Marvellous May viewing
A Pacific-set horror series provides the perfect showcase for the multi-talented Frankie Adams, there’s a new Star Wars and plenty of crime dramas. James Croot reports.
As the nights get longer and colder, so the need increases for something entertaining to fill them. Naturally, free-to-air television’s solution is more reality competitions. TVNZ has dusted off The Apprentice for a new generation (TVNZ1, May 10), and a day earlier, Three introduces a Kiwi version of international hot property The Masked Singer .A new quiz show, 9 Lives, hosted by Matai Smith is also expected to debut this month.
Meanwhile, for fans of the outdoors, TVNZ1 has a new series of Britain’s Your Garden Made Perfect (May 13) and a show focused on New Zealand’s aim to be predatorfree by 2050, Fight for the Wild (May 15).
New seasons of Lucifer, The Kominsky Method (both May 28) and Love, Death & Robots
(May 14) feature among Netflix’s eclectic-as-usual lineup. Apple TV+ boasts the return of comedy Mythic Quest (May 7), and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is back on Disney+ for a Beauty and the Beast-focused follow-up on May 14.
Neon’s titles include the return of Shrill (Friday) and Pose (May 10), and Amazon Prime Video has teen drama Panic (May 28), a show whose cast includes Jack Nicholson’s son Ray.
However, after looking through the lineups, Stuff has come up with a list of the dozen titles we’re most excited to see.
Halston (May 14, Netflix)
Ewan McGregor plays the American fashion designer born Roy Halston Frowick in this five-part drama. It follows the 70s icon as he builds his era-defining global fashion empire that became synonymous with luxury, sex, status and fame. Rory Culkin (brother of Macaulay) plays film director Joel Schumacher.
Intergalactic (May 18, SkyGo/Neon)
There’s more than a hint of Con Air about this eight-part British sci-fi series which follows a crew of fierce female convicts who stage a mutiny and seize control of their prison transfer ship. Among them is a former fearless young cop and galactic pilot wrongly convicted of a treasonous crime. The cast includes Bend it Like Beckham ’s Parminder Nagra, Peaky Blinders’ Natasha O’Keeffe and Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson.
Jupiter’s Legacy (Friday, Netflix)
Based on Kick-Ass and Kingsman author Mark Miller’s comic-book series of the same name, this eight-part action-adventure explores what happens when the next generation of superheroes have to live up to their forebears’ exploits. Transformers’ Josh Duhamel headlines a cast of relative unknowns.
1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (May 21, Apple TV+)
Having delivered memorable documentaries on Ayrton Senna, Amy Winehouse and Diego Maradona, director Asif Kapadia now takes an eightpart ‘‘immersive deep-dive’’ into how a generation of musical icons were influenced by the changing tides of history and how they used their music to inspire hope, change and the culture around them. Artists featured include The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell and The Staple Singers.
Rebel (May 28, Disney+)
Katey Sagal stars in this drama inspired by the life of activist Erin Brockovich. The Married With Children and Sons of Anarchy actor plays Annie ‘‘Rebel’’ Bello, a bluecollar legal advocate without a law degree. Sex and the City’s John Corbett co-stars as Bello’s husband. ‘‘Has all the ingredients to make a terrific show. A strong ensemble. Quick-witted dialogue. Interesting cases. Romantic entanglements. Interpersonal strife. A force to be reckoned with lead. She’s a rebel with a cause and she’s a delight to watch,’’ wrote Paste magazine’s Amy Amatangelo.
Solos (May 14, Amazon)
Seven-part anthology series that is billed as exploring the ‘‘strange, beautiful, heartbreaking, hilarious, wondrous truths of what it means to be human’’. The impressive lineup of acting talent includes Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Anthony Mackie, Helen Mirren, Dan Stevens and Constance Wu.
The Sons of Sam (Tomorrow, Netflix)
Subtitled A Descent Into Darkness, this four-part documentary series looks at journalist Maury Terry’s lifelong obsession with the Son of Sam, the name given to serial killer David Berkowitz, who shot and killed several people in New York City between 1976 and 1977. Terry is convinced that, rather than acting alone, Berkowitz was part of a satanic cult.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Today, Disney+)
Released on that most auspicious of days for fans of George Lucas’ space opera, this new animated series follows a group of elite and experimental clones attempting to find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone Wars. Each possesses a singular exceptional skill. The vocal cast includes The Mandalorian’s Ming-Na Wen, reprising her role as Fennec Shand.
Teine Sa (May 13, Prime)
Set in the modern day Pacific, this five-part horror series sees modern women encounter ancient Pacific Island goddesses who help them with their problems and leave lessons in their wake. Topics explored include online sex videos, Tinder dating and growing-up non-binary.
The Expanse’s Frankie Adams plays multiple roles.
The Underground Railroad (May 14, Amazon)
Academy Award-winning Moonlight director Barry Jenkins’ first television series tells the harrowing story of a woman’s amazing discovery of a fabled underground railroad during her attempt to break free from slavery in the deep south. Based on Colson
Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prizewinning novel, the 10-part series features Joel Edgerton, Peter Mullan, Lily Rabe and newcomer Thuso Mbedu.
Whitstable Pearl (May 24, Acorn)
Former Taskmaster contestant and After Life star Kerry Godliman plays Pearl Nolan, the proprietor of the eponymous restaurant and newly formed detective agency in this cosy British crimedrama. When Pearl discovers the body of a close friend, Vinnie, she is the only person to suspect murder and launches an investigation of her own, much to the chagrin and amusement of the area’s new police chief.
Wynonna Earp (Saturday, TVNZ OnDemand)
Kiwi viewers are finally getting a chance to see this cult supernatural Western horror show in all its glory. Recently finishing its four season run (although an international campaign is calling for its resurrection), it is based on Beau Smith’s comic-book series about the great-greatgranddaughter of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp. Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano), though, brings the paranormal to justice. ‘‘Trust us, just watch it,’’ wrote US TV Guide’s Kaitlin Thomas.