It’s autumn already, and as we near the tail-end of 2024, there’s a wave of must-see new films and shows on the way to keep us busy while the cold weather comes. There’s a bit of something for everyone coming to the small screen in October, with big names like Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett and Bruce Springsteen fronting some top titles.
This month sees the return of Netflix’s smash-hit romantic comedy-drama, an intriguing psychological thriller packed with Oscar-winning talent and a raunchy new British series fronted by David Tennant. All of this comes from the likes of Amazon’s Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, Apple TV+ and Sky, all of which are available with a raft of money-saving deals.
Disney+ now costs as little as £4.99 a month, while Netflix is free with Sky’s TV bundles. Telly fans can try Amazon’s Prime Video free for 30 days, while Apple TV+’s stacked library can be enjoyed with a seven-day free trial.
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So, read on for our pick of the best new films and shows heading to screens in October.
Heartstopper: Season three
The smash romantic dramedy is back with eight new episodes, picking up after the emotional season two finale with Charlie (Joe Locke) eager to tell Nick (Kit Connor) he loves him and Nick holding on to something important he has to say to Charlie. As the summer holiday ends and the months race on, they begin to realise the school year will come with both its joys and its challenges.
As they learn more about each other and their relationships, plan social events and parties and start thinking about university choices, everyone must learn to lean on those they love when life doesn’t go to plan.
Heartstopper season three premieres October 3 on Netflix, get it free with Sky here.
Challengers
Zendaya stars in this hit drama as former tennis prodigy turned coach Tashi Duncan. Married to champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O’Connor) – who happens to be his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
Challengers follows their love triangle over 13 years, from their amateur days through to the former friends’ final clash on the court.
Challengers premieres October 4 on Prime Video, try it free here.
Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol
Season two of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon picks up after Daryl (Norman Reedus) chose to stay in France, while Carol (Melissa McBride) hops the pond to track him down. They both confront old demons while she fights to find her friend and he struggles with his decision to stay in France, causing tension at the Nest.
Additionally, Genet’s (Anne Charrier) movement builds momentum, setting Pouvoir on a violent collision course with the Union of Hope in the fight for France’s future.
Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol premieres October 4 on Sky Max, get it here.
Sweetpea
Fallout and Yellowjackets star Ella Purnell fronts this new drama billed as a ‘deviously twisted coming-of-rage story’. Purnell stars as Rhiannon, who doesn’t make much of an impression – people walk past her in the street without a second glance, she’s continually overlooked for a promotion at work, the guy she likes won’t commit and her dad is very sick.
Then everything in her life turns upside down as she is pushed over the edge and loses control. Suddenly the wallflower is gone and in its place is a young woman capable of anything, with Rhiannon’s life transforming as she steps into a new, intoxicating power.
Sweetpea premieres October 10 on Sky Atlantic, get it here.
Disclaimer
Five-time Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón writes and directs this seven-part psychological thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, it follows journalist Catherine Ravenscroft (Blanchett), who has built her reputation revealing the misdeeds and transgressions of others.
When she receives a novel from an unknown author, she is horrified to realise she is now the main character in a story that exposes her darkest secrets. As Catherine races to uncover the writer’s true identity, she is forced to confront her past before it destroys her life and her relationships with her husband Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen) and their son Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee).
Disclaimer premieres October 11 on Apple TV+, try it free here.
Shrinking: Season two
Harrison Ford and Jason Segel star in the latest instalment of this comedy created by Segel with Ted Lasso’s Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein. Shrinking follows a grieving therapist (Segel) who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks.
Ignoring his training and ethics, he makes huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives – including his own.
Shrinking season two premieres October 16 on Apple TV+, try it free here.
Rivals
Based on the novel by Dame Jilly Cooper and starring David Tennant, this scandalous eight-part series is packed full of romantic entanglements, dastardly deals, sex and wit. Rivals is set against the backdrop of the drama, excess and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England, with the raunchy series delving headfirst into the ruthless world of independent television.
Alongside Tennant, Rivals boasts a stacked cast including The Boys’ Alex Hassell, Poldark’s Aidan Turner, Sex Education’s Bella Maclean, The Inbetweeners’ Emily Atack and EastEnders’ Danny Dyer.
Rivals premieres October 18 on Disney+, get it here.
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
This new behind-the-scenes documentary sees Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band offer the most in-depth look ever at the creation of their legendary live performances, sharing fly-on-the-wall footage of band rehearsals and special moments backstage – as well as hearing directly from Springsteen on the topic. Fans get the chance to experience professionally shot footage from the 2023/24 tour for the first time ever while following the band through their one-of-a-kind preparation process and onto performances for tens-of-thousands across continents.
Road Diary premieres October 25 on Disney+, get it here.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place
Serving as a spin-off and sequel to Wizards of Waverly Place, this new comedy series follows an adult Justin Russo (David Henrie), who has chosen to lead a normal, mortal life with his family. When Justin’s sister Alex (Selena Gomez) brings young Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown) to his home seeking help, Justin realises he must dust off his magical skills to mentor the wizard-in-training while also juggling his everyday responsibilities – and safeguarding the future of the Wizarding World.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place premieres October 30 on Disney+, get it here.
The Diplomat: Season two
The Emmy-nominated series is back for a second season, as a deadly explosion in the heart of London shatters US Ambassador Kate Wyler’s (Keri Russell) world. Struggling to rebuild the lives that broke and the team that split apart, Kate’s worst fears unfold: The attack that brought her to the UK didn’t come from a rival nation, it came from inside the British government.
As Kate chases the truth, her only real ally is her almost ex-husband Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), very much alive and very much involved. She faces a fraught marriage, a complex dynamic with British Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) and a threatening visit from Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney).
The Diplomat season two premieres October 31 on Netflix, get it free with Sky here.
