Autumn TV, detective dramas, Saoirse Ronan and everything else to watch this week

This week, Kayleigh Dray dishes up three new titles to sink your teeth into, pays tribute to the best new film on Netflix and offers up her all-important autumn TV recommendations…

Ludwig

When his identical twin brother, James, disappears without a trace, it's up to John 'Ludwig' Taylor (David Mitchell) to track him down. What better way to do so, then, than by assuming his brother's identity and taking over his role as a highly respected DCI within Cambridge's busy Major Investigations Teams? Brilliant 'case-of-the-week' crime comedy-drama with Anna Maxwell Martin. 9pm, Wednesday 25 September; BBC One

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Grotesquerie

Another day, another detective drama – although this one's helmed by Ryan Murphy and (as you've likely guessed from the title) is also a deeply unsettling horror. Starring Niecy Nash-Betts and Micaela Diamond, it tells the story of a troubled detective joining forces with an equally troubled nun in a bid to unmask the serial killer that's been terrorising their community. Will they be able to do so before they find themselves ensnared in a sinister web? Thursday 26 September; Disney+

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The Outrun

In what is being described by many critics as her most incredible performance to date, Saoirse Ronan stars as Rona, a young addict who's sick and tired of living life on the edge in London. Cue her heading north to the wild beauty of Scotland's Orkney Islands where she grew up, hoping against hope that it might just prove the healing balm she so desperately needs. Friday 27 September; UK cinemas

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... 5 brilliant autumn TV swaps to try this season if you've already watched all your favourites

"There are some TV shows that are just synonymous with autumn – or fall, if you want to get all Lorelai Gilmore about it," says Kayleigh. "Still, sometimes it's good to branch out and try something different, which is why I've come up with a list of autumnal TV swaps to try this season of mist and mellow fruitfulness."

LOVE GILMORE GIRLS? TRY HART OF DIXIE
Gilmore Girls might be timeless comfort food, but Hart Of Dixie is the televisual equivalent of a steaming pumpkin spice latte. Starring Rachel Bilson as Dr Zoe Hart, it sees her head to Bluebell, Alabama after failing to secure a fellowship in New York because of her poor bedside manner. Cue all the smalltown hijinks we know and love within the romcom genre – such as love triangles, long-lost relatives, and the well-worn trope of a big city gal at odds with the hunky locals. Watch now on ITVX

LOVE FRASIER? TRY SHRINKING
Oh sure, you could get stuck into the sophomore season of the new Frasier reboot over on Paramount+, but why not try your luck with another messy psychiatrist? Starring Jason Segel, Jessica Williams and Harrison Ford, Shrinking follows grieving therapist Jimmy, who has well and truly fallen off the rails since losing his wife. In a last-ditch attempt to transform his life for the better, he breaks the cardinal rule of his profession; instead of listening to his clients and helping them solve their own problems, he becomes drastically involved in all of their lives and tells them exactly what he thinks. Warm, witty, wonderful stuff. Watch now on Apple TV+

LOVE SCHITT'S CREEK? TRY WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
I know what you're thinking, but hear me out! While Schitt's Creek might not share too many similarities with What We Do In The Shadows on paper, both deliver laughs aplenty as they spin stories about a family of wealthy misfits coming to terms with life in a place that's incredibly strange to them. The vampire mockumentary features less wigs and Catherine O'Hara, sure, but it more than makes up for it with its larger-than-life characters and their attempts to get to grips with everything from 'curse-laden' chain emails and local elections to the need to feed off the blood of the living without drawing the attention of the NYPD. Watch now on Disney+

LOVE ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING? TRY THE AFTERPARTY
If Only Murders In The Building has whet your appetite for an intriguing whodunnit without the gory details, genre-bending anthology series The Afterparty will be right up your street. Each of its two seasons focuses on one night told via very different perspectives – leaving it up to our beloved Dr Danner (Tiffany Haddish) to unveil the truth behind each murder most foul. Watch now on Apple TV+

LOVE DOWNTON ABBEY? TRY CHARITÉ
Nothing screams 'autumn' quite like a sumptuous period drama, which is likely why so many of us go crawling back to Downton Abbey as soon as the temperature dips each year. If you want to save your big rewatch for when the third film is released in 2025, though, give Charité a go instead. Set during 1888 and 1943 at the prestigious Charité hospital in Berlin, it features characters based on real-life doctors who worked there during the era – which means we get everything from tales of vaccine breakthroughs and euthanasia programs to messy personal stories and romances. Watch now on Netflix

In partnership with Mubi

The Substance: Demi Moore delivers in this year's most buzzworthy horror flick

Unless you've been living under a rock, you will have noticed that horror movies are having a moment. From trailblazing studios and revamped franchises to breakthrough indie hits, the new generation of horror films features slick, elevated works of art that challenge perceptions while also keeping us on the edge of our seats.

This is why we're absolutely buzzing for this year's most anticipated horror flick, The Substance: a brilliantly funny yet clever cautionary tale about the toxicity of fame, unattainable beauty standards and the obsession with eternal youth. Directed by Coralie Fargeat (Revenge) and starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, this stylish body horror received a 10-minute standing ovation at Cannes and promises to be one of the year's must-see movies. From Demi Moore's career-defining performance (hello awards season) to the absolutely outrageous finale (just when you think it couldn't get any more gonzo, it then multiplies the madness by 10), The Substance is the perfect movie to watch on the big screen with mates – even if it's just to find out who's the most squeamish in your tribe. Book now, if you dare…

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14 tense and gripping thrillers (where no women get killed)

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His Three Daughters

"I might pile marshmallows into sugary hot chocolates like there's no tomorrow, but, when it comes to onscreen familial dramas, I prefer to take mine as bittersweet as they come," says Kayleigh. "You'd best believe, then, that I greedily fell upon His Three Daughters when it quietly arrived on Netflix earlier this week. Starring Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen and Carrie Coon, this one is all about three estranged sisters – each embodying a distinct sibling archetype – coming together when they learn that their ailing father has just days to live. While living in his cramped NYC apartment, though, it's not long before the three women find themselves over obituaries, bags of apples, marijuana and the Grateful Dead (obviously).

"Honestly, there's a lot to love about this one – not least of all Lyonne's mesmerising performance. It's poignant, it's painful, it's hilarious and it's easily one of Hollywood's most realistic portrayals of sisterhood. How dynamics shift and change with age. How anticipatory grief can, if we're not careful, tear families apart. How loss, while a deeply personal experience, doesn't have to be lonely, so long as we reach out in the dark and grab for the hands of those beside us. As you've likely surmised, this one has left me feeling more than a little esoteric. Hurry up and watch this funny and thoughtful film, then, so I have someone to talk to about it for hours on end…" Watch now on Netflix