We might not be in the throes of autumnal weather yet, but cosy TV season has arrived.
While we’re all over the moon at the moment on Thursday and Friday evenings to watch the latest devious plots unfolding on Celebrity Traitors, there’s also so much great TV to binge this October, ranging from psychological drama to comedy.
The month kicked off with Netflix launching the Florence Pugh series East of Eden, an adaptation of the classic 1952 novel. The period drama has already raced up the streaming platform’s top 10, with fans calling it a ‘perfect 10/10’ and a ‘phenomenal’ watch.
Near the end of the month, we’re finally getting more of the hilarious Last One Laughing on Amazon Prime – but this time, the series has a spooky Halloween twist, and we can’t wait to see how it plays out.
A new take on Treasure Island is also coming very soon, while Sienna Miller and Dominic West’s jaw-dropping War, a drama about a bitter, billion-pound divorce, premieres today.
Here are seven of our top picks to binge this October – happy watching!
East of Eden
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The trailer for Florence Pugh’s new psychological period drama East of Eden has scored almost five and a half million views in a month, and with good reason.
Based on the classic 1952 novel by John Steinbeck, the limited series follows Cathy Ames, a mysterious woman who changes the lives of two brothers forever when she appears on their doorstep, causing a rippling impact for two generations. Florence’s magnificent range as an actor is second to none.
It looks like she might have knocked it out of the park yet again with what could be yet another career-defining performance, after the likes of Midsommar, Little Women, her portrayal of Yelena Belova in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and so many more.
East of Eden is available to stream on Netflix.
War
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What did Metro think of War?
Read Metro TV Editor Sabrina Barr’s four-star review here:
Divorce is not an unusual subject for a TV series to centre on, but Sky’s latest gripping series is going to have viewers on the edge of their seats, whipping their heads from side to side like they’re watching two of the world’s greatest tennis players duke it out for the championship of their lives.
Sienna Miller and Dominic West star as Carla Duval and Morgan Henderson, one of Britain’s most famous couples who are going through a highly publicised split.
But the battle brewing isn’t just between them – it’s also heating up between their law firms, each boasting ambitious lawyers holding bitter grudges for one another. Cunning conflict at its finest.
War premieres on Friday October 2 on Sky and streaming service NOW.
The Reluctant Vampire
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In 1982, comedian Eric Morecambe – of the legendary double act Morecambe and Wise – published a children’s novel called The Reluctant Vampire, telling the tale of a vampire prince called Valentine who can’t bear the taste of blood.
44 years later, this cherished story is being adapted into a BBC One series, with rising star Lenny Rush, 17, playing the role of Val, who in this version of the story, discovers he’s actually a human who’s been raised in a family of vampires.
A bit of bloodsucking family fun just in time for Halloween.
The Reluctant Vampire premieres on Sunday October 4 at 6.40pm on BBC One, with all episodes available to stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
Treasure Island
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Another classic tale that’s been adapted for the small screen is Treasure Island. It’s the latest take on the 1883 adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson that’s spawned numerous adaptations, including Muppet Treasure Island and Disney’s Treasure Planet.
Great Expectations actor Tom Sweet leads the cast as budding adventurer Jim Hawkins, with Hayley Atwell starring as his mother Bess Hawkins, and David Oyelowo taking on the role of the fearsome pirate Long John Silver.
It’s been a while since I’ve watched a swashbuckling, buccaneering adventure, and with one of my favourite actresses, Hayley, in the cast (justice for Agent Carter), I’m jumping aboard this pirate ship.
Treasure Island premieres on Monday October 12 on Paramount Plus.
Lupin Part 4
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The return of Lupin has been a long time coming, and after three years, Netflix’s slick French thief thriller has finally returned for a fourth season.
Five years after the series originally premiered, Omar Sy is back as the conniving but charming Assane Diop, who takes inspiration from the gentleman thief Arsène Lupin.
When we catch up with Assane again, he’s behind bars and has seemingly put his days of thievery behind him. However, when he’s framed for a crime he didn’t commit by a ‘new Lupin’ who’s causing havoc, he’s forced to return to a world of adrenaline-racing chases, high stakes, and possibly even higher pay-offs.
Lupin Part 4 premieres on Friday October 23 on Netflix.
Last One Laughing Halloween Special
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Who else needs a laugh? I know I do. Last One Laughing has been one of my biggest sources of comfort on TV since it started last year. It’s utterly silly and ridiculous – but we don’t have enough of that type of humour on the small screen nowadays.
While the celebrities are usually trying to make each other laugh while trying not to crack a chuckle themselves, the Halloween special has a slightly different rule: they also can’t scream (from fear).
The show begins with three episodes, culminating with a finale the day before Halloween, which, in my opinion, is one of the best celebrations of the year.
Last One Laughing: Halloween launches on Friday October 23 on Prime Video with the first three episodes, followed by the finale on Friday October 30.
Adultery
From divorce to adultery, it seems that October TV is all about unfaithful and fractured marriages.
ITV drama Adultery, from Fool Me Once writer Danny Brocklehurst, reveals how two people, who are both married with their own families, can choose to risk everything for a palpable connection that they can’t deny.
Romola Garai plays Beth opposite Dominic Cooper as Tom, in a tale of desire that centres around a psychological equation: ‘Attraction plus an obstacle equals excitement,’ and could make viewers question how strongly they’d stick to their morals if their potential future happiness was on the line.
Adultery is due to premiere in late October on ITV and ITVX.
This article was originally published on Friday, October 2.