Strictly Come Dancing

BBC1

With the line-up reduced to just 12 celebs, this year’s Strictly will be a comparatively swift affair. However, there’s still much to look forward to with Jamie Laing returning to the dance floor following an injury during last year’s training and boxing Nicola Adams forming half of the show’s very first same sex couple. Even amidst a global pandemic, it’s important to keep dancing.

Little Mix: The Search

BBC1

Jesy, Leigh-Anne, Perrie and Jade, better known as girl band Little Mix, know a thing or two about talent shows having won The X Factor in 2011. Now they’ve become the judges, hoping to find the best singers in the country and help them form the world’s next big pop group.

Ghosts

BBC2

The return of the spectral sitcom written by the team behind Horrible Histories, which premiered to rapturous praise last year. Starring Charlotte Ritchie (Feel Good) and Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Stath Lets Flats) as a couple who buy a haunted house, the second series will follow the failed attempt to sell the property to a hotel chain thanks to the discovery of a plague pit in the basement.

Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens

13 September, BBC3/iPlayer

Based on her own experience of growing up in the NYC borough, The Farewell and Crazy Rich Asians actor Awkwafina – real name Nora Lum – plays the fictional character of Nora Linn and draws on her Chinese, Korean and American heritage. The sitcom starts with Nora moving out of the family apartment and moving in with her friend, a symbolic gesture that doesn’t last very long.

The Million Pound Cube

ITV

Five years since game show The Cube last aired, Philip Schofield is back to present another series in which the prize money – and the stakes – are a lot higher. Contestants will now compete in pairs as they take on the show’s seemingly simple tasks, all taking place within a highly stressful Perspex box.

Don’t Rock the Boat

ITV

Freddie Flintoff and AJ Odudu host this new adventure/reality series, which sees teams of celebrities race the entire coastal length of Britain. Jodie Kidd, Denise Lewis, former Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson, Victoria Pendleton, Fleur East and DJ Craig Charles are just some of the celebs confirmed to take part. On your marks, set, race!

Jonathan Ross’s Comedy Club

ITV

A good old-fashioned comedy showcase presented by Jonathan Ross and a special weekly guest host. For the first gig, it’s Mawaan Rizwan who will help introduce big name act Rob Beckett as well as Kae Kurd, Flo & Joan and Sophie Duker.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

ITV

It’s all change for the I’m A Celeb team this year, the most devastating that there’s no winter trip to sunny Australia. Instead, Gwyrch Castle in North Wales plays host to this year’s contestants who will have to deal with the ghostly goings on of the dilapidated building. Ant and Dec host, but their Bushtucker Trial victims are yet to be revealed.

The Great British Bake Off

Channel 4

With Sandi Toksvig replaced by Little Britain’s Matt Lucas, it’s a brand-new start for GBBO too. On much later than usual thanks to Covid-19, the nation’s favourite baking show will be back this Autumn for a much-needed dose of cosiness.

The Write Offs

Channel 4

Speaking of Sandi Toksvig, she presents this new two-part series exploring the prevalence of adult illiteracy in the UK. The series sees a group of adults the chance to improve their literacy skills over a period of four months, encouraging them to learn the everyday skills they want and eschewing the stigma attached to not being able to read and write.

Taskmaster

Channel 4

Greg Davies and little Alex Horne make the jump from Dave to Channel four for the tenth series of comedy game show Taskmaster.

They promise nothing has changed in terms of the format and with Daisy May Cooper, Johnny Vegas, Katherine Parkinson, Mawaan Rizwan and Richard Herring confirmed as contestants, it’s sure to be as bizarre and hilarious as usual

Two Weeks to Live

Sky One

Sian Clifford (Fleabag) and Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) team up as survivalist mother and daughter duo Kim and Tina in this funny and off-piste tale of revenge. After living in the remote Scottish wilderness all her life, Kim hears that the world is ending – so sets out into civilisation intent on exacting retribution for her father’s murder, which sets in motion a series of events that puts her life in serious danger.

Urban Myths

Sky Arts

If you’ve never seen Urban Myths – a comedy series depicting the most unbelievable and funny stories from the world of entertainment – then I encourage you to seek it out on Now TV. The fourth series will see Katherine Ryan take on the role of Joan Rivers and Steve Pemberton tell the story of “Les Dawson’s Parisienne Adventure”.

A Black Lady Sketch Show

Sky Comedy

Robin Thede, Ashley Nicole Black, Gabrielle Dennis and Quinta Brunson are the black ladies in question, making this the first American series to have a writers’ room solely comprised of black women. Angela Bassett and Laverne Cox guest star in the first episode, which introduces Trinity the Invisible Spy and soul group Claude and The Boppers.

Spitting Image

BritBox

Prince Andrew, Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings and Greta Thunberg will be in the firing line of Spitting Image, 24 years after the original series ended. Various puppets have already been revealed (Donald Trump is particularly frightening), but we’ll have to wait until later in the year to meet all the characters.

The Duchess

Netflix

Katherine Ryan’s first ever sitcom is about a single mum who wants to give her daughter a sibling to grow up with. The problem? She’s single and her ex isn’t exactly on board with her plan to have another baby with him. Delightfully rude and pulling no punches, The Duchess is for anyone sick of seeing women being polite on TV.

Michael McIntyre: Showman

Netflix

The floppy-haired comedian’s latest stand up show covers everything – from family and invasive technology, to his own rather posh accents and, er, sharks. There’s also the time he confused himself for a certain despotic world leader, but it’s best he explains that one for himself.

Truth Seekers

Amazon Prime Video

The duo behind comedy classics Sean of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, have teamed up again to create this wacky horror series based on paranormal stories. They play a team of part-time paranormal investigators who accidentally uncover an Armageddon plan to destroy the human race. Think Ghostbusters, but less competent.