We've reached the point in our streaming age where there's an almost uncountable number of services to sign up to. And, what's more, everyone seems to be signed up to a different combination of them. This makes recommending shows a tricky proposition; where one reader might just want the best of iPlayer, another might be signed up to niche delights like AcornTV. To offer up something for everyone, we've gone all out this week, by recommending a show for pretty much every last streaming platform available. Whether it's prestige crime drama or trashy reality TV you're after, hopefully there's something here for you. AcornTV: The Chelsea Detective This plucky streaming startup seems to primarily serve up cosy-if-old-fashioned detective dramas. If that's your thing, then you may enjoy The Chelsea Detective, a cosy-if-old-fashioned detective drama elevated by the quizzical eyebrows of Adrian Scarborough. All 4: Derry Girls Lisa McGee's comedy, set at the tail end of the Troubles, returns for its third and final series on Channel 4 next week. The previous two are available to wolf down in full on All 4. Amazon Prime Video: The Boys Hannah J Davies already flagged the excellent Hacks in last week's newsletter, so let's instead go for this acerbic, ultra-violent superhero satire, which returns in a couple of months for its third outing, giving you just enough time to rattle through the head-bursting, Marvel-skewering delights of its first two series. (Warning: it is really, really grisly at points.) Apple TV+: Pachinko I'm not alone in thinking that Apple is making the best TV of any streamer around at the moment. Regular readers of this newsletter will know about show of the year candidate Severance already, and there's also rumpled spy thriller Slow Horses, speculative space race drama For All Mankind and likable comedies including Mythic Quest, Dickinson and, of course, Ted Lasso. Pachinko though might turn out to be the jewel in its crown: a beautifully shot, century-spanning epic following one family's experiences as Korean immigrants in Japan, it's TV elevated to the level of Palme d'Or-winning drama. Dynamite credit sequence, too. BBC iPlayer: The Hunt for Bible John Yes, we could point to any number of acclaimed scripted series from The Responder to This is Going To Hurt, but that wouldn't be terribly novel, would it? Instead how about this excellent two-part documentary from BBC Scotland about a serial killer in 60s Glasgow, which largely sidelines the tawdry true crime stuff in favour of a fascinating social history of a city on the brink. BritBox: The Beast Must Die Predicted to fail pretty much from the moment it was announced, BritBox has endured thanks mainly to the strength of its back catalogue: where else can you catch all 10 series of Minder, after all? Its original shows are a slightly more patchy affair (*cough* Spitting Image *cough*) but The Beast Must Die was a pleasing exception: a taut thriller that sees the never-less-than-great Cush Jumbo aim to avenge her son's death, with Jared Harris's odious business magnate in her crosshairs. Crunchyroll: Attack on Titan Confession time: this anime-specific streaming site is very much not for everyone. And as someone slightly baffled by the appeal of most anime (except Akira, obviously), I'm not sure it's for me either. But I did catch the first series of Attack on Titan – an extremely intense saga about a city beset by grinning, cannibalistic giants and the teens tasked with taking them down – when it was briefly on Netflix and I was completely and utterly hooked. It's twisty, violent, very daft and often heart-stoppingly dramatic – so much so that every year I find myself signing up to Crunchyroll for a few months every year to keep up with the latest episodes. Discovery+: The Men Who Sold the World Cup Discovery's splashy entry into streaming is good for those who want to catch up with the entertainment giant's live TV channels without signing up to a costly TV package. It has some original shows too, including this revealing and timely two-part documentary about the grubbiness surrounding the award of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar. Disney+: Reservation Dogs Moon Knight? The Dropout? All nine series of 24? There's frankly far too much to be found on Disney's streaming service, but let's opt for this slightly under-the-radar comedy-drama from Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo, about four Native American teens attempting to escape their reservation through fair means and foul. It's stylish, sweet and extremely funny. |