Your ultimate guide to what to watch On Demand this week – from our top picks to the hottest new releases
From the conclusion of a royal drama fit for a king to a contemporary take on a children’s classic, our critics have hand-picked the best shows to watch On Demand right now. The experts have chosen their top ten programmes streaming this week, as well as reviewing new releases. Read on to find out what to watch…
Our picks:
THE CROWN (SERIES 6, PART 2)
The final six episodes of Peter Morgan’s controversial regal drama
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Netflix
https://youtube.com/watch?v=RtJLfEX8tKM%3Frel%3D0
For all its controversies, The Crown has always taken a fundamentally affectionate view of the royals and, in its last six parts, the tone shifts from the plodding morbidity of the Diana story to become something more hopeful and even, just occasionally, hilarious.
In one episode, we’re treated to an extraordinarily comical dream sequence about Tony Blair; elsewhere, we witness the awkward romantic antics of Prince William as he lusts after Kate at St Andrew’s while the character of Kate’s mum, Carole (played by a wonderfully subtle Eve Best), portrayed here as encouraging her daughter’s interest in the prince from a young age, is half the work of social satire, half domestic drama. There’s some tremendous acting too, particularly in the instalment about the death of Princess Margaret – played with a rare skill by Lesley Manville – and in the scenes in which the Queen (Imelda Staunton) privately reflects on the future of her reign.
In its final instalment The Crown is mostly about the passing of the torch to the next generation. Everyone can relate to that happening within a family, and it’s the show’s greatest success that it manages to make the specifics of the Windsors feel somehow universal to everyone – to some degree, at least. Be prepared to shed a tear or two before the last shot fades to the credits. (Six episodes)
VIGIL (SERIES 2)
Suranne Jones returns as DCI Amy Silva in this tense thriller
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on BBC iPlayer
https://youtube.com/watch?v=gZ9RiLyak1o%3Frel%3D0
Can the second series of this police drama possibly live up to the first? In that anxiety-inducing 2021 show, Suranne Jones’s DCI Amy Silva solved a murder case on a submarine, but this time round she’s back on dry land.
Mind you, the new Vigil is far from relaxing as DCI Silva and her police partner/pregnant girlfriend DI Kirsten Longacre (Game Of Thrones’s Rose Leslie) are tasked with investigating when a British military drone exercise, in front of prospective Middle Eastern buyers, goes horribly wrong and several people die. Did someone interfere with the drones? And if so, why? It’s edge-of-your-seat television from the start. (Six episodes)
MAY DECEMBER
Finely acted drama starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on NOW
Watch now on Sky
https://youtube.com/watch?v=8z3JaevxEMA%3Frel%3D0
This drama from Todd Haynes presents us with an unusual relationship and then picks it apart in a clever way. Julianne Moore and Charles Melton star as a married couple with a large age gap, a relationship that began in controversy because, when they started, Gracie was 36 and Joe was 13. Fast forward 24 years, some of which Gracie spent in prison, and the couple are still together – albeit now loosely tolerated pariahs in their local community.
Into this fragile situation walks Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), an actress desperate to be taken seriously, who is playing Gracie in an independent film and wants to meet them both, and whose presence causes friction between the couple. It’s in the scenes between Gracie and Elizabeth, not Gracie and Joe, where this film really comes alive though – they’re both highly manipulative women, and watching them operate is fascinating. Especially when they’re doing it on each other. (117 minutes)
PLATFORM 7
A ghost investigates the circumstances of her own death
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on ITVX
Based on the novel by Louise Doughty (Apple Tree Yard) and adapted by Paula Milne (The Politician’s Husband), this is a ghost story – but one that downplays the supernatural aspects. The protagonist is a ghost called Lisa (Top Boy’s Jasmine Jobson), a girl who jumped in front of a train. Likewise, grumpy old man Edward (Phil Davis) chooses the same fate for himself in the opening scenes.
Neither ghost can leave the station, until a visit from Lisa’s loving parents and boyfriend releases her. Able to stalk her family and friends in the world, she attempts to learn what became of her. Yet something doesn’t add up. Her life seemed happy and fulfilled.
Like the novel, the information is slowly drip-fed, to Lisa as much as to us. She may be a ghost, but the overall feel is one of the everyday and ordinary. But it’s this very façade the story plays with – all is not as it first seems. Lisa is a victim, so having her ghost present keeps her alive in her own story, rather than having the more metaphorical ghost or body often seen on more typical TV mysteries.
Even if you know, or guess, the truth behind Lisa’s fate, there’s an added dimension in the shape of Phil Davis’s Edward. How will Lisa cope when she learns the truth about him? (Four episodes)
SMOTHERED
Warm London romcom from one of the writers of Schitt’s Creek
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on NOW
Watch now on Sky
https://youtube.com/watch?v=6eakT52a_Hs%3Frel%3D0
Two worlds collide in Sky’s moreish London-set romcom, which should be a particularly good fit for fans of BBC3’s Starstruck. Our prospective lovebirds are Sammy (Sliced’s Danielle Vitalis), who’s at the end of her tether with dating and idiotic men, and Tom (Plebs’ Jon Pointing), a steady and responsible man with baggage and a house. They hit it it off one night in a bar, and promise each other a no-strings passionate affair for three weeks. They can’t leave it at that, though, but then one of them discovers a surprising secret about the other – can they get over it and find a life together?
Smothered is written by Monica Heisey (Schitt’s Creek) and is one of Sky’s more thoughtful comedies, in the best sense of that word. We won’t say too much about its twists and turns as that would spoil it, but suffice to say this is a show with a good heart and plenty of comic talent, including a scene-stealing turn from Aisling Bea. After you’ve watched one episode, you’ll likely want to watch the whole lot. (Six episodes)
THE FAMOUS FIVE
Enid Blyton’s stories are given a dark and stylish overhaul by movie director Nicolas Winding Refn
Year: 2023
Watch now on BBC iPlayer
https://youtube.com/watch?v=t0pB65MSkWI%3Frel%3D0
Enid Blyton’s tales of four friends and a dog have been adapted for TV before so, if you’re going to do it again, it makes sense to go big – and the BBC certainly did that with this epic and exciting show, which is the brainchild of edgy movie director Nicolas Winding Refn.
Refn, a Dane better known for sparse and darkly stylish films such as Drive and Only God Forgives (although he did once direct an episode of Marple), infuses these adventures with neon opening credits, pulsating synth music and cinematic shots and edits, but doesn’t lose the essence of what Blyton’s stories are – adventures in the great British countryside in which children can achieve anything.
The opening story brings the five together as Julian, Dick and Anne come to stay with the grumpy George at the seaside home she shares with Aunt Fanny, Uncle Quentin and her newly acquired dog, Timmy. What follows has shades of The Goonies (there’s a dead body early on) and has a brilliantly deranged baddie in Jack Gleeson, who played the unhinged child king Joffrey in Game Of Thrones. It’s an impressively unusual mix and a much bigger risk for the BBC than their cosier take on Malory Towers, Blyton’s boarding school book series. (One feature length episode, with two to follow in 2024)
BAD EDUCATION: A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Back to school for the bad teachers in this musical Christmas special
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on BBC iPlayer
Stephen (Layton Williams) is off to Swindon to appear in a panto, so that must mean it’s the Bad Education Christmas special. And yes, it’s another Christmas Carol rip-off – featuring Alfie Wickers (Jack Whitehall) as Marley.
Plus, it’s a musical. Mathew Horne’s headteacher Fraser plays the ghost of Christmas past and sings a nice song about how blissful the pre-woke years were. Vicki Pepperdine is the ghost of Christmas present, who plays on Stephen’s FOMO (fear of missing out). Mitchell also gets to shine, Die-Hard style, but will it be enough for reluctant teacher Stephen to have a change of heart and take his job a little more seriously? (30 mins)
FUR BABIES
Sweet, real-life series about pregnant pets
Year: 2023
Watch now on Channel 4
https://youtube.com/watch?v=AJc5V6yhkfM%3Frel%3D0
If you liked One Born Every Minute and love your pets, this series is for you. It follows owners through the pregnancies of their much-loved animal friends, with cameras capturing the joy – and occasional heartbreak – as dogs, cats and others give birth.
Vets James Greenwood and Bolu Eso are on hand for support in the first episode, in which chocolate Lab Bella is expecting her first litter. Dr James thinks she’s having five puppies – that’s a smallish litter for a Lab, and owner Holly worries there won’t be the girl she wants to be Bella’s companion. Plus, owner Kelly takes Dr Bolu’s advice on preparing a birthing area for Leyla – but on the night, the cat has other plans. (Four episodes)
THE UNLIKELY PILGRAMAGE OF HAROLD FRY
Jim Broadbent stars as an OAP on a mission
Year: 2023
Certificate: 12
Watch now on NOW
Watch now on Sky
https://youtube.com/watch?v=xeSrRrA4dXw%3Frel%3D0
When he receives news that an old friend is dying of cancer in a hospital in Berwick-upon-Tweed, retired pensioner Harold Fry (Jim Broadbent) decides to go and visit her, leaving his home in Devon and setting off without any preparation to walk the length of England to get there.
A lovely film based on the book by Rachel Joyce, this is a gentle, bittersweet tale of a man driven by some hidden and very personal demons to carry out an unlikely mission. Broadbent is simply magnificent as Harold, mixing watery-eyed determination with battered hopelessness as he finds friendship and hope en route. Penelope Wilton provides excellent support as Harold’s wife, bemused and hurt by his decision to embark on his pilgrimage. (108 minutes)
THEATER CAMP
Chaos reigns in this mockumentary about a camp gone wrong
Year: 2023
Certificate: 12
Watch now on Disney+
https://youtube.com/watch?v=puVDIUk0kM8%3Frel%3D0
Fans of mockumentaries such as Best In Show and Spinal Tap should get a kick out of this one set at a children’s theatrical summer camp in upstate New York, in which the camp’s founder, Joan Rubinsky (Amy Sedaris), falls into a coma and chaos reigns in the aftermath. The comedy that follows manages to both mock its self-involved theatre types and celebrate them at the same time, as the camp comes together to put on a big musical production in tribute to the comatose Joan.
The film will be funnier if you have an affinity for or an interest in the kind of people it satirises, but fundamentally it’s just a good comedy filled with great characters that should bring a smile to anyone’s face. And at barely an hour and a half long, it doesn’t outstay its welcome. (92 minutes)
New this week:
LOS FARAD
Sultry Spanish crime drama set in 1980s Marbella
Year: 2023
Watch now on Prime Video
https://youtube.com/watch?v=TVwl16qZAhY%3Frel%3D0
When young aerobics instructor Oskar (Money Heist’s Miguel Herrán) strikes up a business – and intimately personal – relationship with the glamorous Sara (Susana Abaitua), his eyes light up at the chance to set up a gym of his own. But when he arrives in glamorous Marbella he discovers that the offer has serious strings attached as he’s introduced to Sara’s rich and powerful family of arms dealers, the Farad clan.
Set in the 1980s and shot through with the music and fashion of that era, this is a lush, sexy and exciting eight-part Spanish crime drama with an engaging performance from the wide-eyed Herrán that pulls you in right from the start. And just wait until you meet Sara’s wolfish father… (Eight episodes)
PELTZ BECKHAMS VS THE WEDDING PLANNERS
Revealing the behind-the-scenes drama of a high-end celebrity wedding
Year: 2023
Certificate: U
Watch now on Discovery+
On 9 April 2022, Brooklyn Beckham married Nicola Peltz, the daughter of American billionaire tycoon Nelson Peltz, at her Florida family home. One of the sets of wedding planners were fired after just nine days on the job, and Nelson sued them for the $159,000 deposit. The planners countersued for breach of contract.
Now, all this information is really just the lead up to the important part – the trial caused the release of lots of embarrassing text messages about all the drama that went on behind the scenes. That’s the real appeal of this documentary, which tells the story first from the Peltz side, and then from the planners’. We hear from the Daily Mail’s US correspondent Daniel Bates along the way. (One episode)
KEVIN HART & CHRIS ROCK: HEADLINERS ONLY
Behind the scenes as the two top stand-ups perform together
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Netflix
https://youtube.com/watch?v=HohqGs78KaE%3Frel%3D0
Kevin Hart and Chris Rock are comedy titans by anyone’s standards, with hit movies, TV shows and even infamous Oscar-hosting gigs on their combined CVs, not to mention countless stand-up comedy specials.
This behind-the-scenes documentary follows the pair as they prepare to perform a quartet of stage shows together in New York City. As the dates for the four sold-out gigs approach, we see them discussing their relationship with each other and their respective comedy histories. It’s a fascinating look at the respect they hold for each other, their life stories and their approaches to making people laugh. (82 minutes)
BAD HOST: HUNTING THE COUCH SURFING PREDATOR
Harrowing story of a rapist who lured tourists to his home and drugged them
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on NOW
Watch now on Sky
The website CouchSurfing launched in 2004, its aim to connect backpackers with hosts around the world who would let them stay in their homes for free. It was a utopian idea but, for the women in this documentary, it was life-changing in the very worst sense. Here, they relate their experience of being drugged and sexually assaulted in the home of an Italian military policeman, and the fight for justice that followed – over many, many years, through both journalism and the justice system.
The three-parter is based on the podcast Verified and presents us with a confident, well-sourced account of the story that’s clear-headed when it needs to be but also packs an emotional punch. The testimony of the Australian mother whose daughter was assaulted while she slept is one moment that really brings the horror of the story home. (Three episodes)
LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND
Julia Roberts stars in a thriller about a looming apocalypse
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Netflix
In order to get out of the city for a few days, Amanda and Clay (Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke) take their two kids off on a last-minute getaway to a rented holiday home on Long Island. The fun is blunted a bit when the home’s owners (Mahershala Ali and Myha’la) turn up, but things turn seriously strange when reports of nationwide blackouts reach them and local animals start behaving very weirdly indeed.
Taut storytelling by Mr Robot creator Sam Esmail dovetails with memorable performances (watch out for Kevin Bacon too) in a dark and unnerving account of what happens when a modern apocalypse descends and the bricks that support society start to crumble. (141 minutes)
SLEEPY HOLLOW
Past and present collide in this action-packed fantasy series
Year: 2013-2017
Certificate: 15
Watch now on My5
Watch now on Disney+
https://youtube.com/watch?v=RmX8-OLJsM4%3Frel%3D0
This US fantasy series transplants Washington Irving’s short story and the legend of the Headless Horseman to contemporary Sleepy Hollow, a village in upstate New York where Ichabod Crane and the Horseman mysteriously find themselves after their deaths on an 18th century battlefield.
The show builds an apocalyptic mystery out of this weirdness and while there’s a lot to take on board, it’s such fun you can forgive the concept for being overstuffed. As Crane, British actor Tom Mison (The Ex-Wife) is dashing and heroic, but not without light relief when he gets bamboozled by the modern world. He teams up, or is ‘fatefully entwined’, with Nicole Beharie (The Morning Show) as plucky Sheriff’s lieutenant, Abbie Mills. Together they attempt to stop the end of days that would come should the Horseman reunite with his head. (Series 1 and 2 on My5, all 4 series on Disney+)
UNDER PRESSURE: THE US WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TEAM
Following the US women’s footballers at the 2023 World Cup
Year: 2023
Certificate: 12
Watch now on Netflix
https://youtube.com/watch?v=2hg1FZ583Xc%3Frel%3D0
When it comes to women’s football, the United States team are the sport’s accepted giants. Prior to the 2023 World Cup in Australia they’d won the tournament four times and had never failed to make at least the semi-final. Now they were going for an unprecedented three wins in a row.
When this behind-the-scenes documentary was commissioned, Netflix must have envisaged it as the story of another grand march to victory. What they ended up with, though, was something much more revealing as expectation smashed into reality and the US found themselves struggling to compete with a raft of greatly improved teams from around the world. Watching a squad used to only winning being forced to confront the very real prospect of losing is compelling. (Four episodes)
KILLING SHERLOCK: LUCY WORSLEY ON THE CASE OF CONAN DOYLE
Investigating Arthur Conan Doyle’s fraught relationship with Sherlock Holmes
Year: 2023
Watch now on BBC iPlayer
‘Why didn’t Sherlock Holmes’s creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, love him as much as the rest of us do?’ Lucy, who admits to having a crush on the fictional detective, wants to find out more about Conan Doyle’s relationship with his most famous literary character in this docuseries.
Before filming the show, the historian was no fan of Conan Doyle himself: ‘I was worried he was a toxic imperialist mansplainer,’ she has said. ‘And that is partly true. But nothing is ever black and white.’
In this three-part series, Lucy turns sleuth herself, searching for clues in the Victorian writer’s life and speaking to experts to discover how he came to pen the first Sherlock Holmes stories and why he killed the detective off – before eventually deciding to bring him back. This is essential viewing for any devotees of the deerstalker cap-wearing detective. (Three episodes)
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID CHRISTMAS: CABIN FEVER
Antihero Greg Heffley returns in this third zany animated outing
Year: 2023
Certificate: U
Watch now on Disney+
https://youtube.com/watch?v=A–mvyHQhcc%3Frel%3D0
The quartet of live-action Diary Of A Wimpy Kid movies that started in 2010 were great fun, but the series really comes alive in animated form, funnily enough. There’s a zany energy about these adventures that completely suits the title character Greg Heffley (who looks like a cross between Wallace and Gromit and the original sketchy illustrations from Jeff Kinney’s books) and his schoolfriends, enemies and family.
This third in the series sees Greg desperately trying to stay out of trouble in the run-up to Christmas so that he can earn enough brownie points to secure himself the latest videogame console. It’s going to be far from easy though. (95 minutes)
YOUR CHRISTMAS OR MINE 2
More festive family swapping with Asa Butterfield and Cora Kirk
Year: 2023
Certificate: 12
Watch now on Prime Video
https://youtube.com/watch?v=D3BMVVQ69PU%3Frel%3D0
In 2022, Amazon’s Your Christmas Or Mine? was as cheerily loveable a seasonal rom-com as you could wish for, with rich lad James (Sex Education’s Asa Butterfield) and northern lass Hayley (Cora Kirk) ending up stranded at each other’s family homes for Christmas.
This very welcome sequel calls for more festive misunderstandings as the two families decide to head to the Alps to spend Christmas together, but one disaster after another leads to the two lovebirds once again being stuck apart with the wrong family. From Daniel Mays to Angela Griffin, the first movie’s fine supporting cast all return for more sweet high jinks, but this time they’re joined by 30 Rock’s hilarious Jane Krakowski as James’s posh dad’s new American girlfriend. (101 minutes)
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