lessons in chemistry new films TV October
Image: Apple TV+

The best new films and TV shows to stream in October 2023

02 Oct 2023 | |By Annie Lewis

Kettle’s on, candles are lit and there are plenty of programmes to be watched. But where to start? Allow us to introduce the best new films and TV shows to stream in October

As the days get shorter and darker, is there any better way to spend a cosy autumnal evening than in front of the TV? We think not. Luckily, there are plenty of binge-worthy programmes to obsess over this month, including the highly-anticipated documentary on global football star David Beckham and a TV adaption of Bonnie Garmus’s beloved 2022 novel Lessons in Chemistry. Without further ado, here are the best new films and TV shows to stream in October. 

Beckham, Netflix

Having been plastered over the news and social media for the past few weeks, you’d have had to be living under a rock to be unaware of the new four-part documentary series focusing on the life of global sports star, David Beckham. Released on Netflix on 4 October, the series features interviews with his wife and fashion mogul Victoria Beckham and his parents, as well as fellow football stars such as Gary Neville, Sir Alex Ferguson, Rio Ferdinand and Roy Keane. From his humble beginnings in east London to becoming a global phenomenon that now works as the co-owner of Inter Miami and Salford City, the documentary grants fans exclusive insight into Beckham’s life. 

Release date: 4 October

Everything Now, Netflix

For fans of Sex Education and Heartstopper, Everything Now is another new series that puts teenage-centric dilemmas and emotions front and centre. Starring Sophie Wilde as protagonist Mia, who spent months in hospital recovering from an eating disorder, the series focuses on her return to school as it soon becomes evident how much she’s missed and she creates a bucket list to catch up. However, it doesn’t seem like getting on top of schoolwork is at the top of the priority list, as she is instead determined to tick off getting drunk, singing karaoke, going on a first date, and breaking the law… 

Release date: 5 October

Lessons in Chemistry, Apple TV+ 

Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry was one of 2022’s bestselling books, unsurprising given its loveable characters, gripping plot and powerful message. Set in the 1960s, it follows Elizabeth Zott played on screen by Brie Larson, a talented chemist who’s on a mission to break glass ceilings while she works alongside her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute. Tragedy strikes and life is unpredictable, so when Zott finds herself a single mother a few years later, she becomes the reluctant star of a cooking show teaching women at home how to be a lot more than just a good housewife. Lewis Pullman stars opposite Zott as love interest Calvin Evans, and familiar favourites such as their dog Six Thirty also make appearances. 

Release date: 13 October

Loki Season Two, Disney+

The long-awaited second season of Loki – otherwise known as the God of Mischief, who steps out of his brother's shadow to embark on an adventure that takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame – comes two years after the first in 2021, and is aiming to live up to the hype. With Tom Hiddlestone as the shape-shifting protagonist, the season sees Loki doing his best to keep the universe stable alongside the Time Variance Agent, Mobius (Owen Wilson). The pair must track down enemies, including Jonathan Majors as Victor Timely, a version of Kang the Conqueror. The series has taken its time-travelling elements seriously, as you’ll watch Loki et al magically turn up at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and a 1980s McDonald's. 

Release date: 6 October

Frasier, Paramount+

Reviving the much-loved American sitcom, which ran from 1993 to 2004 and focused on the life of psychiatrist-and-radio-show-host Frasier Crane, the new Paramount+ revival is bringing back the original actor Kelsey Grammer to play beloved Frasier. He’s now living and working in Boston, however, alongside Nicholas Lyndhurst as Frasier’s friend-turned-professor Alan, Jack Cutmore-Scott as Frasier’s son Freddy, and Jess Salgueiro as Freddy’s roommate, Eve. The synopsis has been kept tightly under wraps, promising “new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfil”. We’re sure fans of the original will be tuning in to see what’s in store… 

Release date: 13 October

Read more: Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto: Inside the V&A’s new blockbuster exhibition