of the Worlds into a three-part series. It stars Rafe Spall, Elinor Tomlinson, and Robert Carlyle, and retains the original setting and time in Edwardian London.

Be ready for broad-brimmed hats mixing with extra-terrestrial weapons of death.

World on Fire, BBC One

Any character played by Sean Bean will almost certainly die, but maybe World on Fire will try to change that.

This sprawling WWII drama spreads across Europe during the first year of the war. Following ordinary surviving citizens in Berlin, Warsaw, and Manchester this series promises to be an absorbing new perspective on that period.

From translators to factory workers, World on Fire will bring these forgotten stories back into the light.

Noughts & Crosses, BBC One

There’s never been a better time for dystopian television. As if to reflect the tumultuous times we’re living in, shows like Years and Years, Black Mirror and The Handmaid’s Tale provide dark, unsettling futures.

Noughts & Crosses will be another fascinating example, adapted from the novel series by Malorie Blackman and starring the Grime artist Stormzy. Set in a future society gripped by reverse racism, in which white people (‘Noughts’) are second to black people (‘Crosses’), a love story blossoms from the hate.

The Man, ITV

Mike Bartlett’s TV dramas range from distinguished (Doctor Foster) to disappointing (Press), so it’s hard to determine where The Man will fall into. But the story sounds promising.

Examining the psychological damage of workplace bullying, this three-part series follows Thomas (Ken Nwosu), who works in middle-management in Reading. After he freezes during a pitch meeting, the fall out threatens to ruin his life. Think The Office, but serious.