Best TV shows on UKTV's new streaming service U
UKTV has rebranded as U - with lots for you to watch
A new name, but the same quality drama from the streaming platform formerly known as UKTV Play.
Cosy crime favourite Whitstable Pearl returns with series two, streaming free for the first time since its debut on Acorn TV in 2021. Restaurateur cum amateur sleuth Pearl (After Life’s Kerry Godliman) and detective Mike McGuire pick up their complex professional and personal entanglement as they investigate a missing child, the murder of a property developer, and a suspicious inheritance, in this six-part run.
The crime theme continues with another chance to watch acclaimed serial killer drama Ragdoll. When a corpse made up of stitched together body parts of six murdered individuals, investigators need to find the perpetrator fast. It's a race against time as the killer then taunts investigators with a kill list of six new names. First premiered in 2021, critics commended the drama for its dry humour.
Orlando Bloom: To The Edge sees the Hollywood actor push himself to his mental and physical limits with a series of intense challenges, from jumping out of a plane at 13,000ft and gliding for three miles, to plunging 100ft into the ocean on a single breath. Partner Katy Perry watches on in suspense as Bloom undertakes a mission to conquer fear, as he claims: "I never feel so alive being so close to death."
Check out our highlights from U below, then try our BBC iPlayer film picks or ITV highlights.
Whitstable Pearl
Crime | Mystery
Summary:Kerry Godliman plays single mum Pearl who moonlights as a private detective from her restaurant business in Whitstable. Based on the books of the same name, this cosy crime drama follows Pearl as she juggles running a successful business while also solving mysteries and murders in the pretty Kentish seaside town. Doctor Who's Frances Barber and Top Boy villain Howard Charles also star.
Orlando Bloom: To the Edge
Documentary | Action & Adventure
Summary:Orlando Bloom takes viewers on a thrilling journey of self-discovery as he pushes his limits physically and mentally in order to reach his personal edge of what is possible.
Ragdoll
Mystery | Crime | Drama
Summary:Based on the book by Daniel Cole, detectives investigate the Ragdoll Killer, who has killed six people and sewn their bodies into the shape of one grotesque body nicknamed the Ragdoll.
Alaska Daily
Drama | Crime
Summary:A star journalist moves to Alaska for a fresh start after a career-killing misstep, and finds redemption personally and professionally joining a daily metro newspaper in Anchorage.
Sister Boniface Mysteries
Crime | Drama | Mystery
Summary:First there was Father Brown. Now, say hello to Sister Boniface. This clever, moped-riding nun is the police's secret weapon for solving murders in this divine Father Brown spin-off.
Louis Theroux Interviews
Documentary
Summary:Louis Theroux interviews some of the biggest names in UK entertainment and is granted exclusive access into their lives, both at work and at home.
Annika
Mystery | Crime | Drama
Summary:The sharp, witty and enigmatic DI Annika Strandhed, as she heads up a new specialist Marine Homicide Unit (MHU) that is tasked with investigating the unexplained, brutal, and seemingly unfathomable murders.
Smother
Crime | Drama
Summary:On the rugged coast of County Clare, Val Ahern's husband is found dead at the foot of a cliff the morning after a family party. The matriarch starts to dig into the family's secrets to find out who might be responsible.
Emily Atack: Asking For It?
Documentary
2023 | Alana McVerry | 59 mins
Summary:Actress Emily Atack explores why she is sexually harassed online on a daily basis, and seeks to understand why the blame for unwanted sexual attention is so often put on the victim.
Sons of Anarchy
Crime | Drama
Summary:An adrenalized drama with darkly comedic undertones that explores a notorious outlaw motorcycle club’s (MC) desire to protect its livelihood while ensuring that their simple, sheltered town of Charming, California remains exactly that, charming. The MC must confront threats from drug dealers, corporate developers, and overzealous law officers. Behind the MC’s familial lifestyle and legally thriving automotive shop is a ruthless and illegal arms business driven by the seduction of money, power, and blood.
