Cobra Kai
On the surface, a spin-off sequel to The Karate Kid made by the teams behind the Harold & Kumar films and Hot Tub Time Machine doesn’t sound too promising. But this comedy drama is more entertaining than it has any right to be, and it even secured two Primetime Emmy nominations.
Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with his nemesis, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio, above)
Set 34 years after the events of the All Valley Karate Tournament, it follows a down-and-out Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) as he seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with his nemesis, the now-successful businessman Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). Series 1&2, from Friday
Rising Phoenix
In this new documentary, athletes who have taken part in the Games, including sprinter Jonnie Peacock and wheelchair fencer Bebe Vio (above), recall their experiences
The Paralympic Games have grown from a small gathering of British war veterans in 1948 to become one of the world’s largest international sporting events. In this new documentary, athletes who have taken part in the Games, including sprinter Jonnie Peacock and wheelchair fencer Bebe Vio, recall their experiences, while Prince Harry, who founded the similar Invictus Games in 2014, reveals why the Paralympics are so successful, inspiring and important. From Wednesday
Unknown Origins
This feature-length Spanish crime drama, aka Orígenes Secretos, follows ageing but brilliant detective Cosme, and David, who is learning the ropes and will eventually replace him.
Their new case sees them hunting a serial killer who has been taking the lives of unconnected people. The twist is that the criminal is obsessed with using the bodies of his victims to leave clues relating to superhero stories.
To catch the culprit, Cosme brings in his son Elias, who owns a comic shop, and Elias’s girlfriend Norma, a cosplaying expert. From Friday
Indian Matchmaking
Few Netflix original series have been as hotly debated as this, the eight-part dating docuseries that follows matchmaker Sima Taparia as she finds her clients their perfect partner based on their interests, ambitions and parents’ criteria.
Sima Taparia’s clients range from emotionally crushed lawyer Aparna (above), who hates everything from children to beaches, to a boy who seems unwilling to engage with women
Her clients range from emotionally crushed lawyer Aparna, who hates everything from children to beaches, to a boy who seems unwilling to engage with women at all. Available now
SKY/NOW TV, BRITBOX & DISNEY+
Quacks
Excellent, if gruesome, six-part sitcom about pioneering Victorian medics. The outstanding cast includes Rory Kinnear as an arrogant surgeon, Lydia Leonard as his wife with the radical notion of becoming a doctor, Mathew Baynton as a fledgling psychiatrist, Rupert Everett as the antisemitic boss of a hospital and, in a cameo, Andrew Scott as a psychopathically needy Charles Dickens.
The outstanding cast includes Rory Kinnear (above centre) as an arrogant surgeon, Lydia Leonard (right) as his wife and Mathew Baynton (left) as a fledgling psychiatrist
Florence Nightingale also shows up, spouting crazy ideas about the importance of cleanliness in hospitals. From James Wood, the writer of Rev, this is funny and clever, yet was cancelled after one series. BritBox, from Thursday
A.P. Bio
Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton) is a brilliant but unstable teacher who was forced out of Harvard and is now consumed by hatred for his rival Miles Leonard. He has no intention of teaching his students biology but instead embroils them in his plots to take down Leonard and others who have wronged him.
Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton, above) is a brilliant but unstable teacher who was forced out of Harvard and is now consumed by hatred for his rival Miles Leonard
This is cynical and funny, and Patton Oswalt is great as the put-upon principal trying to keep Griffin in line. Sky/Now TV, available now (season 3 lands next month)
The Blacklist
Raymond ‘Red’ Reddington (James Spader), a former US Navy officer who was expected to become an admiral, is one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals when he gives himself up and offers to help the bureau catch all the bad guys he has been associating with over the past 20 years.
His only condition is that he has to work with a new FBI agent, Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), with whom he has no connection. Or has he? This criminal-of-the-week show won’t win any awards for realism but is nevertheless highly enjoyable. Sky/NOW TV, available now (seasons 1-7 boxset)
Gomorrah
Brutal but utterly compelling Italian drama set in the world of organised crime in Naples. The title is a play on words referencing the Camorra, the Neapolitan Mob, and the biblical city synonymous with sin.
Despite the fact that the series makes a life of crime look anything but glamorous (most of the gangsters live on grim-looking estates), the show has been criticised by Italian politicians.
Despite the fact that the series makes a life of crime look anything but glamorous (most of the gangsters live on grim-looking estates), the show has been criticised by Italian politicians
The TV series focuses on Ciro Di Marzio, a member of the Savastano clan, and a new film, The Immortal, tells the story of Ciro’s childhood. Sky/Now TV, available now (series 1-4); The Immortal debuts on Sky Atlantic, Friday
Watchmen
This nine-episode drama is set in the same universe as the celebrated graphic novel of the same name. In an alt-America, a white supremacist terrorist group called the Seventh Kavalry is on the rise and at war with the police.
The show – a heady mix of sci-fi, superhero and satire – stars Regina King as masked detective Angela Abar, Jean Smart as FBI agent Laurie Blake, and Jeremy Irons in the weirdest role he’s ever played.
Regina King, Jean Smart and Jeremy Irons have been nominated for Emmys. Jessica Camacho and Andrew Howard (above) also star
All three are nominated for Emmys. Jessica Camacho and Andrew Howard (above) also star. Sky/NOW TV, available now
Phineas & Ferb The Movie: Candace Against The Universe
Siblings lost in space The stepbrothers beloved by kids the world over return for a new animated adventure. The duo’s sister Candace, whose mission usually involves getting her brothers into trouble with their parents, has been abducted by aliens and taken to a utopian planet far, far away.
It’s up to Phineas and Ferb to traverse the galaxy and rescue her – whether she wants them to or not. Disney+, from Friday
BBC iPLAYER & ALL4
Beyond Appearances
The latest European offering from the Walter Presents stable asks the question: Can you ever truly know the people you love the most?
The French mystery focuses on Manon and Alexandra, twin sisters who could not be more different. Manon is a shy teacher who has never left her home town, while Alexandra is a famous actress living in Paris.
The day before their 40th birthday, Manon disappears, and Alexandra realises that her sister had not only been impersonating her – but she was also pregnant.
Héléna Noguerra (above) and Hélène Seuzaret play the siblings, Manon and Alexandra, while Spiral and Outlander actor Cyrielle Debreuil has a supporting role
Héléna Noguerra and Hélène Seuzaret play the siblings, while Spiral and Outlander actor Cyrielle Debreuil has a supporting role. Walter Presents/All 4, from Friday
Harlots
Unapologetically explicit drama about prostitution in 18th Century London. It was inspired by historian Hallie Rubenhold’s best-selling book The Covent Garden Ladies, which was about Harris’s List, a popular, annual guide to London’s working girls.
Despite Harlots’ often dark content – at the start of the first series, Samantha Morton’s hard-faced brothel madam is planning to sell her young daughter’s virginity to the highest bidder – it is gripping and visually sumptuous.
Despite Harlots’ often dark content it is gripping and visually sumptuous. It stars Samantha Morton and Lesley Manville (above) as a rival madam
It stars Morton and Lesley Manville as a rival madam. All eight episodes of series one are available on BBC iPlayer, and two more series are to follow. Top trivia – some episodes are directed by Coky Giedroyc, sister of Mel. BBC iPlayer, available now
Famalam
Sliced and Horrible Histories actor Danielle Vitalis joins the regular cast for the spot-on, returning sketch show, which has proved to be a breakout hit for BBC3. In the opener, the E19 Posse do their bit for the environment, there’s an episode of Jamaican Countdown, and the African aunties learn their nephew’s secret.
Later in the five-episode third run, we’ll see superhero Night Owl battling her most dangerous foe, Idris Elba prove he is a dab hand at everything, and Fat Sam go in search of romance. BBC3/iPlayer, from Sunday
Gravity
Take a deep breath before watching this 2013 movie, because as soon as the action begins – when first-time astronaut Ryan Stone and Nasa veteran Matt Kowalski are hit by a cloud of space debris mid-spacewalk on the Hubble Telescope – it barely lets up.
Audiences at the original 3D screening of this action adventure likened it to a roller-coaster ride through space. Sandra Bullock excels as the Nasa newbie battling the odds to make it back to Earth, while George Clooney adds a touch of gravitas as the Space Shuttle commander on his last mission.
A thrilling watch. BBC iPlayer, available now
The Edge
Between 2009 and 2013, England’s Test cricket team, under the stewardship of captain Andrew Strauss, rose from the depths of the rankings to become the first and only English side to reach the world number one spot.
This frank, emotional and impeccably produced documentary hears from all the main players, including maverick batting genius Kevin Pietersen, about the many ups and downs of their gruelling journey to sporting glory.
In particular, it hones in on the ruthless intensity of coach Andy Flower’s relentless regime and the resultant fall-out on the players’ mental health, and features surprisingly poignant interviews from Jonathan Trott, Steven Finn and Monty Panesar. BBC iPlayer, available now
Cuba: Castro vs The World
You’ve seen the vintage cars cruising the streets of Havana in holiday brochures and remember when the world faced armageddon during the 1962 missile crisis, but how much do you really know about the making of modern Cuba?
Using archive footage and interviews with spies, revolutionaries and diplomats, this absorbing two-part documentary tells the story of how Fidel Castro turned a small Caribbean island into an unlikely player in the Cold War, punching far above its weight on the world stage and infuriating the Americans.
This absorbing two-part documentary tells the story of how Fidel Castro (above) turned a small Caribbean island into an unlikely player in the Cold War
It also charts the country’s economic decline and the heavy price paid by its people as Castro isolated Cuba from the West. BBC iPlayer, available now
Is This The End Of Clubbing?
Since the easing of lockdown restrictions many of us have resumed eating out and going to the pub, but how long will it be before dancefloors are filled once again? DJ Jamz Supernova speaks to fellow DJs about the uncertain future of nightclubbing post-Covid.
Will going ‘out out’ ever be the same again? BBC3/iPlayer, from Wednesday
Why is there such a buzz about..?
Fear City: New York Vs The Mafia (Netflix)
The Sopranos meets The Wire in a compelling three-part documentary. It’s the story of how the authorities fought back against the Mafia, which had New York in a chokehold in the 1970s.
Mobsters with names such as ‘Fat Tony’ and Anthony ‘Ducks’ Corallo ran the drug-dealing, gambling and loan-sharking in the city but they also had interests in legitimate businesses.
In the first episode there’s a great shot of the wall chart that the authorities created consisting of photographs of the known associates of the five families who ran New York: the Bonnano, Colombo, Genovese, Lucchese and Gambino families.
There’s a great shot of the wall chart consisting of photographs (above)
Each family comprised a boss, an underboss and several captains running dozens of ‘soldiers’.
The head of the Gambino family, Paul Castellano, was ‘the boss of all bosses’ and was known as ‘the white-collar don because he read The Wall Street Journal’.
The problem was that bosses and underbosses were well insulated from the criminal activity on the streets. The authorities’ fortunes changed when they realised that they could use a little-known piece of legislation, the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), to go after the bosses for ordering crimes, rather than the soldiers who carried out the orders.
This approach depended on planting bugs in the gangsters’ houses, cars and restaurants, and some of the chilling tapes are played in the documentary.
Neil Armstrong
AMAZON
Sneaky Pete
Despite its popularity, this New York-set crime drama, co-created and executive produced by Bryan Cranston, was cancelled after three series last summer. It follows a conman (Emmy nominee Giovanni Ribisi) on the run from a gangster (Cranston) who takes cover from his enemies by assuming the identity of his prison cellmate, Pete.
After ‘reuniting’ with Pete’s estranged and dysfunctional family, he is soon dragged into a world just as dangerous as the one he’s trying to escape. Available now, seasons 1-3
The Babushkas Of Chernobyl
Since the reactor explosion in 1986, the area around Chernobyl is the most highly contaminated on Earth. But an unlikely community of about 130 ‘self-settlers’ defiantly live inside it.
This 2015 documentary paints a portrait of the women who returned and have resided there, semi-officially, for years. Available now
Get Duked!
This anarchic film satire follows Dean (Rian Gordon), Duncan (Lewis Gribben) and DJ Beatroot (Viraj Juneja), three teenage pals from Glasgow who embark on a character-building camping trip.
In remote farmland, the lads find themselves hunted down by a shadowy force led by an unhinged Eddie Izzard. From Friday
Pan Y Circo
Mexican actor and director Diego Luna has persuaded actors, musicians, politicians and activists to join him on his new chat show. The host and his guests eat dinner prepared by leading chefs while discussing hot topics such as femicide, the pandemic, drug prohibition, immigration and racism. Available now
Inside The Boys
This weekly talk show begins with a look at the making of The Boys’ new series, which takes place in a world with an amoral team of superheroes (Antony Starr and Erin Moriarty, above)
One of Amazon’s most successful original shows returns for a second run on September 4. This weekly talk show, hosted by actor and comedian Aisha Tyler, begins with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Boys’ new series, which takes place in a world where an amoral and power-hungry team of superheroes (Antony Starr and Erin Moriarty) called The Seven are the planet’s biggest celebrities.
Expect interviews with members of the cast and team. From Friday
FILMS
Ava
Double Oscar-nominee Jessica Chastain plays a deadly assassin who works for a secret black ops organisation. So far, so Bourne. But when a job goes wrong, Ava finds she is now the target.
It’s familiar, glossy-looking stuff but helped by a classy supporting cast that includes Colin Farrell (above), John Malkovich and Common
It’s familiar, glossy-looking stuff but helped by a classy supporting cast that includes Colin Farrell, John Malkovich and Common. Rakuten, from Thursday
The High Note
Dakota Johnson is a likeable, watchable presence in this familiar but slightly underpowered tale of a young personal assistant to a Beyoncé-meets-Diana-Ross music star grabbing her big chance to become a producer. Most platforms now, on DVD August 31
She Dies Tomorrow
Amy is depressed. Why? Apparently, she believes she’s going to die tomorrow, a dark thought that turns out to be infectious. Soon other people think they’re going to die. Curzon Home Cinema from Friday
Matthew Bond