This week's best telly includes a new Bristol set comedy-drama from Stephen Merchant, a brand new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm plus the return of everyone's favourite sitcom letting agent and so much more!
Here are 7 TV shows you can't miss this week...
1. Strictly Come Dancing
Saturday 23rd at 7.05pm and Sunday 24th October at 7.10pm on BBC One
With 11 couples remaining in the competition, just 10 will take to the Strictly ballroom this weekend after Judi Love sadly tested positive for Covid, each hoping to make it through to next week's Halloween Special.
With the 10 paddles seemingly taking a break last week, could any of the remaining couples be awarded a perfect score from the judges?
On Sunday night, the results show opens with a fabulously vibrant and colourful routine from our Strictly professionals, and there will also be a music performance from the one and only Craig David and MNEK before one couple will sadly have to leave the competition for good.
5/13 Continues weekly
2. The Outlaws
Monday 25th October at 9pm on BBC One
Back in 2001, Stephen Merchant (with Ricky Gervais of course) created The Office and now he's written a new show for the BBC, The Outlaws. A six-part comedy thriller that follows seven strangers from different walks of life forced together to complete a Community Payback sentence in Bristol.
Academic high-flyer Rani, played by Rhianne Barreto has never really known a world outside her overprotective family but her serial shoplifting finally catches up on her, much to the shame of her parents and to the detriment of her Oxford University scholarship.
Inept lawyer Greg, played by Stephen Merchant, has been caught soliciting in a local car park and Gabby, the socialite with 1.5 million followers played by Eleanor Tomlinson, seems to have it all but is prey to drink and drug problems.
And then there is Christian, an unassuming young man played by Gamba Cole. with a complicated story of his own. Sole carer of his kid sister Esme, he’s trying and failing to keep her away from a local gang. To protect her, he ends up doing the bidding of the gang’s charismatic leader which leads to him stealing a big bag of cash and hiding it in the very community centre where he and the other outlaws are working.
But Christian doesn’t hide it well enough, and soon some of the other outlaws - including right-wing businessman John, played by Darren Boyd, radical activist Myrna played by Clare Perkins and Frank, an unreformed con-artist and womaniser played by Christopher Walker, suddenly and accidentally take possession of a life-changing amount of money.
Without realising it, Christian and the outlaws have placed themselves in the centre of a highly dangerous criminal turf war and it will be Rani who ends up saving them as the outlaws come to realise that they have more in common than that which sets them apart.
Read my interview with Gamba Cole here.
1/6 Continues weekly
3. Succession
Monday 25th October at 9pm on Sky Atlantic
Contains spoilers for last week's episode.
Succession returned to our screens last week with a sensational season three opener, which saw father and son, Logan and Kendall, at war over the explosive comments made at the end of season two in that press conference.
With Kendall refusing to retract his comments, the family is split as Logan temporarily steps down as CEO of Waystar Royco and has to appoint an interim CEO. After much deliberation, it's decided that Gerri is best placed to take on that role.
As is obviously the case, little to nothing is known about this week's episode, but as the feuding Roy family continue their (un) civil war. Whose side are you on?
2/10 Continues weekly
4. Curb Your Enthusiasm
Monday 25th October at 9pm on Sky Comedy
It's almost impossible for a comedy to still be as funny as it's ever been, if not funnier, ten seasons in, yet that's exactly what Curb Your Enthusiasm achieved at the start of 2020 when it returned after two years.
Now Larry David is back, still living the good life out in Los Angeles, stumbling through one faux pas after another. He's survived a fatwa, barely navigated the post #MeToo landscape unscathed and pioneered an influential new retail mode, powered by spite.
Surviving a fatwa; barely navigating the post-#metoo landscape unscathed; pioneering an influential new retail model powered entirely by spite. All par for the course for Larry David - still living the good life out in Los Angeles and stumbling through one faux pas after another. Returning for his eleventh series, Larry continues to prove how seemingly trivial details of one’s day-to-day life – a cold cup of coffee, a stained shirt, a missing toothbrush – can precipitate a catastrophic chain of events.
1/10 Continues weekly
5. Sandylands
Monday 25th - Wednesday 27th October at 10pm on Gold
Sandylands, the seaside comedy which takes its name from its fictional setting, returns for a second series and when we last saw Les Vegas, played by Sanjeev Bhaskar and his daughter Emily Verma, played by Natalie Dew, they were taking to the high seas in a pedalo to escape the clutches of an insurance investigator.
Now as they return home, they discover Emily's estranged mother, cruise ship entertainer Donna Vegas, played by the wonderful Tracy-Ann Oberman, standing in Les's front room. Emily isn't exactly impressed that her mother has turned up out of the blue and needs to decide if she can trust her.
However, Les and Donna can't deny their attraction to each other and soon Donna is in on Les's life insurance scam and acting as the perfect mother. Unfortunately, Emily doesn't know what to believe. Is Donna only sticking around for the money?
Elsewhere, next-door neighbours and local B&B owners Derek and Jeannie Swallows, played by David Walliams and Sophie Thompson, decide to use the return of Donna Vegas to their advantage, hosting a relaunch of their ailing bed and breakfast.
1-3/3 Continues nightly
6. Stath Lets Flats
Tuesday 26th October at 10.15pm on Channel 4
Since Stath Lets Flats was last on our screens, the Channel 4 comedy written by and starring Jamie Demetriou as incompetent Greek-Cypriot letting agent, Stath, has won three BAFTAs and now it's back for a third seires.
Picking up after the shock ending of series two, Stath is faced with rescuing Michael & Eagle and his relationship with Katia, while expecting his first child by Carole. Meanwhile, his sister Sophie (Natasia Demetriou) and best friend Al (Al Roberts) deal with the fallout of finally declaring their feelings for each other.
In the opening episode, Michael & Eagle Lettings is in crisis following Julian's death. They've lost their office and no one's getting paid. With Carole ready to give birth to his child at any moment, Stath tries to get his old job back at his cousin's barbershop.
1/6 Continues weekly. All episodes available at launch
7. Temple
Thursday 28th October at 9pm on Sky Max
Mark Strong is back as Daniel Milton in the second series of the whip-smart and morally ambiguous drama, also starring Daniel Mays and Carice van Houten with Rhys Ifans joining the cast for series two as unpredictable underworld fixer Gubby.
In the first series, Daniel just about kept the plates in the air as he looked after his wife, Beth, in an illicit clinic underneath Temple tube station. But now everything comes crashing down as Beth wakes from her coma and demands answers.
In the opening episode of the second series, Daniel wants to forget the bunker ever existed and reunite his family. But when his wrongdoing catches up with him, he is in danger of losing everything.
Meanwhile, Anna threatens to go rogue, Lee is faced with a crisis, Beth’s recovery is tainted by suspicion, and Eve is now leading a secret double-life.
1/8 Continues weekly. All episodes available at launch