Pick of the week
Wonder Man
In terms of audience recognition, Wonder Man is no Wonder Woman. But, as this latest addition to the MCU shows, that can afford a certain freedom. This miniseries is a surprisingly meta affair; a superhero fantasy by way of the kind of behind-the-camera machinations familiar to fans of Seth Rogen’s The Studio. It tells the story of a pair of struggling actors, Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), who are hustling hard to be cast in eccentric European director Von Kovak’s movie Wonder Man. But what seems like a simple Hollywood satire soon develops special powers as Simon finds he shares certain attributes with his fictional persona. Intriguing.
Disney+, from Wednesday 28 January
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Take That
A feast of nostalgia and a fascinating origin story, this series is essentially a backstage pass to experience the rise and fall of a boyband. The early years are particularly gripping as Gary Barlow finds his feet as a songwriter and the band alternate between playing school assemblies and gay clubs. It’s also striking how quickly tensions arise, with Barlow under pressure to keep knocking out hits while the others start to feel like glorified backing dancers. The plentiful archive footage makes for an intimate tale of, as Robbie Williams puts it, “working class lads given the golden ticket”.
Netflix, from Tuesday 27 January
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Skyscraper Live
Remember how you felt as you watched free-climbing maverick Alex Honnold ascend the lethal rockface El Capitan in the Oscar-winning 2018 documentary Free Solo? It was a gripping but almost unbearably tense watch – and this was even the case when knowing that Honnold had survived. Here, he takes his brinksmanship one step further, attempting a live, unharnessed scramble up Taipei 101 – one of the tallest buildings in the world. This can hardly fail to be extraordinary viewing, even if Honnold’s terrifying antics are best observed through your fingers.
Netflix, out now
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Shrinking
This warm, insightful series returns with more broad comedy and gentle philosophical musing. For all of Jason Segel’s therapist Jimmy’s attempts to heal himself after the loss of his wife, it’s clear that he’s still stuck. The latest flashpoint concerns the imminent departure to university of his daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell). “All I want is for her to live with me until I die peacefully”, he admits. This clearly isn’t healthy but it does enable a lucid exploration of Jimmy’s grief which, it is clear, is only ever manageable and never completely absent.
Apple TV, from Wednesday 28 January
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Bridgerton
The raunchy regency romance returns, and although Bridgerton is starting to feel formulaic, rakish Benedict (Luke Thompson) is taking centre stage to spice things up. It’s time for another ball and Benedict – whose mother is worried about his eternal bachelorhood – has glimpsed a captivating stranger. At first she eludes him so he enlists his sister Eloise (Claudia Jessie) to track her down. However, high society seems unfamiliar with this mystery woman. Could she, perish the thought, be from less noble stock – and will love conquer all in any case?
Netflix, from Thursday 29 January
***
The Pushover
The North Zealand region of Denmark (AKA the Danish Riviera) is the setting for this moody Scandinavian thriller adapted from a novel by Lone Theils. When a wealthy woman is found dead in her swimming pool, suspicion falls upon her boyfriend Tom. Soon, details about his chequered past emerge and obvious conclusions are drawn. However, while he’s willing to confess to fraud, he’s adamant his crimes stop well short of murder. Detective Morten Stark believes him – and it turns out Copenhagen journalist Nora Sand is investigating the same case.
Channel 4, from Friday 30 January
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Nicholas Rossi: Conman and Predator
While it’s not the first time this story has been told on television – Channel 4 made a four-part series about it in 2024 – the story of Nicholas Rossi is wild enough to bear repeated scrutiny. It begins (narratively, at least) on a Glasgow Covid ward in 2021. A man wakes from a coma to find he is surrounded by detectives who claim he is one of America’s most wanted fugitives. He is adamant he’s an academic called Arthur Knight. The backstory – which involves tell-tale tattoos, a thwarted political career and a faked death – almost defies belief.
Prime Video, from Friday 30 January
