UK TV Premieres: August 2025 highlights
Last updated: August 1, 2025
August will be a good month on BBC, ITV and Channel 4. There are some proper big launches coming, plus shows people have been waiting for are back. It's a big month for viewers. Especially those catching up during holidays or seeking late‑summer escapism.
Master Chef 2025
Where:BBC One / iPlayer
Starts: August 6
BBC’s flagship cookery show returns for its 21st series. The final pre-recorded episodes featuring Gregg Wallace and John Torode will air as planned, the BBC confirmed, despite their sudden exit. The first three episodes air across three evenings (6–8 August), while all three will also be available immediately on iPlayer from premiere night.
Casualty
Where:BBC One / iPlayer
Starts: August 2
Britain’s longest-running medical drama heats up in August as Casualty returns with the next chapter. Holby ED is under extreme pressure – medication is going missing, tempers are flaring and staff are pushed to breaking point. There's going to be plenty of emotional drama, tough choices, and characters really going at each other. Casualty keeps mixing proper real-life issues with all the intense hospital stuff, so if you're already hooked, Saturday nights are sorted. You can stream episodes weekly on iPlayer.
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Where:Channel 4
Starts: August 3
16 celebrities face the toughest test of their lives in rural Wales, led by Chief Instructor Billy Billingham. This year’s recruits include footballers Troy Deeney and Adebayo Akinfenwa, singer Hannah Spearritt and rapper Lady Leshurr. Episodes air Sundays and Mondays – expect brutal challenges, emotional breakdowns, and raw confessions.
Karen Pirie – Series 2
Where:ITV1
Continues: The final episode airs August 3
Lauren Lyle returns as DS Karen Pirie in a gripping cold-case drama that unfolds across August. Now promoted, Karen reopens the 1984 disappearance of heiress Catriona Grant only to uncover a body and a web of secrets others want buried. If you missed the 20 July premiere, August is the perfect time to catch up on ITVX. The final episode airs on ITV1 on 3 August.
Mrs Brown’s Boys – Series 5
Where:BBC One / iPlayer
Starts: August 1
The fifth full series of the beloved sitcom launches on 1 August at 9:30 pm. As usual, it features the full brilliance of Agnes Brown and her chaotic Finglas clan in classic comedic misadventures – this time including podcast fame, driving lessons, talent show antics and steamy fiction revelations. Critics may grumble, but its longstanding fanbase remains. The first episode of season 5 airs on BBC one on 1 August.
Something for every taste
August's got a crammed TV schedule coming up, with everything from dramas and reality shows to comedies and competitions spread across the big UK channels and streaming sites. Whether you're chilling out over the holidays or just want something new to binge, there's a lot of different stuff launching this month.
