Cashing in on murders in this week’s top TV viewing
From a comedy with a side-serving of serial killer to the return of the whip-smart political satire and a look behind 100 years of movie magic, these are the 10 must-watch shows this week.
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BASED ON A TRUE STORY
Wednesday, Binge
Look, the opening scene is a little full-on, but thankfully the stabbing doesn’t set the tone for the whole series. Instead it’s more a relationship comedy with a side-serving of serial killer. And it’s absolutely worth your time. From Aussie creator Craig Rosenberg, this eight-episode series follows Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina as married couple Ava and Nathan, who are increasingly strapped for cash ahead of the birth of their first child. When former junior tennis champ Nathan is demoted from director of tennis at work, and things literally start falling apart in their house, the pair look for new ways to make ends meet. “No one ever went broke betting on America’s obsession with murder,” says Cuoco’s Ava. But when they start a lucrative true crime podcast about LA’s active serial killer – the Westside Ripper – they soon find themselves entangled in the very murderous events they’re profiting from. There’s great chemistry between the talented cast, which also includes Tom Bateman as their plumber Matt.
SWARM
Wednesday, Foxtel
Based on Frank Schatzing’s international bestseller, the eight-episode series tells the story of escalating disasters borne out of the world’s seas. The action takes place across the globe – from Peru to Canada, Scotland, France and Germany as a host of unrelated characters try to come to terms with this unexplained phenomenon in the ocean. In Vancouver, cetologist Leon’s (Joshua Odjick) concerns are raised when he discovers a dead whale and evidence of boats having been attacked. In the Shetland Islands, Charlie (Leonie Benesch) works a local lighthouse and is trying to figure out the “fire ice” rising from the ocean. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.
UTOPIA
Wednesday, 8pm, ABC
The National Building Authority and its embattled CEO Tony Woodford (Rob Sitch) is back for a fifth time and still struggling to complete any project amid a tangle of red tape and office politics. Tony’s on a somewhat personal crusade in the opening episode, after his inordinately long morning commute on the M28. A farewell card and potential speech raises all the HR red flags, but it’s possibly the new eco-friendly fridge that’s causing the biggest headache. The razor-sharp wit and brilliant piss-take of the inner workings of government are, as always, on point.
THE KINGDOM
Thursday, SBS On demand
“I think I’m going to hell”, Marc Fennell says in the opening of his deeply personal documentary. The award-winning journalist returns to the world of Pentecostal religion after running away 17 years ago. Fennell meets current and fellow former believers who expose the human cost of the Pentecostal juggernaut and explores how allegations of bullying, financial mismanagement and sexual assault have eroded Hillsong’s once mighty empire. All the while, he is confronting his own past and shares why he left and why he’s remained largely silent about it until now.
NEVER HAVE I EVER
Thursday, Netflix
It’s the last season of this fun series, somewhat loosely based on comedian Mindy Kaling’s own life. Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) might just get her life together (but probably not) as she starts the most wonderful – or rather, wonderfully chaotic – high school senior year of all time. The series follows California high-schooler, the aforementioned Devi, as she copes with the death of her father, grapples with her cultural identity and gets herself into a messy (and completely avoidable) love triangle. Love Victor’s Michael Cimino joins the cast, playing Ethan, a skater boy who catches Devi’s eye after he hits a growth spurt over the summer.
100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS
Sunday, 8.30pm, Fox Docos
Film buffs will definitely lap up these four doco specials narrated by Morgan Freeman and directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks. There are more than 60 interviews from directors, actors, executives, journalists and historians that detail the studio’s underdog origins from its founding in the early 1920s by four immigrant brothers. It’s a fabulous look at the magic that goes into making movies. Especially seeing the costumes from almost every Warner Bros. film and TV series lined strategically in warehouses or in exhibitions.
YEAR OF
Friday, Stan
This 10-ep drama follows several students and their community through their last two years at Jubilee High School – yes, yes, it’s the same Sydney Harbour-front school from the streamer’s successful series Bump. This spin-off takes place in the same community, but this time following a new group of high schoolers as they attempt to navigate a tragedy. It begins when a group of Year 11 students gatecrash a Year 12 house party expecting a huge night of fun, but that’s not how it all goes down. There’s a host of familiar faces such as Danielle Cormack, Matt Nable, Caroline Brazier, Sam Johnson and Christian Byers, along with some exciting newcomers.
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
Streaming, Disney+
If you missed the second instalment of the Avatar story, it’s just dropped on Disney+. Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, this latest epic from James Cameron launches the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure. All of this against is the breathtaking backdrop of Pandora, where audiences are introduced to new Na’vi cultures and a range of exotic sea creatures that populate the majestic ocean.
MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA
From Sunday, 7.30pm, Ten
Some of the world’s biggest chefs head into the MasterChef kitchen this week, kicking off with the revered Rick Stein. Having built his career around cooking with seafood, that’s unsurprisingly what is the focus in Sunday’s elimination two-round challenge. First up, the contestants must feature squid in their dish with just 45 minutes on the clock. The four least impressive dishes will head into round two, where they must choose one of Stein’s favourite food hot spots from around the world and create a dish that will transport the judges to their destination of choice.
HAPPY SHINY PEOPLE
Streaming, Prime Video
My daughters and I were among the hordes of viewers who tuned into the various iterations of reality show 19 Kids and Counting. Marvelling at the cheerful and ordered way the fundamentalist Christians, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, and their kids lived. But as we’ve seen since, all was not picture-perfect in their home. This four-part doco goes way behind the facade, exploring the church, oldest son Josh’s abuse convictions and the impact on the youth. Jill Duggar Dillard, the fourth child of the big reality TV brood, took part in the series, alongside husband Derick, but without the blessing of her parents.
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