Pick of the week
A Very Royal Scandal
Another trip along the well-travelled route to Pizza Express in Woking, this time mapped out by a cast headed by Ruth Wilson and Michael Sheen. Whether the world really needs another interpretation of Emily Maitlis’s 2019 interview with Prince Andrew is a fair question. But the background to the story is nicely rendered here. Wilson’s Maitlis is driven but brittle, straining against BBC propriety. Sheen, meanwhile, plays Andrew as a superficially avuncular but petulant and buffoonish individual whose lack of moral or practical purpose has left him twisting dangerously in the wind. The performances make overlooking the familiarity of the story just about worthwhile.
Prime Video, from Thursday 19 September
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Agatha All Along
Wanda’s witchy neighbour Agatha Harkness was one of the breakout stars of Marvel’s 2021 hit WandaVision. The character has featured in numerous Marvel stories and here she gets her own show, leaving town in the aftermath of her battle with Wanda and seeking to regain her lost powers. But first, she assembles a gang of misfits with whom to face the trials of the Witches’ Road – and, in a nod to WandaVision’s taste for genre spoof, work her way through the archetypes she’s inhabited. The brilliant Kathryn Hahn is joined by a fine supporting cast including Aubrey Plaza and Joe Locke of Heartstopper fame.
Disney+, from Thursday 19 September
***
Nöthin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ’80s Hair Metal
From throwing slabs of meat into the audience to attaching pyrotechnics to your groin, nothing much was off-limits in 80s hair metal. This three-part documentary is the handiwork of Jackass associate Jeff Tremaine and the stories have a comparable recklessness. Inevitably, there were casualties, which lead to a few slightly jarring tonal shifts. But mainly, this series (which features Bret Michaels, Nuno Bettencourt and many other poodle-permed luminaries of the scene) feels like a celebration of a lost era.
Paramount+, from Tuesday 17 September
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What’s Next? The Future With Bill Gates
“Bill Gates is part of a reptilian race that includes Tom Hanks and Lady Gaga.” In this series exploring humanity’s future, Bill Gates doesn’t shy away from the elephant in the room, which is that advances in communication technology have had consequences for many people’s mental health. However, in spite of it all, Gates seems optimistic, examining everything from medical breakthroughs to youth activism and seeing solutions to intractable problems. Joining him on this journey are contributors including Bernie Sanders and his lizard pal Gaga herself.
Netflix, from Wednesday 18 September
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Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Why did Lyle and Erik Menendez murder their parents? The prosecution argued they were motivated by money. But the brothers alleged years of abuse by their father Jose. This is the second instalment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology; it depicts the Menendez household as a luxurious prison in which the siblings were simultaneously spoiled, hothoused and bullied. Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez play the brothers but Chloë Sevigny and Javier Bardem steal the show as their monstrous parents.
Netflix, from Thursday 19 September
***
La Maison
There are high fashion hijinks in this sleek and stylish drama set in the world of French haute couture. When scandal threatens to overwhelm famous fashion house LEDU, two previously minor players Perle Foster (Amira Casar) and Paloma Castel (Zita Hanrot) sense an opportunity to join forces and mount a takeover. However, the ruthless CEO of a rival brand has come to similar conclusions – and isn’t the type to withdraw gracefully. It’s luxuriantly realised and takes its rag-trade machinations incredibly seriously – which is, of course, all part of the fun.
Apple TV+, from Friday 20 September
***
Frasier
The first season of this revival of the adored 90s sitcom wasn’t an unequivocal success. But it wasn’t a complete failure either, which is probably enough reason to give it another chance. As ever, the appeal of Frasier 2.0 isn’t really found in the plotting but in the quippy, genteel ambience. Expect to see more of Peri Gilpin’s Roz after her return in season one. And prepare for a not especially nailbiting storyline involving the possibility of Nicholas Lyndhurst’s Alan Cornwall losing his job. It never quite sparkles in the old manner but it’s a TV comfort blanket.
Paramount+, from Friday 20 September
• This article was amended on 13 September 2024. An earlier picture caption said that the image showed Amira Casar in La Maison when it was in fact Carole Bouquet.
