Cancel your plans — these are the must-watch TV shows this Easter weekend

Easter weekend has rolled around already, and as well as stocking up on chocolate, planning what you're going to watch on TV is up there with the most important plans for the long weekend.

When there's so much choice, you don't want to waste time searching for recommendations - all you want to do is sit down with your snacks and get going.

You've come to the right place - any hunting you're doing for Bank Holiday binge watches can be halted immediately, as we've rounded up the very best of them for you.

The best Bank Holiday binge watches

Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

Where can I watch it? Disney+

Not only has this one caught the attention of everyone in the Woman&Home office, it's captivated the world.

Brought to us by Ryan Murphy who does the Monster anthology series' on Netflix, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette is the first of his all-new Love Story anthology instalments.

Based on the book Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette, by Elizabeth Beller, the nine episodes explore the whirlwind romance and high-profile marriage of John F. Kennedy Jr. (Paul Anthony Kelly), the "closest thing to American royalty," and Carolyn Bessette (Sarah Pidgeon).

As well as a deep dive into the tragic lives of a couple whose love life became a national obsession, you'll probably come away from the series with renewed interest in 90s fashion, and a separate obsession with Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's hair.

The Other Bennet Sister

Where can I watch it? BBC iPlayer

A regency drama with the perfect twist, The Other Bennet Sister is an absolute gem that breaks boundaries all over the place and also has a perfect cast.

Based on Janice Hadlow’s bestselling novel of the same name, the 10 episodes focus on Mary Bennet - the seemingly unremarkable and overlooked sister from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

As Mary (Call the Midwife and Bridgerton’s Ella Bruccoleri) steps out of her sisters’ shadows in search of her own identity and purpose, she finds herself in the middle of an epic love story. Richard E. Grant and Ruth Jones join the cast as Mr and Mrs Bennet.

A Woman of Substance

Where can I watch it? Channel 4

A Woman of Substance has every ingredient needed for the perfect binge watch. A tale of class, revenge, sex and style, it's a soapy, addictive romp that you won't be able to tear your eyes from.

The eights episodes are a reboot of the 1985 series of the same name, based on Barbara Taylor Bradford’s novel. Brenda Blethyn also stars in her first role since Vera concluded, as Emma Harte, a poor but ambitious Yorkshire maid determined to battle her way out of poverty.

Spanning six decades, from the run up to World War 1 through to the mid 70s, this is Rivals meets Succession, with some Wuthering Heights scenery thrown in for good measure.

The Madison

Where can I watch it? Paramount+

This show is another cog in Taylor Sheridan's hugely successful wheel, although The Madison isn't directly connected to the Yellowstone universe, but does share the same Montana backdrop.

Starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell, the six-episode series follows the wealthy Clyburn family as they relocate from New York City to the Montana Madison River valley.

Healing from a family tragedy, viewers have been drinking up the Clyburns - Zoe Ball and Jo Whiley even dropped a bonus episode of their Dig It podcast dedicated to talking about just how much they love this show.

With social media alight with people sharing love for it, if you don't want FOMO you really need to binge The Madison over Easter weekend.

Last One Laughing

Where can I watch it? Prime Video

On paper, this might sound like the most random premise for a TV show ever, and if you're me, it might not sound that funny either.

In reality, this is likely to be one of the funniest things you'll ever see. Watch as 10 comedians are locked in a room and given a series of crazy tasks to complete and performances to do - and nobody is allowed to laugh.

If anyone laughs, host Jimmy Carr marches in to issue yellow or red cards (yellow for the first laugh, red and eviction from the room for a second,) and the comedians are slowly whittled down to a winner.

Season 2 is currently showing on Prime, meaning there's two for you to side-split your way through over Easter weekend. And unlike a lot of reality shows involving celebrities, the ones involved are actually some of the best and most talented names in the industry.

Younger

Where can I watch it? Netflix

What can I say? This hidden gem is an absolute joy. It originally aired from 2015 until 2021 on TV Land, but has now found a host of new fans since it landed recently on Netflix.

Liza Miller (Sutton Foster) is 40, newly divorced, and has been out of the workforce for 15 years since juggling her publishing job with motherhood got too much. With her daughter now 18 and off to college and her ex-husband dealing with gambling issues, Liza needs a job.

But nobody will employ her because they're all ageist. So what does she do? Pretends to be 26 to get a foot back in the publishing door, that's what.

Not only that, she moves in with her cool AF friend Maggie (Debi Mazar) in Brooklyn, and spends her time partying with her younger colleagues and dating hot men. She basically lives the life I wish I had.

While of course a big part of the storyline (there's seven seasons of this perfection!) is Liza dodging anyone finding out her secret, this show is so multi-layered. It's hilarious with perfect comic timing all round, but also has a lot to say about what happens when perfectly capable women are forced out of the workplace because having it all simply cannot exist.

Small Prophets

Where can I watch it? BBC iPlayer

With just six episodes that are half an hour each in length, this is the perfect mini binge watch if you're short on time.

It's also magical, full of surprises, and beautifully written - these are of course, the main reasons to tune in.

If you're a fan of Detectorists, you'll love Small Prophets. Your heart will unexpectedly soar while watching the lonely Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley,) mourning the disappearance of his girlfriend, Clea, who went missing seven years earlier.

Between his job at a DIY store where he pranks customers in the most deadpan way, Michael struggles through the days in the aftermath of Clea's disappearance by visiting his dementia-suffering dad (Michael Palin) and determinedly keeping his house looking exactly the same as it did on the Christmas Eve she went missing.

The premise really comes alive when he later occupies himself by growing magical, truth-telling creatures in his shed. Written by Mackenzie Crook, this series is slightly mad, very much heartfelt, this has all the makings of a cult classic.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

Where can I watch it? Netflix

After a limited release in cinemas, the new Peaky Blinders film and finale has landed on Netflix.

Wrapping up the story of the Shelby clan before writer Stephen Knight moves on to another generation of Shelbys with a spin-off set in the post-war era, this is well worth the watch.

Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) is caught in the chaos of World War II, returning to Birmingham to face his most destructive reckoning yet.

With the future of his family and country at stake, he must face his demons and choose whether to confront his legacy or burn it to the ground. You just know this is going to be epic.

Scarpetta

Where can I watch it? Prime Video

A must for all crime drama fans, Scarpetta is a non-negotiable addition to your holiday viewing schedule.

Featuring a star-studded cast including Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis and Ariana DeBose, the eight-part series is based on the best-selling books by Patricia Cornwell, bringing her iconic fictional pathologist Dr Kay Scarpetta (Kidman) to life.

As Kay attempts to unmask a serial killer, can she prove that her career-making case from 28 years earlier isn't also her undoing? Powerful performances and gripping storylines collide with bingeable results in Scarpetta.