For those who might not have a clue about what we’re referring to, His Dark Materials is an adaptation of Philip Pullman’s classic fantasy novels revolving around the main character, Lyra, whose search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and sets off a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust.

The new season picks up where the first left off which ended with Lord Asriel opening a bridge to a new world. In a strange and mysterious abandoned city, Lyra meets Will, a boy from our world who is also running from a troubled past. Lyra and Will learn their destinies are tied to reuniting Will with his father but find their path is constantly thwarted as a war begins to brew around them. Meanwhile, Mrs. Coulter searches for Lyra, determined to bring her home by any means necessary.

You can’t help but appreciate the beauty the series presents (we’ve said this before we know but it’s true), the quality of production is fantastic. If you put in the time, it makes for a great and enticing watch, fans of the fantasy genre will especially enjoy it. Granted, we admit to not being big fans of the genre but keeping an open mind like we do with most things we watch certainly helps and we’re glad we also did in this instance both with the first and now the second season.

Since her breakout and spectacular role in the movie Logan, Dafne Keen was always going to be one to keep an eye on. Her role in this one further demonstrates her ability and adaptability with a certain mysterious feel to her character trait. She’s starting to build her acting career around this premise with her character on Logan also easily being in a mysterious mold. His Dark Materials heavily revolves around her and she carries it all perfectly making for an overall solid watch.

She (Dafne Keen) is joined by fellow child star Amir Wilson who plays the role of Will, together they’re supported by Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson (The Affair, Luther), Oscar nominee Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), and Golden Globe nominees Andrew Scott (Fleabag, Sherlock) and James McAvoy (X-Men), with Oscar nominee Terence Stamp (The Limey and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) joining this season.

We can’t wait to finish the rest of it and we have no doubt there will be another season, at least we hope. His Dark Materials S2 officially becomes available to watch first on Showmax, weekly from 17 November; you can then starting binge watching it from 29 December.

Our thanks to the always classy team at Showmax for the preview.

THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES S1
First on Showmax. Binge now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6eMRyxGdaI

The Righteous Gemstones tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work. Creator Danny McBride (Vice Principals, Eastbound & Down) stars as Jesse, the eldest of three grown Gemstone offspring, who looks to lead in his father’s footsteps, but finds his past sins jeopardising the family ministry. Golden Globe winner John Goodman stars alongside Teen Choice and MTV Movie Awards winner Adam Devine (Pitch Perfect, Modern Family) and Emmy nominee Walton Goggins (Justified).

SILICON VALLEY S6 – THE FINAL SEASON
First on Showmax. Binge from 9 December

A collaboration between Mike Judge (Beavis and Butthead) and Alec Berg (Barry), Silicon Valley takes a comedic look at the modern-day epicentre of the high-tech gold rush, where the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success. Thomas Middleditch stars in an Emmy-nominated role as Richard Hendricks, a Silicon Valley engineer trying to build his own company called Pied Piper.

VIKINGS S6 – THE FINAL SEASON

First on Showmax. New episodes every Thursday from 5 December

The vikings push further into Scandinavia as a victorious Bjorn returns from The Battle of the Brothers to find that being a hero and a leader comes with its own challenges. Torvi and Ubbe search for clues to Floki’s whereabouts in Iceland, while Ivar follows The Silk Road to Russia, where he encounters a ruler even more merciless and unpredictable than himself. Meanwhile, Lagertha’s hopes for a quieter life on her own farm are threatened by new dangers closer to home.

MRS. FLETCHER S1
First on Showmax. Binge from 13 December

Mrs. Fletcher is a dual coming-of-age story chronicling the personal and sexual journeys of an empty-nest mother and her college freshman son, who both embrace their newfound freedom with mixed results. Emmy nominee Kathryn Hahn (Transparent) stars in the title role.

HIS DARK MATERIALS S1
First On Showmax. New episodes every Tuesday

Lyra’s search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and sets off a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. The fantasy’s cast includes child stars Dafne Keen (Logan) and Amir Wilson as Lyra and Will, supported by Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson (The Affair, Luther), Golden Globe nominee James McAvoy (X-Men), and BAFTA winner Helen McCrory (Harry Potter, The Queen). Oscar winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) is one of the directors.

VIDA S1-2
First on Showmax. Binge from 2 January 2020

This half-hour drama focuses on two Mexican-American sisters from the East Side of Los Angeles who couldn’t be more different or distanced from each other. Circumstances force them to return to their old neighbourhood, where they are confronted by the past and the discovery that their deceased mother was in a lesbian marriage.

ALEX RIDER S1
First on Showmax. Binge from 17 January 2020

When Alex Rider learns that his Uncle Ian was killed in the line of duty as a British spy – and not a car accident like he’s been told – everything changes for this otherwise normal teen. Alex is soon approached by Alan Blunt, head of a top-secret offshoot of MI6 known as The Department, who reveals that he’s been unknowingly trained since childhood for the dangerous world of espionage.

Pressured to leave his old life behind, Alex goes undercover to investigate the connection between the deaths of two billionaires and a remote boarding school called Point Blanc. Upon arrival, he discovers that the students are subjects in the megalomaniacal school director’s plan to gain control of their families’ business empires. Aided by his classmate Kyra, best friend Tom, and his au pair Jack, Alex exposes the plot’s global network and begins his career as MI6’s youngest covert asset.

Checkout the full line-up here. Please note this release schedule is subject to change.

WATCHMEN S1
New episodes every Monday

Inspired by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ iconic DC graphic novel, Watchmen is set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws. Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk, Seven Seconds) leads a strong cast as Angela Abar, alongside the likes of Oscar winners Jeremy Irons and Louis Gossett Junior, Golden Globe winner Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson (Oh Brother Where Art Thou), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman) and Adelaide Clemens (The Great Gatsby). The series is created by Emmy winner Damon Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers), with Andrij Parekh (Succession), Nicole Kassell (The Following), Emmy nominee Stephen Williams (Westworld) and Oscar nominee Steph Green (The Americans) among the directors.

THE TWILIGHT ZONE S1
Same time as M-Net. New episodes every Friday

The godfather of sci-fi series, the original The Twilight Zone premiered 60 years ago on CBS. The series became a worldwide phenomenon as it used socially conscious storytelling to explore humanity’s hopes, despairs, prides and prejudices in metaphoric ways conventional dramas could not. Oscar winner Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us) reboots the series as co-creator and narrator, alongside an all-star cast that includes Oscar nominees Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick) – in an Emmy-nominated performance – and Greg Kinnear (As Good As It Gets); six-time People’s Choice nominee Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon A Time); Emmy nominee Tracy Morgan (30 Rock); two-time Critics Choice nominee Adam Scott (Big Little Lies); and Teen Choice nominee John Cho (Star Trek).

GODFATHER OF HARLEM S1
Same time as 1Magic. New episodes every Tuesday

In the early 1960s, infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Oscar winner Forest Whitaker) returns from 10 years in prison to find the neighbourhood he once ruled in a shambles. With the streets controlled by Vincent ‘Chin’ Gigante (Emmy nominee Vincent D’Onofrio from Daredevil and Jurassic World) and the Italian mob, Bumpy must take on the Genovese crime family to regain control. During the brutal battle, he forms an alliance with radical preacher Malcolm X (Nigel Thatch from Selma). Godfather of Harlem shows how the criminal underworld and the civil rights movement collided during one of the most tumultuous times in American history.

PERPETUAL GRACE, LTD S1
First on Showmax. Binge now

This 10-episode modern noir drama follows a young grifter, James (Emmy nominee Jimmi Simpson from Westworld, Black Mirror and House of Cards), as he attempts to prey upon Pastor Byron Brown (Oscar winner Sir Ben Kingsley). But the pastor and his wife Lillian (Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver from Silver Linings Playbook) – known to their parishioners as Pa and Ma – turn out to be far more dangerous than he suspects…

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS S1
First on Showmax. Binge now

From Jemaine Clement (Flight Of The Conchords) and Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok), the hit mockumentary What We Do In The Shadows is a look into the daily (or rather, nightly) lives of three vampires who’ve lived together in New York for over 100 years – plenty of time to get on each other’s nerves.

HIS DARK MATERIALS S1
First On Showmax. New episodes every Tuesday, express from the US, from 5 November

Lyra’s search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children, setting off a quest through parallel worlds to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. The fantasy’s cast includes child stars Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson as Lyra and Will, supported by Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson (The Affair, Luther), Golden Globe nominee James McAvoy (X-Men), and BAFTA winner Helen McCrory (Harry Potter, The Queen). Oscar winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) is one of the directors.

Interested in finding out what else they have in store, well then check in here.