What did you do this summer? Sit on a beach in the Caribbean? Endure the changeable weather in a British seaside resort? Climb the Alps? Whatever it was, when you were doing it, you missed some great TV. Let’s face it, even if you stayed at home the whole time and had plenty of evenings in watching telly, you probably struggled to keep up with the avalanche of top-notch shows that came along week after week.

But never fear! There’s always the chance to catch up, and we’ve taken the hard work out of scrolling through the streaming and on demand menus by picking the 10 essential shows that launched between July and September. You won’t want to miss any of these, so dive in.

Nobody Wants This

Find it in Apps > Netflix now

What it is: Cynical podcaster Joanne (Kristen Bell) and newly single rabbi Noah (Adam Brody) hit it off and must navigate the choppy waters of their unorthodox relationship.
 

Number of episodes: 10 x 22-31 minutes

Why you should stream it: Creator Erin Foster, who based the series on her own experiences, did the world a huge favour when she brought together the stars of much-loved 2000s shows Veronica Mars and The OC for this smart, grounded romantic comedy. Not only are Bell and Brody hugely likeable individually, they have terrific chemistry together – and they bounce well off the rest of the excellent cast too, including Justine Lupe (Succession), Timothy Simons (Veep) and Jackie Tohn (GLOW). 

Brody in particular got a lot of attention, and the writers cleverly gave him the in-show nickname Hot Rabbi, which quickly spread around the internet. But the best thing about this show is the way it’s not reliant on contrivances, wacky misunderstandings or characters doing bafflingly stupid things to drive the plot, which is where so many romcoms fall down. No wonder it was an instant hit for Netflix, which has already commissioned a second season.

Ludwig

Find it in Apps > BBC iPlayer now

What it is: When a police detective goes missing, his identical twin, a crossword expert known as Ludwig (David Mitchell), assumes his identity and attempts to solve the mystery of his disappearance. 
 

Number of episodes: 6 x 1 hour

Why you should stream it: Ludwig strikes the perfect balance for a detective show between lightness of tone and fiendishly clever mysteries. It’s also very good at coming up with esoteric puzzles for each episode, while never losing sight of the overarching case of the missing brother. But above all, this is a perfect vehicle for Mitchell’s particular gifts: as Ludwig, he gets to be baffled, sarcastic, irascible and of course, exceedingly smart. The ending neatly sets up another series, and we’d be amazed if there wasn’t more of this superb show.

Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power

Find season 2 in Apps > Prime Video now. Season 1 also available

What it is: Prime’s epic fantasy based on JRR Tolkien’s literary creation returns with more wrangling over some Very Important Jewellery, as the enmity between Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Sauron (Charlie Vickers) intensifies.
 

Number of episodes: 8 x 61-76 minutes

Why you should stream it: The first season of The Rings Of Power was entertaining but had the air of a show finding its feet. In season 2 it has emphatically found them, expanding the scope and ramping up the drama: it expertly weaves together the heroic journey of The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) as he discovers his true identity and the conflicts arising between elves, dwarves and the followers of Sauron, culminating in some truly awe-inspiring battle scenes. It also does what Peter Jackson’s films couldn’t by introducing Tom Bombadil – an appealing Rory Kinnear – and, of course, we just love those adorable little hobbity guys. (Yes, we know they’re not actual hobbits.)

Mr Bigstuff

Find it in On Demand > Sky Max now

What it is: Carpet salesman Glen (Ryan Sampson) has his mundane suburban life disrupted when his estranged brother Lee (Danny Dyer) arrives, bringing chaos as well as their father’s ashes in a biscuit tun.
 

Number of episodes: 6 x 25 minutes

Why you should stream it: Ryan Sampson has shown himself to be a deft comic performer in the likes of Brassic and Plebs but with this, which he created and wrote, he establishes himself as a major talent in British comedy. Mr Bigstuff does what all the best comedies do: it makes you think – in this case about modern masculinity, gender roles and family ties – while also making you laugh uproariously. And a lot of the credit for that should go to Danny Dyer, who’s fantastic in his first pure comedy role. There’s another series coming next year. Good.

Sherwood

Find series 2 in Apps > BBC iPlayer now. Series 1 also available

What it is: After the first series of James Graham’s crime drama received huge critical acclaim, it returned with a new case focusing on the shocking consequences of a conflict between two families.
 

Number of episodes: 6 x 1 hour

Why you should stream it: The cast alone makes it worth your time, with David Morrissey and Lesley Manville joined for the second series by a seriously talent-heavy list including Monica Dolan, Stephen Dillane, David Harewood and Robert Lindsay. And they get a script that matches their abilities from Graham, a writer at the very top of his game. It’s also masterfully directed by Clio Barnard and Tom George, especially in Barnard’s almost unbearably tense second episode leading to a bloody resolution. An entirely satisfying bit of television.

The Gentle Art Of Swedish Death Cleaning

Find it in On Demand > U&W or in Apps > U now

What it is: Scandi Eye For The Untidy Guy. Three Swedish organisational experts help people sort out their living spaces by separating the essentials from the clutter.
 

Number of episodes: 8 x 44 minutes

Why you should stream it: Where Tidying Up With Marie Kondo focused on “sparking joy” and Stacy Solomon’s Sort Your Life Out is all about better use of space, the ultimate aim of the participants in this series is to leave order behind when they die. The ultra-practical Swedes call this döstädning, literally death cleaning, but despite the name this is funny, helpful, revealing and, ironically, life-affirming. And it’s not just about chucking stuff away, because there’s always a creative way to re-use it, and the droll narration by Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation) adds to the upbeat, positive feeling it inspires.

A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder

Find it in Apps > BBC iPlayer now

What it is: A-level student Pip (Emma Myers) resolves to get to the bottom of a murder case and uncovers all sorts of secrets about the residents of her small town in this adaptation of Holly Jackson’s bestselling novel.
 

Number of episodes: 6 x 40-48 minutes

Why you should stream it: Eyebrows were raised when American actor Myers (Wednesday) was cast in this very English story but she proved perfect for the role, embodying Pip’s combination of curiosity, reticence and determination. Supported by stalwarts of British TV – Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherhood), Mathew Baynton (Ghosts), Gary Beadle (The Gentlemen) – and a talented young cast, Myers held together this satisfying mystery thriller even when it went to some unlikely places. And the series is shot with a beautiful, dreamy natural light that gives us severe nostalgia for those long, languorous teenage summers. But with, you know, less murder.

Slip

Find it in Apps > ITVX

What it is: An unhappily married woman finds herself zipping between realities (at highly inconvenient moments) and trying on different lives in this bizarre comedy.
 

Number of episodes: 7 x 30 minutes

Why you should stream it: Zoe Lister-Jones is known to New Girl fans as the hilariously awful Councilwoman Fawn Moscato, but Slip – which she created, wrote and stars in – is a brilliant showcase for her talents. It’s a sort of romcom-ish sibling to Netflix’s Russian Doll, in that once you accept the offbeat premise then it’s a platform for examining love, romance, sexuality, tolerance and all the myriad aspects of human relationships. It’s witty, sexy and thoughtful, with an excellent cast.

Fantasmas

Find it in On Demand > Sky Comedy

What it is: A surreal US comedy in which leftfield writer/comedian Julio Torres embarks on an epic quest through New York City and has mind-boggling encounters at every turn.  
 

Number of episodes: 6 x 30 minutes

Why you should stream it: This is like nothing else you’ve ever seen on TV. Ever wonder what a hamster nightclub looked like? Or what mermaids gossip about? Or what it would be like to have an unhelpful robot assistant? Torres strings together absurdist vignettes about all these and more into something that’s not quite a sketch show, not quite a coherent narrative, all in service of the goal of finding – yes! – a diamond-encrusted oyster. If nothing else, enjoy the cameos from famous faces – Emma Stone, Paul Dano, Natasha Lyonne, Steve Buscemi – doing things you’d never have expected. 

KAOS

Find it in Apps > Netflix now

What it is: Classical Greek myth gets spun into a vividly imaginative story of corruption and rebellion, as Zeus (Jeff Goldblum) has the divine equivalent of a midlife crisis.
 

Number of episodes: 8 x 46-53 minutes

Why you should stream it: Writer Charlie Covell is responsible for The End Of The F***ing World, one of the most startlingly original TV shows of recent years – but even fans couldn’t have expected this wonderful mixture of classical literature, a richly layered dramatic narrative about power and an irresistible streak of anarchy. It’s a dazzling, exhilarating show with a performance of mischievous magnificence from Goldblum at its centre, as he ranges from amusingly petulant to genuinely terrifying. When Netflix announced that it wouldn’t be returning for a second season, you could have heard the outcry from the top of Mount Olympus. But we’ll always have these eight outstanding episodes.

Binged the lot already? Here are 10 more TV shows to add to your watchlist

SisterS

Find it in Apps > U now

Those About To Die

Find it in Apps > Prime now

Celebrity Race Across The World

Find series 2 in Apps > BBC iPlayer now

Marvel Studios’ Agatha All Along

Find it in Apps > Disney+ now

Colin From Accounts

Find series 2 in Apps > BBC iPlayer now

Batman: Caped Crusader

Find it in Apps > Prime now

Stags

Find it on Paramount+ now

The Teacher

Find it in Apps > My5 now

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story

Find it in Apps > Netflix now

Joan

Find it in Apps > ITVX now