50 Cent’s gritty London thriller might be the best TV to binge this August

Save the best till last, they like to say. So maybe it should come as no surprise that some of the best TV of the year has been packed into the final month of summer this August.

To start off, Ted Lasso, the tear-jerking show that made everyone ‘believe’, thanks to Jason Sudeikis’ unwavering optimism, Brett Goldstein’s endearing gruffness and Hannah Waddingham’s scene-stealing moments.

The reviews might be mixed, but there’s been an outpouring of adoration among fans who’ve watched season 4 episode 1. ‘This is the ONLY show on TV that makes us feel good again,’ one wrote, while another said: ‘The writing is still sharp and can’t wait where the story goes.’

Fans of the American drama Power will be ecstatic to tune in for 50 Cent’s latest TV show Fightland, a crime thriller set in London about a boxer who’s released from prison after eight years and is now vying for revenge against the man he believes betrayed him.

Meanwhile, as a longtime fan of Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s work, I’m gripped by the premise of her new Sky supernatural series Possession, which transitions from the present day to a plantation in Jamaica in the 18th century.

As TV Editor at Metro – and someone who spends most of their free time watching and rewatching TV – here are my seven top picks for shows to binge this August.

Ted Lasso

The most heartwarming TV show is back. At least, that’s how plenty of Ted Lasso fans describe the Apple TV series.

Read Metro’s four-star review of Ted Lasso season four here.

The comedy-drama about an American coach managing a British football team originally ended after season 3, but then co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis had an ‘epiphany’ to bring it back with a female football side leading the charge.

This might be the Ted Lasso we know and love, but it’s also not. ‘But football is life?’ Brendan Hunt’s Coach Beard asks one of the footballers, in a callback to Dani Rojas’ iconic catchphrase. ‘No,’ the new football star replies. ‘Life is so much more than football.’ True.

Ted Lasso might have had its dips, but it spreads unbridled joy in a way that few TV shows can master. I don’t know about you, but I need that cheesiness in my life.

Ted Lasso season 4 premiered on Wednesday August 5 on Apple TV, with new episodes being released weekly.

Lanterns

Aaron Pierre has been on a hot streak over the past few years.

Following Netflix’s Rebel Ridge, he voiced Mufasa in the Lion King spin-off movie, before joining the cast of Apple’s hit drama The Morning Show. Now, the 32-year-old is taking one of the world’s most popular superheroes – DC Comics legend John Stewart, aka Green Lantern.

There are some actors who ooze star quality, and Aaron is certainly one of them. He’s suave, talented to boot, and it’s clear that HBO Max’s Lanterns means a great deal to him.

‘If I had the choice to portray any character in the DC Universe, I would still choose John. I would choose John every time,’ he said at San Diego Comic Con. He deserves this, and as a major superhero geek, I can’t wait to see his star shine even more.

Lanterns premieres on Monday August 17 on HBO Max.

Fightland

50 Cent producing a crime drama set in London about a formerly incarcerated boxer vying for revenge and redemption? Sign me up.

What are you most excited to watch this month? Have your say belowComment Now

Fightland follows Maduka ‘Dule’ Kilroy (The Musketeers star Howard Charles), a man who suffers a devastating fall from grace following the death of his brother.

After eight years behind bars, he returns to his hometown to infiltrate the criminal network of kingpin Kingsley Marshall (Nicholas Pinnock), a man who he believes betrayed him.

It has all the ingredients of a tantalisingly gritty thriller, and as a Londoner, I love that my city provides the backdrop for such a compelling piece of television. This is a London that feels real and authentic, sprinkled with some American flair.

According to 50, Fightland is even better than Power, which his fans vow is one of the best TV shows of all time. It’s a bold statement – I hope it’s true.

Fightland premieres on Thursday August 27 on Sky and NOW.

Possession

I’ve followed Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s career avidly ever since her 2013 breakthrough role in Belle, a beautifully moving period piece that remains one of my favourite films of all time.

She moved me to my core in one of the best Black Mirror episodes ever, San Junipero, before taking a villainous turn in Loki opposite Tom Hiddleston.

Gugu now stars in Possession, a supernatural Sky thriller about a lawyer who travels from the UK to Jamaica to settle an inheritance dispute over a former slave plantation.

With the story flitting between the 18th century and present day, the actress told Metro how her character Claudia is a ‘warrior fighting for justice’. If the premise hadn’t already won me over, her passion for this project brought Possession to the top of my to-watch list.

All episodes of Possession are available from Thursday August 6 on Sky and NOW.

Lion

I was born the year that The Lion King came out, the original animated Disney masterpiece. So obviously, my childhood was spent being traumatised by Mufasa’s tragic death.

Lion, a new docu-series coming out on National Geographic, is like a true-life version of Simba’s story – and trust me when I say you’ll be locked in straight away.

The visually stunning show marks a dream collaboration between director Jon Favreau (who directed the ‘live-action’ 2019 live-action Lion King), maestro composer Hans Zimmer and producer Mark Gunton, who’s spent decades as one of Sir David Attenborough’s closest collaborators.

What makes this show even more impressive is that the crew filmed a lion over the course of four years. I couldn’t believe it when I learnt that most male cubs don’t make it past the age of two, so I have a feeling this series is going to blow us all away.

Lion premieres Thursday August 20 on National Geographic, airing in two weekly double bills at 8pm and 9pm. All four episodes stream from August 20 on Disney Plus.

Love Is Blind UK season 3

Love is in the air this summer – and no, it’s not because Love Island recently ended (a show that I used to watch religiously, and no just catch up with via Instagram reels)

No – it’s the superior millennial-targeted dating show that’s finally returning to Netflix this month. Love Is Blind UK, the series where people date in pods without seeing one another, get engaged within a matter of days and then brace the real world to see if they can actually make it long-term as married couples.

Love Is Blind has been going for years now, spawning multiple international versions around the world. But the UK series has been highly praised for its stellar casting, for good reason.

‘UK version is so much better than US. Looks like such a good season,’ one fan commented underneath the trailer on Instagram, while another wrote: ‘LIB UK has better casting, so, fingers crossed 😁.’ Who else feels ready to be swept off their feet?

Love Is Blind UK season 3 premieres on Wednesday August 19 on Netflix.

My Brilliant Career

I knew nothing about My Brilliant Career before Netflix released the trailer for the upcoming period drama – but the first look, and the excitement from fans already familiar with the story, sucked me right in.

The original novel, published in 1901 by Miles Franklin, follows a rebellious teenager called Sybylla Melvyn growing up in the Australian outback. It was adapted into a beloved 1979 film starring Judy Davis and the late Sam Neill, and now Netflix is reviving the story in a six-episode adaptation.

Philippa Northeast seems captivating as the ambitious protagonist, a young woman whose life takes an unexpected turn when she encounters a man called Harry, played by Slow Horses star Christopher Chung.

‘I’ve decided that I need to fully experience the world before I can write about it,’ Sybylla says in the trailer, fighting against the expectation to become a prim and proper lady of society. A woman after my own heart.

My Brilliant Career premieres on Thursday August 13 on Netflix.

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