It never rains, but it pours.
That was a joke about the sky and it is how I am going to ease effortlessly into this deluge of new shows that Sky has decided to gift viewers with in 2018.
On top of a roster of new shows, Sky chief Jeremy Darroch has pledged to increase investment in original productions by 25% - to around £7bn globally. The broadcaster has announced that 2018 will see the number of Sky Original programmes rise to over 50 – including 24 new shows.
Among those new and returning shows are:
Bulletproof. Noel Clarke and Ashley Walters star as Bishop and Pike – two tough, streetwise London cops who drive around the city, solving crime and busting heads. However work sometimes has to take a backseat as the duo encounter problems that they couldn’t have seen coming.
Riviera. What lies ahead for the Clios family? After an explosive (in every sense) finale to their hit first series, Julia Stiles is back for a second sun-soaked season of Riviera. The first series was Sky’s best performing original series to date.
Gangs of London (w/t). Set in present day London, the city is being torn apart as its dark underbelly rises up, throwing everything into chaos. The murder of a gang boss creates a power vacuum that threatens to the fragile peace that exists between London’s powerful international gangs.
Urban Myths: When Bowie Met Bolan. As struggling teenage musicians, Bowie and Bolan are summoned to see their manager. Neither of them are making any money selling records, so he decides that that duo can pay him back by repainting his office. Jack Whitehall and Luke Treadaway star as Bolan and Bowie respectively.
Ronnie Wood: Artist in Residence. Rolling Stone and enthusiastic artist Ronnie Wood is eschewing his customary environment and rocking up at some of the UK’s most iconic cultural institutions to meet the brains behind the productions. Then he’ll paint it.
and The Cooper (Credit: Sky)
Loot. From the makers of Hunted, Loot sees eight ordinary citizens take on an extraordinary challenge: can they find a valuable treasure and keep it hidden from a team of expert detectives for two weeks?
Bounty Hunters. Jack Whitehall’s action comedy caper is back for a second series as bumbling Barnaby (Whitehall) and fast-talking bounty hunter Nina (Rosie Perez) find themselves in a new set of scrapes.
Urban Myths: The Dali and The Cooper. Based on an unbelievable true story, Noel Fielding stars are Alice Cooper, who in 1973 was invited to a surreal dinner party by Salvador Dali (David Suchet). The rocker was asked to pose for a pioneering holographic photo-shoot whilst wearing a $2m tiara and brandishing a kebabbed statuette of the Venus de Milo.
Patrick Melrose. This five-part drama stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the eponymous anti-hero. Spanning decades, the show sees the outrageous, charming and funny aristocrat Melrose come to terms with his traumatic childhood and substance abuse.
A Discovery of Witches. Based on Deborah Harkness’ bestselling book, this show answers the questions: what happens when a witch and a vampire fall in love? Historian and secret vampire Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) is thrown together with geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode) in pursuit of the truth behind a mysterious manuscript.
Save Me. Written and created by Lennie James, Save Me is the story of an unlikely hero. When alcoholic Nelson ‘Nelly’ Rowe (James) is accused of the kidnap of his daughter Jody, he moves heaven and earth to get her back. However Jody’s Mum (Suranne Jones) is convinced that Nelly is behind the crime. As he begins his hunt to get his daughter back, he comes to realise that the answer is closer – and more terrifying – than he could have believed
Urban Myths: Public Enemy (feat. Kev Wells). After they were abandoned by their tour bus, rap icons Public Enemy were stranded in Broomhill. However a local bloke (Phillip Glenister) and his old Ford Focus came to their aid, getting them to the show on time.
Britannia. It’s been a long time coming, but Jez Butterworth’s historical epic is nearly here. It's 43AD and the Roman Army have returned to Britain to crush the heart of the Celtic nation. However the fearsome tribe will not be easily conquered, and their lethal alliance with the druids – whose powers extend to the underworld – make them frightening foes.