What to Watch on Streaming This October

October is the month the couch really earns its keep. The mornings are getting warmer, but the evenings still call for a blanket, a dog on each side of you and something good to press play on. I’ve gone through what’s landing across Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, HBO Max, Disney+, Stan, Binge, Paramount+ and a few free local services this month, so you can plan your watchlist without endlessly scrolling. Here’s what’s worth your time:

Netflix
I’m currently loving The Gentlemen, which returned in early September. The characters and the storyline are fantastic, so if you haven’t caught up yet, it’s well worth a look before the new releases land.

East of Eden arrives on October 1, with Zoe Kazan adapting Steinbeck’s sweeping family saga into a seven-episode miniseries. It leans into Cathy Ames, the woman history has rather unfairly cast as the villain, and Florence Pugh plays her.

The Diplomat returns for a fourth season on October 15, with Keri Russell’s Kate Wyler once again juggling global crises and a very complicated marriage. Lupin Part 4 follows on October 23, and Nobody Wants This is back for season three on October 22. If you’d like a movie night, Ben Affleck’s kidnapping thriller Animals, with Kerry Washington and Gillian Anderson, lands on October 9.

Prime Video
Mike Flanagan’s Carrie drops in full on October 7, a modern take on the Stephen King classic for anyone who likes a proper chill in the air.

For something gentler, Love of Your Life on October 14 stars Margaret Qualley as a young woman navigating grief and a second chance at love.

Masterplan arrives on October 16, a caper comedy about a plan to steal the Mona Lisa, with Stanley Tucci as the mastermind.

Apple TV
Ted Lasso wraps up its fourth season on October 7, so if you’ve been following Coach Lasso’s return, this is your finale. Small Prophets, Mackenzie Crook’s new comedy, also lands that day. Silo continues with new episodes weekly, and Nocturne, a tense thriller with Stephen Graham and Liev Schreiber, arrives on October 30 if you want something to bridge you into November.

HBO Max
War premieres on October 2 and is a glossy, high-stakes divorce drama with Sienna Miller and Dominic West. On October 24, Tea Leoni and Tim Daly reunite onscreen in Newlyweds, a sitcom about a couple who marry after a whirlwind romance. Fans of Madam Secretary will be pleased to see them paired up again.

Disney+
The Lowdown returns for a second season on October 15, with Ethan Hawke joined this time by Tommy Lee Jones and Betty Gilpin. It’s a dry, clever, slightly offbeat take on a western. Marvel’s VisionQuest, the third chapter of the series that began with WandaVision, also arrives this month.

Stan
Gnomes premieres on October 8. It’s an Australian horror-comedy about a country town under siege from murderous garden gnomes, and it stars Asa Butterfield and Megan Smart, with a very good local cast. Catherine Zeta-Jones also stars in the revenge thriller Kill Jackie, and Crystal Lake, a prequel to Friday the 13th, arrives on October 16 for the horror fans. Love Island Australia: Unseen & Uncut joins the lineup on October 26 for those of you who like the extra villa gossip.

Binge
The Great British Bake Off returns for season 17 on October 20, and this year Nigella Lawson steps into the tent as a judge, replacing Prue Leith. On October 23, Yaga offers a spooky small-town mystery with Carrie-Anne Moss, for anyone in the mood for something eerie.

Paramount+
Elsbeth is back for season four on October 9. Carrie Preston’s endlessly underestimated sleuth is still one of the most enjoyable weekly crime shows going around, and this season brings a fresh run of guest stars.

ABC iview, SBS On Demand and 7plus
SBS On Demand has 70 Up from October 3, the final chapter of the extraordinary documentary series that has followed the same group of people since they were seven. Blue Lights returns for a fourth season on October 8.

ABC iview premieres the Australian crime drama Dustfall on October 11, starring Anna Torv, though it deals with heavy subject matter. Over on 7plus, A Taste for Murder is a lighter mystery set in Capri.

My Pick of the Month
If I had to choose just one, it’s the new season of The Great British Bake Off. Nigella in the tent is the kind of change that could go either way, but I suspect it’s going to be a treat.