What to watch: new movies and TV shows to stream this week
The best shows and movies to stream on Netflix and beyond.
This is the place to find what you should be streaming at the weekend and beyond.
Each week our esteemed group of TV and movie reviewers impart their expert knowledge of all things streaming and boil it down to a handful of things you really need to be watching, going through hours of episodes to hep you make the most important decision of the week: what to watch in your down time.
As you will read, we look at all the new shows that have landed on Netflix, Prime Video, NOW, Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus and Paramount Plus and more, then give our verdict.
In short: if it's in the WatchList, then you know it is going to be good.
After our recommendations of the week, we have links to all of our essential streaming guides - the rankings of which are voted by our readers, so if you haven't done so already then give them a click and have your say.
And if you are still stuck with what to watch, then we have kept all of our previous recommendations so you can have a read.
Happy viewing!
Red One
It’s only been about five minutes since Red One was in cinemas, now it’s free to watch for Prime members. This Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans festive vehicle is a story about the kidnapping and rescue of Santa (JK Simmons). It wasn’t a major hit with reviewers, but was the big budget Christmas movie of the season.
No Good Deed
Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano are Lydia and Paul, a couple selling a house in L.A. There are a load of potential buyers bidding for the property, but this is a house with a bit of a dark history. There’s a mystery here, fuelling No Good Deed’s twisty plot. But this is a dark comedy, not a flat-out thriller. It’s an 8-part season, with episodes around a half-hour.
La Palma
A Norwegian family goes on holiday and finds themselves amid a natural disaster. A huge volcanic eruption in La Palma causes a massive tsunami. This is a 4-part series, and with 40-50 minute episodes it’s primed for a weekend binge. It’s not a classic but makes a welcome distraction from all the Christmas content Netflix has pumped out recently.
100 Years of Solitude
A TV adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s most famous novel, an epic story that charts several generations of the Buendía family. This is one of the major works of magical realism, and can’t have been easy to film given it’s set in a (fictional) city that changes across the seven generations under the spotlight. A major work.
Secret Level
An anthology series in which each episode is based around the world of a game, from Pac-Man to Armored Core. It’s a hefty 15-episode run, with the second set of episodes due to arrive on December 17. Reviews have been mixed, in the true sense that plenty have been genuinely positive. The catchy story around this series is that one of the featured games, Concord, doesn’t even exist anymore, having proved such a flop its servers were taken offline. That episode is among the second wave.
The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland
Gerard Butler and Emilia Clarke star in this festive mash-up. It features both Santa and the Queen of Hearts, from Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This family-friendly film is based on a book for young children, an illustration heavy 40-pager that makes you question if there’s enough material for an 80-minute film here. But The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland is a charming watch for those with younger kids.
We have spent A LONG time watching things on all these streaming services. So, if you want more of an in-depth look at the shows and movies you can stream the please head to the following guides.
- The best Apple TV Plus shows, revealed
- The best Netflix shows and best movies on Netflix
- The best Amazon Prime Series and best movies on Amazon Prime Video
- The best Disney Plus shows and best Disney Plus movies
- The best NOW TV shows and best movies on NOW TV
- The best Paramount Plus shows
Previously on The WatchList...
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
This latest Star Wars TV show is a reminder of the true Star Wars roots. It wasn’t originally a show of dark prophecy and epic lore. Star Wars was a fun adventure, and a family-friendly one. Skeleton Crew returns to that ideal. It's the story of a gang of kids who end up lost in space, and have to try to find their way home. Jude Law stars as Jod Na Nawood, a Jedi who ends up part of the kids’ crew.
Black Doves
Ben Whishaw, Sarah Lancashire and Keira Knightley star in a twisty espionage thriller, the kind of thing that usually goes down an absolute treat on streaming services. It has picked up almost entirely strong reviews across the board, and comes from Giri/Haji creator Joe Barton. Sure, the spy thriller may seem an overstuffed genre at the moment, but don’t miss out on this one.
Subservience
Director Scott Dale one again collaborates with Megan Fox after the fun and thrilling Till Death with Subservience, a story of AI gone wrong. Fox plays a home AI robot and, well, let’s just say it doesn’t all end in domestic bliss. This one hasn’t received nearly as good reviews as Till Death, but aside from being a little too predictable, it has many of the elements we’re out for in such a genre flick.
Tomorrow and I
A sci-fi anthology from Thailand, Netflix’s Tomorrow and I has drawn predictable comparisons to Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror. It’s about our relationship with technology, but is a little less dark than that show. There’s cloning, robots, AI and climate change, which are the central themes of the show’s mere 4-episode run. You could finish this over a weekend, although each episode is fairly chunky at around an hour.
That Christmas
From a quick glance you could be forgiving for thinking That Christmas is an Aardman flick. It’s not. This is a Netflix Original, from the studios that brought us Ron’s Gone Wrong and Nimona. British romcom maestro Richard Curtis also (co-)wrote the script. A candidate for Netflix’s best Christmas movie of 2024? Sure, but only because the bar isn’t all that high. This one’s lovingly animated and fun in parts, but isn’t destined to be a classic. Still, it’ll save you from yet another festive rewatch of one of the predictable picks.
Beatles '64
Landing with a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating, Beatles ’64 is not one for music history fans to miss. It’s the story of the fab four’s first trip to America, as the band was becoming a global sensation. Fans may recognise a lot of the footage and know most of the stories, but this is an engaging window looking back into a simpler time. And who doesn’t need one of those every now and then these days?
Senna season 1
The Senna documentary from 2010 was brilliant, the kind of watch that didn’t ask you to care about F1 whatsoever. This TV series is a little different. It’s a dramatisation, for one, starring Gabriel Leone as Senna and Matt Mella as Alain Prost. This show hasn’t received nearly as positive reviews as the doc but if like us you’ve already seen the documentary a bunch of times, it’s another way to take in the story of a race driving legend. Six parts, around an hour each.
Monkey Man
Dev Patel’s directorial debut Monkey Man is a must-watch if you have remotely enjoyed any of the John Wick films or Nobody. It’s a hard-hitting revenge action film in which Patel stars as the Kid, who works his way into the city’s seedy underbelly to take down the gang boss who killed his mother. While a little less consistent than some of the genre’s best, Monkey Man features some truly hard-hitting fights and suitably grisly violence.
If
The second of this week’s movies-directed-by-a-movie-star is If, from John Krasinski. A million miles removed from his work on the A Quiet Place series, If is a kids’ film about a young girl who starts to see imaginary friends after going through some tough stuff in her real life. It wasn’t all that well-reviewed, but Christmas is coming up and many folks will be starved for child-friendly movies to stream that haven’t already been on hard rotation.
The Madness
Colman Domingo stars as Muncie Daniels, a TV pundit who ends up framed for a murder after witnessing a killing. The Madness is a slickly-made conspiracy thriller with the right pacing and plot twists to keep you engaged. Most of all, though, it rests on a great performance by Domingo, who has already received major plaudits this year for Rustin, which earned him an Oscar nomination.
Matlock
Yes, Matlock is vaguely related to the TV series from the 1980s. But, no, you shouldn’t ignore it if you’re young enough to have no idea what a “Matlock” is. Kathy Bates stars as Matty Matlock, a 75-year old former lawyer who gets back into the game and manages to outpace her younger lawyerly rivals. This could have been low-rent televisual sludge, but it’s a lot sharper and funnier than you might expect.
Our Little Secret
Netflix is back to its old tricks with Our Little Secret, a Christmas movie starring Lindsey Lohan. It’s not her first offence either, having starred in 2022’s Netflix drivel Falling for Christmas. The good news? This one is much better, and is not actually that bad a watch. Faint praise? Absolutely, but the bar is low when it comes to new Christmas movies. Lohan’s Avery spends Christmas with her boyfriend’s family but then finds her ex is going to be there too.
Dune Prophecy
Set thousands of years before the events of the recent Dune films, Prophecy is the story of the establishment of the Bene Gesserit, the order of women that seems to have to much power in the events of the main Dune story. The jury’s out on this one as even the reviewers have typically only seen the first episode. But if you are awaiting Dune Part 3, which won’t be out for years, it’s surely a must-watch.
A Man on the Inside
Some of the folks who brought us the brilliant The Good Place return with A Man on the Inside. Ted Danson works with a private investigator to root out a thief in a retirement home. It’s loosely based on a documentary — that’s right, some of this happened in real life. A warm and funny show, just as you’d expect from showrunner Michael Schur.
Bread & Roses
This documentary looks into the lives of women in Afghanistan after the 2021 Taliban takeover of Kabul. It focuses on three women, and is a story of repression and resilience. As any follower of the news knows, there’s no overarching happy ending coming in this one, but it’s an important watch and a reminder of the fragility of personal freedoms.
Interior Chinatown
This mystery show is based on Charles Yu’s 2020 novel, which is about a waiter, played by Jimmy O. Yang, who dreams about breaking out of his conventional life. In an unusual twist, the author is the showrunner and screenwriter. But then again, Yu has worked on a bunch of TV shows in the past including Westworld and American Born Chinese. Interior Chinatown is a meta narrative that satirises the movie and TV industry, and its treatment of Asian characters in particular.
Cruel Intentions
Remember the Cruel Intentions movie from 1999? Many younger folks may not, but it is a cult classic. It’s campy and melodramatic, a teen retelling of Dangerous Liaisons, in which rich siblings attempt to push a young teacher’s daughter into losing her virginity. This TV adaptation has not picked up great reviews, but is a curiosity at the very least.
Kneecap
Kneecap are a real band from Ireland. But Kneecap the film is a fictionalised tale behind the band, co-starring Michael Fassbender and directed by Rich Peppiatt. The whole thing is just supremely unlikely. Managing to time a film with the real-world rise of the actual band? Actually making a great and hilarious film? Finding a band that can really act? This is one to witness.
Cross season 1
Aldis Hodge stars as Alex Cross, the star of dozens of James Patterson books. He’s a homicide detective in Washington D.C. Part police procedural, part thriller, this series may not be the stuff of HBO dreams, but it is a solid show buoyed by a great lead performance. All eight episodes of the first season are available now.
The Lost Children
A plane crash leaves four children, siblings, stranded in the Colombian jungle. It’s up to the eldest, 13-year-old Lesly, to keep them alive. This is the story of their survival, the rescue attempts and is an eye-opening and heartwarming tale. It’s documentary from Oscar winner Orlando von Einsiedel, not an overly rote dramatisation. Worth a watch.
Dune: Part Two
The brilliant second Dune movie came to US viewers via MAX earlier in the year, but now UK folks can get on-board thanks to NOW. This second chapter is just as thrilling as the first, and shows us a Paul Atreides wrestle with the intoxicating appeal of power while knowing the dark future it may bring. Part three is on the way, but it will be a while. In October we heard Denis Villeneuve was still in the process of writing the script.
Silo season 2
Apple’s sci-fi show Silo picks up some momentum in season 2. Missed the original? Silo is set in a grim future where the the Earth’s surface is poisoned, forcing the surviving humans down into an underground community. The way the second season deepens the mystery has been compared to Lost — in a favourable sense for once. We’ll stop there to avoiding handing out any spoilers for anyone considering starting a watch now.
My Old Ass
This Aubrey Plaza comedy went in and out of (selected) cinemas without almost anyone noticing, but it was a hit with the critics — and has a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score. Elliott (Maisy Stella) takes magic mushrooms and meets herself aged 39, played by Plaza. It’s a sweet and good-natured film that also won’t eat up your entire evening, clocking in at just under 90 minutes.
Billy Corgan’s Adventures in Carnyland
That’s right, the singer from the Smashing Pumpkins owns a wrestling company. This unlikely reality show tunes into his life as he balances a new marriage with managing the National Wrestling Alliance and his old day job as a rock star. You get to see another side of a star who can often seem a bit prickly and self-serious.
Countdown Paul vs Tyson
Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are due to fight in November 15. Two men, one ring and tens of millions of dollars on the line in prize money. The limited series looks into the fighters' training camps ahead of the fight. The event itself will be broadcast on Netflix too. But can one of the all-time greats flatten an upstart YouTuber? Let’s hope so.
The Day of the Jackal
Frederick Forsyth’s 1971’s espionage novel gets a modern remake in this 10-part series, which stars Eddie Redmayne. He is the Jackal, an unstoppable sniper assassin’s being hunted by MI6 agents. This is a thrilling watch laced with real style. The first five episodes were released on day one, the rest due one a week into December.
The Holdovers
This multi Oscar nominated movie came to streaming on Peacock in the US earlier in the year, but it’s now time for the UK crowd to get up to speed. Paul Giamatti stars as a teacher in a posh prep school. He and a few students are left at the school when the rest of the students go away for a two-week Christmas break. This 1970s-drenches modern classic comes from Alexander Payne, director of iconic Giamatti film Sideways, so you know you’re in for something good.
The Substance
Not just one of the best horror-adjacent films of the year, but one of the best movies of the year full-stop is now available on MUBI. Demi Moore stars as an ageing star who discovers a serum that can make her young again. But it comes with horrifying side-effects. The Substance is a must-watch. And at the time of writing you can get a year of MUBI access for £60. A sound deal.
The Diplomat season 2
We’ve been waiting a while for this one. One of the best Netflix shows of 2023 is back for a second season. Expect shades of West Wing vibes amped up on political thriller energy. Part two rides the wave of the first season’s electric (if frustrating at the time) cliffhanger ending, to carry on what we loved so much about the show back in April 2023. Missed it first time around? The Diplomat follows the exploits of Keri Russel’s Kate Wyler, a US ambassador who ends up working in the UK system.
Murder Mindfully
You may see shades of Dexter in this new German darkly comic thriller series. Bjorn is a lawyer who works for the mob. When he takes part in a mindfulness lesson, he learns of news ways of coping with the stress. And that includes finding “inner peace” through murder. The first season features eight 30-minute episodes.
Sting
This B-movie creature feature is one arachnophobes should be wary of. It features a whole lot of spiders, made by Weta Workshop of Lord of the Rings fame. This one’s not all about fear, though. It features as much comedy as the horror stuff, and is also over and done in just over 90 minutes.
Immaculate
One of the better horror movies of 2024, Immaculate first streamed in the US on Hulu in August, but it’s now available to UK viewers. Sydney Sweeney stars as a nun in an order based in the Italian countryside, before she is groomed as a sort of "chosen one". And it’s not the sort of chosen one you want to be. Powerful stuff, with a memorable ending.
Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End
This zombie movie has been released to nearly zero fanfare but it’s worth a watch for fans of the genre. It’s a Spanish production based on the first book in a series of zombie novels, meaning we get to see the origins of the outbreak. Despite being a lower budget production, this one puts some effort into its drama and characterisation.
Wizards Beyond Waverley Place
Grew up in the 2000s? Wizards Beyond Waverley Place may soak you in a nostalgia wave. It’s a return to a comedy sitcom formula that basically introduced a whole generation to Selena Gomez. She returns in this light and funny series about a wizarding family living on Staten Island. It’s perfect if you have younger members of your family, or remember the original fondly. Neither applies? You can probably skip this one.
Before
In a mash-up that sounds like the setup for a joke, Before sees Billy Crystal return to our screens… but in a horror story. He plays child psychiatrist Eli, who in a 10-episode run tries to fix the ills of a young child. It has had mixed reviews. Some critics say it’s tedious, others that Crystal is a bit of a revelation in a more serious role.
Territory
Liked Succession? This show has picked up endless comparisons to that classic, except Territory is set in the Australian outback. A cattle rancher empire is looking for an heir, and the squabbles threaten to tear the Lawson family apart. It’s fun, it’s violent. And Robert Taylor plays the Logan Roy role as head of the family.
This is the Zodiac Speaking
This latest slice of true crime from the folks at Netflix lets us return to one of the great cases of cinema, the Zodiac Killer — subject of David Fincher movie Zodiac. It’s a three-part series that has a rather different take on the killer, interviewing some of the folks who were around at the time and had interactions with Arthur Leigh Allen.
Family Pack
A French film starring cinema legend Jean Reno. Watch the trailer and many of you will be unable to keep one word out of your head: Jumanji. A family start playing a mysterious board game, and it sends them on a time-travelling adventure. It’s also roughly based on a real game, The Werewolves of Miller's Hollow, where at least one player is a werewolf, and must try to hide it from the rest of the humble villager players.
Doctor Odyssey
With reviews ranging from 1-star massacres to 5-star love-ins, this is an eyebrow-raiser. Joshua Jackson stars as Dr Max Bankman, the doctor on-board a luxury cruise ship. It’s as firmly grounded as the ship on which is it set, but if you can accept Doctor Odyssey is simply preposterous nonsense and roll with the tides, you’ll have a good time with this one.
Like a Dragon: Yakuza
It had to happen at some point. The Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series of games has become radically more popular over the last decade, and this show is a TV adaptation of the 2005 original. Kiryu is released from prison, and ends up enmeshed in a sprawling crime story. The show lacks the charming oddity of the games, the more out-there stuff, but Yakuza was never going to be the easiest source material to bring to screens.
Woman of the Hour
Anna Kendrick makes her directorial debut in Woman of the Hour. She also stars. Sheryl goes on a 1970s TV dating show, but the man she picks to date is actually a serial killer. Unlikely as that sounds, this one is loosely based on a true story. Serial killer Rodney Alcala went on a TV dating show in 1978, The Dating Game. This one lands at 95 minutes, and is the rare case when a movie could have been slightly longer if anything.
Rivals
Who knew an adaptation of a bonkbuster novel by Jilly Cooper would be this good? Cooper’s novels are a fun read, but this show comes alive on the TV screen thanks to star turns from David Tennant, Aidan Turner and Katherine Parkinson. It's set in and around the world of TV production in the mid-80s. Crammed full of sex scenes, Rivals is not one to watch with the kids. But it’s hilarious and all-out fun.
The Radleys
The Radleys seem like a normal family from a distance. But there’s just one issue. They’re vampires. And that secret threatens to bubble up over the surface when the daughter Clara sort-of accidentally kills a boy from her school. This film is based on a novel by Matt Haig, and typical of his writing this is as much a family drama comedy as it is an actual vampire film.
Submerged
We normally recommend shows and movies for flat screens big and small on What to Watch. But Submerged deserves a shout-out for its sheer ambition and audacity. This is a short film made and shot for Apple’s Vision Pro headset. You can look in around the 3D scenes, and tense ones they are too. You are aboard a submarine amid a torpedo attack. Submerged is directed by Edward Berger, who made 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front for Netflix.
Available on Apple Vision Pro
Outside
One for the horror fiends. Outside is a zombie movie, but an unusual one. It’s set and filmed in the Philippines, and sees a family try to survive out in the wilderness as an outbreak kicks off. This is quite a long watch at 142 minutes. But that time is used to let the psychological thriller elements bed in. It’s no run of the mill zombie flick, and sees much of the tension come from within the family itself, not the wandering brain-eaters outside.
Shrinking season 2
Jason Segel returns as psychotherapist Jimmy, who takes an unusual approach with his patients after his own life fell apart at the show’s outset. This is perhaps Apple’s best attempt to bring back some of that Ted Lasso magic to Apple TV+. And, sure enough, this second season sees Brett Goldstein (also one of the show’s creators) enter the cast.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
We have no idea when the next Tomb Raider game is out, but Lara’s back on our screens in animated form. This take on the legend sees Lara deal with her trauma as much as adventuring. And it’s led to some mixed reviews, but in the best possible sense. Some say it’s a 2-star dud, while CBR gave the show a glowing 9/10 write-up.
Sweetpea
The ever-watchable Ella Purnell is Rhiannon. Her life isn’t going so well. She’s bit of a doormat, who gets kicked around by people who exploit her amenability. But then she snaps and starts killing folks on her vengeance list. It’s a six-part series, and the whole run is available to watch now. It’s yet another watch with somewhat mixed reviews, but the (many) more positive ones say it’s a great time, buoyed by Purnell’s comedy chops.
The Boy and the Heron
Here’s one many of you will have missed in cinemas, Studio Ghibli’s latest. The Boy and the Heron was directed by the master himself, Hayao Miyazaki, and is the tale of a young boy who enters a magical world. It’s not one of Ghibli’s lightest works, though, as his desire to escape follows the death of his mother. An affecting watch, and definitely one for your personal watch list if you’ve ever enjoyed a Studio Ghibli film.
Lonely Planet
Netflix has a thing for unlikely romances at the moment. Lonely Planet zooms in on a novelist, played by Laura Dern, who heads to a remote holiday retreat in Morocco to try to get some work done. But when she meets a younger man there, played by Liam Hemsworth, all her plans are thrown into disarray. Is it a masterpiece? Absolutely not. But it’s an easy watch that avoids the worse excesses of the romance drama, and does feature some lovely scenery. And no, not just Liam Hemsworth.
On the big screen...
Terrifier 3
One of the wildest movies we have ever seen in the cinema, Terrifier 3 is another blood-drenched entry in the frightening franchise and cements the silent but violent Art The Clown as one of the best horror villains.
This one isn't for the faint-hearted, we were at the UK premier and the tabloids we awash with news that someone puked (we were all given sick bags) and numerous walkouts. But if you are already a Terrifier fan, then this one is for you!
It’s What’s Inside
Netflix acquired the rights to this unusual sci-fi-horror-thriller after it debuted at the Sundance film festival. A group of friends get together for a party game ahead of a wedding, and it goes to wild places. Some critics say it is one of the best movies of the year. Others were pretty non-plussed with its histrionics. We say it’s a must-watch just to see which side you land on. It’s the first movie of Greg Jardin, who also wrote It’s What’s Inside.
Trouble
A man is falsely convicted of a murder inside his home, and sentenced to 18 years in jail. It may not sound like the stuff of comedy, but that’s Trouble for you. This Swedish movie recounts a breakout of the prison, and how the man gets tangled up in crime outside of those walls. It's a remake of film from 1988, Strul, but to most of us this is likely to be a first-time watch of the story.
Heartstopper season 3
Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson are beginning to grow up in season three of Heartstopper. And that means more on the themes of university, booze and, yes, sex. But this is Heartstopper so, as you’d hope, it’s all handled with a deft and sensitive touch. We get all the charm of the earlier seasons, and a check in with two of our favourite characters.
Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead
No-one was asking for a remake of 1991 comedy Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead. But this one from earlier in 2024 received a surprisingly warm reception from some critics. Variety said the film "takes the good parts of what was and fashions something fresh and fun for contemporary times." The plot? The mom of a family heads to Thailand for a retreat. But when the guardian left with the kids dies, they have to fend for themselves.
Last Days of the Space Age
Perth in Australia, 1979. Last Days of the Space Age looks into the lives of three families during a confluence of unusual events. There’s a strike at a power company that causes a blackout, a local beauty pageant and, to top things off, a space station falls out of the sky and lands just out of the city. It’s not as hard-hitting as that might suggest, but a drama not set in the US is refreshing in itself.
Joker Folie a Deux
A surprisingly bold film, Joker sequel Folie a Deux doesn’t just try to recreate what the first mega-hit film did in 2019. It blends a musical with some of the themes of the iconic villain, and ends up making a movie that might even be darker than the original. Will it go down well with the devotees? We’re not at all sure. And the critics didn’t love it either. But it’s no lazy rehash.
Out now in cinemas
Inside Out 2
Not only is Inside Out 2 a worthy follow-up to one of the best Pixar films of all time, this film is the biggest box office hit of the year. Heck, you can still catch it in some cinemas. We take another trip into Riley’s head, which is now flooded with the confusing emotions of adolescence. It’s a heartwarming and relatable adventure for just about all ages, in classic Pixar fashion.
His Three Daughters
A far cry from the average Netflix-distributed movie, His Three Daughters is a small-scale but affecting drama about three sisters and their dying father. While it was released without much fanfare, the film has three true stars — Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne and Carrie Coon — all putting in some of the best performances of their careers.
Four Kings
This four-part series looks into the history and achievements of four of the greatest British boxers of all time: Frank Bruno, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank and Lennox Lewis. It’s no tour of glory, though, and digs into the racism and the often horrific injuries involved in this most violent of sports.
Nobody Wants This
Kristen Bell is a sex podcaster. Adam Brody is a rabbi who has just gone through a break-up. The 10 episodes of Nobody Wants This asks, will they make it given how different their lives are? It’s a light and breezy romcom, with each episode clocking in at 20-30 minutes. Reviews range from the entirely unpersuaded to fully enraptured.
Mr. McMahon
Wrestling boss Vince McMahon has done his best to distance himself from this documentary, saying it misrepresents him. But maybe that’s just a sign it digs a little too deep for his liking. Mr McMahon covers his ascent to stardom as the head of the WWE, but also the darker side of a man who has been accused of sexual abuse.
Ludwig
David Mitchell stars as DCI Taylor in Ludwig, a comedy-drama that sees the Peep Show star become a detective. Well, sort of. He actually plays the detective’s brother, but the two are so similar he impersonates him in order to get to the bottom of why the real John Taylor has gone missing. It’s a gentle show that has attracted comparisons to Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club novels.
- Stream now at BBC iPlayer (UK only)
The Penguin
Much like the film in which Colin Farrell first donned the prothetic suit to become Penguin, this TV series paints Gotham with unusual realism and grit. It's is a more human take on the Batman supervillain, and shows how he became the unhinged figure we know and love(/fear). The show, much like 2022’s The Batman, is pretty slow, though. Bring your patience for this one but it may well be rewarded.
Agatha All Along
Its teaser imagery looks more a Witches of Eastwick or Hocus Pocus spin-off than anything else but, yes, Agatha All Along is a Marvel show. It’s a Wandavision offshoot that centres on Wanda's nemesis Agatha, played brilliantly by Kathryn Hahn. The show has picked up some stellar reviews from critics who a) don’t mind the tonal shift to something more campy and b) aren’t already burned out on Marvel.
A Very Royal Scandal
That’s right, they’ve made another dramatisation of Emily Maitlis’s interview with Prince Andrew in 2019, following 2024 Netflix movie Scoop starring Gillian Anderson. This one stars Michael Sheen as the Prince and Ruth Wilson as Maitlis. And it’s a three-part series instead of a film. Reviews are mixed, but some folks can’t get enough of all things royal, and Sheen certainly puts on a dedicated performance as the prince.
Nöthin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ’80s Hair Metal
The ‘80s, man. This was the era of Motley Crüe, Guns ’N’ Roses, Van Halen, Poison and Ratt. Not all of us would choose to go back there, but if you have even a passing affection for the period, this is a must-watch. We get to see some of the key figures of the scene regale old tales of the day, including Bret Michaels, as well as newer figures, like Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, express their love for the sub-genre. It’s not a deep and challenging doc, but it is a good time.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
The first season of Monster focused on Jeffrey Dahmer, and went on to become one of the most-watched Netflix shows ever. It racked up more than a billion hours in its first three months on stream. This second season looks into Lyle and Erik Menendez, who killed their parents in the 1990s. True crime fans shouldn’t, and probably won’t, miss this one. It also sees Javier Bardem return to our TVs, which is never a bad thing.
Frasier season 2
Frasier is a beloved show. But its 2023 return arrived to a mixed response, not helped by a very shaky start. This second season thankfully avoids those faulty beginnings. But the mixed reviews suggest your reaction to this new season may well be the same as the first. Reviewers range from saying it’s great and a welcome return, to that it’s as creaky as a rusty old bike. Give it a go and make up your own mind.
Billionaire Island
Miss Succession? You might want to take a bite out of Billionaire Island. But this power play isn’t about control of a media empire, but that of a salmon fishing business. Two families are trying to grapple the Norwegian market, and the shares of one person could let one of those families take control of the whole fish pie. It’s in Norwegian, but don’t let that put you off. Glimrende!
Into the Fire: Missing Daughter
A woman is asked to help in the investigation of the murder of an unidentified woman, because they believe it could be the girl she put up for adoption 35 years prior, when she herself was just 17. As she delves into the mystery, the twists and turns are wild enough to strain credulity were this not a real story. It’s that of Cathy Terkanian, who lives in Massachusetts and contributes to this two-part documentary.
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