What to Watch This Autumn: Chill’s Ideal Watchlist

The evenings are getting darker, the temperature is dropping and suddenly spending the night on the sofa sounds like a pretty good plan.

Yes, Netflix and Chill season has officially arrived. But whether your streaming service of choice is Netflix, RTÉ Player, Disney+, Prime Video or something else entirely, the hardest part can be deciding what to put on.

So, we've done some of the scrolling for you. From familiar favourites that feel made for autumn to the latest films and series, here’s what we're adding to our watchlist this season.

Comfort Shows Worth Rewatching

Sometimes you don't want to start something new. You want a show where you already know the characters, remember the best bits and don't mind if you accidentally fall asleep halfway through an episode.

Gilmore Girls

Where to watch: Netflix | Buy on Apple TV Store

If any show owns autumn, it might just be Gilmore Girls. Follow mother-daughter duo Lorelai and Rory through life in the small town of Stars Hollow, complete with plenty of coffee, quick-witted conversations and cosy New England scenery.

Derry Girls

Where to watch: Netflix

Set in 1990s Northern Ireland, Derry Girls follows five teenagers navigating school, family, friendships and growing up during the Troubles, usually with hilarious results.

Downton Abbey

Where to watch: Netflix | RTÉ Player | Prime Video

For something a little slower paced, head back to Downton. The much-loved period drama follows the aristocratic Crawley family and their household staff through romance, scandal and a rapidly changing world in early 20th-century Britain.

Schitt's Creek

Where to watch: Disney+

After losing their fortune, the formerly wealthy Rose family is forced to start over in a small town they once bought as a joke. What begins as a fish-out-of-water comedy gradually becomes one of TV's warmest comfort watches.

Classic Films for a Cosy Night In

Blanket? Check. Snacks? Check. Film you've already seen but are absolutely going to watch again? Check.

Some films just feel right when the evenings get darker, and these are a few we'd happily come back to every autumn.

When Harry Met Sally...

Where to watch: Rent or buy on Apple TV Store, Prime Video or Sky Store

Autumn in New York, cosy jumpers and one of the best-known rom-coms of all time. The film follows Harry and Sally over more than a decade as they repeatedly cross paths and try to answer whether two friends can stay just friends.

Harry Potter

Where to watch: Netflix

We know, technically that's eight films, but choosing just one feels impossible. Hogwarts, roaring fires, candlelit halls and the start of another school year make the Harry Potter series particularly tempting once autumn rolls around.

Start with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and you've got enough films to keep several autumn evenings sorted.

You've Got Mail

Where to watch: Check current streaming and rental availability

Another New York autumn classic, You've Got Mail follows two rival bookshop owners who can't stand each other in real life, while unknowingly falling for each other online.

Good Will Hunting

Where to watch: Netflix | Paramount+

Set against the backdrop of Boston and Cambridge, Good Will Hunting tells the story of a young working-class genius whose extraordinary mathematical ability could change his life, if he's willing to let people help him.

New & Returning Series This Autumn

Ready for something you haven't already watched three times? Autumn 2026 has plenty to keep us occupied.

Nobody Wants This, Season 3

Where to watch: Netflix

Available from: 22 October 2026

Kristen Bell and Adam Brody are back as Joanne and Noah in the third season of Netflix's romantic comedy. This time, the couple are settling into life together, while the people around them continue creating plenty of complications of their own.

Slow Horses, Season 6

Where to watch: Apple TV

Available from: 16 September 2026

Gary Oldman returns as Jackson Lamb, the brilliantly grumpy leader of a group of MI5 agents whose career mistakes have landed them in Slough House. Season six sees the team caught up in another high-stakes game of espionage, retaliation and revenge.

The Traitors Ireland, Season 2

Where to watch: RTÉ One | RTÉ Player

Available from: 30 August 2026

Back at Slane Castle for another season, The Traitors Ireland once again puts a group of strangers into the ultimate game of trust and deception, with Siobhán McSweeney returning to oversee the drama.

Tall Tales & Murder

Where to watch: RTÉ One | RTÉ Player

Available from: 27 September 2026

For something home-grown, Tall Tales & Murder is a new six-part dark comedy from Love/Hate creator Stuart Carolan and Chris Addison. Based on Caimh McDonnell's Dublin Trilogy books, it mixes bent cops, kidnapping, underworld characters and an 8th-century Irish tall tale.

Recent Releases to Check Out

Prefer to get the whole story in one sitting? There are plenty of films arriving this autumn too, from bestselling book adaptations to the return of a blockbuster franchise.

Verity

In cinemas: 2 October 2026

Colleen Hoover's bestselling thriller comes to the big screen with Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson. The story follows struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh, who is hired to finish the books of successful author Verity Crawford and discovers a manuscript containing some unsettling revelations.

Digger

In cinemas: 2 October 2026

Tom Cruise takes on something a little different in Digger, a dark comedy from director Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Cruise plays powerful businessman Digger Rockwell, who finds himself dealing with the consequences of a catastrophe he helped create.

The Cat in the Hat

In cinemas: 6 November 2026

Dr. Seuss's famous troublemaker returns to the big screen in a new animated adventure, offering a family-friendly option for a cinema trip as the colder weather sets in.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

In cinemas: 20 November 2026

We're heading back to Panem. Based on Suzanne Collins' 2025 novel, the latest Hunger Games prequel takes place 24 years before Katniss Everdeen's story and follows a young Haymitch Abernathy as he enters the deadly 50th Hunger Games.

So, What's First on Your List?

Whether you're heading back to Stars Hollow for the tenth time, catching up on the series everyone is talking about or planning your next cinema trip, there are worse ways to spend a dark autumn evening.

All that's left to do is grab the snacks, find the comfiest spot on the sofa and press play.

After all, nobody does Netflix and Chill quite like Chill.