10 amazing new TV shows set for cult status

Future TV classics revealed!

VIEW EMAIL ONLINE    |    FORWARD TO A FRIEND

This week, we've joined a cult We had a big surprise this week, when a certain Alan Partridge added us on LinkedIn. He wanted to let us know that his new podcast, From The Oasthouse, is available on Audible now - and, well, seeing as that was the most Partridge way of announcing something ever, we just had to add it to our best comedy podcasts list. It has been a week of new releases. Mulan is now available to watch on Disney Plus, if you don’t mind shelling out nearly £20 for the movie, and we got our latest glimpse of No Time To Die, thanks to an explosive new trailer. Disney also revealed the release day for The Mandalorian Season 2 and Nintendo announced what might be the most exciting physical videogame hybrid since the gun you got with Duck Hunt. It’s real-life remote controlled Mario Karts that can be controlled by the Nintendo Switch. We finished the week, updating our real ale and American beer guides - and got a little peckish as a result, so just had to make a beer snacks list to go alongside them. We also took advantage of this fantastic offer from Amazon, and grabbed ourselves a 3rd Gen Echo Dot for just 99p. Now, if you have been on the site recently, you know we are big fans of The Boys - a show destined for cult status, with its second season now streaming. But it's not the only show we think is destined for a big following...

10 new TV shows destined for cult status by Marc Chacksfield

Any pub bore the world over can tell you the cult TV shows you should have watched by now. ‘You haven’t seen Twin Peaks?’ they cry. ‘You've never watched Deadwood?’ they scoff, trying and failing to remember choice quotes from the shows to shame you even more.  Well, now is the time to get ahead of them, as we evangelise about the TV shows recently released, or about to grace your screens, that are destined to become cult favourites. These shows have that little something extra that tells us they're going to be talked about for years to come. The reason for this list is the second season of The Boys, which is ready and waiting for you to stream on Prime Video right now. This is exactly the sort of show that is a cu(l)t above the rest: it’s packed with humour, violence and an incredible Karl Urban, with one heck of an accent. Here’s why we love the show, plus nine others you should definitely put on your watchlist.

1   The Boys   Now into its second season, The Boys is a refreshing antidote to the glut of superhero movies and shows around right now. Yes, it’s also another superhero show but it plays on the premise of: what if those with superpowers weren’t good people and abused the powers they had? Lucky Billy Butcher (a mesmerising Karl Urban) is around with his crew of vigilantes to keep them in check, which often involves extreme violence and a whole bunch of swears. The show is based on a comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson and the book’s cult following seems to have followed it onto the small screen.   Watch The Boys on Prime Video

2   Two Weeks To Live   This is exactly the sort of thing that we hoped Maisie Williams would do after Game of Thrones, to rid herself of the fantasy typecast. Taking its cues from the likes of Killing Eve and End Of the F***king World, the show is based on Kim (Williams), a doomsday prepper who has been living in near isolation in Scotland with her mother. She decides to flee and see what she can of the world, while looking to take revenge on the person who killed her dad. Along the way she meets two brothers, one of which fakes a story that there will be a nuclear apocalypse in two weeks’ time. Kim believes it and is well prepared for the impending doom.  Funny, quirky and blessed with a fantastic central performance, there is a lot to like in Two Weeks To Live.   Watch Two Weeks To Live on NOW TV

3   Ratched   Based on the characters of Ken Kessy’s seminal novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Ratched centres on the monstrous Nurse Ratched that terrorised Randle McMurphy and the like in the book and film. This is an origin story of the nurse, so don’t go expecting a Jack Nicholson-styled cameo but the trailer is Twin Peaks-esque in its look. Sarah Poulson stars as Nurse Ratched and looks perfect for the part. We have high hopes for this one when it’s released on Netflix 18 September. Watch the Ratched trailer now

4   Utopia   We are torn about the US version of Utopia, because (pub bore mode on) you really need to watch the original UK show, which is just fantastic. But this version of Utopia couldn’t have arrived at a better time, given the premise is about a comic book that seemingly predicts a pandemic that’s set to shut the world down. From what we’ve seen, the US version looks to have made some interesting updates - including a new character that’s played by John Cusack - and it’s got the steady hand of Gone Girl’s Gillian Flynn making sure things don’t go awry. All episodes will be available on Prime Video from 25 September. Watch the Utopia trailer now

5   Away   Another new Netflix show, Away is at first understated but it does a lot to ground the idea of space travel - in this case a mission to Mars - by trying to offer a realistic version of what a manned mission to Mars would do to the people on board the spaceship and those who are left behind. Hilary Swank stars in this slow burner that we think will gain a decent following.   Stream Away on Netflix now

6   Lovecraft Country   Lovecraft Country is already a stone-cold cult classic in our eyes. It takes the monsters from HP Lovecraft’s mind, subverts the racism the author was known for, and pours this mixture into a racially charged '50s America. The result is a stunning show that is as good at showcasing strange monsters as it is at twisting and turning so you don’t quite know what you get from episode to episode.   Watch Lovecraft Country on NOW TV now

7   The Third Day   The man behind Utopia (Dennis Kelly) is back with another high-concept sci-fi thriller that is split right down the middle. It’s about two people who separately visit a mysterious Island. The first three episodes are titled Summer and star Jude Law, the following three star Naomie Harris and are called Winter, and they both have serious Wicker Man vibes. The kicker is that during their first TV airing (on September 18th) there is also meant to be a live event called Autumn. It sounds like it’s going to be something of a bastard to pull off, but we love the fact Kelly is playing with TV tropes and conventions with this one. Watch The Third Day trailer now

8   Welcome To The Blumhouse   We bloody love what Blumhouse Productions has done for horror in the last decade or so. It’s taken on low-budget movies but made them way better - and scarier - than they have any right to be. Now it’s trying its hand at an anthology of four movies, each one as unsettling as the last. The first trailer is out and it looks like one hell of a freaky ride - which you'll be able to watch beginning October.   Watch the Welcome To Blumhouse trailer now

9   Raised By Wolves     No, not the Caitlin Moran sitcom but a huge slab of TV sci-fi from the king of the genre, Ridley Scott. The premise is a cracker: Earth is no longer around, but civilisation is thriving on another planet where androids are put in charge of raising children. This is something that’s obviously going to go perfectly with no hiccups at all. Scott directs the first two episodes and produces the rest of the show, while Niamh Algar stars - one of the very best actresses of the moment who absolutely floored us in The Virtues.  Watch the Raised By Wolves trailer now

10   The Haunting of Bly Manor     When it comes to modern horror, Mike Flanagan can do no wrong. He’s managed to make decent movies out of two seemingly unfilmable Stephen King books (Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep) and made the frankly terrifying Haunting of Hill House. He’s back with the TV scares, thanks to The Haunting of Bly Manor which takes its cues from a number of Henry James’ ghost stories. The result, we guarantee, will be cult viewing at its finest when it’s released October 9.  Watch The Haunting of Bly Manor trailer

And there's more….

TV   The best Amazon Prime Series

TV   Discover the best Netflix TV series

TV   Best cult movies on Netflix: classic cult films revealed

HOME     ENTERTAINMENT     STYLE     TECH     FOOD + DRINK

This email is from The Stylist Group Ltd whose registered office is at 185 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2HS, registered number 06246263. You have received this email because you have previously provided us with your email address and subscribed to the Mr Hyde email newsletter. If you no longer wish to receive any further communications from us please click the unsubscribe link below. WEBSITE TERMS & CONDITIONS | PRIVACY POLICY | COOKIE POLICY © The Stylist Group Ltd UNSUBSCRIBE