There are some that claim the era of peak television is behind us. With the likes of Game Of Thrones, Breaking Bad and The Sopranos long behind us, it would be easy to feel that this is indeed the case.
However, those saying this are completely wrong and should be ignored. Preferably from a distance.
There simply hasn't been a better time to be a fan of television. Streaming services are ploughing fortunes into ever more lavish and ambitious projects, rivalling cinema when it comes to blockbuster entertainment. And the obvious winners are us, the viewers.
We have already had some amazing streaming debuts this year, which are worthy of inclusion amongst the great shows mentioned above. Here are three of them for you to binge on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ right now.
Dead Boy Detectives
- Where: Netflix
- Stars: George Rexstrew, Jayden Revri,Kassius Nelson, Ruth Connell
- Created by: Steve Yockey (based on characters by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner)
Neil Gaiman is quite possibly one of the best writers of his generation. With decades of work in fiction and comic book writing and a simply huge portfolio of work available to draw inspiration from, it was only a matter of time before television realised the potential.
Attempts in the 90s and early 2000s were a mixed bag, with the BBC trying its hand with Neverwhere, and a movie adaptation of Stardust that didn't quite set the world alight. However, we've had better luck in latter years, with Prime Video's American Gods and Good Omens. Then there's The Sandman on Netflix, which gleaned solid reviews and an appreciative fan base.
Dead Boy Detectives is an eight-part spinoff of that, sort of. iIt is set in the same universe and is Gaiman's latest work to grace our screens. As such, it's well worth a watch.
Treading a very fine line between young adult programming, gore-filled horror, and a romantic comedy, the show is a complete blast and a lot of fun. Think 2022’s Lockwood & Co if it had a bigger budget, a better cast and better CGI.
This latest Netflix series is spooky, sexy and stupid, yet it gives the audience a rich and detailed world filled with well explained and developed lore. Performances are solid, stories are interesting and at no point does the shadow of Gaiman ever not cross its path. Monsters can kill, people swear, and relationships are explored in a modern and open way that is refreshing considering the genre.
Importantly though, it is companion piece to The Sandman that can easily be watched without ever seeing that show.
Renegade Nell
- Where: Disney+
- Stars: Louisa Harland, Frank Dillane, Nick Mohammed, Adrian Lester
- Created by: Sally Wainwright
I would have loved to be at the pitch meeting for Renegade Nell, to see when Sally Wainwright announced that, instead of another gritty, soul destroying glimpse into life and policing in modern day Yorkshire, her new project would be about an 18th Century highway outlaw. Especially for the moment when she explained that the lead gains magic powers after being possessed by Ted Lasso’s Nick Mohammed who is, in turn, a magical fairy...
I wonder at what point the executives realised she was being serious and Ant & Dec were not controlling her from a hidden room.
However, as ludicrous as it sounds on paper, Renegade Nell hit Disney+ to great reviews and interest. The Wainwright touch certainly shows in the dialogue and at no point can you accuse her of sticking to type. This is as far away from the grime and degradation of Happy Valley, but it's good to see a writer who is unafraid of change.
It's also refreshing to watch something that is decidedly different – even though it has released around the same time as Apple TV+'s The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, another offbeat highway person comedy.
Renegade Nell is fast-paced and lavish in comparison, and is a solid binge watch for anyone looking for a bit of escapism.
Fallout
- Where: Amazon Prime Video
- Stars: Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Moises Arias
- Created by: Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Graham Wagner
If, back in 1997, you had told me that the weird little post-apocalyptic PC RPG i was obsessed with would become a record-breaking TV show, I would have laughed then ignored you.
But this became a thing!
Based on the hugely successful series of games by Bethesda Studios, Fallout is arguably Amazon Prime Video's best show in years. Complete with Vault Dwellers, Raiders, Ghouls, Super Mutants and enough callbacks to the games to keep even the most engaged fans happy, this weird little show that nobody thought would be any good has proved everyone wrong.
It's funny, exciting, gory, bold and lavish. It appreciates its core audience and honours the lore and the world building that has come before, not least thanks to tight direction from self-confessed fan Jonathan Nolan (Westworld, The Dark Knight).
Like the games, it never takes itself too seriously, nor mocks those who led to its creation. It is also open enough to attract a new casual audience and equally happy to give a knowing nod to those ‘in the know’
Fallout boasts fantastic central performances from its trio of leads – Ella Purnell as the inexperienced and yet determined Vault Dweller Lucy, Walton Goggins as dogged and ruthless bounty hunter The Ghoul, and Aaron Moten as the disillusioned Brotherhood initiate Maximus.
If you are a fan of the games, watch it right now. If you have never even heard of them, watch it anyway. It's simple really, you must watch Fallout full stop.
