A big treat this week with the start of The Day of the Jackal — an assassin thriller TV series based on the 1971 bestseller by Frederick Forsyth, and starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch.

There’s lots more on with new episodes of Shetland, more F-bombs flying in Lioness (is it just me or is it painfully slow?) and Ridley, starring Line of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar as a brooding, crooning consultant copper (yes he really sings, pretty well actually).

And, I wasn’t going to mention it but Yellowstone is back – however – a shadow of itself without the star power of Kevin Costner and its descent into gratuitous violence and too much focus on Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton and Cole Hauser’s Rip Wheeler.

The Day of the Jackal

Based on the 1971 bestseller by Frederick Forsyth, The Day of the Jackal is a 10-part series starring Eddie Redmayne as the elusive hitman. Variety calls it “exhilarating”. Written by Top Boy creator Ronan Bennett, 86-year-old Forsyth is a consulting producer.

7 November. Peacock in the US and Sky Atlantic/NOW

Yellowstone

Season 5 Part 2 is underway — and by now you should know Kevin Costner is not in it. But, a murder-mystery may be unfolding on the Montana ranch.

November 10. Paramount Network/Plus

Hightown

For a US series this one is a gritty, well acted crime drama, starring Monica Raymund as a hard-partying Fisheries agent on Cape Cod. Seasons 2 and 3 were pretty good and in Season 3 Jackie (Monica Raymund) and Ray (James Badge Dale) are back solving murder cases. Jackie Quiñones is back to her wild partying ways; Ray Abruzzi is the top cop after taking down the New York connection; imprisoned Frankie Cuevas secures a new partner on the outside.

Starz

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Also Streaming/catch-up in October:

Ludwig. BBCiPlayer

Ellis. Channel 5 and Acorn TV.

Shetland Season 9. BBC One.

SPOILER ALERT: RECAP-REVIEW

The Diplomat Season 2. Netflix

Lioness Season 2. Paramount+

SPOILER ALERT: RECAP-REVIEW

Whitstable Pearl Season 3. Acorn TV

Before. Apple TV+

DI Ray Season 2. ITV1

SPOILER ALERT: RECAP-REVIEW

Blackshore. RTÉ One and RTÉ Player

SPOILER ALERT: RECAP-REVIEW

The Lincoln Lawyer Season 3. Netflix

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Netflix.

The Cate Blanchette thriller Disclaimer. She is really good in it, but it’s Kevin Kline (remember him in The Big Chill, French Kiss – yes it’s really him) who really steals the show.

Apple TV+

SPOILER ALERT: RECAP-REVIEW

Showtrial Series 2. BBC One/BBC iPlayer

SPOILER ALERT: RECAP-REVIEW

Sweetpea. Sky Atlantic

SPOILER ALERT: RECAP-REVIEW