Latest / Cozy Comfort Club Podcast / Fall 2026 TV Preview Part 1: What to Watch on PBS Masterpiece, BritBox & Acorn TV
Transcript
- 0:04SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Cozy Comfort Club,
- 0:05SPEAKER_00: the podcast where we talk about comfort shows,
- 0:08SPEAKER_00: cozy stories and the little moments that make them memorable.
- 0:11SPEAKER_00: I'm Leah,
- 0:11SPEAKER_00: a stay at home mom of three,
- 0:13SPEAKER_00: a lifelong lover of cozy stories and someone
- 0:15SPEAKER_00: who spends entirely too much time thinking about fictional characters
- 0:19SPEAKER_00: and why they make the choices they do.
- 0:26SPEAKER_00: All right, friends, fall TV is officially here.
- 0:29SPEAKER_00: I've been going through the fall schedules for PBS Masterpiece,
- 0:32SPEAKER_00: BritBox, and Acorn TV, and there is a lot coming over the next few months.
- 0:37SPEAKER_00: So instead of sitting here and reading every single title on the schedule to you,
- 0:42SPEAKER_00: I'm just going to pull out the shows that I think will be interesting
- 0:44SPEAKER_00: for Cozy Comfort Club listeners.
- 0:46SPEAKER_00: And to be honest, I think most of them will be covered in this episode.
- 0:50SPEAKER_00: Now we've got cozy mysteries,
- 0:51SPEAKER_00: some cozy adjacent pics,
- 0:53SPEAKER_00: comfort watches,
- 0:54SPEAKER_00: and hopefully some period dramas as more fall schedules are announced.
- 0:58SPEAKER_00: And then because I know some of you like your TV a little darker,
- 1:01SPEAKER_00: I know I do, I also have a not so cozy section at the end.
- 1:05SPEAKER_00: Now,
- 1:06SPEAKER_00: Acorn TV is a little different because we still don't have their complete October
- 1:09SPEAKER_00: and November schedule,
- 1:10SPEAKER_00: so I'm going to include everything we know so far,
- 1:13SPEAKER_00: and if Acorn drops a bunch more fall shows later,
- 1:16SPEAKER_00: we can always come back for part two.
- 1:18SPEAKER_00: So go ahead and grab your tea,
- 1:19SPEAKER_00: your coffee, crochet project, or any other granny hobby, and let's get into fall TV.
- 1:26SPEAKER_00: So let's start with PBS Masterpiece.
- 1:28SPEAKER_00: If you've been around Cozy Comfort Club for a while, this is not going to surprise you at all.
- 1:32SPEAKER_00: I am a huge Marlowe Murder Club fan.
- 1:35SPEAKER_00: I've reviewed seasons one and two here on the podcast.
- 1:38SPEAKER_00: I've read two of the books in the Robert Thurgood series.
- 1:41SPEAKER_00: I'm about halfway through The Queen of Poisons, which is book three.
- 1:45SPEAKER_00: And so that makes the timing really fun because season three is adapting The Queen
- 1:49SPEAKER_00: of Poisons as part of this season for episodes one and two.
- 1:53SPEAKER_00: And I really do love this show.
- 1:54SPEAKER_00: I love having these three females.
- 1:58SPEAKER_00: I love Judith and Bex and Susie and their friendships.
- 2:02SPEAKER_00: I love how pretty it looks,
- 2:04SPEAKER_00: the town of Marlow, and I think the mysteries themselves are pretty good.
- 2:08SPEAKER_00: I know I complained last season that they didn't talk I'll be covering Season 3 on
- 2:13SPEAKER_00: the podcast, but I'll probably wait until...
- 2:26SPEAKER_00: So we can talk about it as one complete story.
- 2:30SPEAKER_00: And I'm going to go ahead and throw out an early prediction.
- 2:33SPEAKER_00: I think this could be a 4.5 out of 5 for coziness for me and maybe a 4.5 out
- 2:39SPEAKER_00: of 5 season overall.
- 2:41SPEAKER_00: But we'll see if I'm right.
- 2:43SPEAKER_00: Next up is Marble Hall Murders.
- 2:45SPEAKER_00: This one also premiered September 6th and it is the third and final installment of
- 2:49SPEAKER_00: the Susan Ryland mystery starring Leslie Manville.
- 2:52SPEAKER_00: Now this time Susan gets pulled into another Atticus Poon mystery involving
- 2:56SPEAKER_00: a new book, a murder.
- 2:58SPEAKER_00: And a story set partly in Corfu,
- 3:00SPEAKER_00: which really sounds like something I should probably be watching, but I'm behind.
- 3:04SPEAKER_00: I haven't watched Magpie Murders or Moonflower Murders yet,
- 3:07SPEAKER_00: and I actually have Magpie Murders right now.
- 3:09SPEAKER_00: I got it from the library, so I picked up my hold yesterday.
- 3:12SPEAKER_00: I'm really excited.
- 3:13SPEAKER_00: I'm ready.
- 3:13SPEAKER_00: I got the large print because my vision hasn't been that great lately,
- 3:17SPEAKER_00: but I want to read the book first and then I'll start season one.
- 3:20SPEAKER_00: And of course,
- 3:21SPEAKER_00: Anthony Horowitz is obviously well known in the mystery world
- 3:24SPEAKER_00: and I love Leslie Mansfield from Mom,
- 3:27SPEAKER_00: so I've been meaning to give And so I think Marble Murders is going to go
- 3:29SPEAKER_00: on my fall list, but I have homework to do first.
- 3:32SPEAKER_00: So I would love to cover the entire series though on the podcast.
- 3:48SPEAKER_00: The other mystery returning the PBS masterpiece this fall is May Gray Season 2,
- 3:52SPEAKER_00: which premieres October 18th.
- 3:54SPEAKER_00: This version of May Gray is set in contemporary Paris
- 3:57SPEAKER_00: and follows Chief Inspector Jules May Gray.
- 4:00SPEAKER_00: Now, Season 2 will have six episodes.
- 4:02SPEAKER_00: It's built around Now,
- 4:07SPEAKER_00: I have not watched season one,
- 4:10SPEAKER_00: so I cannot sit here and tell you whether I think it's cozy,
- 4:12SPEAKER_00: but I'm planning to binge season one before season two arrives,
- 4:16SPEAKER_00: and I'll figure that out for myself.
- 4:18SPEAKER_00: At the moment, this is probably the PBS mystery I'm least excited about.
- 4:22SPEAKER_00: Not because I think it's going to be bad.
- 4:24SPEAKER_00: The ratings are actually pretty high,
- 4:25SPEAKER_00: but I just don't have any relationship with these characters yet.
- 4:28SPEAKER_00: Some reboots, so I didn't watch the older series.
- 4:31SPEAKER_00: But if you're already a May Gray fan and you think I need to watch it,
- 4:34SPEAKER_00: this is your chance to convince me.
- 4:36SPEAKER_00: Now let's head over to BritBox because there are quite a few things coming
- 4:40SPEAKER_00: that I'm interested in.
- 4:41SPEAKER_00: So first off, Cooper and Fry.
- 4:44SPEAKER_00: I almost missed this one.
- 4:46SPEAKER_00: I was writing down what I was going to talk about and I forgot this was at
- 4:49SPEAKER_00: the very end, but I'm really excited about this one.
- 4:52SPEAKER_00: This premiered September 10th on BritBox.
- 4:54SPEAKER_00: It's an eight-episode detective drama set in the Peak District.
- 4:57SPEAKER_00: It follows local detective Ben Cooper,
- 5:00SPEAKER_00: who's played by Robert James Collier,
- 5:01SPEAKER_00: who we all love from Downton Abbey as Thomas Barrow,
- 5:05SPEAKER_00: and newcomer Diane Frye, played by Mandy.
- 5:06SPEAKER_00: And now I haven't watched this one yet.
- 5:12SPEAKER_00: Obviously, it just premiered.
- 5:14SPEAKER_00: I think if you had BritBox premiere, you probably watched it already.
- 5:17SPEAKER_00: But I'm not officially going to give it the Cozy Comfort Club cozy stamp yet.
- 5:22SPEAKER_00: But I plan on watching this soon.
- 5:24SPEAKER_00: A new British mystery.
- 5:26SPEAKER_00: We have the Peak District and two detectives with different personalities and
- 5:29SPEAKER_00: a secret or something.
- 5:30SPEAKER_00: I'm going to investigate.
- 5:31SPEAKER_00: So if you've already started this one,
- 5:33SPEAKER_00: just tell me what you think, because it is definitely on my watch list.
- 5:37SPEAKER_00: Next, Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence premiere September 15th.
- 5:41SPEAKER_00: This is the first contemporary English language TV adaptation of Tommy and Tuppence.
- 5:46SPEAKER_00: They have an adaptation for this radio show, I think, in a movie and maybe a I don't know.
- 5:53SPEAKER_00: But there's been many of adaptations.
- 5:55SPEAKER_00: And we have a detective duo who fall in and out of love while solving mysteries.
- 5:59SPEAKER_00: And the first episode reunites the exes at a wedding where naturally somebody gets murdered.
- 6:05SPEAKER_00: So of course, I'm interested.
- 6:06SPEAKER_00: It's Agatha.
- 6:07SPEAKER_00: It's a mystery, detective duo, relationship drama, yes.
- 6:12SPEAKER_00: I am really curious about the choice to bring Tommy and Tumpets into a modern setting.
- 6:16SPEAKER_00: And so there's this modernization of these classic characters.
- 6:20SPEAKER_00: Is it going to be fun or are we going to be side-eyed?
- 6:24SPEAKER_00: Now, this does feel like one of the biggest cozy mystery possibilities on BritBox's fall.
- 6:29SPEAKER_00: It really could convert the masses.
- 6:31SPEAKER_00: So depending on how much I enjoy it, I could absolutely see us talking about it on the podcast.
- 6:36SPEAKER_00: Also, side note,
- 6:38SPEAKER_00: BritBox is basically turning September into Agatha Christie month with its eras
- 6:42SPEAKER_00: of Agatha Christie celebration and a bunch of classic adaptations that's going
- 6:46SPEAKER_00: to be highlighted too.
- 6:47SPEAKER_00: So if you need a Christie binge this fall, you're going to be in for a real treat.
- 6:51SPEAKER_00: Now, you already know this one was coming, Ludwig Season 2.
- 6:54SPEAKER_00: It premieres October 13th on BritBox.
- 6:56SPEAKER_00: You already know I'm a Ludwig fanatic.
- 6:59SPEAKER_00: I think Ludwig is one of the best cozy mysteries I have watched in a long time.
- 7:03SPEAKER_00: It has puzzles and humor and eccentricly character.
- 7:06SPEAKER_00: Interesting mysteries and a really good storyline that goes throughout the episodes.
- 7:11SPEAKER_00: And so I really care about both the murder mysteries and also what happened to his brother.
- 7:17SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 7:18SPEAKER_00: So this is exactly what I want.
- 7:20SPEAKER_00: We want a season to give me some mysteries.
- 7:22SPEAKER_00: Give me the family drama and issues or whatever else.
- 7:26SPEAKER_00: Give me characters that I can just obsess over.
- 7:28SPEAKER_00: And you want to know how excited I am for season two?
- 7:31SPEAKER_00: Ten out of ten, maybe even eleven.
- 7:33SPEAKER_00: And I'll be watching and there'll be more Ludwig talk on Cozy Comfort Club, of course.
- 7:37SPEAKER_00: And then later this year,
- 7:38SPEAKER_00: we'll also get a Ludwig Christmas special with Sir David Suchet appearing as
- 7:42SPEAKER_00: a murder suspect.
- 7:43SPEAKER_00: So yes, we get Perrault himself.
- 7:45SPEAKER_00: And my goodness,
- 7:46SPEAKER_00: that still is not enough because Ludwig is getting a season three
- 7:50SPEAKER_00: and they're already in production.
- 7:52SPEAKER_00: So clearly BritBox has decided that I will not be doing anything else
- 7:57SPEAKER_00: with my time besides being with my family and watching these shows.
- 8:01SPEAKER_00: Now, we also have Death Valley Season 2 coming November 17th.
- 8:05SPEAKER_00: Season 1 is a real treat if you haven't watched that one yet.
- 8:07SPEAKER_00: It's very easy to binge.
- 8:08SPEAKER_00: It's funny.
- 8:09SPEAKER_00: It's cozy.
- 8:10SPEAKER_00: And we get our quirky characters.
- 8:11SPEAKER_00: And there's only six episodes, so you can get through it pretty quickly.
- 8:14SPEAKER_00: So this is definitely one I think Cozy Mystery fans should have on their radar this fall.
- 8:19SPEAKER_00: And I'm excited to see what they do with Season 2.
- 8:23SPEAKER_00: Now, I have one that isn't technically a new fall mystery at all,
- 8:27SPEAKER_00: but I still wanted to mention it because it feels very Cozy Comfort Club coated.
- 8:31SPEAKER_00: And just in time for fall,
- 8:33SPEAKER_00: BritBox added seasons one through three of the original Monarch of the Glen
- 8:37SPEAKER_00: on September 9th.
- 8:39SPEAKER_00: The series follows Archie McDonald,
- 8:40SPEAKER_00: who gets called back to his childhood home in the Scottish Highlands and discovers
- 8:44SPEAKER_00: that he is now responsible for his family's enormous decaying estate.
- 8:48SPEAKER_00: So we have the Scottish Highlands, a big old estate, family drama, nice scenery.
- 8:54SPEAKER_00: Okay, I'm here.
- 8:55SPEAKER_00: And that's why I don't want Cozy Comfort Club to be only mystery
- 8:57SPEAKER_00: because sometimes I do want to murder.
- 9:00SPEAKER_00: Okay, but I want period dramas too and beautiful estates,
- 9:04SPEAKER_00: crazy families and somebody else's problems in the Highlands.
- 9:07SPEAKER_00: So while everybody else on this list is solving murders, this can be our little break.
- 9:11SPEAKER_00: All right, now let's move on to Acorn TV.
- 9:13SPEAKER_00: This is going to be a little different,
- 9:14SPEAKER_00: like I said,
- 9:15SPEAKER_00: because Acorn still hasn't released its complete October and November lineup.
- 9:19SPEAKER_00: But we do know what's coming in September.
- 9:21SPEAKER_00: And we also know that Senora Volpe season three is coming.
- 9:25SPEAKER_00: I'm going to talk about what Acorn has confirmed so far.
- 9:28SPEAKER_00: And if we get a bigger October and November schedule later,
- 9:31SPEAKER_00: I can always come back with part two.
- 9:33SPEAKER_00: So first up, Blue Murder Motel.
- 9:35SPEAKER_00: This one is already airing with new episodes continuing through September.
- 9:39SPEAKER_00: And I'm watching this one right now.
- 9:41SPEAKER_00: I really like the overall vibe of it.
- 9:43SPEAKER_00: I love the scenery.
- 9:44SPEAKER_00: I love that Cole and Vinny are married.
- 9:45SPEAKER_00: They're both former police detectives.
- 9:47SPEAKER_00: I like that we're getting...
- 9:48SPEAKER_00: A slightly different kind of detective relationship because they're already
- 9:51SPEAKER_00: an established couple.
- 9:53SPEAKER_00: And yes, Cole is a hunk.
- 9:55SPEAKER_00: I'm just saying that's true.
- 9:57SPEAKER_00: And this is one that feels like it belongs in the cozy or cozy adjacent mystery category for me.
- 10:02SPEAKER_00: And I'll probably wait until I finish the whole season before deciding
- 10:05SPEAKER_00: whether I'm going to bring it to the podcast or not.
- 10:08SPEAKER_00: Season seven of The Summer Doll Murders arrived on Acorn TV in September 1st.
- 10:14SPEAKER_00: Now, I haven't watched the first six seasons, so this would be a commitment if I started.
- 10:18SPEAKER_00: But this does feel like one that could appeal to people who like mysteries,
- 10:22SPEAKER_00: but again, really nice scenery, continuing relationships, a bit of personal drama.
- 10:28SPEAKER_00: I'm still deciding whether I want to start from season one or just jump in and see what happens.
- 10:32SPEAKER_00: So if you're already a fan,
- 10:34SPEAKER_00: please tell me whether I need to go all the way back to the beginning.
- 10:37SPEAKER_00: And then looking ahead to October,
- 10:39SPEAKER_00: we have Signora Volpe season three coming to Acorn TV on October 5th.
- 10:43SPEAKER_00: We're heading back to Italy with Sylvia Fox played by Amelia Fox.
- 10:47SPEAKER_00: And apparently three new murders are going to pull Sylvia back into danger.
- 10:51SPEAKER_00: And so we have beautiful Italy,
- 10:53SPEAKER_00: a former British spy solving murders,
- 10:55SPEAKER_00: gorgeous scenery,
- 10:57SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think this one belongs on the Cozy Comfort Club Fall Radar.
- 11:00SPEAKER_00: And so far, this is the one October Acorn premiere that has been confirmed.
- 11:05SPEAKER_00: So I'm still keeping a very close eye on their schedule to see what else gets announced.
- 11:10SPEAKER_00: Acorn is also adding My Salinger Year in September.
- 11:13SPEAKER_00: This one is not a mystery,
- 11:14SPEAKER_00: but I wanted to mention it because I think it could appeal to
- 11:17SPEAKER_00: the Cozy Comfort Club crowd in a different way.
- 11:19SPEAKER_00: It's more of a literary drama.
- 11:21SPEAKER_00: Everything does not need to involve a murder.
- 11:23SPEAKER_00: But I also love literary adaptations and character-driven movies,
- 11:26SPEAKER_00: and this seems like it could be a good comfort watch.
- 11:29SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
- 11:30SPEAKER_00: I don't know anything about this, but I'm open to watching.
- 11:32SPEAKER_00: Sojourney Weaver and Margaret Qualley are in it.
- 11:35SPEAKER_00: So yeah, this may be a good one.
- 11:38SPEAKER_00: Now, my period drama people, I haven't forgotten about you.
- 11:40SPEAKER_00: So far,
- 11:41SPEAKER_00: the fall announcements I've seen are definitely more mystery and crime heavy,
- 11:44SPEAKER_00: but I'm absolutely keeping an eye out for new period dramas,
- 11:47SPEAKER_00: historical series, and any literary adaptations as more schedules are announced.
- 11:52SPEAKER_00: Because if PBS Masterpiece,
- 11:53SPEAKER_00: Britbox,
- 11:54SPEAKER_00: or Acorn gives us a new costume drama with some mess and a big house,
- 11:59SPEAKER_00: you know I'm going to be talking about it.
- 12:01SPEAKER_00: Now, not everything coming this fall is cozy,
- 12:03SPEAKER_00: and because I know some of you like your mysteries and crimes darker,
- 12:06SPEAKER_00: I still want to tell you what's coming without pretending I have an opinion
- 12:09SPEAKER_00: about shows I haven't watched.
- 12:11SPEAKER_00: So these are simply the not-so-cozy titles on your radar.
- 12:14SPEAKER_00: So we have The Gold Season 2 premieres October 18th on PBS Masterpiece.
- 12:19SPEAKER_00: This crime drama continues the story surrounding
- 12:21SPEAKER_00: the Brinksmack gold heist investigation and the search for
- 12:24SPEAKER_00: the remaining stolen gold.
- 12:27SPEAKER_00: BritBox also has Show Trial in its fall lineups.
- 12:29SPEAKER_00: All episodes of season one are now streaming,
- 12:31SPEAKER_00: and season two will premiere September 24th,
- 12:34SPEAKER_00: and I think those episodes are going to come out weekly.
- 12:36SPEAKER_00: And this one is a legal and crime drama,
- 12:38SPEAKER_00: so it's going to go straight into the not-so-cozy category.
- 12:41SPEAKER_00: I just finished season one, and let me tell you, it is worth watching.
- 12:45SPEAKER_00: We also have Time Season 3 on the BritBox Fall slate.
- 12:48SPEAKER_00: This is another intense character-driven drama.
- 12:50SPEAKER_00: We have Blue Lights Season 4, also part of the BritBox Fall conversation.
- 12:55SPEAKER_00: Again, police drama, not cozy mystery.
- 12:57SPEAKER_00: We have Acorn continuing The Assassin throughout September.
- 13:00SPEAKER_00: This is much more of a thriller than Cozy Mystery.
- 13:02SPEAKER_00: So it definitely belongs in this category.
- 13:05SPEAKER_00: I watched the first episode and it is straight action immediately.
- 13:09SPEAKER_00: It is intense.
- 13:10SPEAKER_00: And if you are a cozy kind of person, this definitely won't work for you.
- 13:15SPEAKER_00: It also has The Heiress and the Heist.
- 13:17SPEAKER_00: This is a true crime docuseries about Rose Dugdale in an art heist.
- 13:21SPEAKER_00: It's definitely a different kind of watch from the rest of this list,
- 13:24SPEAKER_00: but that's why I like separating everything this way.
- 13:27SPEAKER_00: I could tell you what's coming and
- 13:28SPEAKER_00: then you can decide exactly how much TV related stress you're going to want
- 13:32SPEAKER_00: in your week.
- 13:33SPEAKER_00: So after going through everything, what am I most excited about?
- 13:36SPEAKER_00: Obviously, number one is Ludwig season two.
- 13:38SPEAKER_00: I'm sure you're not shocked.
- 13:39SPEAKER_00: Marlo Murder Club season three is right behind it.
- 13:42SPEAKER_00: I think Tommy and Tuppets might be the wild card of the fall for me
- 13:45SPEAKER_00: because I don't know what I'm going to think
- 13:47SPEAKER_00: about this modern Agatha Christie adaptation,
- 13:49SPEAKER_00: but I have a feeling it's going to be good.
- 13:51SPEAKER_00: And I'm also really curious about Cooper and Fry now because somehow
- 13:55SPEAKER_00: that one almost slipped right past me.
- 13:56SPEAKER_00: I'm excited to keep watching Blue Murder Motel to see what happens
- 13:59SPEAKER_00: with Death Valley, obviously Senora Volpe.
- 14:03SPEAKER_00: And then I'm going to work my way through the Susan Ryland mystery so I can catch up
- 14:07SPEAKER_00: to Marble Hall murders.
- 14:08SPEAKER_00: And I'll be watching for new period dramas because right now I need something.
- 14:12SPEAKER_00: I need something in that category.
- 14:14SPEAKER_00: Please and thank you.
- 14:16SPEAKER_00: I don't need to cover every British show that gets released,
- 14:18SPEAKER_00: but I do want to help you figure out which ones might be worth your time,
- 14:22SPEAKER_00: which ones give us the cozy vibes,
- 14:23SPEAKER_00: which ones are better for a not-so-cozy night,
- 14:26SPEAKER_00: and which characters we're all going to be rooting for or invested in.
- 14:30SPEAKER_00: And remember,
- 14:30SPEAKER_00: Acorn has only given us part of its fall picture so far,
- 14:34SPEAKER_00: so if Acorn gives us enough new shows to talk about, I'll be back with part two.
- 14:38SPEAKER_00: All right, friends, now I want to hear from you.
- 14:40SPEAKER_00: What are you most excited to watch this fall?
- 14:42SPEAKER_00: Are you waiting for Ludwig?
- 14:44SPEAKER_00: Or watching the Marlon Murder Club?
- 14:46SPEAKER_00: Or maybe Marble Hall Murders?
- 14:48SPEAKER_00: Curious about Tommy and Tuppence?
- 14:49SPEAKER_00: Started Cooper and Fry?
- 14:51SPEAKER_00: Tell me what period drama you're hoping to see this fall,
- 14:53SPEAKER_00: too, because I know I cannot be the only one waiting.
- 14:56SPEAKER_00: And you can come and find me on Instagram at Cozy Comfort Club or over on Substack
- 15:00SPEAKER_00: and let me know.
- 15:06SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed this bonus episode,
- 15:08SPEAKER_00: make sure you're following Cozy Comfort Club wherever you're listening.
- 15:10SPEAKER_00: You can also leave a rating or review or share this podcast with another British TV fan.
- 15:15SPEAKER_00: Those little things really do help more people find the club.
- 15:18SPEAKER_00: You can find my weekly TV updates, articles, So you can join me there too.
- 15:22SPEAKER_00: And thank you so much for spending part of your day with me.
- 15:25SPEAKER_00: I need to go watch about 17 seasons of TV right now.
- 15:27SPEAKER_00: I don't know how I will, but I'm going to be up late probably most nights all fall.
- 15:45SPEAKER_00: Well, until next time,
- 15:46SPEAKER_00: grab your favorite drink,
- 15:47SPEAKER_00: find something cozy to watch, and I'll talk to you again soon.
- 15:50SPEAKER_00: Bye, friends.