7 “outstanding” TV shows to watch this week

Are you struggling to find your next watch? Often TV schedules can be overwhelming, so we’ve worked our way through them to find you the best options. Your next source of entertainment (and distraction from the sweltering heatwave) awaits! Here’s a hand-picked selection of the most outstanding TV shows to watch this week.

From the arrival of a serial-killer drama that’s like Killing Eve but darker to a nostalgic period drama to England’s World Cup quarter-final game against Norway, we have something for whatever mood you’re in. So, remotes at the ready – these are the seven best shows to watch this week on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.

Lie With Me

Channel 5

If you want a jolt of excitement to start off your week, Channel 5 has the perfect option. Lie With Me takes us to Melbourne, where married couple Anna (Charlie Brooks) and Jake (Brett Tucker) have just moved with their children in a last-ditch attempt to save their marriage after Jake’s infidelity. Anna decides to restart her career, so hires a new nanny Becky (Phoebe Roberts) to help with the childcare. However, the down-under dream soon turns nightmarish, with plenty of sex, lies and manipulation. Lie With Me premieres on Channel 5 on Monday 6 July at 9pm, with the following episodes following nightly.

England Vs Norway World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final

Julian Finney – FIFA

It might actually be coming home… If, like us, you’ve barely recovered from the excitement (or tiredness) of England’s 2am 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on 6 July and still have a raging case of World Cup fever, we’ve got you covered. Harry Kane and his squad will take on Norway in the World Cup 2026 quarter-final this weekend at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami – thankfully at a more sociable hour. Kick-off is on Saturday 11 July at 10pm (5pm local time) and you can stream all the action live on ITV1 and ITVX.

Little House On The Prairie

Netflix

Adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s much-beloved, semi-autobiographical books, Netflix is bringing us a heart-warming dose of nostalgia with its reimagining of Little House On The Prairie. Over five decades after the classic series first aired, Laura Ingalls (Alice Halsey) and her family are returning to our screens as they face the hardship of life on the Western frontier in the 1800s – fever, wolves and fire are just a few of their woes. But as well as their struggles, this version promises to show the perspective of the Osage people – the indigenous community who lived on the land before settlers arrived. Little House On The Prairie will premiere on Netflix on Thursday 9 July.

Dark Winds

Michael Moriatis/AMC

The captivating early 1970s-set Western noir Dark Winds is back for season 4. The Navajo crime-fighting trio of Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon), Sergeant Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) and Sergeant Bernadette ‘Bern’ Manuelito (Jessica Matten) are back to crack the mysteries that plague the arid desert region of the southwestern US. After a dramatic Season 3 finale that saw Joe’s wife, Emma (Deanna Allison), leave, Joe’s determined to retire from the job to try to win her back – that is, after he solves one last case of a missing Native runaway. The investigation takes the trio all the way to Los Angeles, where they find the girl could be in grave danger. Series 4 of Dark Winds is available to watch now on Netflix.

The Dark

Mark Mainz

Up next, we have a six-part serial-killer drama offering a darker take on the genre than Killing Eve, without the irresistible charm of Jodie Comer’s killer, Villanelle. The new six-part series, The Dark, introduces us to DI Monica Kennedy (Laura Donnelly from The Nevers) and her new partner DC Connor Crawford (Mark Rowley), investigating after the body of a young man is discovered staged in the Scottish wilderness. And so begins a cat-and-mouse chase to catch the killer within the close-knit community – but will Monica be able to stop the killer, or will she allow her own resurfaced history to cloud her judgment? The Dark premiers on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 12 July, with the second episode landing the following day.

Black Snow

BBC

This six-part series, which first aired in Australia in 2023, introduces us to Detective James Cormack (Travis Fimmel), who has a knack for solving dark cases. The first series kicks off as a smalltown Australian high school holds a ceremony to open a time capsule buried 20 years earlier, shortly after the murder of a girl called Isabelle, which devastated her South Sea Islander community. Upon opening the capsule, the family and police find cryptic messages in Isabelle’s note, leading to them reopening the case. The second series revolves around the missing persons case of a girl called Zoe Jacobs, and an informal investigation of Detective James’s own missing brother. All episodes of Black Snow are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

It’s Not Like That

Courtesy of Prime

For a feelgood viewing experience, It’s Not Like That follows Malcolm (Scott Foley), a pastor who’s a recently widowed dad of three, and Lori (Erinn Hayes), a newly divorced mum of two teens. Having been used to doing everything together as a family, the pair are now grappling with their new realities as they try to build a life after loss. As they rely on each other for support, the lines between romance and friendship become blurred… You can watch all episodes of It’s Not Like That on Prime Video now.