The Best New TV Shows For April 2024
There’s so much exciting new telly this month! Kick your feet up and enjoy the best new TV shows coming in April.
Ripley
Based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 crime novel The Talented Mr. Ripley comes the limited eight-part series, Ripley.
A wealthy man in 1960s New York hires a down-on-his-luck grifter, or so he appears, called Tom Ripley. His first job is to travel to Italy and convince his vagabond son, Dickie, to return home.
Tom gets a taste of freedom abroad and decides to indulge. The troublesome undercurrent of luxury life drags him down into a world of deceit, fraud and murder… and he feels right at home.
Expect a star-studded cast including Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning and Johnny Flynn.
Avoidance
Romesh Ranganathan returns for a second season of his brilliant sitcom Avoidance, where he plays a highly conflict-avoidant man named Jonathan.
Jonathan’s repeated failure to meet his own needs and subsequently those of his partner, completely destroys his relationship. In season 2, Jonathan is still trying to win back his ex Claire (Jessica Knappett) but his unwillingness to grow means she’s already started to move on.
We watch as Jonathan experiences a series of reality checks from friends, family and even his young son, forcing him to look inward and work on himself.
Other returning cast members include Mandeep Dhillon and Lisa McGrillis, while joining for season 2 are Matthew Lewis and Aisling Bea.
The Scoop
This one-off docudrama reveals the story behind Emily Maitlis’ infamous Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Gillian Anderson stars as Maitlis and Rufus Sewell as Andrew. Billie Piper plays Sam McAlister, the Newsnight booker on whose memoir the film is based.
The dramatization provides an insider account of how these journalists secured interview time with Prince Andrew, while concealing their hidden agenda to expose him.
Watch as “three women and a whippet” take on one of the biggest royal scandals in modern history.
Big Mood
Available to stream now on Channel 4
This six-part series is now available on Channel 4 stream and is currently airing in double bills each Thursday.
Starring Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) and Lydia West (Inside Man) as ride-or-die besties Maggie and Eddie. They have spent the last 10 years somewhat codependently bonded as they muddle through the ups and downs of their 20s.
This highly anticipated show is a colourful, yet brutally honest portrayal of mental illness.
Maggie’s recent bipolar disorder diagnosis finally puts a name to her manic and depressive episodes. But as her moods begin to oscillate more rapidly, the events which transpire test the pair’s friendship in new ways. Eddie questions whether they have outgrown each other as Maggie tries desperately to gain some control over her impulsive tendencies.
Eddie’s own shortcomings become less endearing as the pressures of adulthood set in. She begins to notice the ways in which she’s holding herself back as well.
This is an interesting story of how a friendship needs to mature in order to survive and support the healing narrative.
Baby Reindeer
Based on the true story of comedian Donny Dunn who develops a deeply twisted bond with his stalker, Martha.
What Donny believes is just an innocent friendship with an older woman, is actually the beginning of an obsessive, boundary-violating connection. After gaining the stand-up comic’s trust and uncovering his weaknesses, Martha drops the motherly act to reveal pure manipulative rage.
She relentlessly stalks him and delivers an onslaught of sugary sweet abuse designed to confuse. Donny is trapped in a stranglehold disguised as a hug.
Despite his girlfriend’s vocal disgust, we watch as Donny genuinely struggles to cut ties with his stalker. Why does he enjoy the validation that Martha’s infatuation provides?
Ultimately, he has to face his deepest fears and traumatic past to uncover the answer.
*this series is rated 18+ and portrays scenes which some viewers might find upsetting.
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Hannah McLaren
I've worked at DC Thomson for six years! I began as an intern at My Weekly and The Scots Magazine, which was extended by a few months to help out at The People's Friend. I then covered maternity as Celebrity Editor for My Weekly, before I became Multimedia Journalist at The Scots Magazine. Currently I'm writing digital content across each title.
