Pick of the week
Heart of Invictus
After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s podcast deal with Spotify was cancelled earlier this summer, there was glee in certain quarters at the prospect that their deal with Netflix might be next. But for now, the Sussex media empire proceeds. This series explores the origins of the Invictus Games, the international sporting event for wounded veterans that Harry launched in 2014 when he wasn’t the populist right’s favourite public punchbag. It’s actually the story of a very worthy enterprise which, on the basis of most of the moving testimony here, has given renewed strength and purpose to many people. The 2023 games take place in September and it’s an institution worth celebrating.
Netflix, from Wednesday 30 August
***
Mayans MC
It’s the final season of this frequently bloody but always melodramatic Sons of Anarchy spin-off, and EZ Reyes (JD Pardo) has big plans for the gang, even if some of his comrades might be losing the faith and prioritising domesticity. But the only way to bring EZ’s ambitions to fruition is to fight a dirty war against the Sons – and the rivalry is claiming lives already. Cue much theatrical violence and slightly sweaty glowering and posturing. It’s never remotely subtle but Mayans MC is still a striking, almost self-parodic vision of wild America.
Disney+, from Wednesday 30 August
***
Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zone
Dan Buettner has been writing about so-called “blue zones” for almost 20 years. These are the often small regions of the world where longevity is standard and more people live happily and healthily to older ages. This series sees him visiting these disparate areas to search for common threads. The odd whiff of hokum notwithstanding, it’s intriguing: there are few hard and fast rules but, from Greece to Costa Rica, everything from strong community spirit to road gradients can be corralled into anti-ageing theory.
Netflix, from Wednesday 30 August
***
Takeshi’s Castle
Did the world need a revival of this 90s student-hangover staple? Probably not, but now we have one, it feels churlish not to laugh as contenders plummet into filthy-looking water while attempting to navigate stepping stones, slides, slaloms and other obstacles. It’s essentially It’s a Knockout with a dash of Squid Game (minus the death, obviously) and it feels vaguely good to have it back, even if the voiceover – from Tom Davis and Romesh Ranganathan – feels a little too knowing and the weirdness inherent to the concept slightly contrived. It’s slapstick but since when has that been a problem?
Prime Video, from Wednesday 30 August
***
One Piece
Eiichiro Oda’s mega-selling manga series has produced a media empire that has encompassed feature films, cartoons and much more. Now, his creations have been given flesh-and-blood form in this live-action TV version. Clearly, the casting is crucial – straw-hatted young pirate Monkey D Luffy is brought to life with real charm by Iñaki Gody and his crew of stroppy teens are nicely realised, too. Their adventures take them into various fantastical realms but Monkey’s rubbery special powers usually save the day.
Netflix, from Thursday 31 August
***
The Wheel of Time
“We didn’t defeat the dark one. We set him free.” Statements such as this are surely the basis for all the most lurid fantasy epics and, as this series returns, there’s a sense of power running out of control. Adapted from Robert Jordan’s 14-volume series (so there’s plenty of material to work with if audience interest sustains), the show stars Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred, a supernaturally gifted mentor/magus character who finds herself guiding a small band of proteges after losing some of her powers. Might one of her students have a date with destiny?
Prime Video, from Friday 1 September
***
Disenchantment
Matt Groening’s animated fantasy comedy has struggled to find the right tone – it has never seemed quite sure whether to be a fantasy, a satire of fantasy or a bit of both. The final season sees Princess Bean finally coming face to face with the prophecy that has pursued her throughout. And she’s approaching it in a stoical, slightly exasperated way. “I just want to kill my mom and get on with my life,” she grumbles. “Is that too much to ask?” It seems so – the climactic battle with Queen Dagmar seems unlikely to leave anyone in Dreamland completely unscathed.
Netflix, from Friday 1 September
