TV in 2023: The best new and returning shows to watch

Stonehouse

January 2nd, ITV

British politician John Stonehouse was a star of Harold Wilson’s Labour government in the 1960s – until he began selling secrets to the Czechoslovakian government. When his political life and complex finances started to unravel, he did a Reggie Perrin and faked his own death, leaving his clothes on a beach, stealing the identity of one of his dead constituents, and fleeing to Australia to live with his secretary Sheila Buckley. Thespian power couple Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes star in this three-part series retelling the incredible story of how Stonehouse’s house of cards came down.

Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street

January 4th, Netflix

Not quite as catchy a title as the Wolf of Wall Street, this documentary series by film-maker Joe Berlinger tries to unravel the story of Bernie Madoff’s monster $64 billion (€61 billion) Ponzi scheme fraud, interviewing victims, whistleblowers and investigations, and featuring video depositions from Madoff himself.

First Dates Ireland

January 5th, RTÉ2, 9.30pm

The restaurant of romance reopens for a new season of the datin’ and eatin’ show, and the first episode features a double date with bubbly best friends Aisling and Naomi – their dates won’t know what hit them (although actual hitting is of course not allowed). Also hoping to get a taste of romance is 73-year-old Paddy, who plans to use his skills as a musician to woo his date Mary (71). And who better to match motoring enthusiast Sorcha with than professional auto detailer Colm – if the romance stalls, at least her car will look immaculate.

[ 50 films to see in 2023 ]

Page Turners

January 5th, RTÉ One, 10.15pm

Who are the Iron Johns, the Forge, the Tertulia, Fiction & Coffee and the Paper-Hacks? They’re not shadowy organisations out to topple society but are the names of some of the many book clubs that thrive around Ireland. This new series features eight Irish book clubs as they get together to review classic novels and discuss what happens between the covers. Each week, the clubs’ members will give their verdict on a selection of books, and first up are Maeve Binchy’s Circle of Friends, Marian Keyes’s The Break, Louise O’Neill’s IDOL, Shane Carthy’s Dark Blue and Sean O’Driscoll’s biography of Rose Dugdale.

Jacques Nienaber says Leinster got it wrong in three areas against Toulouse

---

‘Parenting and work takes up every minute I have. I’m losing myself’

---

Miriam Lord: No dissenting voices as Dáil rubber-stamps decision to recognise Palestine

---

Dancing with the Stars

January 8th, RTÉ One

RTÉ fulfils its public service remit to cheer everyone up on those dull January days with another glitzy, glamtastic round of Dancing with the Stars, and they’ve surpassed themselves with this year’s guest dancers, which include Eurovision semi-finalist Brooke Scullion, Ireland football legend Stephanie Roche, All-Ireland winning footballer Paul Brogan, fashion maven Suzanne Jackson, Derry Girls star Leah O’Rourke and the queen of Ireland herself, Panti Bliss. And keep those heating bills down by dancing along in your livingroom.

Vikings: Valhalla

January 12th, Netflix

The epic series returns for a second season, and since it’s all filmed in Co Wicklow and bringing lots of work for beardy and flame-haired extras, we’re of course giving it a big thumb-up. Sam Corlett returns as Viking explorer Lief Eriksson, who is now a fugitive following the fall of Kattegat. We’re expecting lots more bone-splintering swordplay action.

Lockwood & Co

January 27th, Netflix

We’ve had Buffy the Vampire Slayer – now here’s Lucy the Ghost Hunter, a teenager with the psychic power necessary to conquer the nasty ghosts who are plaguing the world. It’s Ghostbusters meets Fate: The Winx Saga in this new supernatural series set in a world where ghosts are running rampant, and teenage psychics are suddenly finding themselves in demand by big corporations trying to eradicate this spectral scourge. But young entrepreneur Anthony Lockwood is determined to stay independent, and, with help from his brilliant sidekick George and gifted psychic Lucy, set out into the unknown.

[ Gig guide 2023: Lizzo, Bruce, Shania, Van, Christy, Damo and Sting  ]

Extraordinary

January 25th, Disney+

The superhero space is getting so overcrowded, everyone’s scrambling to find a new twist on the genre, and here’s the elevator pitch for this new UK comedy series written by Emma Moran: imagine everyone in the world had a superpower – except you. In the Extraordinary world, everyone gets a superpower when they turn 18 – except for Jen (Máiréad Tyers), who is about to turn 25 but still unable to either fly, bend time or channel the dead. Can this caterpillar survive in a world of butterflies? Siobhán McSweeney (Sister Michael from Derry Girls) co-stars as Jen’s mum.

You

February 9th, Netflix

Penn Badgley returns as serial stalker/killer Joe Goldberg in the fourth series of You, and this time he has a new country, a new identity and a whole new set of potential victims to cherry pick from. Moving to London and posing as academic “Prof Joe Moore”, our homicidal hero has gathered a new circle of friends – but will his past follow him across the pond?

[ The stage is (almost) set: a selection of theatre highlights coming our way in 2023 ]

The Mandalorian

February, Disney+

The first – and still the best – of the live-action Star Wars spin-offs, The Mandalorian has established itself firmly as a fan favourite, and Baby Yoda aka Grogu is a top meme. In series three Mando (Pedro Pascal) is seeking forgiveness for past transgressions (taking off his helmet – gasp), while rumour has it that Grogu is learning the way of the Jedi from the best teacher in the galaxy – Luke Skywalker.

Shadow and Bone

March 16th, Netflix

Fans of Leigh Bardugo’s fantasy novels will be dying to return to the Grishaverse as the second season of the epic adventure begins. Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) is still battling the Shadow Fold, but she’s now on the run as General Kirigan returns with a new army of shadow monsters in tow. Alina sets off on a quest across the continent to find the two mythical creatures who can turn the tide in her favour.

Best Interests

TBC, BBC

Michael Sheen and Sharon Horgan star as parents who face an agonising choice when their daughter Marnie is diagnosed with a terminal condition, in this new drama by Jack Thorne. Marnie is not expected to survive, and the couple have been advised to allow her to die, but they’re not ready to give up hope just yet, and so begins a legal and emotional battle that threatens to tear the family apart.

[ Books to look forward to in 2023 ]

Love in The Country

Late spring, RTÉ

Fancy a rural life without the stresses of city living? Here’s a dating show a difference, featuring real people from down the country, who are looking for love to come to them, because they’re just a bit busy with all the calving, harvesting and running their local businesses. Seven hopefuls are taking part, including farmer Andy, pharmacist Rob, cafe owner Edwina, publican Fiona and veterinary nursing student Alanagh, and they’ll be meeting prospective partners – and might even consider a city slicker like yourself. It’s like Love Island, but with Barbour jackets instead of bikinis.

The Gentlemen

Netflix

Guy Ritchie directed the 2020 movie starring Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant, and now he’s directing the series based on the movie, and the cast will feature Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson and Peter Serafinowicz. But we’re excited about the return of Ritchie’s old mucker Vinnie Jones, who we have no doubt is still tough as nails.

The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power

Prime Video

Prime Video’s sprawling, messy Tolkien adaptation goes into its second season with additional cast members, just to add to the already confusing swirl of characters from season one. Now we know who Sauron is, and who the tall, beardy grey fella is, maybe season two will settle into a more cohesive narrative, but we’ll still have to put up with those feckin’ Harfoots and their cod-Irish accents.

Succession

Sky Atlantic & Now

The Emmy-winning drama series has shown no signs of flagging or losing its deliciously decadent appeal, but will season four keep up the high standard of high-stakes boardroom battles? The season opens as the sale of media conglomerate Waystar Royco moves to its inevitable conclusion, but the Roy siblings are not willing to let go of their grip on power just yet, so they form a “rebel alliance” to try to win back control of their empire.

Secret Invasion

Disney+

Samuel L Jackson steps up to the plate for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest series, stepping back into the long overcoat of S.H.I.E.L.D agent Nick Fury to do battle with Skrull leader Talos, who is leading an army of shape-shifters in a new takeover bid. Can Fury stop this invasion single-handedly and, more importantly, can he prevent the inevitable MCU fatigue from setting in after a gazillion movies and series? Jackson is joined by an all-star cast including Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Olivia Colman, Don Cheadle, Martin Freeman, Emilia Clarke and Dermot Mulroney.

Django

Sky Atlantic & Now

Matthias Schoenaerts stars in the title role of this new Wild West series, but it’s nothing to do with Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. This one is based on a feature film by Sergio Corbucci, and finds the titular Django arriving in New Babylon, a city of outcasts, in search of his lost daughter Sarah. What he finds there will shake his beliefs to the core.

A Town Called Malice

Sky Max & Now

This crime thriller series is set in Spain’s Costa del Sol in the 1980s, and on the menu is sun, sea, sex, shooting, stabbing, strangling, all to a classic synth-pop and hair metal soundtrack. The Lord family are prominent South London gangsters, but business has gone a bit pear-shaped and, following a gangland war, the family have to flee to the Costa del Sol to try to reinvent themselves. Jason Flemyng, Jack Rowan, Tahirah Sharif, Martha Plimpton and Dougray Scott are among the cast.

The Lovers

Sky Atlantic & Now

Roisin Gallagher and Johnny Flynn star in this “sexy, funny, fighty” love story set in Belfast. Janet is a supermarket worker with a potty mouth and a f**k-you attitude; Séamus is a successful broadcaster who seems to have it all. When they are accidentally thrown together, sparks – and insults – fly, but underneath the mutual hostility is a strange attraction, and soon they’re unable – or unwilling – to escape each other’s orbit.

The Consultant

Prime Video

Christoph Waltz stars in a toxic workplace comedy-drama where not only your job but your very life is at stake. Gaming company CompWare wants to boost its business, so they hire a new consultant, the creepy, bow-tied Regus Patoff, to knock the business into shape. It’s not long before Patoff appears to be running the company, and it’s becoming more like a not-so-benign dictatorship, with employees in fear of being fired – or worse, being literally terminated.