The Woman in the Wall

Available on BBC iPlayer

Joe Murtagh’s six-part drama is not what it initially appears to be, although it’s debatable whether that’s a good thing or not. When Lorna (Ruth Wilson), a troubled insomniac who lives alone in a rural Irish town, finds a dead body in her home, we are led to believe that The Woman in the Wall will be the sort of gothic murder mystery that the BBC generally churns out on an annual basis.

However, the coinciding and suspicious death of a local priest plus the insertion of Daryl McCormack’s diligent, but no less pained, detective sees the series take an unexpected tonal shift and become focused on the darker elements of Ireland’s storied relationship with Catholicism, specifically the legacy of the heinous Magdalene laundries.

While it is of course commendable that Murtagh would elect to use a prime-time show to shine a light on such a complicated and vitally important topic, it’s questionable whether The Woman in the Wall does it justice. It is a supremely acted affair, with Wilson and McCormack’s dependably excellent lead performances underpinned by stellar supporting work from the likes of Hilda Fay and Simon Delaney, but the undercurrent of trauma caused by it’s character’s experiences within the aforementioned laundries often feels like a mere plot device, as opposed to a genuine attempt to chronicle a dark chapter in Ireland’s unquestionably complex history.

It doesn’t help that the series bears comparison to Peter Mullan’s devastating 2002 film The Magdalene Sisters which, rightly or wrongly, feels like a more authentic examination of the atrocities that occurred within the laundries over a sustained period of time. Nonetheless, the intrigue of Murtagh’s central premise and some stellar performances makes The Woman in the Wall a more than serviceable affair.

The Changeling

Available on Apple TV+

This adaptation of Victor LaValle’s popular novel is stricken initially by an identity crisis and latterly the at-times misshapen nature of episodic storytelling.

With regards to the first of those pitfalls, The Changeling suffers from the fact that its marketing material and central premise allude to it being a frightening psychological thriller in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby or The Omen. Alas, it is not, with showrunner Kelly Marcel (whose previous credits include the questionable Fifty Shades of Grey and Venom) electing to repeat the fairytale elements of its source material ad nauseam and some rather cheap-looking special effects rendering the show’s more dramatic moments as almost entirely forgettable.

The series’ modest eight episode run - especially when contrasted with the scope of LaValle’s far-reaching story - is also problematic, with many of The Changeling’s events coming out of left field in a way that (for the reasons lifted above) is seldom spooky, more so puzzlingly random. This is most evident in its seventh episode, which - despite the best efforts of Adina Porter and Alexis Louder - makes an admirably ambitious effort to explore (amongst other things) the female immigrant experience but ultimately feels completely out of sync with the rest of the show.

Porter and the leading pair of LaKeith Stanfield and Clark Backo certainly bring plenty of gusto to The Changeling, and its pleasing to see diverse casting in what is otherwise generic fantasy horror fare, but their efforts are never enough to shift this series out of second gear.

Boiling Point

Available on BBC iPlayer

Although this small screen continuation of Philip Barantini’s outstanding one-shot feature Boiling Point perhaps doesn’t feel as original as it may have done in a pre-The Bear world, it’s no less impactful thanks to the stellar work of its understated ensemble cast and an emotionally far-reaching screenplay.

The series picks up six months after the events of the film and sees Carly (played by the excellent Vinette Robinson), the former sous chef of the now disgraced Andy (Stephen Graham), running her own restaurant alongside many of her old team. While that might sound like a dream come true, in the frenetic and anxiety-inducing world Barantini and co-creators Graham and James Cunning have cooked up, it soon becomes something of a nightmare.

Over the course of Boiling Point’s tightly contained four episode run, we see Carly juggle the challenges of her own imposter syndrome, the demands of her financial partner, and the everyday ordeals being endured by her staff. However, unlike the preceding film, the series is never overly focused on one character (indeed, Graham mostly plays a bit-part role), which gives its supporting cast ample time to shine. Of those assisting players, Hannah Walters, Izuka Hoyle, Stephen Odubola, Stephen McMillan, and Áine Rose Daly shine brightest, with their roles respectively covering topics as broad as alcoholism, workplace sexual misconduct, self-doubt, self-harm, and concealed illness.

If that sounds like a lot, then that’s because it is, although Boiling Point’s narrative thankfully never becomes convoluted, instead serving as a fine example of how rewarding relatable, character-driven dramas can be. This is a series about everyday people facing challenges that so often go unnoticed, even by those that we spend most of our time with, and, for that reason alone, feels like a show that is every bit as important as it is entertaining.

Ahsoka

Available on Disney+

It’s common knowledge that some franchises have made a better fist of creating cinematic universes than others. Despite its flaws, Marvel’s MCU remains the gold standard for many studios, with its interconnected stories still drawing in huge audiences both at home and the multiplex.

It’s certainly not surprising then that Star Wars, another Disney-owned pop culture behemoth, is attempting to follow suit, albeit in a somewhat offbeat way. Rather than introducing its new characters and worlds in Layman’s terms, the iconic sci-fi saga is relying on its followers to hold a certain level of prior knowledge or, to use a more accurate term, geekdom.

This is most evident in Ahsoka, created and directed by Dave Filoni, an eight-episode series that is composed almost entirely of characters that originally debuted in the animated Star Wars Rebels. Its titular protagonist, played by a game Rosario Dawson, is the former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker (who is once again reprised by Hayden Christensen, his prequel sins seemingly absolved) and investigating the rumoured return of the villainous - and very blue - Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).

Admittedly, Ahsoka is enjoyable enough for viewers who, like me, have no prior knowledge of the events of Rebels, with Filoni unafraid to indulge in the sort of free-wheeling, low-stakes thrills that make The Mandalorian so eminently watchable and Dawson (along with stand-out supporting cast members Natasha Liu Bordizzo and David Tennant) delivering a performance that is easy to root for.

However, the inescapable issue with the show is that many of its big moments (such as the eventual reveal of Thrawn) do not impact casual viewers in the way they assumedly do for those that are more initiated in Star Wars folklore, which makes for a viewing experience that is fitfully entertaining at best. Alas, perhaps that is the intention and, as long as the die-hards are satisfied, neither Filoni or his paymasters will sneer at the notion of a happy fanbase.

Heartstopper (Season 2)

Available on Netflix.

Alice Oseman’s LGBTQ+ teen drama is back, and it’s got us feeling just as warm and fuzzy inside as the first season did.

With its beautifully curated soundtrack and quirky graphic-novel-inspired visuals, it’s the perfect comfort show for teens and adults alike. And these aren’t the only features that set Heartstopper apart from other high school-based shows – it’s refreshing to see teenagers being portrayed as just that: teenagers. They’re hormonal, awkward, and excited by little gestures like being gifted their favourite chocolate bar.

The series focuses on three key relationships: Charlie and Nick (Joe Locke and Kit Connor), Elle and Tao (Yasmin Finney and William Gao), and Darcy and Tara (Kizzy Edgell and Corinna Brown). While Nick struggles to come out as bisexual, Elle and Tao butt heads as they are both worried that their romantic feelings could tear their friendship apart. We can’t help but fall in love with Tao’s fumbling, awkward attempts to woo Elle, especially when he gives himself a makeover that falls flat on their first date.

Nick’s mum (Olivia Colman) is back as the mum we all wish we’d had growing up, providing more tear-jerking moments of LGBTQ+ acceptance. Then there’s Tori (Jenny Walser), with her usual cynicism and fierce determination to protect her little brother at all costs.

We also delve further into Darcy and Tara’s seemingly perfect relationship this season, watching as communication breaks down between the two. Yet, as the one remaining member of season one’s friendship group, Isaac’s asexuality story feels somewhat tacked onto the end of the series, and his character is unfortunately an afterthought in most episodes. It’s a shame that his understated and introspective personality isn’t explored further.

Series two tackles a range of difficult subjects with tact and sensitivity, including biphobia, family estrangement, and eating disorders. The tone can be serious at times, but it’s perfectly balanced with cute, magical moments such as first kisses and secret hand holding. With several episodes taking place on a school trip to Paris, it’s great to see the main cast thrown into a new environment without the restrictions of having to part ways at the end of the day. Not to mention that Paris is the most romantic backdrop for budding teen romances.

If you’ve enjoyed this season of Heartstopper, you’ll be pleased to hear there’s a third one in the making, which promises even more wholesome, heartwarming moments. Get your tissues at the ready.

Juice

Available on BBC iPlayer

Mawaan Rizwan’s debut series, which is adapted from the comedian’s 2018 Edinburgh Fringe show, is the sort of delight that you seldom see in mainstream television, in the sense that it is a fresh and pleasingly surrealist take on anxiety, a condition which is painfully commonplace but still sorely misunderstood.

Juice is centred around Jamma (Rizwan), a hip but hopelessly juvenile marketing professional who is struggling to make peace with his long-standing issues with his eccentric family (the cast for which includes Rizwan’s real-life mother and brother), as well as his fear of committing to his older and generally more-together boyfriend (Russel Tovey).

Over the course of its six-episode run, the series explores these and other underlying themes in a style that is never predictable, with Rizwan drawing upon a smorgasbord of creative influences that include Boots Riley and Bong Joon-Ho, while also incorporating elements of clowning (he is an alumni of École Philippe Gaulier).

Rizwan makes for an absorbingly delightful screen presence throughout, relishing in the sort of self-penned leading role that can really kick-start a career, and also demonstrates a clear penchant for scripting emotionally diverse comedy that sheds both a playful and authentic light on the experiences and lifestyles of minority groups. While a second season of Juice is yet to be confirmed, the BBC would have to be either nuts or completely unadventurous not to commission one.

Sex Education (Season 4)

Available on Netflix

At its best, Sex Education was that rarest of beasts - a comedy series that transcends generations to communicate informatively and, most importantly, empathetically on contemporary societal issues. For most of its four series run, the show has been a force for good as it shines a light on the complex sexual landscape that teenagers and adults alike navigate on a daily basis, so much so that you could make the case for it being one of the most essential and impactful shows of its time.

It’s a shame, therefore, to see this fourth and final season fail to do justice to the stellar work that preceded it. The change in setting from Moordale Secondary School to the ludicrously far-fetched, woketopian Cavendish Sixth Form College doesn’t help proceedings, with a host of new characters introduced that, while well-intentioned, only serve to distract from the narratives we had emotionally invested in over the previous three seasons.

Indeed, many of these new characters appear to be a case of showrunner Laurie Nunn mistaking tokenism for inclusivity, as their back stories or primary motivations are seldom explored, but their physical or sexual differences are loudly proclaimed for all to hear. This is perhaps the most unfortunate thing about Sex Education’s swansong, as it had previously always felt like a genuinely progressive and thought-out show.

That faux pas aside, Nunn and her writing team deserve praise for managing to provide the show’s main protagonists with endings that, while not entirely in keeping with their prior arcs, are mostly satisfactory. The long-gestating romance between Otis (Asa Butterfield) and Maeve (Emma Mackey) concludes plausibly, while the true MVPs of the show - Jean (Gillian Anderson), Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), Ruby (Mimi Keene), and Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood) - also find varying degrees of closure.

Nonetheless, while there are enough enjoyable moments in these final eight episodes to hold your interest, it is perhaps best to dwell on what came before them to remember this fine show in the way it ought to be.

The Lovers

Available on NOW TV and Sky Atlantic

Your enjoyment of this lean series from acclaimed playwright David Ireland is likely to be determined by how many romcom hallmarks you can stomach, although the game performances of co-stars Johnny Flynn and, in particular, Roisin Gallagher ensure that The Lovers remains somewhat engaging throughout its six-episode run.

Flynn and Gallagher make for an entertaining odd couple, with the former playing an overly self-conscious, Oxford-educated political broadcaster and the latter playing a foul-mouthed supermarket worker. They are brought together by a chance encounter in Belfast which eventually leads to them embarking on an affair that is often more aspirational than it is actual and provides the show with many of its best moments.

Ireland’s transition from stage to screen isn’t exactly seamless, with his screenplay often reliant on genre tropes and taking a late and rather unexpected foray into Irish politics which, while admirable, is a creative decision that jars tonally with the rest of the series. While a predictably dainty finale leaves the door ajar for a second series, it’s debatable whether one would be worthwhile.

Staged (Season 3)

Available on BritBox and BBC iPlayer

The first and second series of Simon Evans’ Staged were one of the rare joys of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the sitcom expertly skewering the absurdity of living conditions that were best known then as ‘the new normal’. It did so primarily through its use of video-conferencing technology, a universal bugbear which has since become ubiquitous but was, in the shitshow that was 2020, a daunting and, more relatably, infuriating new frontier for many.

Televisual darlings Michael Sheen and David Tennant encapsulated this madness perfectly, while also showcasing their affable bromance to the world. With some truly excellent celebrity cameos to boot, Staged was an original, if admittedly unspectacular, slice of twee fun to be had during the bleakest of times.

It’s therefore mostly odd to see it get a third series when normal societal order has (mostly) been resumed. Despite Sheen and Tennant’s best efforts, they fail to justify Evans’ decision to bring back a show that was so distinctly of its time, with its excessively meta approach failing to resonate. Even as its regains some steam in its admittedly entertaining final two episodes, this iteration of Staged feels like a prime example of having too much of a good thing.

Top Boy (Season 5)

Available on Netflix now

There is a moment towards the end of the seminal fourth season of The Wire that fans of the show will remember well, in which Michael, a formerly soft-spoken teen, commits to life as a drug dealer. He does so not due to a longing for notoriety or power, but because this is the hand he and so many other Baltimore residents have been dealt. It is one of the most devastating scenes ever constructed by the show’s creator David Simon, chiefly due to the depressing predictability of its outcome and the pain and suffering it foreshadows.

Ronan Bennett’s Top Boy has long been compared with Simon’s magnum opus and, while its fifth and final series does not quite match that seldom seen gold standard, it is every bit as sobering. With lifelong friends turned business partners Dushane (Ashley Walters) and Sully (Kane Robinson) now at odds, the crooked ecosystem of the Summerhouse estate crumbles before our eyes over the course of this six-episode swansong.

There are plenty of twists and turns to be endured throughout Top Boy’s final act (some which make more sense than others), with the show’s propensity to shock its audience not dwindling one iota. The first half, in which Sully’s new-found empire and Dushane’s retirement fund is jeopardised by a group of Irish mobsters led by the always-impressive Barry Keoghan, is definitely stronger than the final three episodes, which feel rushed and at times somewhat illogical.

Nonetheless, all of the ingredients that have made Top Boy such a televisual triumph are there - its painful depiction of the grim realities of life within the drug trade, the senselessly violent consequences of gang culture, and the socio-economic damage caused by the UK’s cold and unfeeling government and the capitalist ventures which benefit so greatly from our current status quo. That is without mentioning Jasmine Jobson’s powerful performance as Jaq, Sully’s street-smart lieutenant who is forced to question her life’s purpose after a devastating tragedy befalls her family. While not the only stellar performer to be found amongst the Top Boy cast, Jobson continues to be the most impressive.

For those reason alone, this can be considered a satisfying conclusion to one of the outstanding series of recent years. Few shows, if any, manage to nail their ending, and Top Boy is no exception to that rule, but it crucially remains true to the essence that made it so special right until its bloody finale, ensuring its sign-off is every bit as impactful as everything that preceded it.

Hijack

Available on Apple TV+

Hijack is a great reminder to never judge a book by its cover. On face value, Idris Elba’s Apple thriller is the sort of star vehicle that Schwarzenegger and Stallone were synonymous with during the 80s. However, it doesn’t take too far a venture into this seven-part series to realise that Criminal co-creators George Kay and Jim Field Smith have concocted something far more gripping than your typical genre fare.

By deconstructing its familiar premise over the course of seven episodes, Hijack has a real-time pace to it that makes for an immensely gripping viewing experience. Like Luther before it, the show is indebted to Elba’s undoubted star quality, although its ensemble cast (which is something of a who’s who of mid-ranking British television) do a stellar job of supporting their leading man.

Kay and Smith ought to be credited for the believability of their screenplay, which never strays into the far-fetched tropes that are typically associated with content of a similar ilk, even as proceedings ratchet up to an almost unbearable level of tension. Though its final episode inevitably feels ever so slightly anti-climatic, Hijack is a stellar affair on the whole.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (S2)

Available on Paramount+

It’s a great time to be a Star Trek fan. After the rocky Star Trek: Discovery, Paramount and CBS are treating us to this electrifying series, which follows the adventures of Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and company. I would be amiss if I didn’t start this review by stating just how much this show continues to feel like a love-letter to classic Trek. All of the adventures this season have felt like they were pulled straight from the most creative episodes of Next Generation. Not only does it capture the spirit of old Trek, but it blends it with sleek cinematography, fantastic production design, and visual effects that are better than most modern superhero movies.

Unlike other contemporary big budget TV, this series has a different adventure every episode, meaning we are treated to a great variety of storytelling that fuses multiple genres. While some detractors have bemoaned this season for its silliness, that’s what makes it a total riot in my eyes. For example, the crossover episode with the animated Lower Decks series was so much fun. To see Boimler and Mariner in live action interacting with the Enterprise crew was an absolute joy to behold. We are also treated to Trek’s first musical episode with the outstanding ‘Subspace Rhapsody’. Not only was it so funny to see singing and dancing from the likes of Spock and the Klingons, I also found the songs to be total earworms and the entire cast clearly put their all into performing them.

However, what really makes this show special are the characters. Obviously all our old favourites like Spock, Number One, and Pike get a lot to do, but this season I was particularly compelled by Dr. M’benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong). They arguably have some of the most dramatic arcs in the show and to see issues like PTSD and prejudice portrayed so well with these two is very rewarding.

Strange New Worlds continues to be a fantastic series for both newcomers to the franchise and life-long fans. It’s possibly my favourite piece of Trek media since the 2009 cinematic reboot and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for us next season, especially after that cliffhanger ending.

At Home with the Fury’s

Available on Netflix

For better or worse, reality television has become an ubiquitous aspect of our lives, to the extent where you don’t have to be a celebrity or remotely talented to document every facet of your life to the world. A global phenomenon that began with MTV’s The Osbournes and evolved into Keeping Up With the Kardashians has seemingly grown into a puzzling global demand to know the minutiae of the lives of even the most unimpressive of public figures.

Netflix’s At Home with the Fury’s promises to buck that trend, it being preoccupied with the lives of the undefeated, motor-mouthed heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury and his wife Paris, as well as their six children. Unlike the typical subjects of a reality series, the Fury’s reside in the more humble surroundings of Morecambe (albeit in a gargantuan mansion) and are distinctively working class, with both Tyson and Paris being admirably proud of their origins as travellers.

The former has long been one of sport’s most compelling figures, not merely due to his larger-than-life personality, but also his well-documented battle with mental health difficulties. His original comeback (not the phoney one that is documented in this series) is one of the most inspiring sporting triumphs of all time, and Fury has since worked commendably to improve mental health awareness amongst his fanbase.

It’s a shame then to see him come across so poorly in At Home with the Fury’s, during which he displays the emotional maturity of a child, frequently treats his wife with disdain, and tiresomely relates every talking point back to himself. Paris, on the other hand, is the undoubted star of the show, keeping her chaotic household running and frequently indulging her husband’s whims, all while admittedly resisting the urge to tip a trifle onto his head. Indeed, you would be forgiven for thinking that this whole ordeal is a cynical ploy to boost her own career.

Like many reality series, this is perversely entertaining fodder (I’d definitely wager that it’s the only show in which you’ll see a multi-millionaire feed their child packet pasta), just not to the extent that one would expect given the unusual premise and personalities involved. And for the Gypsy King himself, it’s a puzzling PR misstep that, reputationally at least, is likely to do more harm than good.

Fifteen-Love

Available on Amazon Prime

It’s a shame that this gripping six-part drama from Hania Elkington feel as timely as it does, given that it is concerned with an abusive relationship between a tennis prodigy and her coach, an older man who uses his position of power to take what he wants, when he wants it, and with scant regard for any resulting damage.

Fifteen-Love, which is co-directed by Eva Riley and Toby MacDonald, is charged by the performances of its two leads, with Poldark heartthrob Aidan Turner playing against type as the coercive and manipulative antagonist and newcomer Ella Lily Hyland in stellar form as a victim who decides to defy systematic odds and bring her abuser to justice.

Hyland is more than deserving of the plaudits that have been bestowed upon her performance, which makes for an incredibly complex analysis of the oscillating emotions that victims of sexual abuse are forced to endure. Throughout the series, we see her character frequently indulge in acts of self-sabotage and act obsessively towards her former mentor, which makes it abundantly clear to Fifteen-Love’s audience that the aftermath of abuse is seldom a linear experience.

Elkington also deserves plenty of credit for the way in which she tackles such a challenging topic; her writing always feels authentic and, most importantly, respectful, which often makes Fifteen-Love feel like an enlightening experience for viewers such as I who, for reasons both obvious and fortunate, can never relate to the experiences of its protagonist.

Perhaps above all else though, this feels like a call to arms - a sombre reminder that there is still so much work to do to achieve genuine equality and to reset the socio-economic relics that allow such abhorrent misconduct to so often go unchecked.

Henpocalypse, BBC

A certain section of the British public is on constant alert for the next great British sitcom. There have been many false dawns and damp squibs, but Henpocalypse, a deeply and authentically regional affair, might just be able to hold its weight with some of the best.

Callie Cooke is a uniquely charming lead. Authentically working class and Brummie in this series, she treads the line between being a star and being an everywoman. She maximises the sardonic funny in an already funny script and with a face or a look has the ability to make any moment or any line hilarious.

Every cast member in Henpocalypse brings something to their role and enhances Caroline Moran’s beautiful script. As alluded to, the show is richly regional, showcasing an underrepresented part of the country in the West Midlands. Some do the accent and the nuances better than others, but Bernadette (Elizabeth Berrington) does it best. Her character drives a lot of the humour in Henpocalypse and most embodies the stoic, dirty and disgusting character of the show.  

The world of Henpocalypse, like all of our favourite sitcoms, is a place we want to stay in. We get into some hilarious situations (war with a trio of kegel exercising pilates instructors), and there are funny one liners (fanny humour to finally rival dick humour), but the show is also underpinned by some pretty solid story.

The narrative reveals that Shelley (Callie Cooke) has actually cheated with the groom to be through flashbacks, and another well plotted narrative thread sees Jen (Kate O Flynn) infected with gangrene and running away with a hallucination of Danny Dyer. Both story strands are engaging and joyous.

All in all, Henpocalypse is a charming triumph. Laugh out loud funny while being packed with story and intrigue.

I’m a Virgo

Available on Amazon Prime

With his entertaining, but no less unsettling, debut feature Sorry to Bother You, Boots Riley distinguished himself as a filmmaker with a singular vision, one that fuses jarring aesthetics and offbeat comedy with more profound, socio-political musings.

This mini-series continues those themes and, like its aforementioned predecessor, is a deeply personal production that draws on Riley’s own life experiences, in particular his communist worldview and long-standing activist work. Given, however, that I’m a Virgo is about Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), a 13-foot-tall black teenager that is shielded from the outside world by his overbearing but well-intentioned aunt and uncle, the undercurrent of its narrative is not immediately apparent.

Instead, its deeper meaning is gradually unravelled over the course of seven episodes which see Cootie experience the outside world through his friendship with a group of fledgling activists (played by Brett Gray, Kara Young, and Allius Barnes) and unusual romance with Flora (Olivia Washington), whose work in a popular fast-food joint does not do justice to her true capabilities.

Jerome is typically wonderful in the lead role, bringing the same sensibility that he brought to his roles in Moonlight and the outstanding When They See Us. Whether Cootie’s gargantuan stature is intended to be an allegory for the experience of a young black man growing up in contemporary America is never made explicit, but both he and his cohorts are certainly displayed by Riley as being ‘other’. Moreover, the protagonists of I’m a Virgo are something which the established order, embodied most clearly by Walton Goggins’ comic book author turned crimefighter, wish to subjugate and control.

This, along with the odd and infrequent Parking Tickets cartoon sketches, distinguish the show as something completely out of the norm, a challenging and absorbing thesis on contemporary culture and the everyday experience of young African-Americans. Riley’s stylings may not be immediately accessible, but he is undoubtedly a creator of serious intellect and bravado.

Good Omens (Season Two)

There’s something of the great British literary tradition that oozes from every corner of Good Omens.

The setting, the cast and even the theme music have a Harry Potter-esque feel to them. Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) indulges in his quintessentially British book shop on the corner of a London street…and so do we.

Neil Gaimann, who by all accounts retains a hands on role with the series, remains a conduit between us and the establishment of British books, having originally co-wrote the series with a man responsible for building it: Terry Pratchett. For these reasons, there is something fundamentally cosy, comforting and British in the fabric of Good Omens that is retained in Season Two.

The new series opens on a bewildering note, as Archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) arrives naked and afraid at the door of Aziraphale’s bookshop, looking for help. The following six episodes work to bring us neatly back to this starting point, revealing why Gabriel appeared there in the first place. It’s a tidy and satisfying narrative arc that only a master like Gaimann could so easily pull off.

Season Two of Good Omens is as epic in scope as the first series and aims to tackle one of the universe’s biggest questions: where is the line between good and evil? Through Aziraphale and Crowley’s (David Tennant) timeline, we go back to the story of Job, in which heaven orders the death of Job’s children to test how loyal he is to God.

Following that, we visit the site of a 19th century grave robber, a girl stealing bodies and selling them on so she can afford to stay alive. In the process she is also advancing the study of medicine (she sells the bodies to a local surgeon).

Positing these two fables next to each other exposes the nuances of good and evil, and shows heaven and hell off as equally undesirable sides of the same coin.

The other main preoccupation of Season Two is unlikely love, with the most unlikely romance of the series occurring between Aziraphale and Crowley - Michale Sheen and David Tennant themselves. They are paired and partnered romantically throughout the series and their romance culminates in a kiss in the season finale. It’s a weird kiss. One you might expect of two old friends that didn’t actually want to kiss each other…

Good Omens Season Two manages to cover quite a lot of ground in six short episodes. Weighing good against evil in a quintessentially British setting is as enjoyable as you might imagine.

Secret Invasion

Available on Disney+ now

Marvel appear to have put the brakes on their small-screen output as of late, which - given the mixed success of their releases last year - may not be such a bad thing. While series such as WandaVision and Loki proved that the comic book powerhouse can deliver smart and affecting television, outings such as Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk felt more like a case of making content for the sake of it.

Secret Invasion doesn’t entirely represent an upgrade on those shows, but does feel distinctly more mature from much of the MCU’s more puerile showings, with the vibe of Kyle Bradstreet’s contained series being more that of Cold War espionage than your usual superhero antics. Above all else, the show serves as a great vehicle for Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, who has oddly had to wait 11 movies before being placed front and centre of his own narrative.

Jackson is supported by a pretty impressive ensemble cast, with Emilia Clarke and Olivia Colman notably making their MCU bows (albeit in fairly perfunctory roles), and Kingsley Ben-Adir making for a more noteworthy villain than we have grown accustomed to. Franchise regulars Ben Mendhelson and Don Cheadle are also back, with the latter particularly having fun in a role that pleasingly plays against type.

While series director Ali Selim does a good job of crafting a show that feels more akin to Homeland than anything Avengers-related, Secret Invasion does ultimately fall foul of the general Marvel adage, in the sense that its finale essentially consists of two CGI-heavy, super-powered nemeses smashing and crashing through their differences. Nonetheless, that tiresome ending aside, this is a mostly engaging series that features some stellar acting from its impressive cast.

The Bear (Season 2)

Available on Disney+ now

The second season of Christopher Storer’s acclaimed culinary drama is every bit as intense as its first, with much of its story focused on the efforts of Carmy (the outstanding Jeremy Allen White) to transform his deceased brother’s tired sandwich shop into a critically acclaimed foodie hotspot. Storer’s clear affection for the state of Chicago and indie music is still clear for all to see, but this latest ten-episode run displays the writer-director’s penchant for empathetic analysis of the restaurant industry in the wake of COVID-19.

The Bear demonstrates not only the excruciating detail that chefs apply when serving up delicious food, but the ridiculous amount of hoops they have to jump through just to open their doors and then keep them open. The effects of the pandemic are also keenly felt, offering a stark reminder to viewers that, whilst many of our freedoms might have been restored, many are still navigating the aftermath of that sorry affair.

Allen White continues to excel in the lead role, delivering a performance that is filled to the brim with painstaking anxiety, irrepressible anger, and, most profoundly of all, deep sadness. His efforts, however, are once again matched by a stellar supporting cast that includes Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Abby Elliot, and Liza Colón-Zayas, all of which are given ample time to shine over the course of the series, with Moss-Bachrach and Boyce particularly benefiting from their own character-focused episodes.

In terms of standout episodes, it is the sixth (Fishes) and tenth (The Bear) which stand out, with the former shining a light on the dysfunctional Berzatto family (with some help from an impressive roster of guest actors) and the latter providing an appropriately tense, despondent end to a show that is steadfast in its refusal to give its audience the neatly wrapped conclusions we so cravenly desire.

This is truly immaculately written television that marks its creator out as one of the industry’s brightest lights, and its leading actor as a talent worth keeping an eye on.

The Sixth Commandment, BBC

The Sixth Commandment has one of the strongest openings of the year. Accurately researched and recreated in line with true events, the first episode of this new BBC series saw an intricate and nuanced love story play out between Peter Farquhar (Timothy Spall) and Ben Field (Eanna Hardwicke).

Peter is an academic and a homosexual man in late age, who has lost any hope of finding love. When restrictions and loneliness imposed on him by his age, his religion and his sexuality are transcended by the arrival of Ben, we root for the two of them, hoping that their nuanced but beautiful corner of the world is preserved and protected.

The way the audience are duped mimics how Ben Field duped his victims. By the second episode of the series, we realise that Ben’s motives are impure and sadistic as he moves on to an entirely different love affair, this time with Ann Moore-Martin (Anne Reid). At this point we implicitly understand that Ben is systematically preying on and murdering elderly victims in the name of God, in order to benefit from them financially.

The second half of The Sixth Commandment takes on a different perspective and flips from showing Ben’s victims fall in love with him, to seeing him arrested and convicted in the courts. It’s a matter of personal preference, but watching Ben at work in the homes of Peter and Ann in episodes one and two does seem to elicit more drama, emotion, character and feeling than the courtroom scenes do. Despite being a manipulator and orator in court, Ben Field meets a satisfying end as he is sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Sixth Commandment’s themes of religion and literature lend it gravity, seriousness and weight and Ben, despite being lifted from real life, is a villain of Shakesperian proportions in this deeply gripping series.