Pick of the week
Daisy Jones & the Six
Daisy Jones & the Six are a fictional band of talented, damaged souls: born out of the flower power 60s but making their way in the more cynical 70s, purveying tough but folky blues rock, selling out stadiums and just about handling breakups, makeups and breakdowns. They bear the DNA of Fleetwood Mac but this energetic series (based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel) makes it clear that they’re a distinct creation. Riley Keough is excellent as talented, brittle singer Daisy, while Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) is the driven bandleader and the yin to her yang. Crucially, the music (by Blake Mills but with contributions from, among others, Phoebe Bridgers) is rendered convincingly.
Prime Video, from Friday 3 March
***
A Whole Lifetime With Jamie Demetriou
We begin with Jamie Demetriou in the womb: a large, awkward man as a foetus. Awkwardness is a key note throughout this hilarious, often excruciating sketch special in which he tracks a life through adolescence, middle age, retirement and finally a hospital bed. Demetriou is brilliant at recognising the tiny insecurities that riddle us all and amplifying them to absurdity – most will recognise versions of his catastrophically highly strung best man Kieron, but very few would take his fist-bitingly inappropriate banter as far as it’s taken here. PH
Netflix, from Tuesday 28 February
***
The Mandalorian
A third season for enigmatic space bounty hunter Mando (Pedro Pascal) and his indefatigable little Yoda mate Grogu. This season’s epigrammatic wisdom? You must learn to navigate the galaxy: “That way, you’ll never be lost.” But the Mandalorian is a little lost, returning to Mandalore to redeem himself for past transgressions. However, his journey leads him into the path of another gathering existential threat. Perhaps there might be a different route to redemption? As ever, this corner of the vast Star Wars universe is written with humour and heart.
Disney+, from Wednesday 1 March
***
Abbott Elementary
The delightful mockumentary sitcom about a hard-pressed Philadelphia school makes a welcome return. Janine (show creator Quinta Brunson) is making preparations as a new term looms but her personal life is tumultuous too, with her breakup leaving her facing eviction. Meanwhile, the school prepares to welcome a student who uses a wheelchair. As ever, Abbott Elementary offers wisdom and good spirit without an excess of cheese: this is really an unashamedly positive testimony to mutual support and making the best of what you have.
Disney+, from Wednesday 1 March
***
Sex/Life
“The time right after you blow up your life is usually the most exciting.” At the end of season one, party girl turned housewife Billie (Sarah Shahi) was calling time on her unsatisfying marriage and considering her options. Now, she’s back in the game. She has met a handsome, mysterious stranger and is starting to examine wilder possibilities again. But elements of her old life linger. It’s a very glossy and idealised version of romantic exploration but it is refreshing to see a woman’s sexual agency foregrounded this unambiguously.
Netflix, from Thursday 2 March
***
Finding Michael
In 1999, Michael Matthews became the youngest Briton to climb Mount Everest. He then disappeared in a snowstorm and was never seen again. In the subsequent years, his younger brother Spencer made a name for himself as a podcaster and star of Made in Chelsea. But the trauma of losing his brother and the lack of closure caused by the absence of a body has clearly taken its toll. In this stirring documentary, Spencer (with mountaineer Nirmal Purja) heads to Everest with the intention of finding his brother’s body and bringing it home.
Disney+, from Friday 3 March
***
Next in Fashion
Like a sort of Paris fashion week version of The Great British Sewing Bee, this show brings together haute couture and technical skill to create a vibrant, if at times exhausting, elimination contest. After a near-cancellation and an enforced break for Covid-19, season two of the show sees Gigi Hadid replacing Alexa Chung alongside Tan France as another posse of bright young things arrive with their sharp scissors and big dreams. It’s unashamedly aimed at the catwalk rather than the high street and is none the worse for that.
Netflix, from Friday 3 March
