Worth Watching This Week: The Expanse, Endeavour, Das Boot

Valentine’s Day—or to use its far superior traditional name, ‘The Birds’ Wedding Day’ (the day when pigeons start spinning around like ice-skaters on bungalow rooftops in an attempt to attract a mate. Honestly, ask Chaucer)—is approaching. Forget pricy set menus and spa hotel mini-breaks, you only need two things: a takeaway and a television.

This week on said television, you can take your loved one/favourite sobbing cushion into space, back to the 1960s, inside a German U-boat, to a mysterious Swedish island or to the equally mysterious… Birmingham. Who could ask for anything more?

Here’s Den Of Geek’s pick of the best new and continuing shows airing between Friday the 8^th and Thursday the 14^th of February. Come back next week for the new additions.

The Expanse season 3

Friday 8^th February, Amazon Prime UK

Syfy cancelled this ambitious space-set sci-fi after season three, just when it was hitting its stride. Within a month, Amazon had stepped in to un-cancel it, and thereby earned the UK streaming rights to the first two seasons (previously held by Netflix). This Friday, seasons one and two will arrive on Amazon Prime for the first time, coinciding with the UK launch of season three and in preparation for the already-in-production fourth run, due to arrive later this year.

The Expanse is adapted from the novel series of the same name by S.A. Corey, and stars Thomas Jane as a police detective investigating a disappearance that has far-reaching implications for the tense political intergalactic landscape.

Endeavour series 6

Sunday 10^th February 8pm, ITV1

1969 brings a new era, a new look and a new location to ITV’s excellent, layered Inspector Morse prequel. Shaun Evans returns as the young Morse, who transfers to Thames Valley Police in series six. Starting eight months after the conclusion of the previous series, there are still unanswered questions to solve, along with a new case that promises to deliver tragedy and corruption on a grand scale. Previous series are available on ITV Hub for latecomers.

Sound & Vision: Joe Cornish

Sunday 10^th of February, 1pm, BBC Radio 6 Music

To coincide with the release of his new feature, family fantasy adventure The Kid Who Would Be King, Attack the Block director Joe Cornish is chatting to journalist and writer Miranda Sawyer about film music.

(And if you happen to be a fan of Zavid Bowie, you might like to catch the third part of Francis Whatley’s Bowie documentary series on Saturday night on BBC Two. David Bowie: Finding Fame airs at 9pm and covers the musician’s early years).

The Bafta Film Awards

Sunday 10^th February 9pm, BBC One

Olivia Colman’s going to need a new mantlepiece after Sunday night. Perhaps Bafta awards host Joanna Lumley will be able to lend her a couple of bits of four-by-two and a few screws to reinforce the existing one?

This pick needs no explanation. It’s the Baftas, so two hours of films and dresses and suits and speeches, and everybody on Twitter falling in love with the same person on Monday morning. Will it be Colman? Richard E. Grant? The First AD of A Cambodian Spring? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Das Boot

Wednesday 13^th February, 9pm, Sky Atlantic

Set nine months after the events of Wolfgang Petersen’s 1981 U-boat classic, this TV series premiered in mainland Europe at the end of last year and arrived in the UK on Sky Atlantic last week. The first two episodes of this eight-part series (a second is already in development), also based on Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s 1973 novel, were greeted enthusiastically, with praise for its thrills, brains and atmosphere. Catch up, and see episodes three and four this Wednesday.

Man Like Mobeen series 2

BBC Three/BBC iPlayer

Four brand new episodes of Guz Khan’s Birmingham-set comedy are available now to stream on BBC Three. Set in Small Heath (former home of the Peaky Blinders), it’s the story of Mobeen (Khan), a man attempting to live a good life and bring up his little sister despite life’s distractions and setbacks. Fans of This Country and People Just Do Nothing need apply.

Black Lake season 2

BBC iPlayer

If patchy Scandi thrillers float your boat, then you have until Monday the 18^th of February to watch series two of Swedish thriller Black Lake, which is disappearing from BBC iPlayer. The first series was pretty ropey, to be honest, but you can always use it as a mindfulness experience and just let the Swedish vowels roll over you.

Also leaving the streaming service is the Gavin & Stacey boxset (all on Netflix UK at the moment anyway), which expiring on Wednesday the 20^th of February.