2020 is the year for at-home, on-demand entertainment, and MultiChoice’s Showmax service is set to bring viewers a whole lot more incredible series to enjoy during the month of September. Looking ahead to the roster of shows heading our way this month, we’ve rounded up some of the most-anticipated international series that we can’t wait to binge:
Lovecraft Country Season 1
When to watch: Eps 1-4 available now, eps 5-8 on 6 October, eps 9-10 on 20 October.
In the 1950s, Atticus Black, a young African-American, sets out on a road trip with his friend and uncle to find his missing father. This catapults the three into a struggle for survival against the dual terrors of Jim Crow-era America and terrifying monsters that could be ripped from a paperback written by pulpy horror author HP Lovecraft.
Based on the cult novel by Matt Ruff, Lovecraft Country is a collaboration between Misha Green (creator of Underground) and Oscar-winner Jordan Peele (Us, Get Out), executive produced by JJ Abrams (Star Wars, Star Trek, Lost, Super 8, Westworld).
The fantastic cast includes Black Reel nominee Jonathan Majors, Teen Choice nominee Jurnee Smollett-Bell, four-time Emmy nominee Michael Kenneth Williams, Golden Globe nominee Courtney B Vance, BAFTA winner Wunmi Mosaku, and Abbey Lee.
Also read: Top 5: Best Streaming Devices for 2020
Briarpatch – Season 1
When to watch: Mondays at 2300, same day as M-Net. Binge from 28 September
Senator’s aide Allegra Dill (Rosario Dawson) returns to her border-town Texas home to investigate the death of her sister – a local cop killed by a car bomb. What begins as a search for a killer turns into an all-consuming fight to bring her corrupt home town to its knees.
Kenyan Teen Choice nominee Edi Gathegi and Golden Globe nominee Alan Cumming co-star in this latest offering from Emmy nominated writer/producer Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot, Homecoming), based on the Edgar-winning crime novel by Ross Thomas.
Love Island UK S6 – The Cape Town Edition
When to watch: 5 new episodes every Saturday. Binge from 26 September
For South African fans dying to see the latest season of the BAFTA-winning reality show Love Island UK, the long wait is finally over. And it’s all the more delicious because this is the season that was filmed at a villa in Constantia, Cape Town.
Laura Whitmore of Strictly Come Dancing and I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! fame is this season’s new host for the drama-packed reality show, where single hopefuls flirt, date, break up and make up while trying to capture the hearts of viewers, who will vote for their favourite couple to take home the £50k prize money.
Also read: Face Off: Decoder vs Online Streaming – Which is Better?
World on Fire
When to watch: Thursdays at 23:30 from 24 September, same day as M-Net
Set in 1939, on the eve of the German invasion of Poland, World on Fire follows the interwoven stories of ordinary people caught up in catastrophic global events beyond their control.
The impressive cast includes BAFTA winner Sean Bean, Oscar winner Helen Hunt, Oscar and BAFTA nominee Lesley Manville, and Jonah Hauer-King who’s set to star as Prince Eric in the upcoming Disney live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
Love Island UK S6 – The Cape Town Edition
When to watch: Tuesdays at 23:00, same day as M-Net. Binge from 15 September
It’s 1932, and despite the Great Depression, LA is booming. But when the kidnapping case of the decade comes knocking on down-and-out detective Perry Mason’s door, his relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and, just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself.
HBO’s biggest debut in nearly two years, Perry Mason reboots the award-winning 1950s-60s series based on Erle Stanley Gardner’s detective stories. Emmy winner and Golden Globe nominee Matthew Rhys is Perry Mason. Tatiana Maslany, herself an Emmy winner and Golden Globe nominee for her leading role in Orphan Black, and Oscar nominee John Lithgow co-star.