Brothers
This good-natured show is "based on a true rumour" that Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey are actually half-brothers. They play amusingly exaggerated versions of themselves, best-friends whose families (played by actors) hang out together at Matthew's Austin ranch as he prepares to run for Texas governor. But Woody is determined to find out if this rumour is true. The scripts are a bit too goofy, full of absurdly corny slapstick. But the show also has smart things to say about the nature of fame. And any show that gives Holland Taylor such a meaty role (as Matthew's larger than life Ma Mac) is a must-see. But if there's a sedonc season, they need to give Woody's and Matthew's wives, played by Brittany Ishibashi and Natalie Martinez, something to do. (Apple)
This good-natured show is "based on a true rumour" that Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey are actually half-brothers. They play amusingly exaggerated versions of themselves, best-friends whose families (played by actors) hang out together at Matthew's Austin ranch as he prepares to run for Texas governor. But Woody is determined to find out if this rumour is true. The scripts are a bit too goofy, full of absurdly corny slapstick. But the show also has smart things to say about the nature of fame. And any show that gives Holland Taylor such a meaty role (as Matthew's larger than life Ma Mac) is a must-see. But if there's a sedonc season, they need to give Woody's and Matthew's wives, played by Brittany Ishibashi and Natalie Martinez, something to do. (Apple)
[La Mesías]
The world-building on this show is frankly jaw-dropping. Made by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo (aka the Javis, see La Bola Negra) in 2023, this award-hoovering show has finally been released outside Spain. It's set around Montserrat in Catalunya, an epicentre for religious visions and UFO sightings. An ensemble of supremely gifted actors play complex characters over multiple decades, centring around Enric (Roger Casamajor) and his sister Irene (Macarena Garcia) as they try to make sense of their childhood with their chaotic mother Montse (Ana Rujas, Lola Duenas then Carmen Machi). Set-piece dazzle on a scale rarely seen on television, echoing a real love of movie musicals. And ultimately, it's a staggeringly profound exploration of our innate need to find meaning and truth. (Mubi)
There's a nicely scrappy edge to this superhero series, which to maintains genuine intrigue with a strong dose of black comedy thanks to the jagged tension between Hal (Kyle Chandler) and John (Aaron Pierre). Hal is Earth's lantern, an intergalactic protector, and John is his heir apparent, although their boss (Laura Linney) seems to be playing games with them as a potentially cataclysmic situation develops in the middle of nowhere Nebraska. The cast is terrific, including Kelly Macdonald as the local sheriff, Jason Ritter as her sleazy lawyer husband and Garret Dillahunt as her suspicious father. Keeping action in the background allows the characters to bounce off each other in enjoyably menacing ways. Everything shifts dramatically for the final few episodes, leaving us wanting more. (HBO)
Created and written with Bret Easton Ellis (based on his novel), Ryan Murphy's latest provocation is another lurid romp that leans into grotesque violence and teasing sexiness. Confused, over-confident teen Ellis is sharply well-played by Igby Rigney, and the show traces his coming-of-age in a wealthy corner of early 1980s L.A. with a serial killer on the loose. Clever casting includes Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere as his classmates, with Evan Rachel Wood and Wes Bentley as the deranged parents of Bret's girlfriend (Hayes Warner). Amid the period excesses, the murder mystery holds the attention, even if it is written in a way that stretches everything too thinly (cliffhanger alert!). The problem is that Murphy seems to see rampant indulgence as the main event here, rather than characters and storytelling. (Hulu)
Filmmaker Megan Park echoes themes and settings from her superb debut feature My Old Ass (2024) in this more straightforward coming-of-age drama about a group of teens who spend the summer on an island in rural Canada. There's a terrific sense of the divide between the earthy, relaxed locals and the privileged, wealthy interlopers, a line the show is happy to blur with a series of sparky and very messy youthful romances. There's also a complex mystery at the centre, as twin siblings (Ella Rubin and Keen Ruffalo) explore their connections to this island and its inhabitants. Where all of this goes is enjoyable and engagingly sexy, with rather a lot of teen angst thrown in to spice things up. And there are also lively adult roles for Jay Duplass, Missy Pyle and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. (Prime)
A N O T H E R S E A S O N
Returning to Ted Lasso's worldview is as joyful as expected, especially since Jason Sudeikis is accompanied by returning costars Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Jeremy Swift, Brendan Hunt and Brett Goldstein, plus a new role for a scene-chomping Tracey Ullman. While we miss the male players, the new women's teammates are very well written and played, arriving with their own engaging mini-storylines (especially Tanya Reynolds' coach Alice). The homespun wisdom is beginning to feel a little stale, but Ted's optimism is a refreshing alternative to cynicism we feel about pretty much everything around us. This season ends with a couple of almost overpoweringly emotive episodes, Thankfully, they never quite give way to sentimentality, remaining edgy and inspiring. We couldn't stop watching if we tried. (Apple)
series 4
This new season has a bold confidence that perhaps goes a bit too far, with gimmicky episodes that indulge in horror, black-and-white noir, stoner comedy, fairy tale and soap opera, plus puppetry and dinosaurs. Even so, this adventure-of-the-week format is fun, and the terrific ensemble cast (led by Anson Mount and Rebecca Romijn) has grown into an engaging crew with remarkably complex inter-relationships. So the big action-thriller episode is unusually exhilarating. It's also fun to see the show weave plot threads together in an effort to bring the story to the start of the original 1960s series. With one season to go, plenty needs to happen yet for Paul Wesley's James Kirk, Ethan Peck's Spock, Celia Rose Gooding's Uhura and Martin Quinn's Scotty. These adventurous writers clearly have a plan. (Paramount)
series 2
Continuing this offbeat show into another season was always going to be tricky, because the premise was pretty much played out the first time around. It's a bit of a stretch here, so the writers cleverly ramp everything up a notch. This means that most of the relationships are more complex, most notably the three central ones between Chad (Glen Powell) and love interest Ricky (Perry Mattfeld), partner in crime Danny (Frankie Rodriguez) and coach Jake (Steve Zahn). But adding a big conflict was a mistake, because turning this into a thriller keeps everything at an annoyingly superficial level. As Gerry, Colton Ryan plays it well, but it's a thankless role with pointless plot turns that take away from the intriguing show this was and could have been. It's difficult to make it through these six episodes. (Hulu)
After watching the first series back in 2024, I never wrote about it for some reason. Created by Guy Ritchie, this slickly produced show takes his usual blackly comical approach to a crime thriller, while also playing with the British class system. It centres around Eddie (the absurdly charismatic Theo James), who inherits his family dukedom and discovers a hidden cannabis operation that's linked to a ruthless mobster (Ray Winstone). The second season pushes things much further, adding gangsters from Italy and South America into the mix. Most episodes feature shocking events, including violent murders of main characters. But the show's snarky attitude holds the attention, as does an ensemble that includes Kaya Scodelario, Joely Richardson, Vinnie Jones and Giancarlo Esposito. (Netflix)
Watchable because the actors are so likeable, this wildly overwritten comedy gets almost everything wrong in its storytelling, creating situations that never ring remotely true while pretending to tell it like it is to be in your mid-20s. Sharing a house rent-free in Queens, these bright, funny characters have no clue how out of touch with the world they are, which makes them somewhat endearing. But everything they do is silly and contrived, so your ability to enjoy this show requires either a level of delusion or a willingness to take it as the absurd fantasy that it actually is. And in that case, there's quite a bit to enjoy, mainly because of the adorable, up-for-it cast led by Jack Innanen, Lucy Freyer, Malik Elassal, Amit Rao and Owen Thiele, all of whom deserve better material than this. (Hulu)
This is one of those warm sitcoms that hits the spot when you need to relax and switch off your critical faculties. Comic Leanne Morgan has fun playing around with middle-aged themes like finding new relationships later in life, coping with the indignities of ageing and the challenges of elderly parents (the superb Celia Weston and Blake Clark). And the tight ensemble cast is getting more comfortable with their roles: Kristen Johnson is more earthy and funny as Leanne's boisterous sister, while Ryan Stiles is still silly but less cartoonish as her cheating ex. Some of the story elements feel contrived specifically to keep this series running for years, which is a problem with most TV shows. But the down-home charm and unblinking honesty are refreshing enough to make us look forward to more. (Netflix)
It's a gear change for this third season of the low-budget queer sitcom set in Melbourne. The eponymous magazine has folded, and Adam (Will Hutchins) has somewhat improbably started his career as a shooting-star photographer. He's also marrying his boyfriend Gabe (the adorable Jake Hyde). The writing and directing are still somewhat awkward, with rather corny dialog and plotting (does anyone hold a stag night several months before their wedding?). But the expanding ensemble of characters is charming enough to keep us watching, offering some charming wrinkles that touch loosely on issues that circle around family, romance and careers. There are also deeper themes that resonate along with the scrappy comedy and goofy embarrassment-heavy slapstick. (Cinephobia)
NOW WATCHING: Mobland 2, East of Eden, Carrie, Stick 2, Scrubs 11, Necromancer
GUILTY PLEASURES: The Celebrity Traitors, The Great British Bake Off, Strictly Come Dancing, Drag Race UK
COMING SOON: VisionQuest, Nobody Wants This 3, Lupin 4, Newlyweds, Dexter: Resurrection 2, Black Doves 2
Previous roundup: AUGUST 2026 >
