The best new TV to stream next week – from Beef to Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now
SPRING may be back but what better way to spend rainy days than cosying up in front of your screen?
Here’s The Sun’s roundup of all the best new TV to watch across all the biggest streaming services.
NETFLIX
Beef – Available Thursday
When down-on-his-luck building contractor Danny (Steven Yeun) is involved in a dramatic road-rage incident with successful but super-stressed businesswoman Amy (Ali Wong), they begin a tit-for-tat feud that becomes all-consuming and starts to have a profound effect on their lives and relationships. But do they really want revenge, or are they actually trying to fill some kind of hole in their lives? Darkly funny and unexpectedly moving, this 10-part drama has all the ingredients to be a huge hit: an intriguing set up, a super-sharp script, quirky supporting characters and two brilliant central performances from The Walking Dead and Minari star Steven and acclaimed comedian Ali. Do yourself a favour and tuck into some Beef.
Lewis Capaldi – How I’m Feeling Now – Available Wednesday
Lewis Capaldi isn’t your average pop star. Hugely talented but forever willing to take the mickey out of himself, he’s been a real blast of fresh air ever since bursting on to the scene in 2017. But what’s Lewis really like, behind closed doors? And how has fame changed him? We’ll get to find out in this access-all-areas documentary, which catches up with Lewis as he heads back to his parents’ home in Scotland to take stock and start work on what would become his second album. Directed by Joe Pearlman – the man who gave the world the brilliant 2018 Bros documentary After The Screaming Stops – get ready for an intimate but irreverent glimpse into the private life of one of pop’s brightest stars.
Transatlantic – Available Friday
It’s 1940 and France has fallen to the Nazis. In Marseille, a small but fearless group of young people – led by American journalist Varian Fry (Cory Michael Smith) and heiress Mary Jane Gold (Gillian Jacobs) – risk their lives to help hundreds of blacklisted artists and other so-called ‘undesirables’ escape the country. Based on real events, this lavish seven-part drama tells the remarkable story of Varian and his band of heroes who were known as the Emergency Rescue Committee, shining a light on their heroic work and their complicated personal relationships. A thriller that’s infused with comedy and romance, it’s stylish, inspiring and extremely bingeable.
Chupa – Available from Friday
Anyone familiar with the mythical Latin American creature called the chupacabra, might be surprised by this new family movie. In legend, the chupacabra is a terrifying, vampiric beast that sucks the blood of goats. In Chupa, it’s a ridiculously cute and furry little fella, which bonds with a young boy called Alex (Evan Whitten), when he discovers it hiding in his grandfather’s shed during a trip to Mexico. Having made this discovery, can Alex and his cousins protect Chupa from mean scientist Richard (Christian Slater)? Channelling classics like E.T. and Gremlins, this is a fun family flick that’s perfect for kids looking to while away some time during the Easter hols.
Disney+
Tiny Beautiful Things – All episodes available Friday
Kathryn Hahn (Parks & Recreation, Wandavision) is rarely anything other than terrific, and it’s business as usual in this warm, witty and heartfelt eight-part US drama, in which she plays struggling writer Clare, who finds fame and respect as a relationship advice columnist. This development comes as something of a surprise, since things are far from rosy in Clare’s own personal life – in fact, her marriage to hubby Danny is crumbling, her teenage daughter Rae has zero respect for her and her career had looked to be going nowhere. But by digging deep into her past and unresolved issues, she’s able to find a way to help others – and maybe even help herself.
The Good Mothers – All episodes available Wednesday
A twist on the typical Mafia-based drama, Italian six-parter The Good Mothers focuses on three women born into the deadly ‘Ndrangheta crime family. Based on a true story, it follows how these women – Denise Cosco, Giuseppina Pesce and Maria Concetta Cacciola – worked to bring down the ruthless organisation from the inside, alongside fearless female prosecutor Anna Colace. Suspenseful and cinematic, it’s a show that fans of My Brilliant Friend may enjoy – not least because Gaia Girace, who played Lila in two seasons of that much-loved series – leads the cast here as Denise Cosco. Also stars Suburra’s Barbara Chichiarelli. In Italian, with subtitles.
The Pope: Answers – Available Wednesday
What does religion – and specifically Christianity – mean to young people today? How does something as old-fashioned and conservative seeming as the Catholic Church fit into the modern world? This one-off special attempts to answer some of those questions, by giving 10 young Spanish-speaking people, all from different backgrounds and of varying ages, the chance to grill the Pope on all manner of pressing issues. So, what’s Pope Francis’ take on feminism, mental health, LGBTQIA+ rights, racism, abuse within the church and the migration crisis? And what can he learn from the young people? An intriguing discussion.
PARAMOUNT+
Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies – Available from Friday
Is a Grease prequel the one that fans want? We’ll soon find out. This all-singing, all-dancing 10-part series is set four years before the events of the original and much-loved movie, and centres around four schoolgirls, Jane (Marisa Davila), Olivia (Cheyenne Isabel Wells), Cynthia (Ari Notartomaso) and Nancy (Tricia Fukuhara). Tired of being treated like outcasts, they form their own gang – the Pink Ladies, no less – and begin pushing the boundaries of what’s expected of teenage girls in the 1950s. Filled with music, romance and nostalgic nods to the original, fans could soon find themselves hopelessly devoted to the show. First episode available Friday, then weekly.
ITVX
Hollywood Bulldogs: The Rise And Falls of the Great British Stuntman – Available from Thursday
We Brits are famous for our stiff upper lips. And if there’s one profession where you’ve got to take it on the chin – often literally – it’s being a stuntman. Ray Winstone narrates this eye-popping documentary telling the exciting, if bruising, story of the band of British movie stuntmen who cornered the market in Hollywood during the 1970s and 1980s. From Bond films to Indiana Jones, Star Wars to Rambo, if dangerous stunts were involved, chances are one of these tough but skilled Brits was involved. Containing interviews with many of the gang – including Vic Armstrong, who regularly doubled for Harrison Ford during the 80s – plus a feast of entertaining movie anecdotes and plenty of classic clips, it’s a must for all movie buffs.
APPLE TV+
Schmigadoon! – Available from Wednesday
The tuneful musical comedy series shimmies its way back on to our screens for a second six-part season. Having left the magical town of Schmigadoon and returned to New York, Melissa (Cecily Strong) and Josh (Keegan-Michael Key) find themselves ground down by the grumpy, song-less life everyone lives in the city. Desperate to return to Schmigadoon, they head back into the woods. But instead they come upon Schmicago, a darkly glamorous town based on the moodier, sexier era of musicals such as Chicago and Cabaret. And when Josh gets accused of a murder he didn’t commit, it’s clear that the couple are in for a very different musical experience. Season one stars Jane Krakowski, Alan Cumming, Dove Cameron, Ariana DeBose and Kristin Chenoweth all return – in different roles – while Tituss Burgess joins as the Narrator. Two episodes Wednesday, then weekly.
Boom! Boom! The World vs Boris Becker – Available from Friday
Boris Becker is one of the most successful and recognisable tennis players of all time. Shooting to superstardom in 1985 when he won Wimbledon aged just 17, the German player went on to win 64 titles, including six Grand Slams. Infamously, though, it wasn’t only his performances on the court that made headlines – Boris has also had a controversial personal life and, last April, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for hiding assets and loans to avoid paying debts. Now, his story is told in this intimate and unflinching two-part documentary, which boasts extensive interviews with the man himself – one of which was filmed the week of his sentencing – alongside family, friends and other tennis stars including John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and Novak Djokovic. An honest profile of a flamboyant but flawed figure.
PRIME VIDEO
Judy Blume Forever – Available from Friday
Back in the 70s and 80s, the young adult novels of Judy Blume were a big deal in playgrounds across the US and UK. Her willingness to tackle taboo topics such as puberty, teenage sex, periods and death, and to approach these subjects in a frank and honest way, made her books both controversial with furious grown-ups and popular with curious youngsters. Judy’s story is told in this feature-length documentary, which talks to the woman herself and fans of her work, and gets to grips with the huge impact books such as Forever and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret have had on pop culture.
AMAZON FREEVEE
Jury Duty – Available from Friday
All rise for the most genre-blending show of the week. Eight-part US series Jury Duty is part The Office-style docu-comedy, part reality show and part Ant and Dec-style hidden camera prank. Here’s how it works: Ronald Gladden is a real-life building contractor, who thinks he’s been selected to be on a jury. What he doesn’t realise is that the 11 other jurors are all actors, the case isn’t real and everything that happens has been carefully scripted. With chaos never too far away and the antics of the other jurors – who include James Marsden (Dead To Me, Enchanted) playing an extreme version of himself – increasingly off-the-wall, will Ronald twig? An intriguing and frequently very funny new show.
DISCOVERY+
The Killer In My Home: A Deadliest Mums And Dads Special – Available from Saturday
True-crime documentaries don’t get much more compelling and heart-breaking than this chilling one-off. In 2013, Lancashire mum Laura Gray suffered the double tragedy of the deaths of her two kids, 24-day-old Ruby and 21-month-old Logan, eight months apart and both seemingly from natural causes. Five years later, however, Laura discovered the horrific truth: the children had been murdered by their own father, Jordan Monaghan. Featuring interviews with Laura, as well as Forensic Psychologist Kerry Daynes and Detective Chief Superintendent Pauline Stables, The Killer In My Home reveals how Monaghan’s crimes were uncovered.
ACORN TV
The Clinic – Available from Monday
If you’re a sucker for Casualty, Doctors and the dearly departed Holby City (RIP), chances are you’ll love The Clinic. This Irish medical drama, which ran for seven hugely successful seasons in the Noughties, is set in a Dublin health clinic and follows the highs and lows, both personal and professional, of the dedicated staff who work there. Starring the likes of Aidan Turner, Amy Huberman and Victoria Smurfit, it’s fast-paced, modern and very moreish. So it’s great that the whole of the seventh – and final – series is being made available as a box set. If you haven’t done so already, do yourself a favour and make an appointment at The Clinic.
FILMS TO STREAM
Emily The Criminal, Sky Cinema & NOW – Saturday
Aubrey Plaza stars in an enjoyable mystery thriller about a young woman, Emily, who’s drawn into a life of crime to make ends meet. Before long, however, she realises she might have a talent for it.
Avatar: The Way Of Water, Prime Video to buy or rent – Tuesday
The long-awaited sequel to James Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi epic returns us to the exotic moon of Pandora, where Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) face a new threat from invading humans.
Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre, Prime Video to buy or rent – Friday
Guy Ritchie’s latest heist caper follows a gang of highly skilled operatives lead by Jason Statham’s Orson Fortune as they try to stop the sale of a deadly new weapon, with the help of a Hollywood star.
Creed III, Prime Video to buy or rent – Friday
The all-conquering Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) battles a ghost from his past in the third instalment of the Rocky spin-off series.