An Oscar-nominated film, racy royals and laugh-out-loud comedies – they are all featured in our critics’ picks of the 20 best shows to watch On Demand right now. Read on to find out what to watch this weekend…
The Dry
Darkly funny Irish drama raises a glass to a very dysfunctional family
Year: 2022
Certificate: 15
Shiv (Roisin Gallagher) arrives home in Dublin for her granny’s funeral. She’s ‘five months, 17 days and six hours’ sober – not that she’s counting – and being around her judgmental yet equally dysfunctional family will be sure to test Shiv’s resolve.
The focus of this spunky comedy drama, dubbed an Irish Fleabag, is on addiction, though not on the fireworks of hitting rock bottom but on the everyday struggles of staying sober. And anyone would struggle with a family like this. Shiv’s uptight sister Caroline (Siobhan Cullen) is a full-blown misanthrope, her mum Bernie (Pom Boyd) is a just-about-functioning alcoholic and her dad (a heroically moribund Ciaran Hinds) is using his affair with his acupuncturist as a distraction from his own meltdown.
The show can be subdued and a bit melancholy at times, but the flashes of startling and sometimes painful humour are welcome jolts that ring true more often than not. Series two opens with Shiv having her sobriety sorely tested once again. (Two series)
American Fiction
Deft and witty satire on race, literature and political correctness
Year: 2024
Certificate: 18
Watch now on Prime Video
Westworld’s Jeffrey Wright is on strong, Oscar-nominated form in this nimble mix of satire and poignancy. Wright plays Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison, a frustrated African-American novelist and professor who would appear to be taking out those frustrations on his students – to the extent that he’s given a leave of absence, and goes off to write a wild satire of ‘black’ literature that is somehow taken seriously.
The beauty of this film is in how lightly it moves, even when it’s dealing with heavy material – it’s easy to watch right from the start with witty, fast-moving dialogue that can move you from laughter to sorrow within the space of a scene. It remains dynamic and self-assured throughout, which is all the more impressive when you learn that this is the directorial debut of its writer, Cord Jefferson. Jefferson previously wrote for the brilliant afterlife comedy The Good Place among many other things, and it’s exciting to imagine what his next project might be. Jefferson actually picked up American Fiction’s only Oscar win for his screenplay – it was nominated for five – which was adapted from the novel Erasure. (117 mins)
Manhunt (2024 series)
True crime thriller about the search for Abraham Lincoln’s killer
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Apple TV+
A drama about the hunt for Abraham Lincoln’s killer doesn’t sound like the most obviously compelling thing to a British audience. One, we know who did it – the actor John Wilkes Booth, who shot the US President while he was watching a play in 1865 – and two, it happened a long time ago in the US. Still, execution is everything – no pun intended – and it soon becomes apparent that Manhunt is essentially a true crime thriller, just one that happens to be set more than 150 years ago, and against the inherently interesting backdrop of a sharply divided country where conspiracies abound.
That last point could be said to have relevance to today’s polarised US too, but what makes Manhunt compelling to the more casual viewer is its star, Tobias Menzies (Outlander). Always a compelling actor in whatever he does, here Menzies takes centre stage as Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s colleague and friend and the man leading the hunt. Stanton’s personal investment in seeing justice done is what hooks you, and the details of the country around him – divided over Lincoln’s abolition of slavery and tangled up in conspiracies left, right and centre – is just an intriguing bonus. And, while this almost goes without saying since the show was bankrolled by Apple, the re-creation of the period is a rich and instantly convincing one. To British eyes, at least. (Seven episodes)
Royal Kill List
Jared Harris, Joseph Fiennes and Sheila Atim bring the story of Charles II to life in this fiery docudrama
Year: 2024
Certificate: 18
Watch now on NOW
Watch now on Sky
Sky History continues to push the boundaries of what one might consider a documentary with this fiery three-parter about a king’s search for justice. In a dramatised production with a look reminiscent of The Tudors, three actors – Sheila Atim, Jared Harris and Joseph Fiennes – explain the story of Charles II’s quest for vengeance against the 59 men who had his father, Charles I, killed.
The actors deliver the story from three different perspectives, with Atim explaining the royalist perspective, Harris taking the side of the regicides (the killers of the king), and Fiennes giving us an impassioned inside view of the life of Charles II. They’re partly taking the place of historians you might have in between reconstructions on a more traditional documentary but it’s more than that – they’re also part of the story, delivering their insights with a sweary passion and a strong point of view. It’s a compelling way to tell a story and indicative of the series as a whole, which most definitely feels like history with attitude. (Three episodes)
Girls5Eva
Hilarious US comedy about an ageing girl band’s reunion
Year: 2021-
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Netflix
Imagine a US sitcom about a one-hit wonder version of the Spice Girls reforming in their 40s, and you’ve got the idea of this sharp returning series produced by 30 Rock’s Tina Fey. It has the kind of jokes that lead you one way, then snap back and surprise you at the end of the line.
That clever humour is part of why this show is so funny, but those gags would fall flat if the characters didn’t feel real. These ‘girls’ mostly do though, even when they’re in the most absurd situations, like working as a judge on spoof show American Warrior Singer as a result of money woes, or suddenly requiring a new knee. The show spent its first two series on Sky in the UK, but later moved to Netflix where the latest, third series follows the band on a tour to promote their comeback album – the hilariously titled Returnity. (Three series)
The Flash (2023 film)
Alternate universe superhero adventure packed with surprises for fans
Year: 2023
Certificate: 12
If you like blockbuster spectacle and big ideas, then this high-stakes, multiple-universe DC superhero extravaganza could fit the bill. Ezra Miller plays the super-speedy Flash, a hero who can run so fast that he can actually travel back in time – which he does, in an effort to reverse the childhood murder of his mother. That effort creates all kinds of potentially world-ending problems, but has the welcome side effect of giving Michael Keaton a chance to play Batman in the movies once again.
Keaton’s Batman is a very entertaining addition to the film and the most well-known of the multiverse surprises that The Flash has in store, along with more than one version of the speedster himself, a development that gives Miller a lot of acting to do and the opportunity for many fun jokes. There’s a lot else in here that is squarely targeted at fans, but the big action and generally light-hearted tone should satisfy the casual blockbuster lover. (144 minutes)
Love Rat
Sally Lindsay has a holiday romance that leads her into danger
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
Watch now on My5
Sally Lindsay goes Shirley Valentine in this four-part thriller. She plays newly divorced Emma, still on speaking terms with her ex-husband, Pete (Neil Morrissey); she takes herself off to Cyprus to mark this new phase of her life. There, she is swept off her feet by the dashing Niko (played by Gerald Kyd, pictured with Lindsay – whom Casualty stars might remember as doctor Sean Maddox).
Niko claims to be the owner of the hotel where she is staying, but guess what? He’s not being entirely truthful (the clue is in the title). You might think you have got this all sewn up by the end of tonight’s first episode, but the remaining three are packed with twists and turns.
Emma might seem gullible, but Lindsay’s speciality is playing characters that appear homely, but hide a dogged determination behind those kind eyes and soft, agreeable demeanour. When the offer to play Emma came up, Lindsay was initially hesitant – she was exhausted having been away filming her Madame Blanc Mysteries – but the surprising story and Emma’s multi-layered character meant she couldn’t turn it down: ‘There are plot twists I didn’t see coming,’ says the former Corrie star. ‘And I write mysteries!’ (Four episodes)
Young Royals
Romantic Swedish teen drama following a young prince through his high-school days
Year: 2021-2024
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Netflix
Fans of shows such as Gossip Girl and Heartstopper will find a lot to enjoy in this Swedish drama. It charts the life of troubled prince Wilhelm as he’s packed off to a remote co-ed boarding school after getting into a fight on camera at his old educational establishment. There he rekindles his antagonistic relationship with his stuck-up princely cousin August while slowly finding himself wondering if his feelings for scholarship boy Simon are more than just those of friendship.
It’s heated stuff with occasional steamy moments as Wilhelm, Simon, August and the rest of the school – as well as the wider world including Wilhelm’s mother, Queen Kristina – play out dramas large and small. (Three series)
Un Amore
Intriguing Italian romantic drama that spans 20 years in a couple’s life
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
Watch now on NOW
Watch now on Sky
During an Interrail trip in the mid-1990s, Italian teens Alessandro and Anna meet and fall in love in Spain. At the end of the holiday they go their separate ways, keeping in touch only through letters. Until, that is, they run into each other again in Bologna, 20 years later. Can their teenage romance turn into adult love? And how will the relationships they’ve built up around them in the intervening years fare? Not least Anna’s marriage…
Played by different actors as teenagers and middle-aged adults, Anna and Alessandro’s love story plays out beautifully across six episodes, with the narrative moving elegantly between the past and the present. If you enjoyed Netflix’s One Day, this could well be a nice replacement. (Six episodes)
The Matrix Resurrections
High-octane sequel to the game-changing action movie
Year: 2021
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Netflix
The Matrix changed the way we thought about action movies when it hit cinemas in 1999. Two bloated sequels followed, and this resurrection – which came nearly two decades later – is better than both of them. It kicks off as a kind of satirical re-creation of the original, with Keanu Reeves’s Neo now working as a games designer, shuffling through midlife with a fancy apartment, a therapist and a nagging sense that something is wrong.
There are lots of neat visual clues in this life (keep an eye on what’s blue and what’s red) and, while the story becomes more predictable later on, it also poses questions about ageing and why we might choose the safer path in life. In between all this, as you’d expect, there are super-cool action scenes to marvel at. (148 minutes)
The Reluctant Traveller With Eugene Levy
Schitt’s Creek star is a fish out of water in this funny travel show
Year: 2023
Certificate: pg
Watch now on Apple TV+
For years, Eugene Levy was someone you would vaguely recognise, either from the American Pie movies or Christopher Guest comedies such as Best In Show. Then along came Schitt’s Creek, global fame and, in 2023, this travel show for Apple.
He’s not an obviously adventurous sort, and that adds to the comedy as he encounters experiences that surprise, disturb and delight him. Take his opening journey to Finland, where Levy is surprised by being immersed in cold water, disturbed by cooked reindeer and delighted by – well quite a lot really, but the loveliest moment comes on a husky racing sled. Other scenic destinations in the first series include Costa Rica, Venice and Tokyo, and the key to why it’s all so watchable is how genuine Levy’s delight is when it comes; he’s also never less than polite, and his years of comedy acting give him a great way with a joke when he wants to reach for one, too.
In series two Levy ‘goes all continental’, visiting Sweden, Scotland, France, Germany, Italy and Greece across a six-part jaunt that includes seeing his mum’s origins in Glasgow and dining with Joan Collins in St Tropez. (Two series)
The Beekeeper
Jason Statham stars as an apiarist with very special skills
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
Watch now on NOW
Watch now on Sky
There are only so many people who can pull off the ‘unassuming man with special skills’ type of action film. Liam Neeson is one, but doesn’t do it with nearly as much charm as Jason Statham. He first came to our attention in Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels way back in 1998, and has since become one of the world’s most bankable action stars in movies such as The Transporter, The Mechanic and The Meg. He’s done it again in The Beekeeper, in which the Derbyshire-born actor quite literally plays a beekeeper with very special skills.
He doesn’t just keep actual bees and put their honey in jars, though, although he’s also very good at that. Oh no. Adam Clay (Statham) is also a retired member of a deadly government organisation also known as ‘Beekeepers’, a covert group with – yes, you guessed it, very special skills. And when a tragedy befalls his kindly landlady, Clay brings them all into play to exact revenge on the vile perpetrators, all of whom look like they richly deserve it. If you enjoy seeing justice done, this is the action movie for you – and look out for Jeremy Irons and Jemma Redgrave as Clay’s violent odyssey unfolds. (105 minutes)
Blown Away
The glass-blowing contest with mind-blowing creations
Year: 2019-
Certificate: pg
Watch now on Netflix
A glass-blowing contest? It sounds like a tricky sell for a TV show, but if we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that you can make good television about almost anything – it’s all about the execution. In the Canadian series Blown Away, ten skilled crafters compete for a $60,000 prize through a series of challenges, and that relatively low number means that we get to know them all pretty well.
There are some British contenders to look out for amid the mostly North American field, including Elliot Walker (series two) and Maddy Hughes (series three), and the creations they all come up with will challenge your preconceptions about what can be made with glass. In the latest fourth series, the glassblowers come up with pieces that represent their dark side, pay tribute to their childhood and re-create their favourite sweet treats in glass form. Let’s hope that no one suggests a crossover with Is It Cake? – that could send someone to the hospital… (Four series)
Turning Point: The Bomb And The Cold War
Epic documentary series charting the history of the Cold War
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Netflix
Arriving in the aftermath of the blockbuster success of the Oppenheimer film, this documentary series about the development of the atom bomb feels well timed. It’s much more than just a zeitgeist-catching exercise though – it may start with the Second World War and the events of the Manhattan Project but across its nine-part run it covers more than half a century of political manoeuvring, spying and brinksmanship as the Cold War unfolded.
Interviews with more than 100 people – ranging from survivors of the Hiroshima bombing to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice – give it real heft as it argues that the effects of the Cold War are still shaping global politics today. (Nine episodes)
People Just Do Nothing: Big In Japan
Brentford’s biggest garage crew attempt to break Japan
Year: 2021
Certificate: 15
Watch now on BBC iPlayer
This feature film marked a comeback for the Kurupt FM crew who had been a big hit on BBC2 and BBC3 in five series of the hilarious Bafta-winning mockumentary. In a similar vein to The Office, mixed with Spinal Tap, the show portrayed its characters as hopeless and deluded, just figures of fun. But what made them likeable was that they were such close friends – loyal and thoughtful as well as sweet and childish.
It’s been 15 years since the two-hit wonders had any whiff of fame and they’ve settled into dead-end existences. That is, until manager Chabuddy (Asim Chaudhry) arranges a trip to Tokyo to try and capitalise on their new Japanese fanbase. Their song Heart Monitor Riddem features on a popular TV gameshow and there’s the possibility of a record deal. In Tokyo, they are fish out of water as well as small fish in a big pond, but together a kind of lovably silly magic happens, and you can’t help but wish they make it this time. (97 minutes)
All five series of the TV show are also available on BBC iPlayer.
Little Wing
Brian Cox helps this coming-of-age story of a teenage girl and a racing pigeon take flight
Year: 2024
Certificate: 12
Watch now on Paramount+
When her parents’ divorce sends her mum’s finances into a nosedive, teenager Kaitlyn (rising star Brooklynn Prince) and her best friend Adam (Che Tafari) hatch a plan to steal a valuable racing pigeon. But one thing leads to another and Kaitlyn strikes up a friendship with the bird’s owner Jaan (Brian Cox) that ends up subtly and not-so-subtly changing both their lives.
Cox’s turn as the humble pigeon-fancier is a long way from his blockbuster theatrics as Succession’s Logan Roy, but it’s fantastic to see him doing something smaller and gentler. He gives this enjoyable coming-of-age drama a solid foundation that Prince and Tafari’s engaging performances build on beautifully. (99 mins)
Backstage With The London Philharmonic
Go deep inside the rehearsal process as the LPO prepare for a major performance
Year: 2024
Certificate: pg
Watch now on NOW
Watch now on Sky
Sky’s series takes us deep inside the rehearsal process of the London Philharmonic Orchestra as they prepare for a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No 2. Each episode focuses on a different section of the LPO – so part one is strings, then woodwind and percussion and then brass, before the final part shows how they all come together for the final performance.
We get to meet a lot of interesting musicians over the course of the series, but the show’s undoubted star is the Philharmonic’s hunky and twinkly-eyed conductor, Ed Gardner – the man who brings it all together. Expect to see plenty more of him. (Four episodes)
Invincible
Animated adult superhero drama from the writer of The Walking Dead
Year: 2021-
Certificate: 18
Watch now on Prime Video
Imagine growing up as the son of the world’s most powerful superhero, Omni-Man. When Mark Grayson develops his own superpowers at the age of 17, that’s the caped shadow he attempts to fly out from as he embarks on his own superhero career as Invincible.
With a fantastic voice cast (JK Simmons, Mark Hamill, Steven Yeun and Sandra Oh are just some of the star names who lend their tones to the characters), this is a clever and exciting new spin on the superhero genre. Be warned though – like The Boys before it, Invincible is definitely not for children. Just as in the first run, the two-part second series has levels of violence and gore that are definitely only for grown ups. (Two series)
Mr Malcolm’s List
Frothy costume romcom for fans of Bridgerton
Year: 2022
Certificate: pg
Watch now on Netflix
When Julia Thistlewaite (Wanderlust’s Zawe Ashton) is rejected as a potential wife by the dashing Mr Malcolm (Gangs Of London’s Sope Dirisu) because she doesn’t meet his list of requirements for a good bride, she hits upon an ingenious revenge plan. She’ll get her best friend Selina (Freida Pinto) up from the country to 19th-century London and coach her to seem like she checks every box on Mr Malcolm’s list. Then, when he asks Selina to marry him, she’ll refuse him and Julia’s revenge will be complete.
Except… well, what if Selina and Malcolm really do fall in love? With equal dollops of Jane Austen, Bridgerton and Bridget Jones in its make-up, this is a delightful slice of period romcom silliness. (117 minutes)
Whitstable Pearl
Kerry Godliman sells seafood – and solves murders – by the seaside
Year: 2021
Certificate: 12
Watch now on Acorn TV
Watch now on UKTV Play
Pearl Nolan (Kerry Godliman) is a woman of many parts. She’s a single mother who runs both a seafood restaurant with her mum (Frances Barber) and a detective agency on her own, and has a real knack for the latter. Years ago, until she became pregnant, Pearl trained as a police officer and that training comes in useful now.
So, in the opening episode when a body turns up in Whitstable harbour – the body of her friend and oyster supplier Vinnie, chained to the anchor of his boat – she can’t help but investigate. Along the way she forms a prickly partnership with visiting DCI Mike Maguire, a miserable city type down from London who hates small towns ‘because you have to talk to people’. Luckily for Mike, talking to people is Pearl’s speciality. Maguire thinks Vinnie’s death was an accident, Pearl thinks otherwise. Subsequent episodes explore different cases. (Two series)
