What to watch this autumn, as per the IMAGE staffers

Sarah Finnan, Deputy Digital Editor

I’m very late to board the Daisy Jones and the Six bandwagon but having just finished the series, I absolutely get the hype. The music, the costumes, the love triangle – it had me hooked from start to finish and I’ve been listening to the soundtrack on Spotify for weeks now.

Other shows I have on the go include Love is Blind (don’t judge me), the new Wes Anderson-directed Roal Dahl series on Netflix (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is my favourite so far) and of course the Coleen Rooney documentary on Disney+.

Based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s beloved novel of the same name Daisy Jones and the Six is a nine time Emmy Award nominee—including Outstanding Limited Series—that has stolen the hearts of many. In 1977, the band were on top of the world, having risen from obscurity to fame, and then, after a sold-out show at Chicago’s Soldier Field, they called it quits; now, decades later, the band members agree to reveal the truth.

Sophie Power, Marketing & Memberships Director

Just finished the final season of Top Boy, such a gripping and gritty series. Absolutely loved the cliffhanger whodunnit ending and wish there was more to come! Like everyone else on the planet I flew through the Beckham documentary and I am loving having my guiltiest pleasure, Kardashians, back. Next up will be The Real Wagatha Story and the new season of RHOBH — pure escapism.

Top Boy is a drama that takes viewers into the housing estates of east London, exploring the tension that exists between the drug gangs that operate almost openly and those who strive to live honest lives against the odds in the crime-riddled area. The programme combines elements of a tense gangster thriller with subtle social realism, some tenderness, innocence and wry humour.

Marlene Wessels, Art Director

We recently watched Caliphate, which is based on the real-life case of the Bethnal Green trio, in which three teenage girls from London met jihad recruiters at their school in February 2015. With a teenager in the house, it was quite frightening to watch and it also gave me a glimpse into a world I know nothing about.

The eight-part 2020 series is streaming on Netflix, and centres around an impending ISIS attack on Sweden as it entangles a group of women, including a mother in a bind, a spirited student, and an ambitious cop. A Swedish thriller/drama grabs your attention immediately, leaving you unable to look away.

The plot explores and revolves around themes such as Islamic extremism, terrorism, tensions within Islam and among Muslims, women’s rights, and human rights.

Emily O’Neill, Branded Partnerships – Marketing Account Executive

For me, autumn/winter is Gilmore Girls season. I am hooked on rewatching every single season! It is the perfect show to sit down and watch during the colder evenings.

The Netflix description for the iconic series reads: ‘Fiercely independent single mom Lorelai raises gifted, Ivy League-bound daughter Rory amid a continual stream of quick-witted repartee.’ Now, anyone who has spent countless evenings watching and rewatching all 153 episodes will tell you that that only just about scratches the surface.

Gorgeously low stakes and exceedingly wholesome, popping on a couple of episodes while you unwind in front of the fireplace is an annual autumn tradition in the homes of many, so do yourself a favour and get invovled.

Shayna Sappington, Senior Branded Content Writer

Watching – I’ve recently been glued to Mike Flanagan’s (creator of The Haunting of Hill House) new series – The Fall of the House of Usher. It’s incredibly riveting – the story follows an esteemed billionaire and owner of a pharmaceutical company, whose children and heirs have each died from tragic “accidents” within days of each other. Think Succession, meets Dopesick, meets horror flick.

Siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built a pharmaceutical company into an empire of wealth, privilege and power; however, secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying. The Fall of the House of Usher is an ideal spooky season watch for those of us who love drama, suspense and intrigue, and who don’t mind a little bit of gore in good measure.

The series stars Bruce Greenwood (Double Jeopardy), Carla Gugino (Spy Kids), and former TikTokker and Wexford woman, Ruth Codd (The Midnight Club).

Sarah Gill, Staff Writer

Lately I’ve been stuck in a YouTube vortex, spinning through video essays, podcasts, vlogs, and The Hollywood Reporter actress roundtables long into the evenings. This is probably, depressingly, a symptom of my waning attention span, but that’s a story for another day. I may be late to The Morning Show game, but when I saw that a third whole season was being released, I knew I had to get started.

 

If you don’t know, it’s a drama starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon as co-anchors on a daytime news programme, and it gets into the nitty gritty of the behind-the-scenes politics of the industry. The first season begins with Anniston’s long-time on-air partner—played by Steve Carell—being fired amid a sexual misconduct scandal. Unfortunately, the Covid does make an appearance in the second season, and while they dealt with it well, it lost a bit of momentum in the process. Stick with it though, because the latest instalment is back and better than ever.

The Morning Show examines the characters and culture behind a network broadcast morning news program. Aspects of the #MeToo movement are examined from multiple perspectives, as more information comes out regarding sexual misconduct, as well as themes of racial bias and inequity, control, and identity.

Emily Farrell, Social Media Manager

I don’t know what has taken me so long to start watching After Life, but it’s the best show I’ve watched in a long time. It’s funny, moving, poignant and thought provoking, and I’m already dreading the day I finish the series! I also finished Hijack on AppleTV a couple of weeks ago – highly recommend!

Currently streaming on Netflix, Ricky Gervais’ After Life is a dark comedy that’s filled with complete and utter gut punches of raw emotion. Written and directed by the Golden Globe winner himself, Gervais also plays the starring role of Tony, a man who had a perfect life, right up until his wife Lisa died.

After that tragic event, the formerly nice guy changed. After contemplating taking his life, Tony decides he would rather live long enough to punish the world by saying and doing whatever he likes. He thinks of it as a superpower —not caring about himself or anybody else—but it ends up being trickier than he envisioned when his friends and family try to save the nice guy that they used to know.

Holly O’Neill, Editor of IMAGE.ie and Beauty Editor at IMAGE Media

I’m rewatching The Crown in anticipation of the final season coming to Netflix on November 16, which will delve into much more recent events and see me spend the next few weeks as I have done for every season – trying to source Diana’s sweatshirts online and debating if I could pull off her feathery pixie cut. If you haven’t watched yet, now is your chance to catch up before it ends… (sobs)

The Crown is a fictionalised retelling of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign. The final season comes in two parts, with four episodes on November 16 and the final six on December 14. The first four episodes sees the relationship between Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed blossoming, before a fateful car journey has devastating consequences that sends shockwaves through the royal family.

Featured photography by Netflix.