Pick of the week
A League of Their Own
“I feel like I’m screwing up my whole life,” says Carson (Abbi Jacobson). “But I’m not stopping. Because it feels good.” This serialisation of the true story of the 1940s female professional baseball team the Rockford Peaches is at its best when it slows down and takes a breath. It’s cheery and jaunty for the most part but, as with Carson’s moment of doubt, there are feelings of vertigo too, when the women realise they’ve abandoned their comfort zones and there may be no way back. What emerges is a funny, touching ode to female solidarity and achievement in the face of entrenched chauvinism. D’Arcy Carden and Chanté Adams also excel in a spirited ensemble cast. PH
Amazon Prime Video, from Friday 12 August
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I Just Killed My Dad
The title of this documentary series is a direct quote: in 2019, 17-year-old Anthony Templet shot and killed his father Burt then called the police and confessed to the crime. But the story was more complex and even sadder than it seemed. During the aftermath of the incident, members of the Templet family suggested that the shooting was the culmination of years of abuse – they alleged that Anthony had been isolated, kept out of school and abused by his father for years. This series unpicks the case; was Anthony essentially acting in self-defence? PH
Netflix, from Tuesday 9 August
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Locke & Key
One of those rare streaming series that doesn’t outstay its welcome – co-showrunners Carlton Cuse and Meredith Averill have announced that this will be the final season of their fantasy horror drama. When a season begins with a character saying: “I think we’re doing pretty great. Things are finally kind of normal,” it’s a good indication that trouble is in store. And so it proves, as a portal is discovered by the Locke family that breaks down the barrier between the past and the future. The trouble is, shutting it might be difficult. Good fun. PH
Netflix, from Wednesday 10 August
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Indian Matchmaking
The first season of this show fronted by Sima Taparia was problematic. It faced accusations of colourism and classism, and it was hard to argue that it didn’t perpetuate negative ideas around hierarchies within Indian society. While there’s still an edge of transactional coldness to the matches (it focuses on India’s economic winners), this second season leans slightly more into expectation management: wanting a match with a man-bun might be realistic; expecting someone to share your “ovo-lacto-semi-vegetarian” diet slightly less so. PH
Netflix, from Wednesday 10 August
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Bluey
The beloved Aussie kids’ series about a family of cartoon dogs, which charms all who encounter it, returns for a long-awaited third season. The show’s secret is its absolute commitment to a childlike immersion in play: through Bluey’s parents Bandit (the best doggy dad in the world) and Chilli, adults feel that they too can join their youngsters in the single-minded pursuit of imaginative delight. As ever, this season contains plenty of strong life lessons: for example, Bluey tries to draw Bandit for a Father’s Day card and learns about the impossibility of perfection. As kids’ TV goes, however, this is somewhere near perfect. PH
Disney+, from Wednesday 10 August
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Cosmic Love
“Ooo, water sign!” “It’s Scorpio season!” “Don’t mess with a Leo!” “Fellow Capricorns – I understand them!” Welcome to the world of astrological dating, a new phenomenon put to the test in this series that matches single contestants with dates by reading their star charts. Ophira and Tali Edut (AKA the AstroTwins) guide the eager romantics through an Astro Chamber in a rural retreat, explaining who they’re most compatible with. Don’t buy it? The wedding proposal might convince you otherwise … HR
Amazon Prime Video, from Friday 12 August
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Five Days at Memorial
One of the most awful stories to emerge from the horror of Hurricane Katrina took place at the Memorial Medical Center, where staff continued to care for patients as the storm raged. They then faced a traumatic aftermath as 45 bodies were recovered amid suggestions that staff had discussed euthanising patients as the situation became increasingly hopeless. This drama series covers both the storm and the subsequent investigation – the disaster movie tone jars slightly with the appalling real-life material but the performances are passionate. PH
Apple TV+, from Friday 12 August
