What to watch on streaming in October: Netflix, Disney, Binge, ABC, SBS and more
From the most anticipated TV return to compelling new titles, there’s a lot on offer for anyone looking for something bingey.
Busy, busy month.
From the most-anticipated return for a TV drama this year (Succession!) to an acclaimed music doco, there is a lot of series and movies to get you through the month.
Succession S3 (Foxtel and Binge, October 18): How devilishly delightful! The stakes couldn’t get any higher now that Kendall has publicly betrayed his father for control of the company. Everyone will be forced to choose sides but it’s also abundantly clear everyone is out for themselves. With family like this, who needs enemies?
Army of Thieves (Netflix, October 29): Safe-cracker Ludwig Dieter was one of two scene-stealers (the other being Tig Notaro) in Zack Snyder’s zombie movie Army of the Dead, so it makes sense the character already had a prequel in the works. No zombies though, but a slick heist caper in which he’s recruited into a gang of international criminals. Fun!
The Green Knight (Amazon Prime Video, October 28): American filmmaker David Lowery (A Ghost Story, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) was never going to make a traditional retelling of Arthurian legend Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – and he hasn’t. The adaptation stars Dev Patel as Gawain, Joel Edgerton, Alicia Vikander and Sean Harris.
Real Housewives of Melbourne S5 (Foxtel and Binge, October 10): If anyone understands the power of a makeover, it’s the real housewives, and after almost four years away, the Real Housewives of Melbourne has had a refresh with four new faces out to cause drama.
Big Deal (ABC iview, October 19): They say money opens doors and a lot of money opens the most powerful doors. Christiaan Van Vuuren takes a look at Australia’s billion-dollar political lobbying industry, probing the players who want to buy Australia’s democracy, and those all too willing to sell it.
Spreadsheet (Paramount+, October 27): Divorced and with two kids, Lauren just wants a little sex but without the messy commitment. The best way to do? Create a spreadsheet, itemised with her desires and paramours – but, lo and behold, tangle-free sex isn’t that easy, even with her organisation skills.
Maid (Netflix, October 1): The logline sounds depressing – a single mother with no money, no home and no qualifications tries to rebuild her life after escaping an abusive relationship – but the story’s grit and a very charismatic performance from Margaret Qualley makes this one a winner.
New Gold Mountain (SBS On Demand, October 13): SBS’s four-part series is a drama centred on the Chinese experience of the Australian gold rush in the 19th century, and peril when a white woman’s body is found near the Chinese mining camp. Stars Yoson An, Alyssa Sutherland and Mabel Li.
You S3 (Netflix, October 15): Joe has mastered stalking, killing and being a general creep, but can he handle fatherhood? With his equally sociopathic partner Love, the little family are now ensconced in the sunny climes of northern California where he’s now the one in a cage, a cage of domestic limitations.
I Know What You Did Last Summer S1 (Amazon Prime Video, October 15): Every generation has to have their own version of things so after the original 1973 novel and the 1997 film adaptation, now is the time for a TV series reboot. The story is centred on a group of teens who cover up their accidental killing of a man, only to be stalked a year later.
Spy City (Paramount+, October 31): On the eve of the Berlin Wall’s construction, a British spy is sent to the German city to uncover a mole within the UK or Allied ranks. The six-episode miniseries is led by Dominic Cooper.
Colin in Black & White (Netflix, October 29): Athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick wasn’t always going to be a football player. Growing up in a predominantly white community, his game was baseball, a story that’s dramatised in this six-part series from producer Ava Duvernay, with the real-life Kaepernick popping up to narrate.
Celebrity Letters & Numbers (SBS On Demand, October 2): The anagrams and maths sums are back, and Lily Serna and David Astle are back. But there’s a new host in Michael Hing and the contestants are celebrities and comedians cracking jokes. Think of it as somewhere between Countdown and 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, more light entertainment show than game show.
The Luminaries (Paramount+, October 31): Based on Eleanor Catton’s prize-winning novel, it’s centred on a group of prospectors during the heady days of the New Zealand gold rush, with an added touch of celestial mysticism. It stars Eva Green, Ewen Leslie, Eve Hewson and Himesh Patel.
Adam & Poh’s Malaysia in Australia (SBS On Demand, October 7): The two MasterChef alums are hitting the road together in this series that explores the vibrant mix of Malaysian culture and cuisine, recreating famous and not-so-famous dishes with the best of fresh Australian ingredients.
The Velvet Underground (Apple TV+, October 15): From Karen Carpenter to Bob Dylan, Todd Haynes is no stranger to films about musicians, so a Haynes-directed doco about The Velvet Underground has an inevitability to it. It earnt universal raves out of its premiere at Cannes earlier this year.
The Guilty (Netflix, October 1): Jake Gyllenhaal reunites with director Antoine Fuqua in this movie about a police officer at a call dispatch centre, increasingly rageful as the night wears on, a litany of callers he doesn’t want to help. Then a woman named Emily calls, who says she’s been abducted.
The Baby-sitters Club S2 (Netflix, October 11): Ann M. Martin’s book series were a childhood institution, and the first season of the Netflix series did the spirit of them justice, a faithful but fresh adaptation of the story of a group of girls who start a babysitting service. If the second season can stay the course, what a treat for audiences.
Insecure S5 (Binge, October 25): Issa is still at her most confessional in front of her bathroom mirror, which is good for us because it’s a real insight into what she’s thinking. It’s the final season of Issa Rae’s smart and personal series, which Schitt’s Creek’s Dan Levy called the “funniest, most heartfelt television of the year” during his Emmys acceptance speech.
Gruen (ABC iview, October 13): From Kmart plates to fancy juices, the Gruen team are back to decode and expose all the marketing noise which has only one purpose: to sell you something you probably don’t need or want.
Diana the Musical (Netflix, October 1): A filmed production of the Broadway stage show, it charts the story of Princess Diana from her brief courtship to Charles, through their messy divorce, until the end – and it does it all in earnest, heart-on-your-sleeve big song and dance numbers.
Invasion (Apple TV+, October 22): Starring Sam Neill, the sci-fi series follows different people all over the world as aliens invade Earth. The show is co-created by Simon Kinberg, who has an inconsistent resume, having penned movies including Mr & Mrs Smith and many of the X-Men movies.
Muppets Haunted Mansion (Disney+, October 8): For a bit of silly fun, it’s a Halloween special that crosses The Muppets with The Haunted Mansion, a theme-park ride at Disneyland, with a story centred on Gonzo, who is challenged to spend one night there. Expect new songs, celebrity cameos and wackiness.
All Creatures Great and Small S2 (Britbox, October 22): A cosy English drama-comedy, All Creatures Great and Small is a remake of a series with the same name, based on the stories of James Herriot, about a countryside veterinarian in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales.
Queenpins (Paramount+, October 2): Inspired by a real-life $40 million scam, this Kristen Bell comedy stars her and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as two women who set up an elaborate scheme monetising their obsession with shopping coupons, and the loss prevention officer and postal office employee determined to stop them.
MTV Cribs S18 (Binge, October 15): Remember those wild house tours of the rich and famous that drove home the old adage that money can’t buy you taste? It’s back, and among those whose homes the cameras will invade are Martha Stewart, Snooki, Big Sean and Rick Ross.
*Foxtel and Binge are majority owned by News Corp, publisher of news.com.au
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