We're less than 48 hours into October but we've already welcomed Homeland's Carrie and Brody back to our TV screens and caught up with Jess, Nick, Schmidt and Winston's antics in all new New Girl, so we think it's safe to say this is going to be one rather awesome month to slouch on the sofa.
Yes dear readers silly season is well and truly over so, with plenty of great shows either returning or making their televisual debut in the merry month of October, we decided to put together this one-stop guide to the best of the box in the run up to Halloween.
WHAT'S NEW?
There's no end of new US and UK TV series landing on our screens in a most timely fashion of late so you'll be only too delighted to hear that there's a whole host of new dramas and comedies coming our way this month. Here are just 5 you might want to keep an eye out for:
1. The Blacklist - Sky Living, Friday October 4th at 8pm
Soon to be Avengers: Age of Ultron villain and Boston Legal legend James Spader is back with this brand new series, which seems to be holding its own in the States. Spader stars as former FBI man Red who has made a name for himself as one of the world's most wanted. He surrenders himself to the FBI, claiming to have vital information on dangerous criminals and terrorists who have never been brought to justice. However he will only speak to rookie profiler Liz, and nobody knows why he is so interested in her.
2. Masters of Sex - RTE Two, Friday October 4th at 11.20pm
Michael Sheen. Now, there's a man who has managed to garner himself some serious critical acclaim and enjoyed romances with some of the world's most beautiful women. You could say he's the perfect choice for this brand new drama about two real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality - one a scientist out of touch with his own feelings and the other a single working mother ahead of her time. And yes, that is Mean Girls star Lizzy Caplan. We can't wait to see this pair light up the small screen. Be warned, the trailer is a tad NSFW
3. The Tunnel - Sky Atlantic, Wednesday October 16th at 9.00pm
Yes, you've heard a similar story before but sure who doesn't love a good mystery drama. Harry Poter alum Clemence Posey and Game of Thrones heavyweight Stephen Dillane star in this French/UK collaboration which sees police from both sides of the channel joining forces to solve a murder on the border. It's coming from the folk who gave us Broadchurch though, so hopes are still high.
4. Stephen Fry: Out There - BBC One, date & time TBC
Stephen Fry made headlines all summer thanks to his battle with the Russian authorities but last year he headed around the globe to find out what it means to be gay in different parts of the world. Fry admitted that it was during the making of the series that he attempted to take his own life, so we're sure this will be one thoroughly thought-provoking documentary.
5. Breathless, UTV, Thursday October 10th at 9pm
These ITV period dramas can be fairly hit and miss but when you've got Gavin & Stacey's Joanna Page, Jack 'Commodore Norrington' Davenport and Iain Glen on board you'd be hoping for a sure fire six-part sixties-set medical drama hit.
WHAT'S BACK?
There's nothing as painful as a cliffhanger at the end of your favourite TV series that leaves you absolutely gagging for its return. In the interim, you're left attempting to either avoid the internet or track down spoilers to keep yourself from heading into full on withdrawal. Luckily enough, plenty of popular series are coming back this month, so you shouldn't be waiting too long to find out what happens next. Here's just a taster of what's to come:
1. Love/Hate, RTE One, Sunday October 6th at 9.30pm
Coolaboola. 'Nuff said, wha?
2. The Graham Norton Show BBC One, Friday October 11th at 11.05pm
He's baaaaack, and about time too. We've really missed Graham of a Friday evening and sure isn't he crashing back on to our TV screens with Harrison Ford on the sofa? We sure do hope that interview doesn't get awkward... at least Benedict Cumberbatch, Jack Whitehall and James Blunt will be there to break the ice. And as if that wasn't enough to look forward to, he's got Natalie Portman, Katy Perry and James Corden in the week after.
3. Boardwalk Empire Sky Atlantic, Saturday October 26th at 9pm
It's February 1924 in Atlantic City and after barely surviving an overthrow by gangster Gyp Rossetti, Nucky Thompson is laying low at the end of the Boardwalk. But the calm will be short-lived, as Nucky faces new challenges, including a clash with the mayor, a battle with his brother over his college-age son, and the irresistible lure of lucrative and perilous opportunities in Florida.
4. Veep, Sky Atlantic, Wednesday October 16th at 10.30pm
Season 1 proved a massive hit and with both Julia Louis Dreyfus and Tony Hale winning Emmys for their performances we're expecting big things from the gang as they return to that office that's not the Oval one. Sure you just can't go wrong with a bit of Armando Iannucci now can you?
5. Glee, Sky 1, Friday October 4th at 8pm
Love it or loathe it, all eyes have been on the McKinley High New Directions since Cory Monteith's death during the summer. Lea Michele and co return with a Beatles special that will take us through the first two weeks before that much talked about tribute to their dearly departed colleague airs.
Keep your eyes peeled for: Elementary, The Moaning of Life with Karl Pilkington, Dracula, Chicago Fire, Arrow, and Stephen Merchant's Hello Ladies, all of which will be making an appearance on your TV screens this month too.
