Photograph: Matt Grace/Courtesy Of Apple
Pick of the week
Time Bandits
Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement bring their trademark deadpan absurdism to this reimagining of Terry Gilliam’s 1981 time-travel romp. Kal-El Tuck stars as geeky 11-year-old Kevin, whose vivid imagination is rewarded when a portal to a variety of eras and places appears in his wardrobe. Soon after stumbling into this parallel world, he encounters an engaging rabble of space robbers led, somewhat shakily, by Lisa Kudrow’s Penelope, and joins them on a series of hair-raising adventures as they protect their stolen map from Wrongness (Clement). It doesn’t quite possess the creaky charm of the film but it establishes its own very distinct tone and Tuck is a bright spark of a lead.
Apple TV+, from Wednesday 24 July
***
The Decameron
It’s 14th-century Italy and the Black Death is in full swing. In the cities, people are fighting for bread and bringing out their dead. So why not accept an invitation to take refuge in a beautiful country house away from the revolting hoi polloi? This comedy, loosely inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio’s contemporaneous short stories but modern in mood, introduces a cast of buffoonish characters, and social climbing, debauchery and general foolery ensue. It takes a while to establish its tone but has a fine cast including Tanya Reynolds, Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Zosia Mamet.
Netflix, from Thursday 25 July
***
Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam
Lou Pearlman isn’t the first pop impresario to reveal a darker side, but his rise and fall was more spectacular than most. While Pearlman, rather wishfully, referred to himself as “the sixth Backstreet Boy”, he was also responsible for launching the careers of ‘NSync, Britney Spears and many more. As this documentary series shows, underpinning these massive success stories was an altogether wilder and grimmer reality: without knowing it, these acts were at the heart of a huge Ponzi scheme that would eventually land Pearlman in prison.
Netflix, from Wednesday 24 July
***
Resurrected Rides
Imagine The Repair Shop, transported to the US, pimped up and applied to vehicles. Then you’ll be somewhere close to understanding the vibe of this series in which “the best garage team in the world” take all manner of clapped-out rust-buckets and attempt to render them both smart and roadworthy. It’s funny, ludicrous and exhausting – hosted by actor and comedian Chris Redd, who keeps the energy levels at maximum throughout. The end-of-show reveals make Olympic opening ceremonies seem subtle and understated.
Netflix, from Wednesday 24 July
***
Kleo
With its strong look and charismatic, ultra-violent female lead, this post-cold war thriller’s obvious precedent is Killing Eve. But while Kleo doesn’t lack cartoonish action set pieces, there’s also a sense of melancholy thanks to the obvious emotional damage influencing the life choices of Kleo (Jella Haase). As we rejoin the former East German agent for a second season, important documents pertaining to the old communist regime are up for grabs. But Kleo isn’t the only person looking for them – the CIA and the KGB are on the hunt, too.
Netflix, from Thursday 25 July
***
Ranked
The compulsive urge to rate things has been supercharged by our algorithm-driven online lives. This daft but fun new series makes ranking more personal. Are people capable of classifying themselves? In each episode, a group of strangers will be asked to put their egos aside and pass honest judgments on themselves and each other. We begin with five reality TV stars from the likes of The Apprentice and Love Island, who have to decide which show is hardest to win. Subsequent bunches of rankers include groups of football fans, chefs and athletes.
BBC iPlayer, from Friday 26 July
***
Carmen Curlers
This 60s-set Danish drama is a mix of period style and social history, tracking the development of electric hair curlers in Copenhagen. It may seem niche but turns out to be a story with many dimensions. Not only did the invention revolutionise the lives of women struggling with plastic curlers but the Carmen Curlers factory employed mainly female workers, most of whom enjoyed autonomy for the first time. Morten Hee Andersen stars as Axel Byvang, the entrepreneur behind the product, who is searching for investors and risking everything to expand the business.
Channel 4, from Friday 26 July
