Pick of the week
Anatomy of a Scandal
A sexual assault committed by an MP? Followed by an attempted cover-up? This probably sounded like a stark premise when first conceived – now it just feels like another week in the life of the British government. Rupert Friend and Sienna Miller star as a rising Tory MP and his long-suffering wife who find themselves in the eye of a media, legal and political storm after Friend’s caddish James Whitehouse is revealed to have had an affair with aide Olivia Lytton (Naomi Scott). Despite Whitehouse’s assurances, it seems his crime might be much worse. Written and produced by David E Kelley and House of Cards showrunner Melissa James Gibson, this serial promises dark intrigue aplenty.
Netflix, from Friday 15 April
***
The Kardashians
“Life without cameras,” says the trailer’s voiceover, “was a big change for us.” Well the First Family of reality TV is back on familiar ground now, as they return for yet another season of less than stoically addressed Rich People Problems. This time, they’re on a new platform after a tearful farewell to E! in 2021. But the tone is more or less the same, even if the title has been tweaked. Expect Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s engagement to feature prominently, along with the aftermath of the tragic events at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival and, on a happier note, Kylie Jenner’s pregnancy.
Disney+, from Thursday 14 April
***
Hard Cell
Catherine Tate returns to our screens with a documentary-style comedy, set in the fictional female prison of HMP Woldsley. Tate gets on the prosthetics to play multiple characters – from the incongruously happy-clappy governor Laura Willis to Big Viv, an inevitably furious lifer – as the inmates attempt to stage a musical with the idea of finding redemption via creativity. As is often the case with Tate, her undeniable talent and versatility as a performer is sometimes not quite enough to mask flaws in the writing, which can feel slightly one-note.
Netflix, from Tuesday 12 April
***
Almost Happy
A second series for this meta-sitcom (very much in the stylistic vein of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Louie) starring Argentinian comic and radio personality Sebastián Wainraich as, inevitably, Sebastián, a slightly grouchy and put-upon comic and radio personality. Again not unexpectedly, Sebastián has a complicated private life – his ex-wife has upped sticks to Barcelona and taken their kids with her. In this series, Sebastián tries to reconnect with his family and gets slightly more than he bargained for. Gently amusing with an edge of mid-life melancholy.
Netflix, from Wednesday 13 April
***
Our Great National Parks
Barack Obama steps into the shoes of David Attenborough in this engaging and beautifully shot new series exploring the natural magnificence of the globe’s finest national parks. Travelling the world from Kenya to California and marvelling at beasts from sea turtles to sloths, Obama immerses himself in each park’s unique ecosystem, and his sense of wonder – not to mention his sonorous delivery – is very infectious. We look forward to Donald Trump’s inevitable documentary opus about the world’s great golf courses.
Netflix, from Wednesday 13 April
***
Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?
The title of this Agatha Christie adaptation is the beginning of its mystery: the last words of a man who is found dying at the bottom of a cliff. The pair of amateur sleuths looking into the mystery of his tumble are Will Poulter’s gauche vicar’s son Bobby Jones and his glamorous socialite friend Frances Derwent (Lucy Boynton). Directed by Hugh Laurie, it’s solid albeit generic fare, enlivened by a certain wry humour but generally proceeding exactly as you might expect an Agatha Christie adaptation on BritBox to proceed.
BritBox, from Thursday 14 April
***
Roar
An excitingly unpredictable anthology series of feminist fables from the team behind cult 80s-set wrestling hit Glow, Roar ranges far and wide in terms of styles and situations across its eight episodes. There’s realism and surrealism, comedy and horror. There’s a woman who compulsively eats photographs. A woman who “returns” her unsatisfactory husband like some shoddy consumer appliance. A woman whose husband has made a shelf on which to display her. The impressive cast includes Issa Rae, Alison Brie and Nicole Kidman.
Apple TV+, from Friday 15 April
