What to watch in ultra HD this October

Ready for a month of great telly like you’ve never seen before? Then read on to discover some of the ultra HD highlights coming up on the Virgin TV Ultra HD channel (CH 175/999) throughout October.

This month, there are eye-opening documentaries that take you all around the world, from the peaks of the Alps to the coast of South Africa to a quiet Pacific island with a surprising history. See some of the world’s most incredible wildlife up close in super-sharp ultra HD and take a visit to a colourful, vast and unique reef system in the Caribbean. As well as this, you can enjoy some terrific films with stunning 4K visuals, including The Karate Kid, Insidious: The Last Key and David Fincher’s Panic Room.

Don’t worry about missing any of these when they’re on: new shows and films on the Virgin TV Ultra HD Channel are available in On Demand after their original broadcast, still in eye-popping ultra HD on compatible TVs.

Virgin TV Ultra HD is available to TV customers with a Mix, Maxit, MegaTV or Essential Entertainment package, provided you have a compatible television and our Virgin TV V6 box (powered by TiVo^®), Virgin TV 360 or Stream box. If you watch TV on our TiVo box, you will not be able to access the Virgin TV Ultra HD channel. But it’s easy to upgrade to our latest Virgin TV box.

Read on to discover our Ultra HD picks on Virgin TV this October.

Thursday 2 October, 8.10pm, Virgin TV Ultra HD (CH 175/999)

Welcome to the South African province of Western Cape, one of the most diverse and beautiful parts of this constantly evolving nation. From a guest-house owner to an e-bike pioneer to a couple on an unusual culinary adventure, there’s always someone interesting to meet. That includes James, who freedives in underwater kelp forests to explore an incredible submarine world alongside sharks, sea lions and other wildlife, and Dede, who was imprisoned on Robben Island alongside Nelson Mandela. With the Cape’s epic landscapes and the wild ocean as backdrops, this trip to the province will take your breath away.

Thursdays from 2 October, 9pm, Virgin TV Ultra HD (CH 175/999)

When successful but lonely Debra Newell (Connie Britton, Nashville) meets handsome doctor John Meehan (Eric Bana, The Dry), she’s quickly swept into a whirlwind romance. But when her daughters investigate John’s background, they come to realise she’s been manipulated by a serial abuser. As Debra gets drawn deeper into John’s lies, with devastating consequences, we see how her fraught family history made her vulnerable. This gripping fact-based drama, which was based on the investigative podcast of the same name, also stars Julia Garner (Ozark), Juno Temple (Fargo) and Hacks’ Jean Smart.

Friday 3 October, 9pm, Virgin TV Ultra HD (CH 175/999)

Wax on, wax off… With Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) back on the big screen in this year’s Karate Kid: Legends, you can revisit the classic 1984 original, now spruced up and looking great in crystal-clear ultra HD. It’s a stirring tale of victory against the odds, of course, thanks to Daniel’s much-celebrated and much-imitated crane kick, but at the heart of the story is the young martial artist’s relationship with mentor Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita). Truly heartwarming. Make it a Karate Kid weekend with Parts II and III on Virgin TV Ultra HD on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October.

Tuesday 7 October, 8.10pm, Virgin TV Ultra HD (CH 175/999)

A lagoon on a remote island in the Pacific is the home of the greatest concentration of Second World War shipwrecks. In retaliation for the Pearl Harbor attack, the US’s Operation Hailstone sank around 40 Japanese ships over two days in 1944. Many lay on the sea floor intact, and this documentary takes you into the Truk (or Chuuk) Lagoon, where you can see abandoned bridges and engine rooms, cargo including weapons and munitions, and even the wreckage of crashed fighter planes and submarines. Interspersed with archive wartime footage, this 4K film tells a riveting story, with twists that seem extra shocking in a now-peaceful setting.

Wednesday 8 and Wednesday 15 October, 8.10pm, Virgin TV Ultra HD (CH 175/999)

Madagascar’s long isolation from the rest of the African continent means its species evolved in unique ways. Now they’re among the most unusual wildlife anywhere in the world – and among the most rarely seen, deep in the island’s rainforests. This two-part documentary offers the chance to get up close in eye-boggling ultra HD with some of Madagascar’s most colourful and fascinating creatures, including lemurs, chameleons and tortoises, which have some of the strangest survival methods and physical adaptations ever seen in the animal world.

Thursday 16 and Thursday 23 October, 8.10pm, Virgin TV Ultra HD (CH 175/999)

We think of golden eagles as majestic, powerful birds, but the two episodes of this absorbing documentary introduce us to fluffy chicks who are fighting for survival from the first moments of their life, high in the Alps. Two siblings in a nest become deadly enemies as they battle for meagre resources – and there can be only one winner. And even as the eagle learns to fly and hunt, it faces threats from extreme conditions and other raptors. Intimate images give a real sense of soaring over peaks, as well as feeling the heat of the battle during high-speed air attacks. Jaw-dropping stuff.

Saturday 18 October, 9pm, Virgin TV Ultra HD (CH 175/999)

Home ownership is hard enough without your seller trying to kill you. That’s the problem for two newlyweds (played by Michael Ealy and Meagan Good) who buy their dream home in Napa Valley, only to realise that its previous owner isn’t quite willing to let it go without a fight. Dennis Quaid gives a standout performance as bloodthirsty widower Charlie that will send shivers down your spine.

Sunday 19 October, 9pm, Virgin TV Ultra HD (CH 175/999)

Everything double Oscar winner Jodie Foster touches turns to gold, including this twisty thriller from the killer film-making team of director David Fincher (Seven, Gone Girl) and screenwriter David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Spider-Man). Foster stars as a mother who, along with her 11-year-old daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart in one of her earliest roles), moves into a home that’s targeted by a gang of dangerous burglars – but it’s equipped to withstand such an intrusion. Strap yourself in for the heart-racing ride in ultra-high definition.

Tuesday 21 October, 8.10pm, Virgin TV Ultra HD (CH 175/999)

Off the coast of Guatemala, a fisherman ventures into unfamiliar waters and discovers an unknown reef, larger than the island of Manhattan and teeming with rare species. A handful of scientists are given knowledge of its existence and resolve to keep it secret until they can investigate further, for fear of illegal fishing and damaging tourism. But they won’t be able to keep it hidden forever… This is a rich mix of adventure, natural history and cutting-edge conservation science carried out against a ticking clock, all captured in stunning ultra HD in the awe-inspiring waters of the Caribbean.

Saturday 25 October, 9pm, Virgin TV Ultra HD (CH 175/999)

Lock your doors, close the curtains and definitely don’t venture underground where the terrifying Key Demon is lurking. The fourth instalment in the mega-horror franchise explores the roots of demonologist Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), who as a child helped a murderous spirit enter the human world and wreak havoc. And in ultra-high definition, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped right into the Further… just remember how to find your way back out again.

Season 3, Mondays from 27 October, 9pm, Virgin TV Ultra HD (CH 175/999)

After a heartbreaking betrayal in the season 2 finale, renegade super-soldier Hanna (Esme Creed-Miles, The Doll Factory) resolves to bring down Utrax, the organisation that created her, once and for all. With help from former CIA operative Marissa Wiegler (Mireille Enos, Good Omens) and double agent John Carmichael (Dermot Mulroney, The Hunting Wives), they edge closer to finding the true power behind the secretive group, until Hanna makes a discovery that will determine her fate. Don’t miss the final season of this globe-hopping adventure series, packed with thrilling action that looks amazing in crystal-clear ultra HD.

Go to CH 175 or CH 999 to access Virgin TV Ultra HD. Don’t have a 4K TV? Never fear, because you can also watch the Virgin TV Ultra HD channel through your HD TV.

Please note, if you watch TV on our TiVo^® box, you will not be able to access the Virgin TV Ultra HD channel. But it’s super-simple to upgrade to our latest Virgin TV box by contacting us on 0345 454 1111 (or call 150 from a Virgin Media phone).