Yet another weekend has arrived with the weekly dilemma – what TV show should I binge while I’m lounging in bed?

(If, like me, you’re having a lazy Sunday indulging in a healthy dose of dolce far niente, that is).

There are plenty of new shows to check out on streaming platforms, such as The Night Agent season 3 on Netflix, which dropped this week to critical acclaim, and a gripping new Amazon Prime romance thriller.

However, there are also plenty of entertaining options ready for you to peruse on BBC iPlayer, particularly when you venture over to the TV thriller category.

So, if you’re after some recommendations of what to binge this weekend and you fancy a show that’s action-packed and full of suspense, here are seven of the best options on the Beeb.

The Tourist

No stranger to the thriller genre, The Tourist stars Jamie Dornan as an Irishman who mysteriously wakes up in an Australian hospital with amnesia.

‘The man’ embarks on a search for answers to uncover clues about his identity, and fans were gripped from the very start when the show premiered in 2024.

‘I really enjoyed it, found it gripping and could not wait for the next episode. The comedy bits were actually great, some bits went too dark. I really liked the leads and still find myself when I think back on it,’ RobotIcHead wrote on Reddit.

Another user called aduong recommended bingeing the whole show over a weekend, adding that Jamie ‘carries the show through and through’.

The Fall

This year will mark a decade since the enthralling crime drama The Fall came to an end, starring Gillian Anderson as Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson, and Jamie Dornan as serial killer Paul Spector.

The programme received a spate of accolades during its three-season run, including a best lead actor win for Jamie at the Irish Film and Television Awards in 2014.

Discussing the thriller, Sex Education star Gillian praised how ‘unpredictable’ creator Allan Cubitt’s writing is in the script.

‘No matter how many conversations we might have prior to the series about what might or might not happen, what ends up on the page is so much more interesting, unlikely, unsettling and out of left field than pretty much anything I could have come up with,’ she said.

The Night Manager

The Night Manager finally returned for a second season at the start of this year after a decade-long hiatus – and what a comeback it was.

Tom Hiddleston made a suave return as Jonathan Pine, a former hotel night manager-turned-spy, who discovers that his fight against the big baddie Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) is far from over.

The gripping espionage drama will be returning for a third and final season after the devastating events of the season two finale. (Spoilers on the link below – you have been warned).

Discussing drawing The Night Manager to a close with season three, writer David Farr told Metro: ‘I feel like really good television has a shape and a structure and knows when it’s best to end. It feels like this has kind of got that epic trilogy feel to it. At the moment, I’m pretty clear about that myself.

‘It isn’t an ongoing detective thing, it just isn’t that kind of piece. It is a story of, fundamentally, a relationship between two men, this very strange relationship. A battle of, you could say, good versus evil, but, of course, it’s more complex than that.

‘But there is some element of that, isn’t there, at a very simple level? It needs to obey that, and it needs to resolve in a way that hopefully satisfies at least some people.’

Doctor Foster

The psychological thriller Doctor Foster originally premiered in 2015, introducing viewers to Suranne Jones’ lead character Gemma Foster.

Gemma suspects that her husband Simon (Bertie Carvel) is having an affair, and season one sees her life unravel as she uncovers a web of lies.

While the second season aired in 2017, it’s been claimed that a third is in the works.

‘There was always a sense of unfinished business with Doctor Foster, as the storyline could easily roll on and on,’ a source told The Sun.

‘It went out on a massive high, too, with around eight million tuning in every week to watch the drama unfold between the three lead characters.’

The Missing

Before Baptiste, which starred Tchéky Karyo as the French detective Julien Baptiste, came The Missing, the show in which his character was first introduced.

In season one of the anthology series, James Nesbitt and Frances O’Connor play Tony and Emily Hughes, whose son has gone missing.

It boasts a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score, with Robert Lloyd from the Los Angeles Times writing: ‘It is eight hours long, and I watched it all in a single sitting.’

Season two, which stars David Morrissey as Captain Sam Webster
Keeley Hawes as Gemma Webster, a couple whose daughter goes missing, scored even higher on the review aggregate site, with a rating of 96%.

‘A sobering, haunting and profoundly complex, yet profoundly human, crime drama. It is recommended with a caveat – it is at times shockingly dark and will disturb you to your bones,’ John Doyle wrote for Globe and Mail.

Happy Valley is widely regarded as one of the best British TV dramas of all time. And with good reason.

People across the country were glued to their screens when the final episode of this ‘masterpiece’ of television aired in 2023, with Sarah Lancashire and James Norton.

Metro‘s review read at the time: ‘No one, surely, could have been prepared for how the events unfolded as Sally Wainwright once again subverted the audience’s expectations.’

Writing on Reddit, a fan named SarcasticDevil stated: ‘It was incredible, just like pretty much every episode in the entire series.

‘Maybe it’ll never get much traction outside of the UK but it’s one of the very best dramas I’ve ever seen, and with possibly the strongest lead performance in anything ever.’

Hillbert also shared: ‘Alongside all the many, many acting plaudits, this was an absolute masterclass in how to tie up a finale. Pretty much all loose ends were sorted in a realistic and tonally perfect way.’

Created by Neil Cross in 2010, Luther – starring Idris Elba as the titular detective chief inspector John Luther – aired for five seasons until 2019.

However, the Luther franchise has since continued with feature films, with the first, titled Luther: The Fallen Sun, coming out in 2023.

A second film is in the pipeline, which will see Ruth Wilson return as the psychopath and murderer Alice Morgan.

‘Neil has yet again, created a wonderfully dark tale to bring us all back together,’ said director Jamie Payne.

‘It’s a true joy to be back on the streets of Lutherland with the supreme talents that are Idris Elba and Dermot Crowley.

‘I am also thrilled to be reunited with the brilliant and dangerous Alice Morgan played by the extraordinarily talented Ruth Wilson.’

You can stream all of the TV shows mentioned above on BBC iPlayer.

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Britain’s Got Talent viewers have branded this year’s launch episode ‘boring’ as they moaned the acts are all the ‘same thing over and over again’.

Despite gracing TV screens for almost 20 years, BGT still has average viewership numbers of between five and seven million. 

But fans are now claiming it is officially ‘past its sell-by date’ as it returned for a new series on Saturday night. 

The first episode of the series saw a woman throwing buckets of fire with her feet, a performing dog and a dance troupe all take to the stage.

However undeniable their talents, viewers were left very unimpressed as they claimed the acts were all too similar to previous years.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, they wrote: ‘Same sh*** different year,’; ‘Same old thing as every year…just with a zillion people this time,’; 

‘Not watched this in years yet it’s still the same old sh***, magicians, dog acts and dance groups,’; 

‘Britain’s Got Talent reached its sell-by date long ago. I’m so bored of rubbish magic acts winning,’; 

‘Used to enjoy BGT Kinda going off it as it’s just the same thing over and over again,’; ’47 mins into the show and I am not even impressed. What has this show become?’;

‘Here comes the same basic dance group it’s been done before BORING,’; ‘Finally a dog act on #BGT Who’da thunk it!,’;

‘I don’t know why I bothered tuning in, it’s as terrible as ever. Far too many people are too easily pleased .

‘Love dogs but Seen all this before,’; ‘2 Rubbish acts and we’re only 10 minutes into BGT 2026!’

Some even threatened to change the channel to the BBC’s Gladiators as they said: ‘It’s kinda boring and wanna turn over to Gladiators,’;

‘Already bored of #BGT now watching #Gladiators which is set in my city,’; 

‘As someone who doesn’t watch #BGT i hope #Gladiators wins this ratings battle. Come on Ellie for the Scots.’

The 2026 judging panel once again features Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon, as well as newcomer KSI. 

Needless to say, veteran presenters Ant and Dec will be back to lend their unique brand of comedy to the show – and keep hopefuls both calm and entertained backstage as they make their bids to impress the judges. 

As has always been the case, the show’s main prize is a chance to perform at the Royal Variety Show. 

The winner will also win a whopping £250,000 cash prize – an amount that has admittedly fluctuated since the show began in 2007.

Back then, the winner received £100,000 before the prize was increased to half a million in 2012. 

This mega prize pot, however, wasn’t around for long and in 2013, producers settled on the current £250,000 prize.  

In 2025, the second-ever magician to win the show, Harry Moulding, won the show and the all-important cash prize and chance to perform at the Royal Variety Show. 

This would have undoubtedly been a real throwback for fans as it has been a decade since the show had its first winning magician, Richard Jones, in 2015, who also blew the competition out of the water with his impressive tricks. 

The show’s return will also look slightly different this year after Bruno Tonioli stepped down from the judging panel at the end of 2025.

He will be replaced by musician and internet celebrity KSI, 32, who has previously been a guest judge on the show. 

Great British Bake Off star Nadiya Hussain has turned her back on showbusiness and is now working as a teaching assistant after the BBC axed her cookery show last year.

The TV chef, 41 was one of the biggest breakout stars of Bake Off following her win in the sixth series in 2015, going on to front several shows for the broadcaster, including the award-nominated Nadiya Chronicles, Nadiya Bakes and Nadiya’s Fast Flavours.

After the BBC’s decision to drop her – something she still ‘doesn’t know why’ happened – Nadiya said she’d been courted with other offers from the likes of ITV and Channel 4.

However, she’s chosen to pursue a career in teaching instead – despite feeling ‘judged’ by some for doing so.

‘I’m currently working as a teaching assistant at a lovely little primary school. The plan is to hopefully gain some training and maybe in the future become a teacher,’ she told Woman & Home magazine.

‘I had to do an application form, an interview, go in and sit in with the kids and see how they reacted to me. I did get people ringing me, saying, “Sorry, is this actually the Nadiya Hussain?” and I’m like, “Yes, it is and I am looking for a job and I would like an opportunity”.’

Nadiya shared that she was ‘really enjoying being in an environment where I’m not the centre of it’, even though friends and loved ones had questioned her for taking a step backwards, as they see it.

However she brainstormed her career move with the support of her husband Abdal, knowing she could be faced with a fork in the road.

‘There have been lots of tears, sadness and judgement. People [close to me] have asked, “Why would you go from being here, right at the top to being at the bottom?” but I don’t see it that way,’ the TV star and author, who received an MBE in the 2020 New Year Honours, added.

‘Just because I’m famous doesn’t mean I’m at the top. I have been at my lowest at the top.’

She also insisted that since she started working at the school, she’s ‘had some of my highest moments’ because ‘nothing beats’ helping the kids she works with feel safe and achieve their goals.

When it came to the BBC cancelling her show, Nadiya revealed she had a ‘gut feeling that something wasn’t right’ after 10 years of a regular schedule between her TV work and cookbooks.

She was informed by her agent that the BBC would not be commissioning her to do another TV show and has still not received an explanation as to why from her previous employers.

The former Junior Bake Off judge said: ‘I appreciate that it’s an industry, it’s a business and it’s about making money, but I still don’t know [why they’ve let me go] because I haven’t had a conversation with anyone.

‘There are no answers, no closure.’

In a statement at the time, a BBC spokesman said: ‘After several wonderful series we have made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment.

‘Nadiya remains a much-valued part of the BBC family, and we look forward to working together on future projects.’

At the time the TV personality took to social media to explain that she had always been made to ‘feel grateful’ for the opportunities she received, which added an ‘invisible pressure’ to not voice her frustrations or her desire for more.

And while she is not interested in TV work right now, Nadiya knows what would pique her interest to return, including more creative input in cookery shows.

She’s also interested in creating travelogues and documentaries ‘about issues that matter’, following her 2019 BBC One documentary Nadiya: Anxiety and Me.

The April issue of woman&home is on sale on February 26.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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In terrible news for Traitors and Danny Dyer fans alike, the former Eastenders star has claimed he’s still waiting for the call up to join the next celebrity series of the show.

However, it looks like he and the BBC are yet to have any serious conversations, as the Bafta winner has now insisted the rumours about him donning a cloak for the next Celebrity Traitors are “absolute bollocks”.

Appearing on this Saturday’s Jonathan Ross Show, Danny told the host and previous Celebrity Traitor: “I don’t know why they’re saying it.”

“If they ask me I’ll do it, but no one’s asked me,” he added. “I would fucking declare it. I’m not on it, you’ll see when it comes on.”

Tabloids claimed Danny had been lined up to appear in the next series after watching the show made him want to take part, but BBC reps at the time wouldn’t comment.

The Celebrity Traitors will return to our screens later this year, and its renewal came as no great surprise given the first season’s huge success – raking in 14.8 million views on its opening night to become the biggest single episode on TV in 2025.