We're loving the resurgence of summer this week, but, equally, we are so excited for cosy evenings on the sofa watching brilliant telly. And, fortunately, there's plenty to look forward to over the coming months.
It's no secret that the BBC knows how to make a fantastic TV drama and the broadcaster has been teasing many projects that are appearing on their slate for the remainder of 2023 into the new year. From Sally Wainwright's latest project, Hot Flush, to Jenna Coleman's outing as a rookie detective in The Jetty, and Stephen Graham's reprisal as a stressed chef for the small screen, here is a roundup of what's in store from the BBC…
Boiling Point
Stephen Graham received high praise for his role as Andy in the 2022 film, Boiling Point, leaving many wanting a sequel after its devastating ending. Fortunately, a sequel is in the cards in the form of a five-part series coming to the BBC.
The TV version will pick up from where the film left off and see familiar face return including Vinette Robinson as Carly and Hannah Walters as Emily.
© Kevin BakerTimes series two
Speaking of Stephen Graham, the award-winning actor wowed alongside Sean Beam in the first series of this gritty prison drama. Although Sean and Stephen won't be reprising their roles, the show is coming back for a second outing complete with a fresh cast.
And what a cast it is! Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker, This Is Us star Bella Ramsey and The Silent Twin's actress Tamara Lawrence are joining as Orla, Kelsey and Abi respectively as inmates who arrive at a women's prison on the same day. At first, the three struggle to get to grips of a life inside, but soon they find common ground and a shared understanding.
© Sally MaisVigil series two
We loved Vigil series one here at HELLO! (although we're still not over that terrifying, Claustrophobia-inducing moment where Suranne Jones was trapped in a submarine cylinder), so we were thrilled when it was announced it was coming back.
Series two won't be taking place on HMS Vigil. It won't be taking place on a submarine at all. Instead, Suranne and Rose Leslie reprise their roles as DCI Amy Silva and DS Kirsten Longacre to look deep into a conspiracy embedded in the Air Force after a string of suspicious deaths. A release date hasn't been confirmed but it's looking like an early 2024 drop for this one.
The Way
Michael Sheen is the man behind this new show as the Omens star has acted as director, producer and cast member in BBC's upcoming show, The Way. The three-parter, which was filmed in Port Talbot, Wales, tells the story of "an ordinary family caught up in an extraordinary chain of events that ripple out from their hometown" and promises to be "ambitious, powerful and surprising".
Making the cast are Steffan Rhodri as well Mali Harries, Sophie Melville, Callum Scott and Maja Laskowska.
MORE: Call the Midwife fans delighted as cast reunite with former star amid filming update
MORE: The Crown season 6 - everything we know about the final series
© BBCBoat Story
Boat Story is a six-part thriller starring Daisy Haggard and Paterson Joseph and it sounds brilliant. The story focuses on Janet (Daisy Haggard) and Samuel (Paterson Joseph) as they "clutch on to a haul of illegal drugs found on a shipwrecked boat," reads the synopsis. "The pair can't believe their luck as they agree to sell it and split the cash. But on their tail is a sharp suited gangster known as 'The Tailor' (Tchéky Karyo)."
© Matt SquireHot Flush
Happy Valley screenwriter Sally Wainwright lends her talents to Hot Flush, a new six-part drama. Following the lives of five women who decide to form a butt-of-the-joke punk-rock band to enter a talent contest, the series takes a turn as they quickly realise they have far more to say.
© BBCAs the friends juggle demanding careers with the pressures of family life, not to mention menopause, the band eventually becomes a catalyst for change. Of course, it wouldn't be a Sally Wainwright story if there weren't some twists and turns along the way. Kitty and Beth, the creative masterminds behind the band, are connected by a long-buried secret that's just dying to come out.
Speaking about her latest project, Sally told the BBC: "I've been wanting to write a series like this for a long time. It's a celebration of women of a certain age, and all the life stuff they suddenly find themselves negotiating/dealing with. The show is also my own personal homage to Rock Follies of '77, and the feisty Little Ladies who woke me up to what I wanted to do with my life when I was 13."
The Jetty
Jenna Coleman in a detective drama? Sign us up! Taking on the role of rookie detective Ember Manning, this four-parter begins with a detrimental fire in a Lancashire lake town. Thrust into a high-stakes mystery, Ember must work out the connection between the fire, a podcast investigation into an old murder case, and an illicit love triangle between a 20-something and two underage girls.
© Olivia LifungulaVirdee
Based on AA Dhand's best-selling crime novels, Sacha Rhadwa stars as Detective Harry Virdee, a Bradford cop who was disowned by his Sikh family, after falling for and marrying a Muslim woman. After a killer begins targeting the Asian community and subsequently kidnaps a local MP's daughter, Virdee decides to team up with his brother-in-law, Riaz, to solve the case. The only catch? Riaz happens to be a drug kingpin, and their alliance might just destroy them both.
© David ReissMORE: Nicola Walker dramas that are a must-watch: Annika, Unforgotten, River & more
READ: 5 Sally Wainwright-penned shows to watch if you love Happy Valley
Better Off Dead?
A hard-hitting documentary, Better Off Dead? is presented by disability rights activist and Silent Witness star Liz Carr. Delving into the topic of assisted dying, Liz chats to
© BBCpeople from all sides of the debate, before travelling to Canada where she learns about the repercussions of some of the most permissive euthanasia laws in the world.
"I'm pro-choice, an atheist, a rights campaigner and assisted suicide scares me," explains Liz. "I want everyone to have a good death and through this documentary, I hope to show why I'm unconvinced that any type of 'assisted dying' is the answer to this."
Black Ops (season two)
The hit comedy thriller Black Ops returns for a second outing. Reprising their roles, Gbemisola Ikumelo and Hammed Animashaun are back as Dom and Kay, respectively. While the exact plot remains under wraps, the BBC has teased a whole new adventure for the duo, and we can't wait to see what's in store.
© BBCUntitled Nicôle Lecky series
Nicôle Lecky, the BAFTA-winning writer of Mood, has penned her second drama series for the BBC. While the project remains nameless, we do know that it focuses on Lorna, a self-made and successful black businesswoman from South London, and her best friend, Juliet, a white woman born into privilege. After their daughters are implicated in a scandal at their private boarding school, Lorna and Juliet are confronted with secrets, lies, and betrayals.
© BBC
