“Unmissable TV”: 9 binge-worthy dramas to watch on ITV, the BBC, Netflix and more this July

If you’re planning an imminent escape abroad, we should warn you, there’s a summer of unmissable TV in store that might just make you rethink your plans. July has a whole host of great shows on the cards – and who needs a holiday when you’ve got heaps of binge-worthy dramas to watch, anyway?

From Keeley Hawes’ new spy thriller, The Assassin, to the return of ITV’s beloved police drama, Karen Pirie, we’ve rounded up 9 must-see shows that are worth every minute of your time this July. So, grab the remote and enjoy our pick of the very best shows coming to a screen near you...

Bookish

Combining stars of Line of Duty and Sherlock, this cosy crime drama introduces us to 1940s bookshop owner Gabriel Book (played by creator Mark Gatiss) who solves crimes on the side - and it's no ordinary whodunnit period piece. You see, Gabriel also has a secret: he's gay at a time when homosexuality is illegal in England, and he’s in a “lavender” marriage of convenience with his best friend, Trottie Book (Polly Walker). UKTV's Head of Drama, Helen Perry, has said the detective thriller “is sure to enthrall audiences” – here’s hoping. Arriving on U&Alibi on Wednesday 16^th July.

Smoke

One for crime drama fans, Apple TV+’s new detective series is created and written by US crime novelist Dennis Lehane (Shutter Island, Gone Baby Gone) and is inspired by true events. The nine-episode drama follows two investigators, enigmatic arson expert Dave Gudsen (Taron Egerton), and haunted detective Michelle Calderone (Jurnee Smollett), who are on the trail of two serial arsonists. Their race to stop them ignites a twisted game of secrets and suspicions that will keep you on your toes until the very end. Rafe Spall also stars. Available to watch on Apple TV+ now.

Untamed

A gripping new murder mystery we can binge in one go? Sign us up immediately. In Untamed, we meet Kyle Turner (Eric Bana), a special agent in an elite branch of the National Parks Service who works to enforce human law in nature’s vast wilderness. When a brutal murder takes place on the grounds of Yosemite National Park, Kyle finds himself on a hunt to find the killer - and it seems the case has deep, unsettling connections not only to the national park he works in, but to his own past, too. Arriving on Netflix on Thursday 17^th July.

Karen Pirie

The first series was called "the best police drama this year" when it aired in 2022 and now ITV’s surprise hit crime drama is making a return. Adapted from Val McDermid’s hugely popular cold case novels, the new series will reunite us with the titular Scottish investigator (played by Lauren Lyle) and see Karen delving into the kidnapping of heiress Catriona Grant (Julia Brown) and her young son. But can she get to the bottom of a crime that took place more than 30 years ago? Arriving on ITV and ITVX this July.

The Assassin

If you loved Killing Eve, this new Prime Video series is one to add to your watch list immediately. The six-part series, penned by award-winning writers and producers Harry and Jack Williams (Tourist, Fleabag), follows retired assassin Julie (Keeley Hawes), who is secluded on a remote Greek island and faces a thorny reunion with her estranged son, Edward (Freddie Highmore). Things take a deadly turn, however, when Julie’s dangerous past catches up with her and the pair are forced to flee the island and go on the run together. Arriving on Prime Video towards the end of July.

Too Much

Girls creator Lena Dunham’s newest TV drama is described as a “rom-com for the disillusioned” and revolves around workaholic Jessica (Megan Stalter), who moves from New York to London after a devastating break up. Her plan? To live a solitary life like the Brontë sisters, but everything changes when she meets Felix and their impossible-to-ignore connection creates more problems than it fixes. With an all-star cast including Andrew Scott, Kit Harington, Jennifer Saunders and Richard E. Grant, something tells us it’s going to be excellent viewing. Arriving on Netflix on Thursday 10^th July.

The Couple Next Door

The first series of Channel 4’s deliciously dark psychological thriller saw a couple move to a new neighbourhood to start a family, only to find themselves tangled up in a complex web of desire and betrayal with their new neighbours. Series 2 will introduce us to an all-new couple, heart surgeon Charlotte (The Split’s Annabel Scholey) and consultant anaesthetist Jacob (Sam Palladio) who move into the infamous cul-de-sac and meet Mia (Aggy K Adams) – and let’s just say it isn’t long before Mia works her way into their lives. Series 2 is arriving on Channel 4 this July.

Sight Unseen

This gripping Canadian crime drama follows Tess Avery, a top Homicide detective who’s forced to quit the job she loves after she nearly gets her partner killed and is diagnosed as clinically blind. Unable to let the cases she left behind go, she decides to investigate from the outside with eye guide Sunny Patel, who acts as her eyes. Sunny also happens to be an agoraphobe who lives 3,000 miles away and only leaves her apartment through the eyes of her clients. A surprisingly original crime series with plenty of thrills. Arriving on Paramount+ on Thursday 3^rdJuly.

Such Brave Girls

The BBC’s darkly hilarious drama follows Josie (Kat Sadler), her sister Billie (Lizzie Davidson) and their single mum Deb (Louise Brealey) – a dysfunctional family trying to do life and keep their heads above water financially. Living in a cramped, crumbling, debt-ridden home, series 2 will see them navigate new relationships, some old ones that just won’t go away – and there are plenty more disasters in store for the relentlessly tragic family. If you’re a Sharon Horgan or Julia Davis fan, we think you’ll like this a lot. Arriving on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this July.