STRUGGLING to decide what to watch this week?
Well don’t worry, as The Celeb Report’s TV Mag is here to help navigate through the many different streaming services available to bring you the top picks.
WHAT’S NEW?
BMF – Starzplay
The tough, run-down streets of Detroit provide the backdrop for this sensational new eight-part series, based on the true story of brothers Demetrius ‘Big Meech’ and Terry ‘Southwest T’ Flenory. Back in the late 80s and 90s, the pair transformed themselves from small-time street drug dealers to the bosses of one of the most powerful crime organisations in the US, the BMF – the Black Mafia Family – making hundreds of millions of dollars along the way.
With echoes of shows such as Narcos, The Wire and even Peaky Blinders, it’s dramatic, compelling and cinematic. It also comes armed with some remarkable performances, particularly from Demetrius ‘Lil Meech’ Flenory Jr, who’s utterly magnetic in the role of his own dad, Big Meech. Keep your eyes peeled for some scene-stealing star names later in the series as well, including Eminem – making a rare appearance – Snoop Dogg and Kash Doll.
Inevitably, some will argue that the show glamorises violence, crime and the drugs trade – and there’s certainly a great deal of all three involved. But it’s also careful to show the causes and consequences of the brothers’ choices. Indeed, the opening episode is as much about the tensions between the brothers and their proud, respectable parents, and the realities of life on the street, as it is about flash cars and fast living.
So while it won’t be for everyone, the performances, scale and scope of the show are seriously impressive. Oh, and the soundtrack’s pretty awesome too. Episodes weekly from Sunday.
My Life Is Murder – ACORN TV
For some, she will always be Xena: Warrior Princess. But Lucy Lawless is equally kick-ass – in a different way – in crime drama series My Life is Murder, which returns this week for a second series.
Lucy plays Alexa Crowe, a retired cop turned brilliant private detective, regularly called in to investigate puzzling murders Down Under. Series two starts with Alexa visiting her native New Zealand for the the first time in many years, and swiftly being asked to use her sleuthing skills to explain an unsolved murder.
With plenty of humour and warmth and some surprising guest stars – hello Bill Bailey and, incredibly, the William Shatner – it’s an unexpectedly charming treat.
Episodes one and two are available Monday, followed by new episodes weekly.
Unidentified With Demi Lovato – hayu
Little known fact: Demi Lovato loves UFOs. Yes, the pop sensation is a confirmed believer in the idea that little green men are regularly popping by Planet Earth to take a look at what we’re getting up to. And now, in this new four-part docuseries, Demi goes on a journey to find out the truth.
“I had this weird experience that happened to me in Joshua Tree,” says the singer, recalling a close encounter they once had with a UFO. “It moved in these weird ways that a plane wouldn’t move. My goal is to find out what really happened.”
Along the way, Demi’s joined by sceptical best friend Matthew Scott Montgomery and sister Dallas. Together they meet experts and other believers, studying the evidence, visiting UFO hotspots and looking into the idea that interplanetary visitors might already be among us.
“What if extra-terrestrials aren’t travelling light years to visit us,” asks Demi. “What if they’re already here, waiting for us to reach out?”
Can Demi prove once and for all the existence of ET? Spoiler alert – funnily enough, the jury’s still out – but that doesn’t stop this from being a thought-provoking and enjoyable unsettling ride. Available from Friday.
Diana: The Musical – Netflix
A musical about the highs and lows of Princess Diana’s tumultuous life was never going to be everyone’s cup of Earl Grey. And inevitably this new production has already ruffled a few feathers, long before its expected December Broadway opening, with accusations of bad taste being flung furiously in its direction.
Fortunately, fans of the late icon can now decide for themselves whether it’s a worthy tribute, thanks to this specially filmed performance of the stage show.
And while, yes, there is something undeniably bizarre about seeing the likes of Paul Burrell, James Hewitt and Camilla being immortalised in song, no one could deny that it’s a spectacular affair, or that Jeanna De Wall, who plays Diana, gives it her all. Available from Friday.
Gary Glitter: A Faking It Special – Discovery+
The dramatic unmasking of Gary Glitter as sex offender in the late 90s came as a big shock to his followers – but were the signs of his depravity there all along? In a new episode, the Faking It team turn their spotlight on to the fallen pop star, examining archive interviews from prime-time Saturday-night TV shows, a revealing Big Breakfast chat he did with Paula Yates, dramatic courtroom moments and more.
It’s not an easy watch but, as ever, body language expert Dr Cliff Lansley, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes and linguistics expert Professor Dawn Archer provide impressive insight and analysis. Available from Saturday
Good Grief – Amazon Prime
New Zealand has produced some brilliant comedy in recent years, with Flight Of The Conchords, the What We Do In The Shadows movie and all proving global hits. Now here comes another cracker.
Six-part series Good Grief follows the struggles of sisters Ellie and Gwen (played by the show’s creators, real life sisters Eve and Grace Palmer), whose lives take a turn for the strange when they inherit their grandfather’s funeral parlour.
Mixing the laughs and visual style of shows like Stath Lets Flats , with the heavy subject matter of Six Feet Under, it’s silly, tender and smart – and a lot of fun.
“They say: ‘If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry’,” say Eve and Grace. “But we hope that in watching this dark comedy about life and death, you’ll be able to do both.” Dead funny. Available from Thursday.
