Dune’s magically gifted female cult takes the spotlight in this hugely anticipated prequel series, which is set some 10,000 years before the films – not long after humanity was forced to do battle with the AI-inspired ‘learning machines’. It follows sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen (Emily Watson and Olivia Williams) as they set the wheels in motion for the shadowy Bene Gesserit sect and encourage their fellow sisters to not just predict future events, but shape them too. Monday 18 November; HBO Max and NOW

Claire (Rebecca Hall) can hear a low humming sound that nobody else around her can hear – a seemingly innocuous matter, save for the fact there’s no obvious cause or medical explanation available. It upsets the balance of her life, increases tensions between her and her loved ones and makes her feel increasingly isolated… until she falls in with a group who claim they can hear The Hum, too. Steel yourselves for a truly enigmatic thriller series based on the novel by Jordan Tannahill. 9pm, Tuesday 19 November; BBC One and BBC iPlayer

Produced by Malala Yousafzai and Jennifer Lawrence, this critically acclaimed documentary follows three Afghan women in real time as they fight to recover their autonomy from the Taliban. It’s a story of spirit and resilience, true, but it makes for raw, harrowing viewing – not least of all because it puts a face and voice to those women and girls behind the headlines we read on an almost daily basis. Friday 22 November; Apple TV+

“It will surprise absolutely no one to learn that I’m a musical theatre kid at heart,” says Kayleigh. “You can imagine, then, that my fellow Gleeks and I are counting down the days until Wicked: Part One hits cinemas – but it’s also no secret that we’re feeling conflicted about the starry adaptation. Here’s why…”

THE TIMELY STORY
No spoilers here, but trust me when I say that the basic plot of this Wizard Of Oz prequel – aka the unlikely girlhood friendship between Elphaba, the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda, the beautiful Good Witch of the South – doesn’t do justice to its complex themes of corruption, dehumanisation, discrimination, privilege and propaganda. The musical is based on the bestselling book by Gregory Maguire, so go in expecting to be hit with some serious political, social and ethical commentary that feels painfully relevant in 2024.

… BUT IT’S BEEN SPLIT INTO TWO PARTS
Unless the film is lifting more content from the book than the stage musical (which would be a good thing as the stage show is a little too dependent on that one big belter of a song), it remains to be seen how they’ll be able to stretch the plot of Wicked out over two movies. Fingers crossed we’re pleasantly surprised.

THE CAST IS RIDICULOUS
Cynthia Erivo! Ariana Grande! Jonathan Bailey! Michelle Yeoh! Jeff Goldblum! Peter Dinklage! This movie is stuffed with so many more stars, and I’ve got it on very good authority that they’re all absolutely spectacular – particularly Grande, who inhabits the witch’s character like nobody’s business.

… BUT CAN THEY MEET THE BAR OF THE OG BROADWAY STARS?
Let’s face facts: Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth are the GOATs for a reason. They just are Elphaba and Galinda, thanks to their impeccable interpretations of the magical characters. Still, we suspect the sheer length of time we’re going to spend with Erivo and Grande’s versions means we’re going to have plenty of opportunities to fall in love with them along the way.

IT LOOKS AND SOUNDS BEAUTIFUL
Everything about this adaptation of Wicked is stunning, from the costumes to the backdrop to Jonathan Bailey dancing through life. The snippets of audio we’ve been privy to have also left us with zero chill whatsoever; it’s going to be a struggle for almost any Wicked fan to make it through a screening without bursting into song at some point. Watch in UK cinemas from Friday 22 November

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a gritty family thriller to get my teeth into, and this New Zealand drama had me gripped from the start,” says Helen. “It stars Robyn Malcolm as Penny, a teacher who is convinced that she witnessed her husband, Phil (Peter Mullan), sexually assault a drunk male friend of their teenage daughter at a party, but no one believes her. The majority of the drama is set five years after the event when Phil (now her ex) returns to New Zealand and moves in with their daughter Grace (Tara Canton), and it reinvigorates Penny’s desire to see him punished.

“There is much to be enthralled about with this six-part series but it’s not always an easy watch. This is incredibly morally ambiguous and complex storytelling. As viewers we’re forced to challenge our own assumptions about the truth – I kept coming up against an icky part of me that wanted to believe that Phil was innocent, as he seems like such a good man.

“Malcolm is absolutely excellent as Penny. She makes some terrible decisions, and is frequently driven by anger and rage; in short, she’s a fully realised, sweary, sexual 3D woman. We need so many more women like this on TV.” Watch on Channel 4 on Wednesday 20 November at 9pm