This week’s best telly includes some more fantastic drama including brand new Black Earth Rising, the UK premiere of Killing Eve and the penultimate episode of Bodyguard. Here are 7 shows you can’t miss this week...
1. Black Earth Rising
Monday 10th September at 9pm on BBC Two
This week sees the launch of Hugo Blick's latest drama Black Earth Rising on BBC Two, an international thriller about the prosecution of international war crimes and the West’s relationship with contemporary Africa.
As a child, Kate Ashby, played by Michaela Coel, was rescued from the horrific aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. She was adopted and brought up in Britain by Eve Ashby (Harriet Walter), a world-class international human rights lawyer.
Kate, who has long struggled to escape the shadow of her past, is now returning to work as a legal investigator in the same chambers as Eve, under leading international lawyer Michael Ennis (John Goodman).
But Kate and Eve’s relationship is strained to breaking point when Eve takes on the prosecution of a controversial militia leader at the International Criminal Court. The accused man, who once fought to stop the genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo, now stands accused of committing crimes against humanity.
The 8-part series plays out across the UK, Europe, Africa and the USA and also stars Noma Dumezweni, Tamara Tunie, Lucian Msamati and Abena Ayivor.
1/8
2. Strangers
Monday 10th September at 9pm on ITV
This week sees ITV launch their latest drama, Strangers, written by newcomers Mark Denton & Jonny Stockwood and starring John Simm, Anthony Wong, Emilia Fox and Katie Leung.
British Professor Jonah Mulray, played by Simm has his life is turned upside-down after his wife Megan Harris is killed in a car-crash in Hong Kong. Wracked with grief, Jonah has no choice but to cross the ocean to bring home the woman he loved.
When Jonah arrives, he is immediately overwhelmed by the neon-saturated hyper-modern island of Hong Kong, a place in constant motion, and a world away from the halls of academia. It’s a city divided, with one foot still in its colonial past and another in its Chinese future. A world where we’re unsure if we can ever really know anyone at all - least of all Megan…
When Jonah discovers that Megan led a secret life, it seems to completely destroy everything they built together in London. With Megan’s death leaving so many unanswered questions, Jonah struggles to make sense of it. Did their relationship amount to anything more than a lie?
1/8
3. Stacey Dooley Investigates: Shot by my Neighbour
Monday 10th September from 7pm on BBC Three
Documentary maker and now Strictly contestant Stacey Dooley is back with another hard-hitting documentary, about violence in Northern Ireland.
Every year dozens of people in Northern Ireland are shot in the legs or assaulted by vigilante armed groups from their own neighbourhoods. These paramilitary-style attacks are known as 'kneecappings' when they are shootings and they can be brutal. They can leave the victims, usually young men, with lifelong physical and mental injuries.
Shot by my Neighbour will see Stacey meet people who have been shot as well as people within affected communities who are standing up to the attackers. She'll also try to speak to some of those behind the attacks.
1/1
4. Joanna Lumley's Silk Road Adventure
Wednesday 12th September at 9pm on ITV
Joanna Lumley returns this week with Joanna Lumley's Silk Road Adventure, a brand new four-part series which sees her take on her grandest and most challenging journey yet, a breath-taking odyssey from Venice to the Chinese border along the veins of the ancient Silk Road.
Joanna’s adventure will see her travel through a breath-taking array of fabulous landscapes as she crosses continents, deserts, mountains and steppe, boldly following in the footsteps of the merchants, conquerors, kings and pilgrims who once lived and died along this route.
In episode one, Joanna starts her adventure in Venice, the European terminus of the Silk Road where she discovers how the Silk Road helped the merchants of Venice and the city state itself grow rich and powerful.
Joanna witnesses first hand evidence of Marco Polo’s silk road booty, and sees how that all-important commodity, silk, cemented Venice’s reputation as a centre of luxury and conspicuous wealth.
1/4
5. No Offence
Thursday 13th September at 9pm on Channel 4
Paul Abbott‘s No Offence returns for a third series this week on Channel 4 as DI Viv Deering and the Friday Street team are drawn into their rivalry when a mayoral hustings between the pair becomes a flashpoint for deadly violence as assassin Beckett (Darren Connolly) enters the political fray.
The extremities of DI Viv Deering’s world are governed not only by thugs, but by politicians too. Same goes for all of us. In our crowded world enemies can be almost invisible. Deering and her team adopt equally covert tactics to expose a few bare-faced truths.
The series opens amidst a contentious mayoral election fought between incumbent liberal Kashif Hassan (Ace Bhatti) and political underdog and local-girl-done-good Caroline McCoy (Lisa McGrillis).
1/6
6. Killing Eve
Saturday 15th September at 9:15pm on BBC One
After its BBC America debut, the first series of Killing Eve is finally coming to audiences in the UK. Written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), Killing Eve is based on Luke Jennings' Codename Villanelle novella series.
Killing Eve centres on two women played by Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh. Comer plays Villanelle, a mercurial, talented killer who clings to the luxuries her violent job affords her.
Sandra Oh plays Eve, a bored, whip-smart, pay-grade MI5 security officer whose desk-bound job doesn’t fulfil her fantasies of being a spy. She yearns for a more exciting life and when a Russian politician is murdered, she is tasked with protecting the only witness and soon finds herself on a collision course with violent and extraordinary assassin, Villanelle!
1/8
7. Bodyguard
Sunday 16th September at 9pm on BBC One
As we reach the penultimate episode of Bodyguard, David delves into Julia’s political manoeuvring and his theories about a conspiracy at the heart of government look increasingly plausible.
But concerns about David’s psychological health are raised, and allegations about his and Julia’s professional conduct come to light.
5/6