TV and Culture Guide: What to Watch, Read and Listen to in November
November is a huge month for Wicked and Ariana Grande fans, but there's plenty more to look forward to
On TV
Bad Sisters
Apple TV+
13th November
Sharon Horgan‘s dark murder-mystery series returns with a second season this month two years after the ‘accidental death’ of John Paul, and pressure is building for the Garvey sisters. This season will launch with two episodes, followed by one episode weekly until Christmas Day.
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
ITV
17th November
Ant and Dec are heading back to Australia for the return of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here – and we simply can’t wait. Celebs rumoured to be facing their fears in the jungle this year include Coleen Rooney, Tom Daley and Giovanni Pernice… we shall see!
Based on a True Story
Peacock
21st November
If you love Only Murders in the Building, you’ll love this series about a couple who start a true crime podcast with the help of a local serial killer. Starring The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco as an estate agent who is passionate about true crime, this show is now in its second season.
At The Cinema
Paddington in Peru
8th November
Everyone’s favourite bear, Paddington, is back and this time he’s heading on adventure beyond London and back to his roots. But what will he get up to in Peru? Pack your marmalade sandwiches and head to your local cinema to find out.
Wicked
27th November
Destined to defy box-office records, as well as gravity, we can’t wait to see Wicked! We’re told to expect additional songs to the theatrical soundtrack and we’re excited to see Ariana Grande as Glinda. The film is being released in two parts, with the second set to follow in 2025. For just a hint of what to expect, read our recent review of the ‘popular’ theatre show which inspired this film.
Moana 2
29th November
This month families should flock to the cinema to see the sequel to Moana. This time she’s on a journey to the far seas of Oceania following an unexpected call from her ancestors.
EVE OF MAN
Giovanna & Tom Fletcher
In a Handmaid’s Tale-esque dystopian future, one girl has survived against all odds – she’s the first to be born in 50 years. The future of the human race is in her hands but she’s been alone in a tower, always watched and lied to, and now she longs for freedom. I find myself hoping the novel’s second narrator Bram (who helps to control Eve’s hologram friend Holly) can help. With each chapter switching from Eve to Bram’s point of view, this cleverly written book (the first in a trilogy) has you feeling all sorts of emotions, but as I was drip-fed more information about the truth of Eve’s past and the world’s planned future, I found myself longing for Eve’s freedom with the flick of each page. I usually hate a cliff-hanger ending, but this had me hooked, and I can’t wait to read the second in this series!
PARADISE ROT
Jenny Hval
Less than 200 pages, this book may be short but it packs a punch, with a mounting sense of dread as the story progresses. Best described as a sickly fever dream, we follow international student Jo who has travelled to a dreary university town in the UK to study biology. In search of accommodation, she finds the strange and ethereal Carral who has a spare room in a partially converted warehouse. As the year goes on, the two become increasingly intertwined in each others’ lives as the boundary between dreaming and reality begins to blur, and soon the house seems more alive than they do. Not quite horror and not quite romance, much like these characters this book exists somewhere in between.
WARTIME IN THE DALES
Diane Allen
The heartwarming tale of two girls trying their best to make it home in 1939, we follow friends Maggie and Lizzie who are heartbroken to be evacuated from their homes to rural Yorkshire. Lizzie is sent to live with a vicar and Maggie finds herself at Hawith Hall with Lord and Lady Bradley. As the girls are adjusting to their new lives, the war is not far behind them and the two are desperate to make it back home to Liverpool. Originally born in Leeds, Diane Allen was raised on her family’s farm deep in the Yorkshire Dales. Now based in Settle, Diane writes full time and has published novels such as Daughter of the Dales and The Miner’s Wife.
She’s Always Hungry
Eliza Clark
7th November
From the Newcastle-born author of Penance and Boy Parts, She’s Always Hungry follows a trio of characters who each have their own desire; a teenager who longs for perfect skin; a scientist who tends to alien flora and a man who takes the night into his own hands. Expect Eliza’s signature dark humour in her debut short story.
An Absolute Casserole
Alex Horne
7th November
Taskmaster fans, this read’s for you. It celebrates a decade of Taskmaster's chaos. It highlights the most hilarious moments, the best tasks, behind the scenes LOLs and plenty of statistics courtesy of Alex Horne.
Cher: The Memoir
Cher
19th November
The icon that is Cher has been entertaining for seven decades. For the first time ever, she’s telling her own story, from her duo with Sonny to taking risks, making headlines and falling in love.
Podcasts
LORE
This award-winning podcast explores the darker side of life, from the truth being the Men in Black, and how food and folklore seem to always go hand-in-hand, to why so many bridges have ghostly connections.
COLOURS OF THE DARK
Taking a close-up look at the horror genre, from staple film classics to weird trends, franchises and the genres biggest icons. We recommend jumping in with the episode on our obsession with killer toys.
GHOST STORY
Host Tristan Redman doesn’t believe in ghosts, but when he learns that every subsequent occupier of his childhood home has seen the same mysterious faceless woman, he decides to investigate the murder that took place next door years earlier.
New Releases
BOUQUET
Gwen Stefani
15th November
Bouquet is the fifth studio album by singer, songwriter Gwen Stefani, featuring 10 songs including one with her husband, Blake Shelton.
WICKED: THE SOUNDTRACK
Wicked Movie Cast, Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
22nd November
The soundtrack to part one of this year’s must-see movie is sure to be popular. It will be released on the same day as the film's theatrical release in the US and will feature 11 songs from the film including all the songs from the first act of the original stage musical.
TOWN HALL (Stick Season Collaborations)
Noah Kahan
29th November
Featuring Sam Fender, Hozier, Lizzy McAlpine and Post Malone, Noah Kahan’s newest release is a combination of collaborations we can’t wait to play on repeat.
