The warnings were there

Bereits 2017 hat ein Zusammenschluss von australischen Wissenschaftlern und Bürgern vor globalen Problemen der Menschheit gewarnt – darunter auch pandemische Krankheiten.

ADVANCED

Based loosely on the memoir by Deborah Feldman about her escape from a strict Hasidic community in New York (see page 9), the mini-series Unorthodox has impressed critics on both sides of the Atlantic.

The series tells the story of Esty Shapiro. Brought up in New York’s Hasidic community, she is married, while still a teenager, to a man chosen by a matchmaker. The marriage is not happy and Esty escapes to Berlin — just after she learns that she is expecting a baby. The Hasidic community, however, is determined to bring her back. We won’t reveal more, but we can mention the attention to detail given to both the Hasidic community and contemporary Berlin. The two environments — one desperate, the other hopeful — are presented through Esty’s eyes. Playing that lead role, Israeli actress Shira Haas (pictured above with Amit Rahav as her husband Yanky) is devastatingly good. Co-scriptwriter and producer Anna Winger (see page 24) secured the services of German actress Maria Schrader to direct Unorthodox. They tell this story slowly, allowing each scene to burn itself into the viewer’s memory. This is must-see TV. Available on Netflix.

Starring Jennifer Aniston as anchorwoman Alex Levy, The Morning Show is a kiss-and-tell story about events at a daily US breakfast show. The series begins when Alex’s co-host, Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell), loses his job after being accused of sexual misconduct. As Mitch tries to tell what he sees as his side of the story, he looks for the support of Alex’s new co-host, Bradley Jackson, a loud-mouthed younger journalist played by Reese Witherspoon. The tension between these two — and between silence and speaking out — is the beating heart of this series. Aniston will surprise you as a mercilessly ambitious woman who realizes too late (well, almost — we are, after all, in the land of happy endings) that everything has its price. Available to subscribers on Apple TV.