‘Forget the football and the election – this is the event of the year’: what to watch on TV right now

First, the bad news: this is a terrible time to be someone who isn’t interested in sport or politics. Those subjects alone seem to have taken over the television schedules at the moment, leaving little room for anything else. But the good news is that there has never been a better time to avoid them. The television landscape is dominated by streaming platforms that promise wild and deep catalogues to anyone who’d prefer to check out. If you’re already bored with Euros and elections, here’s what you should be watching instead.

Saturday 22 June
Doctor Who

BBC One, 6:40pm
Ncuti Gatwa’s first series as the Doctor has been mixed to say the least – some of it has been unbelievably great, some of it bafflingly bad – but a real sense of momentum has built up going into the climax. The episode is called Empire of Death, so expect something epic.

Sunday 23 June

Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials

Channel 4, 9pm
Everyone loves Suranne Jones, which explains why Channel 4 commissioned her to make a documentary about her fascination with witch trials. However, despite sounding like it was the product of random TV show generator, this has the potential to be thoughtful and moving in equal measure.

Tuesday 25 June

I Am: Celine Dion

Prime Video

Potentially one of the best things to be released during this hellish season of sport and politics, I Am: Celine Dion is a feature-length documentary that not only covers her career, but also her battle with stiff-person syndrome – the disease that is increasingly turning Dion into a prisoner inside her own body.

Wednesday 26 June

Worst Roommate Ever

Netflix
Netflix’s grand experiment into slapping kooky, internet-friendly titles on harrowing true-crime dramas continues with season two of Worst Roommate Ever, in which people recount the time they realised the people they lived with were con artists or violent criminals or murderers.

Thursday 27 June

The Bear

Disney+

Forget the football. Forget the future direction of the United Kingdom. On Thursday, The Bear returns for its third season, and it’s the only thing worth caring about. This momentous, momentum-filled comedy drama about a bunch of stressed out chefs is gripping and emotional and funny and sexy and perfect. This might just be the event of the year.

Glastonbury

BBC, from 7pm

Just because you’re not into politics or sport, it doesn’t mean you want to be disconnected from big communal events. This is where Glastonbury comes in. Once again, the BBC will bring its near-comprehensive coverage to the festival, allowing viewers to sit at home and soak up sets by everyone from Avril Lavigne to SZA.

Friday 28 June

Fancy Dance

Apple TV+

Another new film, and one that should count as Lily Gladstone’s victory lap after her stupendous performance in Killers of the Flower Moon. Here, she plays a petty thief who is forced to look after her niece when her sister goes missing. It debuted at Sundance to universal acclaim, so here’s a chance to see what all the fuss is about.

Monday 1 July

Lost

Netflix
Lost turns 20 this year, so why not mark this event by watching every single episode all over again? The entire series returns to Netflix at the start of July. If you begin watching as soon as it drops, by my calculation, you’ll be too baffled by all the talk of numbers and hatches to care when the election results are announced.

Wednesday 3 July

Bluey

Disney+
The greatest show in the world is back, sort of. After the long and gut-wrenching 28-minute masterclass The Sign, the show is heading in the opposite direction with the release of seven shorter episodes that range between one to three minutes long. It might not be the Bluey you’ve come to love, but it’s still Bluey and that’s enough.