Normally, I try to preface this preview with a pertinent observation on a trend or issue related to streaming television. But as I write this, I’m sitting at my desk laughing to myself because I’m starting to suspect that The Love Boat has been surreptitiously rebooted.
I caught up with the first episode of Doctor Odyssey, a medical melodrama set on a cruise ship. The American network series snuck onto Disney+ at the end of September, with Joshua Jackson, who was once Pacey from Dawson’s Creek and is now ageing like fine wine, as a diligent ship’s doctor who cares for his holidaying patients and enjoys a little romance on the side. It’s a little silly, a lot soapy – Grey’s Anatomy at sea, with Don Johnson as the captain.
As a television critic, I’m always hunting for the next must-see show. But what keeps me going is the offbeat surprises, the unexpected diversions. I might check in on Doctor Odyssey once again after a few more weekly episodes drop, check its pulse so to speak, but I’m just happy it’s out there. I used to worry about the volume of new series being overwhelming, but it’s comforting to me now. There’s always another possibility.
October certainly adds to that. It’s a busy month, whether you’re looking for a sharp pop-culture satire (Binge’s The Franchise), want some outback drama with a revved-up plot (Netflix’s Territory), or are intrigued by Cate Blanchett and Sacha Baron Cohen playing a married couple in a psychological thriller from an Academy Award-winning filmmaker (Apple TV+’s Disclaimer). It’s time to grow your watchlist.
As ever, our inbox is open, so please drop us an email and let us know what you’re watching, and what you think I should catch up on. Doctor Odyssey can’t be the only show that will leave me all at sea.
Apple TV+
Cate Blanchett and Sacha Baron Cohen in Disclaimer. Credit: Apple TV+
My top Apple TV+ recommendation is Disclaimer (October 11).
Does a streaming series get any more heavyweight than this? The near incomparable Cate Blanchett stars in a psychological thriller where all seven episodes were written and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity, Roma). The supporting cast includes Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat), and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog). The plot? Blanchett plays a renowned British documentarian, Catherine Ravenscroft, who discovers that a character in a novel delivered mysteriously to her home is based on her life – including a damning secret. Two episodes to launch, then weekly drops, so settle in for a slow burn.
Also on Apple TV+: When you think of Billy Crystal it’s the humour that comes to mind: When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, Analyse This and some of the best hosting work the Academy Awards have seen. Credit to him for challenging expectations with Before (October 25), a supernatural-tinged drama where Crystal plays Eli, a newly widowed child psychologist who discovers that his young patient, Noah (Jacobi Jupe), has an unsettling connection to his late wife. Crystal has enjoyed an eclectic past decade, whether on stage or screen, so there’s every chance he’s an unexpected but suitable fulcrum for this series.
September highlights: George Clooney and Brad Pitt brought their star power to the wry action-comedy Wolfs, while the Mexican drama Midnight Family revealed the country’s bootleg ambulance business.
Binge
Himesh Patel in The Franchise. Credit: Binge
My top Binge recommendation is The Franchise (October 7).
How do you feel about Ant-Man being sent up by Veep alumni? HBO’s new satire digs its claws into the excesses of comic book movies, finding all kinds of frauds, failings and fears on the set of a fictional American superhero movie. Creator Jon Brown, with assistance from his Veep boss Armando Iannucci and Skyfall director Sam Mendes, reveals a machine too big to fail but almost impossible to improve. Himesh Patel (Yesterday) plays the first assistant director tasked with doing whatever is required to keep the shoot on schedule, but he has to overcome an idiotic lead man (Billy Magnussen, Road House), a British co-star and HR nightmare (Richard E. Grant, Withnail & I), and a tough new producer (Aya Cash, The Boys). The dialogue is witheringly dry, the ludicrous scenarios a little too close to reality.
Also on Binge: On a roll with high-profile American roles in Yellowjackets and Fallout, British actor Ella Purnell gets to use her own accent in Sweetpea (October 10). A dark – so very dark – comedy about a young woman, Rhiannon Lewis (Purnell), who is tired of being overlooked at work, ignored in public, and picked on by the mean girls she went to school with. When Rhiannon finally snaps she feels empowered, and decides to make up for lost time. Cue the blood spatter in the trailer. Creator Kirstie Swain (Pure, Run) is twisting together female archetypes, wallflower rage, and revenge fantasies. Capable of transformative feats, Purnell may well be her ideal leading lady.
Teacup (October 10) doesn’t waste time. From the get-go this American horror series, adapted from the 1988 Robert McCammon novel Stinger, offers up unsettling vibes and inexplicable visitations at the Georgia ranch that’s home to vet Maggie Chenoweth (Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale), her husband James (Scott Speedman, Felicity), and their extended family. From there the succinct half-hour episodes get freaky, and soon it’s not just the animals that are spooked. It’s up to creator Ian McCulloch (Yellowstone) to put these parts together in an original way, and then terrify us by tearing them apart.
September highlights: London financial drama Industry capped off a breakthrough third season, one of television’s best shows revealed its secrets in Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos, plus a movie spin-off that mattered as Colin Farrell returned as The Penguin.
Netflix
Robert Taylor in Territory. Credit: Netflix
My top Netflix recommendation is Territory (October 24).
There’s a serious Yellowstone vibe to this Australian far north drama, plus a little Succession in the saddlebags, which follows the battle for control of the world’s largest cattle station. Start with gruff patriarch Colin Lawson (Robert Taylor, The Newsreader), add in his wayward son Graham (Michael Dorman, For All Mankind) and his bush-savvy wife Emily (Anna Torv, Mindhunter), then season with guns, rival mining magnates, mysterious deaths, a wary Indigenous community, and panoramic drone shots. Creators Ben Davies (Here Comes the Habibs) and Timothy Lee (Mystery Road) appear to have gone big, whether it’s with action set-pieces or top-dog monologues, in a landscape full of deadly diversions.
Also on Netflix: I’m here for Laura Dern. The American actress has reached national treasure status, whether creating havoc in Big Little Lies or schooling Scarlett Johansson in Marriage Story, and now she has the lead role in Lonely Planet (October 11). Written and directed by Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich, Unbelievable), the feature is a romance set at a writers’ retreat in Morocco. Dern’s Katherine Loewe is a newly single author, trying to divine the next stage in her life, who forges an unexpected connection with a younger man, Owen Brophy (Liam Hemsworth), dutifully attending the event with his literati girlfriend. The premise could play out as predictable, but Dern will find the friction.
September highlights: Nicole Kidman headlined the rich people murder mystery The Perfect Couple, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story gave an infamous Los Angeles trial the true crime treatment, the gods were definitely crazy in KAOS, while the terrific Nobody Wants This upped the stakes for the romcom.
Stan*
Sherry-Lee Watson as Robyn in Thou Shalt Not Steal. Credit: Stan
My top Stan recommendation is Thou Shalt Not Steal (October 17).
Having already premiered to praise in the television section of the Toronto International Film Festival, this chaotic outback series looks like another big tick for the Indigenous cinematographer and filmmaker Dylan River (The Beach, Mystery Road: Origin). A crime caper, buddy comedy, and road movie rolled into larger-than-life size, it follows Robyn (Sherry-Lee Watson, Heartbreak High), an Aboriginal teen who goes on the run from authorities, in the company of her eccentric white pal Gidge (Will McDonald) to solve a family mystery. Those in pursuit include a formidable taxi driver (Miranda Otto, The Clearing) and Gidge’s father, a less than pious priest (Noah Taylor, Foundation). The incisive and irreverent will go hand-in-hand.
Also on Stan: Of all the breakthrough stars created by Game of Thrones, Sophie Turner is the last to take top billing in a series of her own. After supporting roles in The Staircase and some forgettable X-Men movies, the British actress headlines Joan (October 1). Based on real-life events, the six-part British crime drama follows the 1980s underworld metamorphosis of Joan Hannington (Turner), the wife of a violent criminal who flees with her daughter and finds a new career as a jewel thief – with all the complications that fraught new life brings. This one’s going for maternal strength, vintage pieces from Joan Collins’ wardrobe, and nefarious kicks.
September highlights: Revealed: Killjoy was a telling Australian documentary about surmounting an inconceivable childhood loss, British train thriller Nightsleeper never slowed down, and The Body Next Door was a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction true crime revelation.
Amazon Prime
Felicity Ward and Edith Poor star in the Australian version of The Office.
My top Amazon Prime recommendation is The Office (October 18).
Forget Gladiator II, the most scrutinised trailer of 2024 was the 134 seconds that introduced the Australian edition of The Office. It’s understandable, as between the excruciatingly hilarious British original and the nutty American remake there hasn’t been a more loved sitcom this century. Sweden, Saudi Arabia, and a dozen other territories have already made their own version of this deadpan mockumentary about a banal workplace with a boss who tries way too hard, and now it’s Australia’s turn. Sydney packaging company Flinley Craddick is the open-plan backdrop, but the incompetent head honcho role gets a gender flip – Felicity Ward will drive her staff to despair as branch manager Hannah Howard. The ensemble cast is full of on-the-rise comic talent, while the lead writers and executive producers are Julie De Fina (Aftertaste) and Jackie van Beek (The Breaker Upperers). The bar is set very high here.
Also on Amazon Prime: When Amazon spent a small fortune to debut its action-espionage series Citadel last year, it was launching a true franchise. While Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra starred in the show, the framework of the survivors of a private intelligence agency trying to survive after an evil rival syndicate conquered them was meant to be replicable. The battle between the remnants of Citadel and the dominant Manticore could be told across the globe, and now those shows are debuting. Citadel: Diana (October 10) is the Italian variant, following a Citadel agent, Diana Cavalieri (Matilda De Angelis), on the run after spending years undercover inside Manticore. November brings the Indian edition, while season two of the original Citadel is currently in production.
September highlights: Middle Earth mattered once more with the tumultuous second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, plus Jeremy Clarkson and co finally tapped the brakes with The Grand Tour: One for the Road.
Disney+
Jesse Spencer and Radha Mitchell play Tony and Judy Bissett in 1979 Perth in Last Days of the Space Age.
My top Disney+ recommendation is Last Days of the Space Age (available now).
Packed into six fictional weeks, the debut season of this Australian drama is a deep dive into how the Australia we live in now started to take shape. In the Perth suburbs of 1979, husband and wife Tony (Jesse Spencer, House) and Judy Bissett (Radha Mitchell, Man on Fire) are divided when he leads his fellow workers in a strike at a local power plant where she is part of the management team. At the same time the Miss Universe pageant is coming to the city, while the American space station Skylab is scheduled to crash-land somewhere in Western Australia. So much for the sleepy ’70s. Expect some glorious – or is that traumatic? – period production design, but the stories that surround a cast that also includes Deborah Mailman (Total Control) and Iain Glen (Game of Thrones) have hooks.
Also on Disney+: In the 1980s Dame Jilly Cooper wrote bestselling novels that were heavy on spoilt rich people in country houses having salacious affairs, double-crossing each other in business deals, and rising from the risqué ashes. Does this not sound like a 2024 streaming series? We’ll find out if the intrigue translates with Rivals (October 18), an adaptation of Cooper’s 1988 bestseller about a pair of incorrigible rakes, rival television producers Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant, Doctor Who) and Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell, His Dark Materials), competing to sign star TV host Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner, Poldark). You can play this as knowing melodrama or a wild satire – either way, a straight reading can’t compare to excess. Release the hounds!
Lifelong friends, Mexican actors Diego Luna (Andor) and Gael Garcia Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle), enjoyed their international breakthrough together as teenagers in Alfonso Cuaron’s torrid, telling 2001 feature debut Y tu mama tambien. Now they’re reunited on screen in La Maquina (October 9), a Spanish-language limited series about an ageing champion boxer (Bernal) and his risk-it-all manager (Luna), who are pushing for one more title fight. Those risks include permanent injury, gangsters who want to fix the bout, and their own chaotic chemistry. For even more star power, there’s also Eiza Gonzalez (3 Body Problem).
September highlights: Assemble your coven – Marvel offshoot Agatha All Along brought Kathryn Hahn’s witch into focus, while the dramedy How to Die Alone was a potent new series.
ABC iview
Brendan Cowell as rugby star Peter Lum in Plum. Credit: ABC
My top ABC iview recommendation is Plum (October 20).
Brendan Cowell’s dual careers on screen and as an award-winning novelist converge with him creating and starring in this adaptation of his 2021 novel about a very Australian sports star forced to confront his own failings. Peter “The Plum” Lum (Cowell) is a retired rugby league great living in Cronulla, where he played, and still enjoying the acclaim when a seizure raises the possibility that the game he loved has left him with degenerative brain injuries. Even with his ex-wife (Asher Keddie) pushing him to change, Plum faces a difficult, and occasionally whimsical, journey of self-discovery. A confessed rugby league tragic, Cowell has included cameos from real-life greats such as Andrew Johns and Paul Gallen, while there’s also some terrific casting with Kiwi comic Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) as the not so sporty doctor now married to Plum’s former wife.
Also on ABC iview: Former Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins lets a bunch of teenagers loose with the family wallet in Teenage Boss: Next Level (October 12), Australia’s favourite drab suburban lawyer, Helen Tudor-Fisk (Kitty Flanagan), is back for season three of beloved workplace comedy Fisk (October 20), and the stakes are even higher now she’s a partner at the newly named, but still shabby law firm Gruber & Fisk, while Good Food columnist, MasterChef alumni and radio and TV commentator Alice Zaslavsky is joined in the kitchen by celebrity guests for nightly cooking show A Bite to Eat With Alice (October 28).
September highlights: Long-running British murder-mystery Death in Paradise got an Australian spin-off with Return to Paradise.
SBS On Demand
Yash (Akshay Ajit Singh) and Sridevi (Shahana Goswami) are introduced by a wedding matchmaker in Four Years Later.Credit: SBS
My top SBS On Demand recommendation is Four Years Later (available now).
SBS’s mission to tell stories that reach out to Australia’s multicultural identity continues with this romantic drama, which charts the high and lows of love at a vast distance. Shot between Australia and India, it tells the story of Yash (Akshay Ajit Singh, 24: India) and Sridevi (Shahana Goswami, A Suitable Boy), a young Jaipur couple whose life together after their wedding is cut short when he receives a coveted medical traineeship in Australia that runs for four years. Told from both perspectives, the limited series charts their struggles while separated, and the difficulties they encounter when eventually reunited. Both wonder if the other is still the person they married. Creator Mithila Gupta has written for Five Bedrooms and Bump, suggesting a sure hand when it comes the emotions of characters trying to reshape their lives.
Also on SBS On Demand: Should we just give Marc Fennell his own channel? The Mastermind presenter has been a one-man documentary and podcast studio in recent years, rightfully enjoying success with the likes of Stuff the British Stole, The Mission, Framed, and The Kingdom. Fennell is very good at both concisely explaining complex scenarios and finding the intimate human element lodged inside them. That will come in handy for his latest endeavour, the documentary series Red Flag (October 15). It’s the story of Guvera, a Gold Coast tech start-up that pledged to revolutionise the global music industry by delivering free, legal music downloads. The company, and its founders, raised $180 million, hosted huge launch parties, and delivered little more than disappointment and damaged lives. It’s perfect for Fennell.
September highlights: The Sixth Commandment was a heartbreakingly intimate British crime drama about faith and betrayal, while Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey was a heritage road trip with leading Australian comics.
Other streamers
Kathy Bates stars as the brilliant septuagenarian Madeline Matlock in Matlock, inspired by the classic TV series of the same name.Credit: Paramount+
My top recommendation for the other streaming services is Paramount+’s Matlock (October 18).
Depending on your age, Matlock can mean a sturdy 1980s case of the week legal procedural about a cantankerous but caring veteran defence attorney who clears his innocent clients in court, a grouchy demand exclaimed by Bart’s grandfather and other senior citizens in The Simpsons, or it simply – for the youngest present – draws a blank. The new definition belongs to a reboot of the original show, with the always great Kathy Bates (Titanic, Misery) as Madeline Matlock, a former lawyer raising her grandson who returns to the law by securing a gig at a prestigious firm, despite the ageist doubts held by some of her colleagues. The show is already a success in the United States, thanks in part to Bates and the spin it puts on the original concept. Grampa Simpson will be delighted.
Also: BritBox continues to debut exclusive new British dramas with Passenger (October 18), a supernatural-tinged crime thriller created by actor Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch, Industry). It uses a familiar outline of a big city cop who has relocated to a small town for a simpler life, in this case former Metropolitan Police detective Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku), being forced to confront unsettling events that require their former mindset. We’re talking a missing teenager, a just paroled menace, and ominous goo. A key distinction: the tone, along with the colour palette, is lively as opposed to bleak, and Buchan isn’t afraid of some comic relief.
September highlights: The Jetty was an intense British crime drama headlined by Jenna Coleman, while YouTube micro-comedy Buried showed the next generation of Australian creators making their mark.
* Nine is the owner of Stan and this masthead.
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