Pick of the week
The Old Man
This drama seems a little cursed – season one was disrupted by Covid and a cancer diagnosis for lead Jeff Bridges, while season two has been hit by the writers’ strike. These travails are oddly appropriate: Bridges’ agent Dan Chase is a stubborn old warrior, moving slowly but relentlessly through all obstacles. He’s back in the mountains of Afghanistan – in cahoots with FBI frenemy Harold Harper (John Lithgow) and searching for the woman the pair know as Emily Chase. But are either of them prepared for the whole truth about her? Bridges’ crusty melancholy lends the show a gravitas that takes it slightly beyond the realms of the espionage thriller into something more personal.
Disney+, from Wednesday 6 November
***
Citadel: Honey Bunny
This Asian branch of the Citadel universe tells the origin story of agent Nadia Sinh, whom we met in 2023’s opening chapter. But first, we travel to India in the 1990s to meet her mother, Agent Honey. Recruited into the world of espionage by Rahi Gambhir’s stunt artist Bunny while struggling as an actor, Honey (Samantha Ruth Prabhu) places her precocious daughter in a dangerous situation as the chaos of the underworld swirls around them. As the family fight for survival, surprising opportunities arise. Pretty daft but fast, fierce fun and therefore entirely consistent with Citadel’s in-house aesthetic up to this point.
Prime Video, from Thursday 7 November
***
Countryfile Ramble for BBC Children in Need
The world can be a bleak place at the moment. This annual walk might be an antidote, representing some of the most wholesome content currently available on television. It’s 10 years since Countryfile first encouraged us to lace up our walking boots, and this year Matt Baker, Anita Rani, Sean Fletcher, Margherita Taylor and John Craven will be celebrating by heading to Chatsworth estate and encouraging other hikers to send clips of their own countryside escapades. There will also be reminders of the good causes helped by the money raised.
BBC iPlayer, from Sunday 3 November
***
Outer Banks
This YA drama returns to complete its fourth season, and allegiances are up for grabs. As the endless beef between the Pogues (the town’s working-class teens) and the Kooks (their posher antagonists) continues, expect at least one surprise switching of sides. But could something more strategic be at play? Certainly, the stakes are getting higher – as the youngsters get a glimpse of the long-promised treasure, the rivalry appears to be escalating. A neat mash-up, combining adventure mystery with timely musings on wealth inequality and tribalism.
Netflix, from Thursday 7 November
***
Born for the Spotlight
“Even if you fall, you can’t cry out in pain. You have to fall beautifully.” This Taiwanese comedy drama exploring the adventures of a group of women searching for showbiz success tries to have its cake and eat it. It’s seductively glossy but also aims satirical swipes at the unattainable beauty standards imposed on women. It centres on the relationship between Chou Fan and Hsueh Ya-chih – two close friends whose relationship becomes strained when one moves off screen into the world of artist management.
Netflix, from Thursday 7 November
***
Mr Plankton
This oddball buddy comedy from South Korea begins at a wedding as Hae Jo sweeps bride Jae-mi off her feet and takes her away on a road trip. She’s not his bride, however; she is engaged to the unfortunate Eo Heung who spends the series on the trail of the runaways. It turns out the fugitive pair (and former couple) have more history than future – Hae Jo has a brain tumour and limited time left, while Jae-mi has avoided telling her husband-to-be that she can’t have children. A countrywide pursuit begins, with the trio learning a few wholesome life lessons along the way.
Netflix, from Friday 8 November
***
Syndrome E
Yet more troubled but brilliant European cops, courtesy of Channel 4’s Walter Presents strand. This drama fully commits to its own absurdity, featuring Franck Sharko, a surly loner who is tormented by dreams of his dead daughter; and Lucie Hennebelle, a traumatised traffic officer who is struggling to recover from accidentally shooting her partner. Ideally, you’d imagine these two might be kept apart – but they make a formidable team as they investigate a series of horrifying scientific experiments, increasingly at the cost of their own sanity.
Channel 4, from Friday 8 November
