SKY/NOW TV, BRITBOX, DISNEY+, ACORN TV & APPLE TV+
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
The denouement of Avengers: Endgame saw an elder Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) pass on his Captain America shield to the Falcon (Anthony Mackie), while the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) looked on, and now the pair begin forging a future without him.
An elder Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) passed on his Captain America shield to the Falcon (Anthony Mackie), while the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan, above, with Mackie) looked on
The action-packed series is partly inspired by the spy-thriller style of 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but also borrows from classic buddy-cop movies with its odd-couple dynamic. Disney+, from Friday
The Fantastic Mr Murray
Bill Murray is a unique figure in American cinema. Yes, other stars can be hilariously funny and tackle dramatic roles, but none does it with quite so much style and panache; he is an idiosyncratic performer who has got better as he’s grown older.
Bill Murray (above) is a unique figure in American cinema. Yes, other stars can be hilariously funny and tackle dramatic roles, but none does it with quite so much style and panache
If you need proof of that, there’s plenty of it in this documentary profile, which charts Murray’s rise to fame, from his first forays into comedy with the famous Second City improvisational troupe to his success as an Oscar-nominated actor. Sky/NOW TV, available now
For All Mankind
In this terrific alternative-history drama, the first man on the Moon isn’t Neil Armstrong but cosmonaut Alexei Leonov. And when the Soviets send a female cosmonaut on a lunar mission, we have lift-off.
‘Nixon wants us to put a woman on the Moon – preferably a blonde,’ announces a Nasa official. At the start of season two it’s 1983 and President Reagan’s second term.
There are Soviet and American lunar bases and space is becoming increasingly militarised. This show has been under the radar, surprisingly so since it was created by Ronald D. Moore, the writer and producer behind Outlander and Battlestar Galactica. Apple TV+, available now
Last Tango In Halifax
The fourth and fifth series of the much-loved comedy drama are being made available. Series four was first shown as two Christmas specials in 2016; series five appeared three years later.
Series four was first shown as two Christmas specials in 2016; series five appeared three years later. Nicola Walker, Sarah Lancashire, Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid (above, with Jacobi) star
Nicola Walker, Sarah Lancashire, Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid star. BritBox, from Thursday
My Name Is Earl
Petty crook Earl Hickey (Jason Lee) has a moment of epiphany and decides to apologise to the many people he has wronged during his life.
Petty crook Earl Hickey (Jason Lee, above, right, with Eddie Steeples and Jaime Pressly) has a moment of epiphany and decides to apologise to the many people he has wronged
He seeks out those he bullied, robbed, generally abused and tries to make amends. This is funny and feelgood without being schmaltzy and was a huge hit when first broadcast in the Noughties. Disney+/Star, from Friday
The Plague
Seville, 1597. Mateo Nunez (Pablo Molinero), a heretic, is arrested and tasked by the religious authorities with finding out who is behind a series of murders that seem to be part of a satanic ritual.
Meanwhile, there’s an outbreak of bubonic plague in the city, which is the chaotic gateway to and from the New World. This is a richly atmospheric, gripping Spanish drama but the plot is complex and you’ll need to pay close attention to the subtitles if you’re to work out what’s going on by the end of its run of six episodes. Acorn TV, from Monday
Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliche
‘Identity’ wasn’t just the name of her band X Ray Spex’s best known song in 1978, it was also an issue central to the mixed-race punk singer, who died of cancer ten years ago.
Born Marianne Elliott, to a British/Somali family, Styrene was the archetypal outsider; her dental braces and bright twin-sets were a proverbial two fingers to the prissy music establishment.
Born Marianne Elliott, to a British/Somali family, Styrene (above) was the archetypal outsider; her dental braces were a proverbial two fingers to the prissy music establishment
This tender documentary, narrated by her daughter Celeste Bell, celebrates her ‘Up Yours!’ life. Multi platforms, available now
BBC iPLAYER & ITV HUB
Marcella
Anna Friel’s troubled alter ego doesn’t seem psychologically capable of working as an undercover cop, but seeing her struggle with the demands of the role made the crime drama’s third series a fascinating piece of television.
The plot focuses on Marcella’s (Anna Friel, above) efforts to infiltrate a Belfast crime family led by matriarch Katherine Maguire (Amanda Burton), dying her hair blonde
If you missed it, every episode is now available to stream. The plot focuses on Marcella’s efforts to infiltrate a Belfast crime family led by matriarch Katherine Maguire (Amanda Burton), dying her hair blonde and changing her name to Keira. ITV Hub, available now
Line Of Duty
The sixth series of Jed Mercurio’s ratings juggernaut is set to begin next Sunday, March 21. If you have plenty of time on your hands you can catch up with the previous five cases faced by the AC-12 anti-corruption squad – you never know, it may help you identify who the mysterious ‘H’ is.
Martin Compston, Adrian Dunbar and Vicky McClure (above) star alongside a host of top-notch guests, including Keeley Hawes, Thandie Newton and Stephen Graham
Martin Compston, Adrian Dunbar and Vicky McClure star alongside a host of top-notch guests, including Keeley Hawes, Thandie Newton and Stephen Graham. BBC iPlayer (series 1-5), available now
Fawlty Towers
The unforgettable moments – Basil thrashing his Austin Countryman with a branch, goose-stepping for German guests, torturing waiter Manuel. The broken gateway sign – Warty Towels, Watery Fowls – in the opening credits.
John Cleese’s (above, with Connie Booth, Andrew Sachs and Prunella Scales) towering performance as an unhinged Torquay hotelier is based on real-life hotel owner Donald Sinclair
And above all, John Cleese’s towering performance as an unhinged Torquay hotelier (based on real-life hotel owner Donald Sinclair) in the 12-episode comedy classic that has found new lodgings on BBC iPlayer.
Just don’t tell Sybil… BBC iPlayer, from Monday
Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies Live!
Stephen Merchant (above) is best known as the co-creator, with Ricky Gervais, of The Office and Extras. However, he began his career as a stand-up and he returned to the form in 2011
Stephen Merchant is best known as the co-creator, with Ricky Gervais, of The Office and Extras. However, he began his career as a stand-up and he returned to the form in 2011 with this show, revolving around his difficulties in his romantic life – some of which stem from his 6ft 7in height, others arising from the fact that, he claims, he’s a tight-fisted pedant.
The gags are great and Merchant has tremendous stage presence. BBC iPlayer, from Sunday
Why is there such a buzz about..?
The Terror (BBC iPlayer)
Make yourself a hot rum, pull on your greatcoat and batten down the hatches. The temperature is falling like a stone and you’re about to be chilled to the marrow and have your timbers shivered.
It’s 1846 and two Royal Navy ships – the Terror and the Erebus – on an expedition to discover the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific have become frozen in the Arctic ice during a severe winter.
A terrific cast led by Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies and Ciarán Hinds (above)
The expedition is afflicted by a terrible – some might say Ancient Mariner-level – run of bad fortune. Much of the ships’ supply of tinned food has been spoiled, disease is rife, indiscipline among the seamen is growing and the senior officers are conducting a low-level feud.
Not least of the mission’s problems is the fact that a terrifying and cunning beast is killing off the men one by one. Is it a polar bear – or something much more strange and sinister?
The wonderfully detailed and atmospheric production design and a terrific cast led by Jared Harris (Chernobyl), Tobias Menzies (The Crown) and Ciarán Hinds (Game Of Thrones), make this a classy ten-episode series to be savoured – Master And Commander meets Alien (Ridley Scott is a producer).
Incidentally, the Terror and Erebus really did disappear during an expedition to discover the Northwest Passage. History doesn’t record whether a demonic hell-bear had anything to do with it.
Neil Armstrong
NETFLIX & AMAZON
Sky Rojo
If you’re a fan of Spanish crime drama Money Heist, chances are you’ll love this new series from the same team. Veronica Sanchez, Yany Prado and Lali Esposito play Coral, Gina and Wendy, prostitutes on the run from their pimp Romeo (Asier Etxeandia).
Veronica Sanchez, Yany Prado (above) and Lali Esposito play Coral, Gina and Wendy, prostitutes on the run from their pimp Romeo (Asier Etxeandia)
The women embark on a chaotic cross-country journey, always trying to stay one step ahead of Romeo and his henchmen, who are hot on their trail. Along the way, the trio face numerous problems but learn some valuable lessons while strengthening their bond. Netflix, from Friday
Formula 1: Drive To Survive
For grand prix fans it’s the most eagerly anticipated show on TV, often more exciting and unpredictable than the races themselves, and the latest instalment of Drive To Survive, about the Covid-hit 2020 season, does not disappoint.
For grand prix fans it’s the most eagerly anticipated show on TV and the latest instalment of Drive To Survive does not disappoint (Kevin Magnussen, above)
Yes, you know Lewis Hamilton ultimately won his seventh world title, Romain Grosjean narrowly escaped THAT fiery crash in Bahrain and Ferrari sank almost without trace, but this behind-the-scenes documentary is so absorbing, with so many ‘wow’ moments, that it’s like starting the season all over again.
Thrilling stuff. Netflix, from Friday
The Lost Pirate Kingdom
It’s a brilliant chance for actors (including James Oliver Wheatley, above) to dress up in pirate costumes, brandish cutlasses and hoist the Jolly Roger in the finest tradition
Streaming giant Netflix has raided its own doubloon-stuffed treasure chest to furnish the re-enactments that pack this otherwise fairly dry dramadocumentary. It’s definitely a show of two halves, Brian: on one side, historians and experts discuss the real-life 18th Century pirates who terrorised the high seas of the Caribbean, while on the other it’s a brilliant chance for actors (including James Oliver Wheatley) to dress up in pirate costumes, brandish cutlasses and hoist the Jolly Roger in the finest tradition.
That should set the Arrrr! rate soaring… Netflix, from Monday
Darknet
There’s more than a touch of The Twilight Zone, or indeed Black Mirror, in Amazon’s intriguing and atmospheric horror series that will scare the bejeezus out of anyone even slightly technophobic.
Each episode contains four short stories, all cleverly intertwined, with the ‘dark web’ at their heart. And the question is: if we’re all connected through the internet, what if that means we’re connected to things we don’t want to be connected to? Amazon, available now
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
It centres on a troubled recording session and the conflict between Ma Rainey (Viola Davis, above) and ambitious trumpeter Levee Green (Chadwick Boseman)
Chadwick Boseman received a posthumous Golden Globe for his role in this story, set in Chicago in the 1920s. It’s inspired by blues singer Ma Rainey and centres on a troubled recording session and the conflict between Ma (Viola Davis) and ambitious trumpeter Levee Green (Boseman). Netflix, available now
FILMS
The Little Things
Denzel Washington (above) is Joe Deacon, supposedly an ordinary deputy sheriff
Denzel Washington is Joe Deacon, supposedly an ordinary deputy sheriff in rural California. But from the moment he’s dispatched to Los Angeles police headquarters to pick up evidence, we know he’s been there before.
Turns out he was once a star detective and now he’s back – just in time – to help one of his successors track down a Nightstalker-style serial killer. Washington is always watchable, Rami Malek gives it plenty as Detective Baxter and writer-director John Lee Hancock, responsible for both The Blind Side and Saving Mr Banks, is a proven class act.
But this is familiar territory with an over-played last lap. Most platforms, available now
Wander Darkly
Adrienne and Matteo are new parents and it’s taking a toll on their relationship, so a date night seems a good idea, until disaster strikes on the way home.
What follows is both familiar and yet strange and ambitious as writer-director Tara Miele takes a leap into the supernatural with a story told in a fluid, not-always-linear, not-always-logical way.
An on-form Sienna Miller co-stars, with Diego Luna. Most platforms, available now
Locked Down
Anne Hathaway (above) and Chiwetel Ejiofor play the mismatched couple
Here’s an oddity, a London-based lockdown caper that is one-part relationship drama, one-part diamond heist and absolutely packed with famous names delivering cameos… albeit mostly via Zoom.
Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor play the mismatched couple at the story’s heart, whose long-term relationship comes to an end just as the first lockdown starts.
Production values are surprisingly high, the Bens Stiller and Kingsley offer game support but Steven Knight’s screenplay is as sluggish as it is poorly thought through. Most platforms, available now
Matthew Bond