DISNEY+, SKY/NOW TV, BRITBOX & ACORN TV
The Simpsons
Since it was created by Matt Groening back in 1989, The Simpsons has become one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time. The Emmy Award-nominated 31st season joins more than 600 episodes already on Disney+ and features an all-star line-up of celebrity appearances including Hollywood stars Jason Momoa and Cate Blanchett, model Chrissy Teigen and The Big Bang Theory actor Jim Parsons, with musical performances from John Legend and Weezer.
Since it was created by Matt Groening back in 1989, The Simpsons (above) has become one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time
And don’t think that The Simpsons’ time is up yet – the 32nd series is already airing in the US. Disney+, from Friday
Black Monday
Don Cheadle has never been better than as veteran stockbroker Maurice Monroe in this acclaimed comedy drama. The first series was set in 1987, when the worst stock-market crash in Wall Street history – the Black Monday of the title – took place.
Don Cheadle (above) has never been better than as veteran stockbroker Maurice Monroe in this acclaimed comedy drama
The second run is being made available to stream and follows the further adventures of Monroe and his mismatched staff members as they try to make a fast buck while keeping their secrets from each other.
A third season has already been commissioned. Sky/NOW TV, from Tuesday
Joe Madison’s War
Kevin Whateley takes the lead role in acclaimed screenwriter Alan Plater’s gripping feature-length drama, a sort of North East-based version of Dad’s Army but without the laughs.
It’s 1939 and Maddison is a shipyard worker and First World War veteran who’s feeling past his prime when news of another conflict is announced. Too old to re-enlist, he volunteers for the Home Guard.
Kevin Whateley (above with Robson Green and Derek Jacobi) takes the lead role in acclaimed screenwriter Alan Plater’s gripping feature-length drama
But as Joe deals with wartime problems in Newcastle, he grows increasingly concerned about family members fighting overseas. Robson Green and Derek Jacobi are among the supporting cast. BritBox, from Thursday
First Tuesday
There’s a chance to revisit some of ITV’s finest moments, including Windscale: The Nuclear Laundry (above), about the possible health effects of a fire at the nuclear site in 1957
For ten years, ITV’s monthly series brought viewers topical reports involving social issues and current affairs stories from across the globe. Now there’s a chance to revisit some of its finest moments, including Afghantsi, which covered the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan; Windscale: The Nuclear Laundry, about the possible health effects of a fire at the nuclear site in 1957; and Four Hours In My Lai, an investigation into the massacre in a small Vietnamese village. BritBox, from Thursday
The Cry
Not to be mistaken for the Australian-based mystery starring Jenna Coleman that aired a couple of years ago, this drama from 2002 features one of Sarah Lancashire’s trademark gutsy performances.
Sarah Lancashire plays child protection officer Meg Bartlet, who begins to suspect Christine (Emma Cunniffe), the young mother she’s befriended, is abusing her young daughter
She plays child protection officer Meg Bartlet, who begins to suspect Christine, the young mother she’s befriended, is abusing her young daughter. As Meg investigates Christine’s past, she uncovers a disturbing pattern of behaviour, prompting her to take the law into her own hands.
Emma Cunniffe, Joe Duttine and Anthony Calf co-star. Acorn TV, from Monday
Honour
Two-part drama starring Keeley Hawes as the real-life Metropolitan Police detective DCI Caroline Goode, who investigated the 2006 murder of 20-year-old Muslim woman Banaz Mahmod.
Banaz was murdered – a so-called ‘honour killing’ – on the orders of her own family after she left her abusive arranged marriage. She contacted the police five times seeking help, but to no avail. BritBox, available now
Howards End
Most famously filmed for the silver screen in 1992 with Anthony Hopkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Thompson (Best Actress Bafta and Oscar) in the cast, E. M. Forster’s well-loved novel deals with the way in which the class system affects relations between three different families in Edwardian England.
In this four-part dramatisation, Hayley Atwell is Margaret Schlegel, intellectual, feminist and slightly bohemian. She is trying to help the working-class clerk Leonard Bast (Joseph Quinn) and becomes involved with Henry Wilcox (Matthew Macfadyen) of the wealthy Wilcox family, who own Howards End.
Tracey Ullman is great as Aunt Juley, as is Julia Ormond as Ruth Wilcox. The terrific performances are the standout in this classy costume drama. BritBox, available now
NETFLIX
Rita
We’re used to seeing Scandi-noir series on our screens, but the five series of this Danish production focus on bringing us laughs, not gruesome killings. Mille Dinesen plays Rita Madsen, a free-spirited secondary-school teacher and single mother whose offbeat approach makes her a hit with her students, but it doesn’t help her as she struggles to form meaningful relationships with her colleagues and even her own children, especially the one who attends the school where she teaches.
Mille Dinesen (above) plays Rita Madsen, a free-spirited secondary-school teacher and single mother whose offbeat approach makes her a hit with her students
The results often lead to hilarious and frequently cringeworthy confrontations. A hidden gem. Available now
Dawson’s Creek
Classic late-1990s to early Noughties teen drama that ran for six seasons (a whopping 128 episodes) and launched the careers of a number of young actors. It revolves around four youngsters growing up in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts.
There’s wannabe film director Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek); his childhood pal Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), who lives on the other side of the creek; their great friend Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson); and then Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams), who arrives from New York. From Sunday
Dick Johnson Is Dead
Director Kirsten Johnson’s highly personal project won the Special Jury Award for Innovation In Non-Fiction Storytelling at the Sundance Film Festival, and it’s easy to see why.
The film focuses on her father Richard, a retired clinical psychiatrist suffering from dementia. Together they imagine how his death might occur, from accidents to violent endings; he even gets to play out his own funeral.
The film focuses on Kirsten Johnson’s father Richard (above), a retired clinical psychiatrist suffering from dementia
It might sound near the knuckle but it’s all done in good humour, with loads of affection between father and daughter. Available now
Secrets Of The Saqqara Tomb
When a team of archaeologists stumbled on a tomb in the desert to the west of Cairo in 2018, they immediately knew that they’d discovered something special. Vibrantly coloured and full of statues and relics, it was clear that it hadn’t been touched since its occupant – a high-ranking priest – was buried 4,500 years ago.
There are some dodgy moments of dramatic reconstruction here (especially in the first five minutes), but get past those and this documentary is crammed with revelations.
When a team of archaeologists stumbled on a tomb in the desert (above) to the west of Cairo in 2018, they immediately knew that they’d discovered something special
Not least the moment when the diggers discover the body of a mummified lion cub in the tomb. From Wednesday
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run
The third film in the hilarious, much-loved franchise sees our hero and his best buddy Patrick the starfish set out to rescue their friend Gary, who’s been snail-napped.
The third film in the hilarious, much-loved franchise sees our hero (above) and his best buddy Patrick the starfish set out to rescue their friend Gary, who’s been snail-napped
As charming and delightfully silly as the original TV series, it’s not to be missed. Available now
Why is there such a buzz about..?
The Haunting Of Bly Manor (Netflix)
Film-maker Mike Flanagan’s terrifying 2018 series The Haunting Of Hill House was a phenomenal success. Fans took to social media claiming it was too frightening to watch, and both Stephen King and Quentin Tarantino sang its praises.
The follow-up, The Haunting Of Bly Manor, is a completely different story but with some of the same cast and themes, such as the impact of emotional trauma.
In a tale based loosely on Henry James’s The Turn Of The Screw, an au pair looking after two young children – Miles (played by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) and Flora – in a remote house becomes convinced the place is haunted.
An au pair looks after two young children (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, above)
Flanagan calls his version a ‘gothic romance’ and viewers came for the scares, of which there are plenty, but stayed for the tender love story between two female characters.
There has been huge praise for the British actors new to the Haunting series. T’Nia Miller, who plays the kindly housekeeper Hannah Grose, even has her own mindbending episode, which keeps viewers guessing until the end.
There are twists and surprises throughout and Flanagan holds back a poignant revelation until the last shot of the final episode.
It’s not flawless – there are some dodgy English accents and inaccurate details (characters referring to ‘math’ instead of ‘maths’, for example) – but its chills and emotional resonance have kept it high in Netflix’s charts.
A third season seems a certainty.
Neil Armstrong
iPLAYER, ALL 4 & UKTV PLAYER
Wasteland
Hana Sikorova (Zuzana Stivinova) is the mayor of a small Czech town and she opposes the activities of the powerful foreign coal-mining company that is attempting to buy up local land and homes.
However, some of the town’s residents want to sell up and get out, and they fiercely disagree with the mayor’s stand against the mining corporation. When Hana’s 14-year-old daughter Misha goes missing, the deep fault-lines in the community are exposed.
Hana Sikorova (Zuzana Stivinova, above) is the mayor of a small Czech town and she opposes the activities of the powerful foreign coal-mining company
This eight-part series combines compelling mystery and psychological drama, and benefits from very striking cinematography. Walter Presents/All4, from Friday
The Virus That Killed The Jumbo Jet
On January 22, 1970, the first Boeing 747 – better known as the Jumbo Jet – entered service with Pan Am. This year should have seen celebrations as the aircraft marked its 50th anniversary, but Covid-19 put paid to that.
On January 22, 1970, the first Boeing 747 – better known as the Jumbo Jet – entered service with Pan Am (above)
Planes were grounded, passenger numbers plummeted and the 747 faces an uncertain future. Mark Jordan follows some of them on their final journey to a desert breaker’s yard. iPlayer, until Friday
Flack
Anna Paquin is Robyn Flack, a London-based public relations expert specialising in crisis management whose own private life is permanently in crisis. It’s not the most original premise but this is a good, sharp, inexplicably overlooked comedy drama.
Anna Paquin (above, with Lydia Wilson) is Robyn Flack, a London-based public relations expert specialising in crisis management whose own private life is permanently in crisis
Paquin is great as a super-cynical operator who has to smooth over the gaffes of idiot celebrities, sleazy politicians and spoilt athletes. Lydia Wilson is superb as her ruthless colleague Eve, as is Sophie Okenedo as their boss. UKTV Player, available now
The Trump Show
Whether he wins or loses this week’s election, nobody will ever forget Donald Trump and his stint as President. This three-part documentary, with unprecedented access to key players including Steve Bannon, Stormy Daniels and Rudy Giuliani, charts his tenure.
Whether he wins or loses this week’s election, nobody will ever forget Donald Trump (above) and his stint as President
It begins by showing how he tore up the political rule book before turning its gaze to his mid-term slump, impeachment, civil unrest issues and handling of the pandemic. iPlayer, available now
Soul America
Mavis Staples, Candi Staton, Martha Reeves and Mary Wilson are among the contributors to this three-part documentary about the origins of soul music. It profiles key players and reveals how soul has influenced other genres. iPlayer, available now
AMAZON & STARZPLAY
Godfather Of Harlem
In 2007, Denzel Washington starred in American Gangster, director Ridley Scott’s insight into the life of 1970s New York crime boss Frank Lucas. This new series acts as a prequel to the movie by turning its spotlight on Lucas’s former boss, Ellsworth ‘Bumpy’ Johnson.
Forest Whitaker takes the lead role and the story opens as Bumpy returns to Harlem following a ten-year stint behind bars. He’s angered by the state of the streets he once ruled, so sets out to regain control of them from the Genovese crime family, members of the American Mafia.
Forest Whitaker (above) takes the lead role and the story opens as Bumpy returns to Harlem following a ten-year stint behind bars
Bumpy’s path also crosses with that of activist Malcolm X, whose rise to political prominence coincides with Bumpy’s own fight for power and respect. Luis Guzman, Vincent D’Onofrio and Paul Sorvino co-star; a second series has already been commissioned. StarzPlay, from Sunday
The Wine Show
James Purefoy, Matthew Goode and Matthew Rhys return with the show that offers an ‘indispensable guide to the world of wine’. For the third season there’s a new member of the team – fellow actor and wine enthusiast Dominic West.
They frolic around the historic Quinta do Noval and other vineyards in Portugal while joining in the traditional winemaking method of treading the grapes. Amazon, from Thursday
The Walking Dead: World Beyond
This YA Walking Dead spin-off is set ten years after the zombie apocalypse and focuses on the first generation to grow up in the new normal. Teenage sisters Iris (Aliyah Royale) and Hope (Alexa Mansour) abandon life on the relatively safe Campus Colony when they receive a message suggesting their father might be in danger 1,100 miles away in New York.
Cue a perilous rescue mission. Amazon, from Monday
FILMS
Looted
Morgane Polanski and Charley Palmer Rothwell, both above
When he’s not looking after his dying father, Rob steals cars for a living – it’s the only way he can survive in the Northern port he calls home. But when his best friend persuades him to take on a bigger, riskier job, everything he values – his relationship with his father, his friends – comes under threat.
Help, however, might just come from an unexpected source. Morgane Polanski (yes, daughter of Roman), Charley Palmer Rothwell and Thomas Turgoose share top billing.
Target Number One
Josh Hartnett plays Victor Malarek, a headline-chasing Canadian newspaper reporter in 1989 who becomes convinced that a small-time crook beginning a 100-year sentence in a Thai jail for drug offences has been treated legally unfairly.
But when his investigations expose not just injustice but also evidence of police corruption, his own life is soon in danger too. Daniel Roby writes and directs. Most platforms, from tomorrow
Black Water: Abyss
Formulaic but effective. Jessica McNamee (above) stars as Jennifer
Cross the crocodile-packed Crawl with the claustrophobic caves of Descent and you might end up with something like this, as an excited group of young Australians heads out into a remote forest to explore a new cave system.
But with a tropical storm breaking and underground water levels rising fast, they soon find themselves trapped. And not alone. Formulaic but effective. Jessica McNamee stars as Jennifer. Sky Store, available to buy from Monday
Matthew Bond