This week's best telly includes tons of new drama, including the highly anticipated Lord of the Rings prequel on Prime Video, two new dating shows, including the return of Married at First Sight UK plus the rest of the second series of hit comedy Bloods on Sky.
Here are 7 TV shows you can't miss this week...
1. Ridley
Sunday 28th August at 8pm on ITV
Ridley follows the charismatic Ex-Detective Inspector Alex Ridley, played by Adrian Dunbar who has retired from the police force after years of dedicated service due to his health concerns and grief after losing his wife and daughter.
Ridley’s replacement is DI Carol Farman his former protégée, played by Bronagh Waugh, whom Ridley mentored for many years. When he's enlisted by Carol as a police consultant on a complex and compelling murder case, the investigation takes a dark and unexpected twist.
Turning to her old mentor for support, Carol is keen to access Ridley’s unique insight into crime-solving which has served them so well in the past. With more intriguing cases to solve, Ridley will be enticed out of retirement into his former role, reviving his formidable and successful partnership with Carol.
1/4 Continues weekly
2. The Capture
Sunday 28th and Monday 29th August at 9pm on BBC One
Holliday Grainger returns as DCI Rachel Carey in the second series of The Capture, written and created by Ben Chanan, which once again asks the question if we can really believe what we see.
Paapa Essiedu joins as Isaac Turner MP, a young rising star politician with ambitions for the very top alongside Indira Varma as Newsnight presenter Khadija Khan.
Britain is under siege: hacked news feeds, manipulated media, and interference in politics. Entrenched in the UK’s own ‘Correction’ unit, DCI Rachel Carey finds herself in the middle of a new conspiracy and with a new target. But how can she solve this case when she can’t even trust her closest colleagues?
Escalating from the CCTV thriller of series one, the six-part run features 'invisible' assassins, the terrifying rise of deep fake technology, the ever-growing tension between government and Big Tech, and corruption at the heart of the British media.
1-2/6 Continues weekly. First two episodes available at launch
3. The Suspect
Monday 29th August at 9pm on ITV
Aidan Turner stars as the lead in new ITV drama The Suspect, playing Doctor Joe O’Loughlin who appears to have a perfect life. He's got a devoted wife, a loving daughter, successful practice as a clinical psychologist, media profile and a publishing deal. He’s even a hero online after rescuing a young patient who was ready to jump from the tenth floor of the hospital where Joe works.
When a young woman is found in a shallow grave in a West London cemetery, veteran police officer DI Vincent Ruiz, played by Shaun Parkes, and his young partner DS Riya Devi, played by Anjli Mohindra, are assigned to the investigation. But has the young woman been murdered or is this a case of suicide?
As a successful author, Doctor Joe’s opinion is much sought after and when he meets DS Devi he’s only too willing to offer help with profiling and his expertise. Now known for his risk-taking and rule-breaking does Joe have more to hide?
His recent diagnosis of a degenerative condition could explain his behaviour. But as the investigation into the woman’s death gathers pace, we start to ask, do we know the real Joe, or does he have a secret life? And has his work as a clinical psychologist allowed him to develop a criminal mindset? Or worse?
1/5 Continues weekly
4. Married at First Sight UK
Monday 29th August to Thursday 1st September at 9pm on E4
Married at First Sight UK, the show in which a group of singles hoping for love and a happy ever after say "I do" to a complete stranger, whom they’ll meet for the first time on their wedding day, is back for a series that's bigger and better than ever before.
At a glamorous ceremony, overseen by a wedding celebrant, that includes guests, bridal gowns, dancing, speeches and cake, the couples will make a lifelong commitment to one another.
After the ceremony, and once celebrations are over, true love is well and truly put to the test, as they embark on a luxurious honeymoon before moving in with each other and their fellow couples.
At weekly dinner parties, their relationships will be put under the microscope by fellow brides and grooms. And at recurring commitment ceremonies, the couples must choose whether they want to stay in or leave the process.
All this and more will build to a dramatic series finale promising glossy, high-stakes vow renewals, in which each couple must decide if they will recommit to their partner or go their separate ways, for good.
1-4/30 Continues nightly, Monday to Thursday
5. Bloods
Thursday 1st September at 10pm on Sky Comedy
Series two of Sky's hit comedy Bloods launched with the first five episodes in March and now it's back for the remaining five. Created by Nathan Bryon and Samson Kayo and written by Nathan Bryon and Paul Doolan, Bloods is about a gang of eccentric paramedics working in South London.
Samson Kayo and Jane Horrocks are back as odd couple/dream team paramedics Maleek and Wendy who are facing a Serious Incident Investigation following their potential misdiagnosis of Jack, the fallout from New Year's Eve looms large at South Hill and Jo has been on leave from the depot, presumably due to the humiliation of having her advances rejected by Lawrence.
6/10 Continues weekly. All episodes available at launch
6. Dated & Related
Friday 2nd September on Netflix
Television isn't short of dating shows, but that doesn't mean I won't watch. In Netflix's latest attempt, Dated & Related, pairs of siblings will be seeing each other’s love life up close and personal as they search for ‘the one’ together.
Imagine having to think about your sibling dating? How they flirt, how they treat their partners, and what their signature moves are.
Having a person who knows you better than anyone should help you navigate the tricky world of dating. But will they act as the ultimate wingman and help you find love? Or scupper your plans and call you out on all your bullshit? Either way, things are likely to get awkward.
1-10/10 All episodes available at launch
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Friday 2nd September on Prime Video
For the very first time, the highly-anticipated The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings prequel series The Ring of Power brings to screen the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history.
In this epic drama, set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, viewers will be taken back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
1-2/8 Continues weekly