Hang on for the ride
10 shows to watch
OUR NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT WRITER LISA WOOLFORD SHARES HER PICKS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
GRISELDA Thursday, Netflix
Sofia Vergara proves she has serious acting chops in this six-episode series inspired by the life of Colombian Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable drug cartels in history. Best known as Gloria Pritchett from Modern Family, Vergara and production put a lot of effort into recreating the look of the notorious criminal – known as the Godmother in 1970s and ’80s Miami – with Vergara saying in an interview she wanted to completely disappear into the role and didn’t want viewers to go “oh that’s Gloria with a fake nose”. It also stars Alberto Guerra, Christian Tappan, Martin Rodriguez and Vanessa Ferlito.
IN THE KNOW Thursday, Binge
This adult animated series from Greg Daniels (The Simpsons), Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-Head) and Zach Woods (Veep) follows the rather self-centred host – public radio station NPR’s “third most popular” broadcaster – Lauren Caspian (Woods), as well as the studio’s quirky cast of characters: researcher Fabian (Caitlin Reilly), college intern Chase (Charlie Bushnell), producer Barb (Succession’s J. Cameron Smith), sound engineer Carl (Carl Tart), and oddball critic Sandy (Judge). Each ep goes “behind-thescenes” of making of his talk show, before he interviews his guests (live humans). And there’s a heap lined up for this season including Kaia Gerber, Finn Wolfhard and Norah Jones.
MUSTER DOGS Sunday, 7.30pm, ABC and iview
It’s the second instalment of this heartwarming series and it again spans Australia, as five new graziers take on an Australian border collie puppy to train to be a champion muster dog of the title. Training for the five-month assessment is under way, with Zoe and Cilla struggling to find their rhythm with boisterous Buddy and Ash the socialite. And, with families to care for, businesses to run and staff to manage, the trainers are constantly juggling to deliver the essential 10 minutes a day of quality training needed.
THE GENTLE ART OF SWEDISH DEATH CLEANING Sunday, 10.30pm, SBS, On Demand
Narrated by Amy Poehler, Margareta Magnusson’s best-selling book comes to life in this series, which helps people embrace minimalism through the Swedish concept of dostadning, or death cleaning. Essentially, it boils down to ridding your life of possessions that no longer serve you, so your loved ones don’t have to rummage through all your crap after you’re dead. In episode four, the Death Cleaners – an organiser, a designer, and a psychologist, all three from Sweden – are helping Sue, an artist who helped build a lesbian-safe section in the US city of Kansas City, Missouri, in the 1980s. She hasn’t been able to clean her “organised heaps” of art since the love of her life died of Covid.
EXPATS Friday, Prime video
The six-part limited series is based on the internationally best-selling novel The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee. Set against the tumultuous tapestry of 2014 Hong Kong, Expats centres on three American women – Margaret (Kidman), who is struggling with a deep sense of loss; Mercy (Jiyoung Yoo), whose haunted life is at a standstill; and Hilary (Sarayu Blue), who desperately wants a child. It’s fairly heavy-going, Kidman – who’s also executive producer – has shared there was a moment during preproduction when she wanted to walk away. Thankfully, she didn’t – it’s a masterful performance.
AUSTRALIAN IDOL Monday, 7.30pm, Seven
How on earth can it be 21 years since Guy Sebastian pipped Shannon Noll to become Australia’s first Idol? Turns out it is and the international star-making sensation returns to Seven. Hosts Scott Tweedie and Ricki-Lee Coulter are back, as are judges Kyle Sandilands and Amy Shark. Can’t wait to see OG Idol judge Marcia Hines join them in analysing the next generation of talent.
MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT Monday, 7.30pm, Nine
Promos are already boldly proclaiming this always polarising series will absolutely push the limits on everything viewers think they know about the reality love show. There’s 20 brave – or foolhardy – singles ready for a chance at love. Nine is promising the most diverse cast of brides and grooms – including the oldest-ever participant, and a same-sex couple – “carefully” matched by relationship experts John Aiken and Mel Schilling, alongside certified sexologist Alessandra Rampolla. Plus there’s the car-crash viewing of Confessions Week, Alessandra’s Intimacy Week and Home Stays, where couples travel to meet each other’s loved ones.
SURVIVOR TITANS V REBELS Monday, 7.30pm, Ten
And to round out the reality juggernauts, Australian Survivor is returning for its epic ninth season on the back of its Logie for Most Outstanding Reality Program for last year’s Heroes V Villains season. It’s back in Samoa and unlike the past few seasons – which featured a mixture of new and returning players – this year’s batch consists entirely of first timers. Titans V Rebels is billed as the “big wigs v the battlers” and “rule makers v the rulebreakers”. Given host Jonathan LaPaglia admits even he finds it nearly impossible to predict which players will be eliminated early and which ones have a real shot at outwitting, outplaying and outlasting – what chance do us mere mortals have?
SILENT WITNESS Binge
The multi-award-winning crime drama is back with its 27th season and is as gripping and compulsive viewing as ever. Pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) and forensic scientist Jack Hodgson have another series of puzzling cases, which test them to their very limits as a serial killer resurfaces, death stalks a campus, a mummified woman rocks a community, bodies are found entombed underground and deep fakes obscure the truth. Four Weddings and a Funeral star John Hannah guest stars as retired pathologist Charles Beck, whose wife was the killer’s suspected fifth victim.