With the chilly weather encouraging us to stay in we’ve got the perfect shows to snuggle up to and keep you entertained.
Soak up some gardening inspiration as The Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show returns for a second year, with daily episodes dropping hot from UK screens in May. This year sees a new range of outstanding garden designs, a celebration of the life of Queen Elizabeth II, plus a focus on edible and water-wise plants.
Stephen Merchant gets to flex his serious acting chops on BritBox South Africa in June, starring as “the Grindr killer” Stephen Port in true-crime drama The Barking Murders, while fans of Shetland won’t want to miss the seventh season, as Douglas Henshall says goodbye to the windswept Scottish islands and his role as iconic detective inspector Jimmy Perez after almost ten years.
And looking ahead to July, young Inspector Morse returns for his final farewell in season nine of Endeavour.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show
New episodes daily: Monday 22 to Friday 26 May 2023
The Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show returns this month with stunning garden designs and breath-taking floral displays. The world’s greatest gardening event will this year commemorate the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who rarely missed her annual visit to RHS Chelsea during her 70-year reign, while also celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III.
A tranquil garden filled with some of the Windsor family’s favourite plants, a life-size topiary display of Queen Elizabeth II’s pony Emma and a display of roses celebrating the Coronation are among royal tributes at this year’s show. Other themes include edible and drought-resistant plants, both popular choices for designers this year, with more than half the perennials in the Show Garden category being heat resilient.
Considered to be the pinnacle of horticultural and floral design, The RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been held for more than a century. It attracts a global crowd every year, and is the destination to see cutting-edge garden designs and draw inspiration for home gardens. A must-see event for gardening enthusiasts, there will be new episodes daily express from the UK and exclusive to BritBox from today, 22 May to Friday 26 May.
The Barking Murders
Limited series from Thursday 1 June
Stephen Merchant (The Office, Extras) gives a chilling central performance in the true-crime drama The Barking Murders, based on the story of serial killer Stephen Port and the investigation that finally brought him to justice. Retelling a heart-rendingly poignant case from the perspective of the victims’ families who fought for justice in the face of persistent police failings, this three-parter looks at the devastating impact Port’s crimes had on the families and friends of his four victims and on the wider gay community in London.
Going beneath the headlines to deliver a new perspective on the story, it reveals missed opportunities by the police to stop Port in the midst of his murderous spree. From the creative team behind Appropriate Adult, currently available on BritBox, The Barking Murders also stars Sheridan Smith (Cilla, Mrs Biggs, Gavin & Stacey), Jamie Winstone (Made In Dagenham, Tomb Raider, Kidulthood) and Rufus Jones (Stan & Ollie, W1A, Episodes). In episode one, when two young men are found dead in London, the police initially blame their deaths on overdoses.
“Quite simply as good as true-crime TV drama gets.” – The Telegraph
Shetland Season 7
From Thursday 15 June
The award-winning murder-mystery Shetland returns for a new six-part series, which sees DI Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall – Outlander, Primeval, In Plain Sight) and his team investigate the mysterious disappearance of a vulnerable young man. Based on the books by acclaimed crime writer Ann Cleeves, this seventh series will be Henshall’s last outing after nearly a decade in the role. Perez’s thrilling final investigation draws him into the secret past of a family new to Shetland, revealing an unimaginable threat to the community.
Set in the picturesque Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland, Shetland regularly welcomes guest stars and the latest season is no exception, with some familiar faces on screen including Shauna MacDonald (The Cry, The Descent), Laurie Brett (Waterloo Road) and Patrick Robinson (Death in Paradise). All six previous seasons are also available to binge on BritBox.
Endeavour Season 9
From Thursday 13 July
After a phenomenally successful decade, the popular period crime drama Endeavour is coming to an end with its ninth season and Shaun Evans will take his final bow as young Endeavour Morse in this prequel to the long-running detective series Inspector Morse. Travel back in time to 1970s Oxford to meet young Morse for a last goodbye and witness the return of some familiar faces as he grapples with new challenges across three two-hour episodes.
Endeavour first aired in 2012 as a single film to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Inspector Morse’s TV debut. It proved such a success that nine seasons followed, seeing the young detective set out to solve tricky cases with the help of colleague Fred Thursday (Roger Allam – Game of Thrones, The Queen, Murder in Provence). In the opening episode of season nine it’s Spring, 1972. Two unexplained deaths seem to lead to the Oxford Concert Orchestra, while a body discovered in a derelict warehouse stokes fears that members of the London criminal underworld have again found their way to Oxford. Thursday and Endeavour’s investigation unearths some unsettling connections to cases the duo believed were well and truly behind them.
All eight previous seasons of Endeavour, plus all eight seasons of Inspector Morse, are also available to binge on BritBox.
“This Inspector Morse prequel – a clever, well-crafted whodunit oozing with period detail – gets better and better. As comforting as cheese on toast.” – The Guardian.
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