From a James McAvoy crime thriller set in the murkier edges of Glasgow, to Emilia Clarke as a Cold War spy, to an A24 crime drama starring Lucy Liu – Sky has just unveiled a packed slate of new shows coming to Sky and NOW.
And the timing is no accident. Sky has had a busy few months. The return of Sky One, the upcoming launch of HBO Max bundled into Sky subscriptions, Disney+ going free on Sky this week, and a mega-bundle that puts Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and Hayu all under one roof. It’s a lot to take in.
But amid all the platform reshuffling and streaming deals, there’s a question worth asking: what is Sky actually making and acquiring for itself? Because as impressive as the bundle sounds, none of those streaming services are Sky’s content. They’re borrowed jewels.
This week, at its UP NEXT content showcase, Sky answered that question with a sizeable slate of new originals, returning favourites, and exclusive acquisitions – all of which will be available on Sky and NOW, and none of which you’ll find on HBO Max, Netflix, or Disney+ (in the UK).
Why This Matters
HBO Max launches in the UK next week as a standalone service, and it changes things for Sky in a big way.
For years, Sky’s prestige reputation rested heavily on HBO. Game of Thrones, Succession, The Wire – these weren’t just shows on Sky, they were reasons to subscribe.
Now Warner Bros. Discovery is building a direct relationship with UK viewers, and those shows are gradually finding their true home on HBO Max.
Sky still carries them – and Sky customers get a bundled tier of HBO Max included – but the era of HBO being Sky’s main differentiator is coming to an end. Which is exactly why what Sky is commissioning and acquiring for itself matters more than ever.
New Sky Originals
Meantime
Meantime is a comic crime thriller based on Frankie Boyle‘s debut novel, written by Boyle alongside Neil Webster and starring James McAvoy.
McAvoy plays Felix McAveety, a full-time addict whose best friend is found murdered in a Glasgow park – which makes him the police’s most convenient suspect.
In a fog of intoxication and paranoia, he sets out to clear his name, teaming up with an ageing former DI turned crime novelist (Josette Simon) and a chaotic friend (Jamie Michie).
The supporting cast is impressive: Christopher Eccleston, Benedict Wong, Shirley Henderson, and Mark Bonnar among others.
The series is coming next year.
Possession
Formerly titled Inheritance, this five-part limited series stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Claudia, a biracial lawyer who travels to Jamaica to challenge an inheritance claim – only to discover that the disputed estate is the very plantation that has haunted her nightmares.
Also stars Jonny Lee Miller, Bel Powley, and Sheldon Shepherd. Written and created by Karla Crome, directed by Storm Saulter.
Sweetpea, Series 2
Ella Purnell returns as Rhiannon, the wallflower-turned-killer from Series 1. This time she’s navigating a new promotion, a rebound romance with a new character played by Rish Shah, and – awkwardly – a copycat killer who threatens to expose her. Tamsin Greig joins as AJ’s mother.
Coming later in 2026.
Saturday Night Live UK
This is arguably Sky’s biggest entertainment gamble in years, and the first three hosts have now been confirmed. Tina Fey hosts the launch episode on March 21 – that’s this Saturday. Jamie Dornan follows on March 28, and Riz Ahmed on April 4.
If SNL UK can capture even a fraction of the cultural moment the US version regularly generates, this could be a genuine flagship for the relaunched Sky One.
The 100 Day Split
A new 12-part relationship format coming next year. Six couples who have been together since childhood spend 100 days completely apart – new routines, new experiences, some even exploring dating apps – to understand what they need as individuals before deciding what they want together.
Rooted in therapeutic approaches endorsed by relationship counsellors.
Landscape Artist of the Year, Series 12
The Sky Arts competition returns with a refreshed format. Fearne Cotton joins Stephen Mangan as co-host, with 10 artists competing over eight weeks across UK locations, each championed by a celebrity with a personal connection to that place.
The winner receives a £10,000 commission for the Natural History Museum.
Sky Original Films
Blood on Snow
A Sky Original film directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective, No Time to Die), based on Jo Nesbø‘s novel. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Olav, a hitman whose boss orders him to kill his own wife.
Olav refuses, hatches a scheme, and promptly becomes the target himself — setting him at the heart of Oslo’s criminal underworld in the 1970s.
Fuze
A heist film from director David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water), starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Not much plot detail yet, but the talent on both sides of the camera makes this one to watch.
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom
Aardman’s first Shaun the Sheep film in seven years. A Halloween adventure in which Shaun turns mad scientist to save the farm’s pumpkin patch, with predictably chaotic results.
Nick Park is among the executive producers. Dani Dyer voices a character.
Exclusive Acquisitions
PONIES (May 2026)
An espionage thriller set in 1977 Moscow. Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson (The White Lotus) play two embassy secretaries — “persons of no interest” in CIA speak — whose husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances, turning them into unlikely operatives.
Clarke’s character is a Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants; Richardson’s is a small-town girl who is, as the press release puts it, “as abrasive as she is fearless.”
Co-created by Susanna Fogel, who directed The Flight Attendant. All episodes drop together in May.
The ‘Burbs (April 1)
Based on the 1989 Tom Hanks horror-comedy, updated for the present day. Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall play a couple who move into Rob’s childhood home, only for a mysterious new neighbour to start unearthing the dark secrets of the cul-de-sac.
Produced by Seth MacFarlane and Brian Grazer. Blends comedy, mystery, and horror – arrives April 1.
Superfakes
An A24 crime drama currently in production. Lucy Liu stars as a small-time Chinatown luxury counterfeit dealer drawn into a dangerous black-market underworld to fund a respectable suburban life for her family.
Created by Alice Ju, who wrote for Poker Face and Beef. No air date yet, but the pedigree here is exceptional.
YAGA
A contemporary mystery thriller – exclusively acquired from Canadian streamer Crave – that reimagines the Baba Yaga myth in a small coastal town.
Stars Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), Noah Reid (Schitt’s Creek), Clark Backo (Letterkenny), and Hudson Williams from Heated Rivalry.
A private investigator arrives in town to find a missing heir and stumbles into ancient magic and secret lives. Coming later this year.
Heated Rivalry, Series 2 (2027)
The queer hockey drama that became a huge hit – adapted from Rachel Reid‘s Game Changers novels – launched on Sky in January 2026 and clearly found its audience.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie return for a second season, arriving in 2027.
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