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15 hours ago
8
Pick of the week
Octopus
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s post-Fleabag career has been somewhat eccentric and this two-part documentary, which she narrates and executive produces, is another left turn. It’s essentially an oddball love letter to the octopus – with its powers of transformation, bizarre mating habits and general air of underwater alien strangeness. But the series soon transcends its ostensible subject matter and becomes an exploration of some of the people who have devoted their lives to the celebration, study and preservation of these charismatic creatures. These include environmentalists, scientists ... and 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan, who is charmingly and volubly obsessed with them.
Prime Video, from Thursday 8 May
Long Way Home
Bikes revving and dad-rock blaring, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman embrace their inner Partridge as they return for another grand tour. This time, they’re exploring northern Europe – once the tortuous and overlong process of selecting and equipping their bikes has taken place. It’s a slightly gauche middle-aged male fantasy, albeit given extra poignancy by the serious accident in which Boorman was involved in 2016, and the care with which McGregor helps him along on his first major expedition since. While the travel element is pretty basic, it’s a cheerful portrait of male friendship.
Apple TV+, from Friday 9 May
Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld
May the 4th be with you and all that: following the release of Andor, this spring also sees another six-episode anthology delving deep into the criminal underground of the Star Wars universe. These stories are beautifully animated in an angular, hyperreal style and flesh out the backstories of bounty hunter Cad Bane and, particularly excitingly for devotees, Asajj Ventress, who was presumed dead after the novel Dark Disciple. Ventress finds herself on the run with an unexpected ally, while Bane meets an old friend now on the other side of the law.
Disney+, from Sunday 4 May
Untold: Shooting Guards
“There’s always this line between being a prankster and going too far,” says former NBA star Gilbert Arenas. “And I was on that line.” Most people would probably contend that introducing handguns into a sports dressing room is some way over the line, but this startling documentary does its best to explain the dispute between Arenas and team mate Javaris Crittenton. Its origins are obscure but its destination became tragically clear: in 2015, Crittenton was sent to prison for the murder of mother of four Jullian Jones. Did his disagreement with Arenas set him on the road to ruin?
Netflix, from Tuesday 6 May
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Blood of Zeus
A fittingly apocalyptic scenario for the final season of this inventive animation series which has shrewdly demonstrated that, in a world constantly longing for new superheroes, Greek mythology boasted some of the most exciting characters and epic stories ever told. The goddess Gaia is issuing a bloodcurdling warning about an emerging era of chaos. Her prophecy soon starts to come true as the terrifying, scythe-wielding Cronus (voiced by Alfred Molina) sets about enacting his plan for domination. An explosive showdown seems inevitable.
Netflix, from Thursday 8 May
Marie Antoinette
Her gloomy ending is something of a spoiler alert in waiting, but as we rejoin the soon-to-be last queen of France in this lavish series, she has produced a male heir and ruled for a decade. However, clouds are gathering – signs of poverty abound on the streets and, while Marie has yet to alight upon her unpopular cake-based solution, she definitely inhabits a different world. Meanwhile, Louis is struggling to hide the dire state of the nation’s finances. A nicely realised period drama that establishes a distinctively dreamy if sinister tone.
BBC iPlayer, from Thursday 8 May
Molly-Mae: Behind It All
More highly choreographed “real-life” escapades from Love Islander turned businesswoman Molly-Mae Hague. Her stormy on-off relationship with Tommy Fury is once again among the main focuses of the series; with the couple’s daughter Bambi celebrating her second birthday, Molly is open to rebuilding their family but this strains her relationship with her sister Zoe, who was left to pick up the pieces after their last breakup. In the meantime, Molly continues to work on her Maebe clothing brand, with Paris fashion week on the horizon.
Prime Video, from Friday 9 May
