What to watch this week: G20, Handmaid’s Tale, RHOS
It’s the end of the road for dystopian thriller The Handmaid’s Tale, while Viola Davis stares down terrorists as the US President in the action-packed G20.
Entertainment
Don't miss out on the headlines from Entertainment. Followed categories will be added to My News.
We’ve sifted through the latest offerings from TV and streaming platforms to find the best shows you should be watching this week.
G20
Streaming Thursday, Prime Video
Not since Harrison Ford infamously sneered: “Get off my plane!” as he took down hijackers one by one in the 1997 movie Air Force One has there been a president with this much chutzpah. In this instance we have President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis) seeing off terrorists who have taken over a G20 summit in South Africa. With most of the other heads of state being held at gunpoint and her family on the run in the hotel, it falls to Danielle, the South Korean first lady (MeeWha Alana Lee), the well-heeled Italian president (Sabrina Impacciatore of White Lotus fame) and the snobbish British PM (Douglas Hodge) to save the day. It all makes for a genuinely entertaining action flick that is made better with Davis the one in the Oval Office. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine that anyone except the formidable Oscar-winner (who also produces) would have both the muscle and the believable tenacity to play a president capable of disarming this many baddies. And she does it all while wearing an evening gown! Impressive.
THE HANDMAID’S TALE
8.40pm Wednesday, SBS
It’s the end of the road for this critically acclaimed adaptation of Margaret Attwood’s dystopian thriller. And as June (Elisabeth Moss, pictured) boards a train bound for Canada with other refugees of Gilead’ authoritarian rule, she finds herself coming face-to-face with an old foe. Yes, it’s Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) and she is now also on the outer with the misogynist regime. While Serena claims to have turned over a new leaf, June is sceptical. It’s understandable when you consider Serena was once a mistress and therefore partly responsible for June’s daughter still being in Gilead and her husband locked up in jail. Given America’s current social and political climate, the themes of this series feel more unnervingly close to the bone than ever before. It will be interesting to see where June and Serena’s journeys will take them in this final chapter.
THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF SYDNEY
New episode streaming 1.30pm, Binge
“I don’t know whether listening to people arguing is worth being away from my family,” Martine (pictured) laments to Victoria about their girls’ trip to Queenstown ahead of bolting home to Sydney. The sun-phobic socialite clearly didn’t watch this franchise before boarding the plane to their getaway because any Housewives fan knows that cocktail-fuelled showdowns are always on the vacation to-do list. Meanwhile the rest of the ladies are busy patting themselves on the back about how much fun they are having without Caroline and Nicole (who opted out of the holiday) before they discover Martine has sent a generic goodbye text to everyone in the group. Soon it becomes another pile on. And if Martine thought heading home to Sydney would allow anyone to escape the drama, she was sadly mistaken.
MOONFLOWER MURDERS
Streaming Tuesday, Britbox
In this sequel to Magpie Murders, Susan (Lesley Manville, pictured left) is now living in Crete with her lover Andreas (Alexandros Logothesis) where the couple are unhappily running a rundown hotel. Bored with bedmaking and dealing with fussy holiday-makers, Susan is given an exit strategy when a couple turn up at the hotel claiming she holds the key to their daughter’s disappearance. Eager to help solve the mystery, the former book editor once again discovers Alan Conway’s detective book series has been used as a roadmap for murder and intrigue. Using a story within a story format, this series follows Susan as she sifts through Conway’s book looking for parallels between the characters and plotlines to unmask the real killer in the midst.
NORTH OF NORTH
Streaming Thursday, Netflix
Having married the town heart-throb straight out of school, Siaja (Anna Lambe, pictured) is keen to rediscover her independence outside the shadow of her husband Ting’s smalltown fame now that their only daughter is in school. Ting (Kelly William), however, has other plans and is eager to add another baby to the family rather than see his wife forging her own path. After a brush with death (and a spirit guide that may or may not have been a hallucination brought on by hypothermia) on a seal hunt, Siaja decides to take a very different sort of plunge. Only, she soon discovers that single motherhood is more than a little bit challenging when you live in a town where everyone knows everyone in the middle of the Canadian artic.
DARBY AND JOAN
7.30pm Monday, ABC
One of the things I love about this series – apart from the engaging chemistry between Bryan Brown (pictured) and Greta Scacchi – is that it’s a vehicle for lots of great Aussie actors that I have grown up watching. This episode about a bootleg Viagra overdose in a town full of swingers, features cameos from Marcus Graham (who played the swoon-worthy Wheels in the now-defunct 1990s soap E Street) and Lisa Hensley (so memorable as the dedicated Sister Paul in Brides of Christ) as well as regular guest stars Sigrid Thornton and Steve Bastoni. The Brits have always done this style of lighthearted mystery so well with shows like Rosemary & Thyme, Jonathan Creek, Ludwig and countless others. And Darby and Joan, which follows the crime-solving adventures of a pair of grey nomads, follows a similar formula.
MEMORY BITES
7.30pm Monday, SBS Food
In this final episode, Matt Moran welcomes Wentworth star Danielle Cormack into the kitchen to share food from her childhood – with a healthy side-serve of colourful anecdotes along the way. As Moran whips up some Dolly Potatoes (that’s basically baked potatoes smothered with sour cream and caviar), Danielle opens up about her freewheeling early years in Auckland. Danielle’s mum wasn’t much of a cook and so mince on toast was a menu staple. On the upside she was a renowned entertainer and that meant Kiwi TV stars Peter Hudson and David Hall and international pop royalty, Elton John, were known to swing by for cocktails. Danielle says her slightly bohemian upbringing gave her the confidence to pursue a life in the arts. “I felt like I was around my tribe,” she smiles.
THE DAILY SHOW
New episodes now streaming 8.30pm, Wednesday to Saturday, Binge
This is one of the few news programs that you can watch these days and not come away feeling utterly depressed, frustrated and angry. That’s because in this Emmy-winning political satire hosted by Jon Stewart (pictured centre), headlines are delivered with punchlines. Offering insight from recent news stories, political figures, and media organisations, Stewart and his quick-quipping team analyse the biggest stories from across the globe through a comedic lens. Among the comic correspondents in the team this season is Crazy Rich Asians star Ronny Chieng (left), who made his TV debut in the ABC sitcom Ronny Chieng: International Student based on his experiences as a Malaysian student in Australia.
THE BONDSMAN
Streaming, Prime Video
As a seasoned bounty hunter, Fred (Kevin Bacon, pictured) is accustomed to dealing with some very bad guys. But when he finds himself being brought back from a very grisly murder by Satan, his work takes a very demonic turn. In addition to now being the devil’s representative on earth, Fred has to deal with the constant nagging of his god-fearing mother (Beth Grant) and his smarmy love rival Lucky (Damon Herriman) who also happens to be the guy who ordered the hit on him. If you enjoy shows like Supernatural and Angel, this a fun black comedic spin on the genre that is loosely based on the 1998 series Brimstone, starring Thirtysomething’s Peter Horton.
URVI WENT TO AN ALL GIRLS SCHOOL
9.30pm Sunday, ABC
In this coming-of-age teen comedy – which feels a bit like a cross between Mean Girls and Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever – we meet Urvi (Urvi Majumdar, pictured right). She’s an awkward Year 11 student who dreams of becoming a famous actress (much to her conservative parents’ horror given their vision for their wayward child is in a white coat and stethoscope). Making matters worse, Urvi’s younger (and smarter) sister, who has skipped a grade, has somehow managed to become popular and is now besties with the Grogan Girls High version of The Plastics. The only saving grace for the year ahead comes in the shape of an ex-student turned soap star who is directing the school musical and could be the key to Urvi’s Hollywood trajectory.
More Coverage
Originally published as What to watch this week: G20, Handmaid’s Tale, RHOS
Shirtless rocker unrecognisable in Sydney
British rocker Pete Doherty, who famously dated Kate Moss in the 2000s, has been spotted hitting up the beach amid his Aussie tour.
Princess Isabella’s nod to Aussie mum, Queen Mary
As celebrations continue to mark the 18th birthday of Princess Isabella, eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot her secret tribute to mum Mary.