No don’t worry, you haven’t clicked on an old article from last year by mistake, it just so happens that England has been placed into the third national lockdown since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic first emerged.
The only difference this time is that we’re starting to run out of TV shows on our watchlist.
We all have our ‘comfort shows’, our trusty favourites and the ones that never fail to have us cracking a smile or hanging on to every word, but if you watched your fair share of those during the first lockdown and you’re looking for something different to get your teeth stuck into whilst you’re at home for the next few weeks, then here are 12 of the best new shows already airing or set to hit screens this month.
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The Serpent
BBC / BBC iPlayer – Now Airing
BBC / Mammoth Screen
This one’s already got people talking.
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Inspired by real-life events and starring Tahar Rahim and Jenna Coleman, The Serpent tells the story of how conman and killer Charles Sobhraj posed as a gem dealer and, with his girlfriend Marie-Andree Leclerc, carried out a string of crimes across Thailand, Nepal and India in 1975 and 1976, while also becoming the chief suspects in a series of murders of young Western travellers.
It’s a slick drama that’s well worth your concentration, and you can catch it on BBC and BBC iPlayer now.
A Discovery of Witches
Sky One & NOW TV – Airing from 8th January
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Sky UK
Now in its second season starring Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer – plus a number of new cast members – and adapted from Deborah Harkness’ best-selling trilogy of novels, this is a romantic thriller about a secret underworld of vampires, witches and demons all hiding in plain sight for fear of persecution by humans.
This series sees the two hiding in the treacherous world of Elizabethan London, where they must find a powerful witch teacher to help Diana control her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life.
You can catch it on Sky One or NOW TV from 8th January.
The Stand
Starzplay – Airing Now
CBS / Robert Falconer
This spookily-timely series about a pandemic is adapted from a Stephen King book.
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Not a million miles from the news footage we’ve seen in the last year, the first episode can be hard to watch, although the flu in this series wipes out 99% of the population, and those left have strange dreams involving a mysterious old lady.
It stars Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgard, James Marsden and Amber Heard, and you can catch it on Starzplay now.
American Gods
Amazon Prime Video – Airing from 11th January
Amazon Prime Video
American Gods is back once again.
This is the third series of the drama based on Neil Gaiman’s novel of the same name, about a war being waged between the old gods and the new, and after a few shocks at the end of series two, this one starts with the main character, Shadow Moon – played by Ricky Whittle – in hiding and trying to start a new life in a small town.
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Ian McShane and Marilyn Manson have also joined the cast for this season too, and you can catch it airing on Amazon Prime Video from 11th January.
Servant
AppleTV+ – Airing from 15th January
AppleTV+
Servant is made by and starring some industry heavy-hitters.
Executive produced by the Oscar-nominated director M Night Shyamalan, this chilling psychological horror series was one of the first shows to debut when Apple TV + launched in November 2019 with stars Rupert Grint, Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell and Nell Tiger Free.
This second 10 episode series is set to take a supernatural turn, and you can catch it from 15th January.
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RuPaul’s Drag Race UK
BBC iPlayer – Airing from 14th January
BBC / World of Wonder
A lot of people have been waiting for this one.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is back with twelve new competing queens – Tayce, Lawrence Chaney, Cherry Valentine, Tia Kofi, Bimini Bon Boulash, Ginny Lemon, Veronica Green, Sister Sister, Joe Black, Ellie Diamond, Asttina Mandella and A’Whora – are at your service and here to show you the very best of what the UK drag scene has to offer.
With weekly challenges to test their make-up skills, fashion sense, sewing abilities, comedy, singing, acting, dancing and lip-syncing, this is the perfect way to cure the lockdown blues.
Catch it on BBC iPlayer from 14th January.
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WandaVision
Disney+ – Airing from 15th January
Marvel Studios / Disney+
WandaVision offers up a unique blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision – two super-powered beings living idealised suburban lives played by Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany – “begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems”.
The series has been described as “a love letter to the golden age of television”, and you can catch it airing on Disney+ from 15th January.
It’s A Sin
Channel 4 / All 4 – Airing from 22nd January
Channel 4
Starring musician and actor Olly Alexander, and featuring Keeley Hawes, Stephen Fry, Neil Patrick Harris, Tracy Ann Oberman, Shaun Dooley and Omari Douglas, this is a new five-part drama from the multi-BAFTA-winning writer Russell T Davies follows the story of the 1980s, the story of AIDS, and charts the joy and heartbreak of a group of friends across a decade in which everything changed.
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Tune in to Channel 4 / All 4 from 22nd January to watch the magic unfold.
The Masked Singer
ITV – Airing Now
There’s no denying that The Masked Singer was one of the surprise hits of 2020 and now it’s returned to our screens as a must-see Saturday night fixture.
If you’re unfamiliar with the show, it basically sees a bunch of celebrities disguised in some seriously-good fancy dress costumes sing for a panel of judges – Davina McCall, Rita Ora, Jonathan Ross and newcomer Mo Gilligan – who make wild guesses as to who’s behind the mask.
Audience members then vote, chant “take it off” at the end and the panel has the final say on who goes home from the lowest scorers each week.
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You can already catch it airing on ITV every Saturday night now.
Cobra Kai
Netflix – Airing from 8th January
Netflix / Curtis Bonds Baker
Taking place 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, this long-time-coming sequel spin-off to The Karate Kid – with original stars – has unsurprisingly become a big hit and is set to get underway with season three.
The series starts with the successful Daniel LaRusso struggling to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of Mr Miyagi, and once again facing his previous adversary Johnny Lawrence, who seeks redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai karate dojo.
Log on to Netflix from 8th January to binge the new series.
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Bulletproof: South Africa
Sky One – Airing from 20th January
Sky UK
Noel Clarke and Ashley Walters are reprising their roles as best pals and partners Pike and Bishop for the third instalment of this action-packed buddy cop series.
This time though, they’ve left London for the far sunnier Cape Town in South Africa, and after years of finding themselves in some seriously dangerous situations with hardened criminals, the pair just want a bit of rest and relaxation – but obviously, things don’t quite go to plan.
You can catch the latest series of Bulletproof: South Africa from 20th January.
The Pembrokeshire Murders
ITV – Airing from 11th January
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ITV
This one’s for the true crime fans.
Luke Evans stars in this three-part drama mini series depicting the cold-case investigation into a serial killer that’s adapted from the book The Pembrokeshire Murders and is written by Senior Investigating Officer Steve Wilkins and ITV news journalist Jonathan Hill.
It’s also from the makers of Line Of Duty and Bodyguard, so you know it must be good.
Wilkins reopened the case of two unsolved murders from the 1980s in 2006, and using forensic methods that were pioneering at the time, he and his team found microscopic DNA and fibres that potentially linked the killings to a string of burglaries.
Catch it on ITV from 11th January.
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11 Greater Manchester spots have been named among the UK’s Top 100 Curry Restaurants
Danny Jones
In another feather for Greater Manchester’s culinary cap, a total of 11 different Greater Manchester businesses have been named in this year’s list of the Top 100 Curry Restaurants in the UK.
Everyone knows how good the Asian food scene is here, so this comes as little surprise, really.
Nevertheless, we will absolutely be toasting these wins on behalf of all those by booking into at least one of the excellent foodie venues before the month is out – if they have any reservations left, that is.
Some of these names may not shock you, but we’re glad to see some really good up-and-coming independents or long-overlooked veterans finally getting their recognition. Here’s who made the cut across our ten boroughs, in no particular order (at least not ours, anyway).
The best places for a curry in Britain – Greater Manchester
1. Tyga – Manchester city centre
Formerly the site of Asha’s, which was already a much-loved Manc spot, the new chapter for the modern Indian restaurant on Peter St is a nice balance of authentic Rajasthani cuisine and more contemporary, elevated takes on Indo-Chinese dishes.
Another central spot located near the lively university area in and around Oxford Road Corridor, Peace Garden opened up back in 2022 and has gone on to become a hit with much more than just the students living nearby. Give it a try sometime soon.
The very grand spin-off of the original location in Levenshulme – now renamed as MyNawaab – the Royal Nawaab that has now been open for over a year inside the old Co-op pyramid next to the M60. They have also received a notable review from a highly renowned food journalist…
The third and final spot shouted out from within the city might make you double-take, aside from the seafood also do an incredible Japanese curry beef dish. Find out more about what they offer HERE.
Heading out into the borough of Bolton now, and arguably historic Lancashire depending on who you ask, Ayaan’s on Old Road has thousands of fantastic reviews ranging from four to five stars, and remains a renowned regional curry house. Here they are winning the best of the bunch last year:
A beautiful banquet hall and restaurant just on the outskirts of Cheetham and the Green Quarter, Al Maidah is a regular spot for big weddings or pretty much any special occasion, and it goes without saying that they do some incredible curries. They’ve come a long way over the past decade.
Finally heading over towards the direction of Curry Mile, we were expecting more places from the famous district to be named, to be honest, but we’ll definitely take Bardez, which also has a Didsbury restaurant. They do all-you-can-eat buffets, but from memory, chicken chettinad is the one…
Jadugar over in Alty hasn’t even been open for a year yet, but it’s already become the place to go out for a curry in the Trafford market town, with footballers and various other famous faces now making it one of their regular haunts. You can check out their menu online.
9. Purple Olive Ashton – Ashton-under-Lyne
Tameside natives will know this one well, but for those who may not be aware, the Purple Olive branch in Ashton is much more than part of a larger charger chain: this is the best of the bunch, quite literally – that’s why it made its way onto the list. So if you’re over Ashton way any time soon, why not pop in?
10. Spice Mafia – Urmston
Winging our way back to Trafford once again, this next bunch are no strangers to winning awards or picking up this accolade in particular, as cult favourite Spice Mafia has also been named once again. In fact, they earn their place on the list pretty much every year at this point:
Last but not least, ‘The Plaza‘; we confess we’ve only been there for one very messy night, but before it all went a bit fuzzy, we do remember we had some incredible scran, and you can see why so many people swear by it as increasingly not-so-quietly one of the best curry houses in Greater Manchester.
Before we wrap this up to takeaway, special shout-outs go to Ruchi Restaurant in the neighbouring Derbyshire town of Glossop, as well as another relatively nearby village venue, Sigiriya Grill in Knutsford.
Once again, these places have been hailed as not just some of the best curry houses in the region or even the North West, but in the ENTIRE country, according to the Asian Catering Federation (ACF) – a big honour, indeed.
Spotlighting venues that not only deliver top-notch food and drink with great service, but also serve as important community hubs, support the wider hospitality industry and maintain high standards, it’s no mean feat making your way into this round-up.
Manchester City reveal new state-of-the-art women’s football facility
Danny Jones
Manchester City Football Club has finally unveiled its brand-new women’s football facility as their home base moves across to another section of the ever-growing Etihad Campus.
Costing more than £10m in total redevelopment costs, the new training ground and all-round squad hub aims to set a new industry standard.
First announced back in January 2024, the state-of-the-art complex was revealed in full this Wednesday, 13 May, being met with a strong reception from the senior women’s squad and Man City supporters in general.
To help celebrate the opening, City Football Group (CFG) Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak travelled into the city to be one of the first through the doors.
Spanning well over 170,000 feet, the multi-million-pound facility marks one of the most significant investments in female football history.
With sector-leading technology installed in virtually every corner of the space, club captain and Euros-winning Lioness Alex Greenwood told Sky Sports, “It’s incredible […[ We’re very lucky that we get to call this home. The building is absolutely brilliant and has everything that we need.”
Going on to express her excitement over this being her new place of work, she mentioned that all City Women stars had input over things to include in the plans and how they wanted it to look, as did members of the wider staff.
Not just now an ‘elite level performance centre’, but where these talented young sportswomen will be spending so much of their time, she and her teammates believe they got it spot on, declaring that “this is taking it to a whole new level.”
She also noted that at least one of the rooms is the one where the squad watched the Arsenal vs Brighton draw, which sealed their first league title in a decade, so there’s already been some great memories made there.
Here’s a quick fly-through of the impressive achievement…
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) May 13, 2026
The new digs are also much more than just a training ground; according to the club, besides player preparation and recovery and minimising injuries, with a world-class gym as well as other strength and conditioning facilities, it includes dedicated medical, rehab and physio spaces.
Hydrotherapy and advanced recovery areas have also been built, with MCWFC’s circular dressing room at the heart of the whole building.
Writing on the club website, Man City Women Managing Director, Charlotte O’Neill, said: “After years of planning, designing and constructing, we are proud to open our new world-class space that we believe offers some of the very best facilities in women’s sport in the UK.
“This building is about so much more than bricks and mortar; it is about creating an environment where our players can thrive, where standards are set at the very highest level, and where the current squad has everything it needs to continue to compete for and win silverware.
She went on to say, “It is also a clear statement of our ambition to continue to develop and attract the very best talent in world football.” It’s also worth noting that this will further free up other EDS (elite development squad) and youth academy outfits to make use of existing buildings.
Khaldoon echoed a similar sentiment, adding that this new addition to the wider Etihad Campus “reflects the scale of our ambition for Manchester City Women and our long-term belief in the future of the women’s game.”
It looks to be a pretty staggering upgrade; there’s no doubt about that.
As for the rest of the campus, along with the soon-to-open on-site hotel, we also now have more details regarding the accompanying Medlock Square that is also set to launch in tandem.
Emily Sergeant -
7th January 2021 
