Pick of the week
Zero Day
A drama starring the one and only Robert De Niro as former president George Mullen. When the US is hit by a cyber-attack that is as perplexing as it is devastating, Mullen is coaxed out of retirement to head the Zero Day commission – a body that will assume an unprecedented degree of arguably unconstitutional power. But is Mullen still physically and psychologically capable of bearing such huge responsibility? The idea of an American politician caring about levels of control creeping in the direction of authoritarianism suddenly seems rather quaint, but maybe that’s the point? De Niro brings real heft and gravitas to the role as a sad-eyed public servant, mourning a lost America.
Netflix, from Thursday 20 February
***
A Thousand Blows
Steven Knight has never met a historical rough diamond that he didn’t want to make a TV drama about. This new series is among his best to date: a gritty, grimy tale of Victorian east London, based on various roughly documented true stories depicting robbers, fighters and general misfits, who are just about scrabbling a living in a city experiencing a dangerous growth spurt. The fine ensemble cast includes Malachi Kirby as Jamaican lion tamer turned pugilist Hezekiah Moscow, Stephen Graham as menacing bare-knuckle brawler Sugar Goodson and Erin Doherty as gang leader Mary Carr.
Disney+, from Friday 21 February
***
Shortland Street
It began back in 1992 and, while Shortland Street has never truly crossed over to British audiences in a comparable way to, for example, Neighbours, New Zealand’s No 1 soap opera has a cult following in the UK. The action is set in the fictitious titular hospital and we rejoin the show at a delicate and typically melodramatic moment (in line with its NZ broadcast). While a new arrival on the wards is ruffling feathers, the life of one of the show’s biggest stars is hanging in the balance as a result of their personal and professional lives intersecting.
STV, from Monday 17 February
***
Too Hot to Handle: Germany
More attractive young people are gathered in a villa in outfits that leave very little to the imagination, as this reality dating franchise returns. This time, we’re in Germany but the format remains the same: hot, horny singles are put to the test in a weeks-long pool party with a twist – there’s a €200k prize to be won but only for contestants who are able to keep their hands to themselves. Indiscretions lead to a dwindling prize pot for everyone. Who will survive? Proceedings are refereed by an Alexa-style virtual assistant named Lana.
Netflix, from Tuesday 18 February
***
The Chief
This comedy is a spin-off from the mockumentary series Scot Squad which spoofed the bumbling affairs of the Scottish police force. The Chief focuses on chief commissioner Cameron Miekelson (Jack Docherty), a well-intentioned but somewhat clumsy copper of the old school, struggling with modern bugbears ranging from diversity requirements to issues around the environment. It’s never subtle – Miekelson’s performatively woke, Just Stop Oil-supporting daughter, for example, feels straight out of central casting – but it confidently hits its broad sitcom beats.
BBC iPlayer, from Thursday 20 February
***
Reacher
TV’s alpha male, ultraviolent lunkhead returns and nothing much has changed: Jack Reacher is casually shattering the nose of a sleazebag in a cafe, literally in between sips of coffee. More serious business awaits as our hero investigates a suspicious import business and uncovers a huge criminal conspiracy, at the heart of which is a DEA informant. Along the way, Reacher meets an antagonist who might turn out to be his match. An overload of absurd machismo, obviously, but the show’s tongue is lodged firmly enough in its cheek to redeem it.
Prime Video, from Thursday 20 February
***
Evilside
At the heart of this bleak six-part Finnish drama set in a remote fishing village are a bullied, outcast girl and a female detective charged with solving a murder. When teenager Johanna’s best friend is killed, the community’s suspicion immediately falls upon her. There’s clearly a ritual element to the killing, so Johanna’s teen-goth awkwardness is interpreted as a red flag. It’s an odd genre mashup of Scandi noir and YA melodrama from the Walter Presents strand, which uses the icy harshness of its setting to tense and frequently gory effect.
Channel 4, from Thursday 20 February
