Idris Elba Plays Hero in Apple's Real-Time Thriller Hijack

Looking for your next binge-watch, or just need to fill an hour? Welcome to Your Weekly Watch List, our curated collection of the best shows on television. Here’s what to watch from Sunday, June 25 through Saturday, July 1.

Idris Elba puts his action movie experience to good use as the star and executive producer of Hijack, an Apple thriller about one man's heroic effort to save a flight after terrorists take control. Also this week: Henry Cavill begins his final stand as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher Season 3, Happy Valley's Sgt. Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) turns in her badge, and The Other Two closes the book on its superb third season.

Happy Valley Series Finale

Monday, AMC+ and 11:00 PM ET on BBC America

Nearly a decade ago, Sally Wainwright revolutionized the modern crime drama with Happy Valley, starring Sarah Lancashire as a working-class police sergeant recovering from her daughter's death by suicide. Across three seasons — with a seven-year hiatus between the second and third installments — Sgt. Catherine Cawood has pursued a criminal with a close connection to her family: Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), the man who raped her daughter years ago, resulting in the birth of Catherine's grandson, Ryan (Rhys Connah). Catherine's investigation has taken her across Yorkshire, but even when her cat-and-mouse game with Royce was at its most intense, Wainwright grounded Happy Valley in a gritty realism. The British series may be concluding its stateside run this week (the finale aired in February in the U.K.), but its impact will live on in recent hits like Mare of Easttown and The Responder.

Hijack

Wednesday, Apple TV+
*Our must-watch pick of the week*

After a series of recent duds, Apple has finally worked out the thriller formula. When a flight traveling from Dubai to London is overtaken by terrorists, Sam Nelson (Idris Elba, who also executive produces), an accomplished negotiator in the business world, puts his unique skill set to good use as he attempts to save the lives of the passengers and crew being held hostage on board. 35,000 feet below, counterterrorism officer Zahra Gahfoor (Archie Panjabi) is pulled into the investigation as authorities scramble to determine who would be capable of launching such a coordinated attack.

Despite the uninspired title, Hijack stands out from other projects about airplane hijackings thanks to its 24-style format: The thriller unfolds in real time as Sam negotiates with the terrorists and attempts to calm the panicked passengers over the course of the seven-hour flight. Even viewers with extreme flight anxiety will find some comfort in Elba's quiet confidence, though they'll have to wait until later in the summer to experience any catharsis. Two episodes of Hijack drop today, followed by new episodes weekly through August 2.

The Other Two Season 3 Finale

Thursday, Max

No show has its finger on the pulse of Hollywood quite like The Other Two, which recently made our list of the Best TV Shows of 2023 So Far. In the hilarious third season, creators Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider take Cary (Drew Tarver) and Brooke Dubek's (Heléne Yorke) thirst for attention to a new level as Cary tosses aside his friends and his dignity in exchange for fame, while Brooke comes to terms with the less-than-virtuous reality of a career in the industry. The two don't need to look far to find a cautionary tale about the price of stardom — their mother, talk show host and media mogul Pat (Molly Shannon), yearns for a normal family dinner at Applebee's or a walk in Central Park without her security detail — but they refuse to heed this warning, making for a season that's surprisingly tragic, even if it is packed with great jokes.

The Witcher Season 3, Volume 1

Thursday, Netflix (Full Season)

It's the beginning of the end for Henry Cavill's take on Geralt of Rivia. In Cavill's final season, Geralt is more determined than ever to protect his family against threats new and old. When Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) leads Geralt and Ciri (Freya Allen) to the protected fortress of Aretuza, they discover that they've landed in a minefield of corruption, dark magic, and treachery, and it's up to the legendary witcher to lead them back to safety. Creator Lauren Hissrich promises that Geralt's epic journey in Season 3 — which is being divided into two parts, with Volume 2 dropping July 27 — serves as "the most heroic sendoff" for the show's OG protagonist. With Cavill headlining Prime Video's upcoming Warhammer 40,000 series, Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games) will assume The Witcher's flowing silver wig for Season 4 and the likely but not-yet-confirmed-by-Netflix fifth season.

If You Have...

An Hour

Claim to Fame Season 2 Premiere: Monday, 8:00 PM ET on ABC
The Bachelorette Season 20 Premiere: Monday, 9:00 PM ET on ABC
Grown-ish Season 6 Premiere: Wednesday, 10:00 PM ET on Freeform

An Evening

Taylor Mac's 24-Decade History of Popular Music: Tuesday, 9:00 PM ET on HBO
Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed: Wednesday, 9:00 PM ET on HBO
Warrior Season 3 Premiere: Thursday, Max
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Season 4 Premiere: Friday, Amazon Prime Video

A Full Day

Secret Chef: Thursday, Hulu
Is It Cake? Season 2: Friday, Netflix

Up Next

Fourth of July Fireworks: Tuesday, July 4 on NBC
WHAM!: Wednesday, July 5 on Netflix
The Lincoln Lawyer Season 2: Thursday, July 6 on Netflix
The Horror of Dolores Roach: Friday, July 7 on Amazon Prime Video

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.