What to watch this weekend: Scott Ellis shares his TV recommendations!
OK, first up if you’ve been thinking about Disney+ now is the time to try – they’ve got a special on, one month for $2. Read the terms and conditions of course, but that’s a good way to sample what’s there.
Monday Stan has the new season of Top Gear. This time it’s hosted by Aus Ninja Warrior (and cricket legend) Freddie Flintoff, comedian Paddy McGuiness and motoring writer Chris Harris. This is blasphemy to fans of Jeremy Clarkson and the original crew, but I’m actually looking forward to this!
One of the best true crime series I’ve seen in ages, The Shrink Next Door looks at the very real (and still ongoing) case of a psychiatrist who started treating his neighbour and gradually took over his life. Starring Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell as the doctor and his patient/victim, there’s a lot of laughs here but it’s also a very dark and scary story about what happens when you start to let someone else make your decisions. Keep an eye out for Kathryn Hahn as Ferrell’s sister, who spots what’s going on and will not have it. She’s the big sister everyone should have!
For crime drama, head to Foxtel OnDemand from tomorrow for the terrifying hunt for a serial killer in Ragdoll. Someone has already murdered six people and sewn them back together to make a grotesque trophy and now they’re sending letters to the police saying there’s more to come – and the investigating detective is one of them. From the producers of Killing Eve it’s gripping stuff.
Remember Fantasy Island? (The plane! The Plane!) it’s been given a reboot and has landed on Seven Plus from now on. Look usually I try to be positive about what’s out there, but this is a case where fans of the original should take a look, then get on the plane to move off. Like the new Hawaii 5-0 and the reboot of Walker Texas Ranger, it’s a bit like “sure… but why?”
Much better is the absolutely amazing documentary – and one that should be done here – Older Than Ireland on Beamafilm right now, which looks at how Ireland has changed in the past century, by interviewing 30 Irish men and women who are each more than 100 years old. The changes they’ve seen in their lifetimes is incredible and great reminder of how fast things have moved. They remember when electricity arrived, when the world marched off to war and more. What’s the best thing that’s happened in the past century? According to one woman (and I agree) it’s the washing machine.
If you didn’t catch it when it aired on the regular channel, head to ABC iView now for Goin’ Country, a look at the history and impact of country music in Australia, hosted by (and with a performance from) Justine Clarke. The focus here is skewed a bit toward the women of country, but the stories are universal and there’s a bunch of fantastic performance along the way through this two-parter, culminating with Justine singing True Blue in a country hall that is awesome.
Love chocolate? Don’t miss season two of The Chocolate Queen, on Foxtel On Demand from today, with chef Kirsten Tibballs showing us a new series of recipes to make incredible choc dishes. There’s the usual suspects like a nice chocolate cake, but check out this week’s star, a lemon cinnamon salt white chocolate Brie wheel served on chocolate crackers. OMG.
Doctor Who fans – or in fact science fiction fans in general – will want to head to ABCiview from today for the final season starring Jodi Whittaker. Crammed by COVID, it’s only a six-part series, but in a rare break from tradition, this is one big story spread over six eps, all culminating with a new Doctor arriving. It’s going to be (and this is one of the few times I can accurately use this word) epic.