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1 day ago
5
Pick of the week
Adolescence
A four-part drama with superb writing, startling performances and technical wizardry. Written by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, it tells the story of 13-year-old Jamie (a remarkable debut from 15-year-old Owen Cooper) who is arrested for the murder of a classmate. Each episode is filmed as a single continuous shot – this is no directorial affectation, but a technique for eliciting a level of tension that occasionally feels like a panic attack. The story is unavoidably distressing, touching on modern-day bugbears including social media and the pernicious influence of the so-called “manosphere”. But the sheer artistry on display means it is impossible to look away.
Netflix, from Thursday 13 March
Dope Thief
Ray and Manny are rogueish but amiable small-time crooks from Philadelphia who rob low-level stash houses while disguised as DEA officers. They use detailed planning and a polished performance of authority to avoid using violence. But when an associate of Manny tips them off about a possible big score out of town, things go belly up and soon lots of very dangerous people are on their tails. Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura share convincing chemistry as the joint leads and as their troubled backstories (which involve poverty, addiction and abandonment) emerge.
Apple TV+, from Friday 14 March
Belgravia: The Next Chapter
As evidenced by Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes has never been a subtle writer. Nor is he ever keen to stray out of his lane. This grandiose but shallow confection is textbook Fellowes, set in 1871 (three decades after the original Belgravia series) and – in news that will shock no one – focuses on romance in London high society. At its heart is the third Lord Glanville (Benjamin Wainwright), a nervy young chap who is attempting to woo Clara Dunn (Harriet Slater). Will his traumatic family history derail his prospects of happiness?
ITVX, from Sunday 9 March
Temptation Island
One of the grubbiest reality TV concepts yet has a new home on Netflix, and the show’s producers have landed upon an innovation that looks likely to lower the tone even further. The original iteration saw couples testing their relationships by shacking up with eligible singles in luxury beach villas. This series introduces the Temptation Haven: a tent with no cameras inside. Whatever will happen? “I genuinely don’t think that in the real world, he would have done this to me,” says one woman despairingly and, almost certainly, correctly.
Netflix, from Wednesday 12 March
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Love Is Blind Sweden
More singles roll the relationship dice by preparing for blind wedding days, as the mystifyingly enduring series – this time set in Sweden – returns. The premise always feels slightly undermined by the reality; while the idea of falling in love with someone on the basis of an emotional connection alone is undeniably sweet, it just so happens that most of the contenders also look like models, so how big a gamble anyone is taking remains to be seen. As ever, expect tears, tantrums, staged catharsis and the sense of a formula being pushed to breaking point.
Netflix, from Thursday 13 March
The Wheel of Time
It started life as a pretty transparent attempt by Prime to build its own epic Game of Thrones-type show. But even as it returns for a third season (and there are 11 books in Robert Jordan’s novel series!) The Wheel of Time has never come close to capturing the imagination in the same way. Still, the wheel continues to turn: this time the threats against the Light are multiplying as the White Tower is in danger of destroying itself from the inside. Soon, Lanfear and Rand face a turning point – but will they both turn towards the Light? Probably safe to say no.
Prime Video, from Thursday 13 March
NCIS Origins
The NCIS franchise has been expanding across the TV horizon since 2003. But where did its protagonists begin? This series offers a solid if unspectacular origin story, taking us back to 1991 to meet the young agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he begins his rise through the ranks at Camp Pendleton. Austin Stowell plays the youthful Gibbs, an idealistic Pearl Jam fan who is beginning the process of learning the ropes when he is faced with his first truly harrowing murder case. In a callback to the later shows, Gibbs’s fledgling steps are narrated by Mark Harmon.
Paramount+, from Thursday 13 March
