In the new Apple TV+ series The Morning Show, a disgraced news anchor smashes up his television with a fire poker – a tempting visual metaphor for Silicon Valley’s ongoing disruption of traditional programming. This latest salvo in the battle for small-screen domination enters an arena where streaming giants continue to jostle with traditional broadcasters. As a result, big budgets, grand ideas and starry names in front of and behind the camera dictate the proceedings this autumn.

Here are eight to watch, across an increasing number of platforms.

This BBC/HBO co-production is about two kids, parallel universes, an armoured polar bear and demons, aka physical manifestations of your soul. Sounds like child’s play? The eight-part series, starring Mr James McAvoy and Ms Ruth Wilson and based on Mr Philip Pullman’s blockbuster books, is certainly fantastical. But His Dark Materials is also a rich philosophical allegory on theocratic excess. So no, it won’t be on CBeebies.

On BBC One and HBO, late 2019

A thrilling teen land grab in Mr Quentin Tarantino territory, but make it suburban England, The End of the F***ing World killed it when it first aired on Channel 4. A comic book adaptation, it paired Alyssa (Ms Jessica Barden) and James (Mr Alex Lawther), who get themselves in a pickle – OK, they kill someone – after running away from home. Fan theories about season two are rife. Let’s hope it is just as weird.

On All4, Channel 4 and Netflix later this year

The Morning Show is about a pair of early-bird news anchors, played by Ms Jennifer Aniston and Mr Steve Carell, in crisis mode as a vibrant new broadcaster (Ms Reese Witherspoon) comes for their swivel chairs. The heavyweight Hollywood line-up and the fact Apple has reportedly spent $300m on two seasons, making it one of the most expensive contemporary shows, suggests it’s war on and off screen.

On Apple TV+ in November

Since the conclusion of Game Of Thrones, the streaming giants’ algorithms have been working overtime to stitch together the formula for our next great fantasy watch. Netflix’s solution is The Witcher, an adaption of Polish writer Mr Andrzej Sapkowski’s cult book series about a beast hunter with supernatural abilities, played by Mr Henry Cavill. Will this be the next big hit?

On Netflix, late 2019

The BBC digs deep into Ms Tana French’s successful crime novels for this eight-part series, set in Dublin at the height of the Celtic Tiger boom. There’s money and murder aplenty in the Irish capital in this crime thriller that has the potential to be this season’s breakout show, in Bodyguard mould.

On BBC One, October

Mr Damon Lindelof, creator of Lost and The Leftovers, does not do run-of-the-mill television. So expect some high-concept reworking of Watchmen, the showrunner’s “remix” (his words) of Mr Alan Moore’s comic series turned graphic novel. The source material depicts superheroes as outlaws. Ms Regina King and Mr Jeremy Irons star. Normal Lycra-clad service will not resume shortly.

On HBO and Sky Atlantic, 20 October

In a twist traditional TV couldn’t dream up, musician turned entertainment mogul Drake has brought back Channel 4’s Top Boy for a third series, this time on Netflix. Otherwise it’s business as usual on the London drugs turf for Dushane (Mr Ashley Walters) and Sully (Mr Kane Robinson). There’s just one teeny, tiny problem: a young, ruthless gang leader, Jamie (Mr Michael Ward), who wants to be Top Boy.

On Netflix, 13 September

Netflix’s latest wheeze to kill off traditional broadcasting is doing exclusive deals with US network TV showrunners. The fruits of the first of these, Mr Ryan Murphy’s The Politician, looks like a megamix of the uber producer’s greatest hits from Glee to American Horror Story. Starring Mr Ben Platt as a kid with serious ambition to be president and Ms Gwyneth Paltrow as his momager, _The Politicia_n is modern Machiavellianism in primary colours.

On Netflix, 27 September