PICK OF PAY TV AND MOVIES

NETFLIX

NEW! MESSIAH (Season 1) ★★★

How would the world react to a man who claimed to be the Messiah? That’s the question posed by Netflix’s interesting drama, which stars Michelle Monaghan as a US intelligence officer. From New Year’s Day.

MOVIE JOHN WICK 3

(2019) 15 ◆ ★★★ The Keanu Reeves hit man thriller reaches new heights in this globe-trotting second sequel. Motorbikes, dogs, and horses all feature in the astonishing stunts as John goes on the run. From New Year’s Eve.

NEW! ANNE WITH AN E

(Season 3) ★★★★ The final season of this sweet and powerful 19thcentury Canadian drama based on the novel Anne

Of Green Gables. Anne is played by Amybeth

Mcnulty (right), whose eyes are among the most expressive on TV – and they have plenty to do here as the orphan becomes more curious about her past. From Friday.

MOVIE LA LA LAND

(2016) 12 ◆ ★★★★ Damien Chazelle’s musical salute to Hollywood dreamers stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as the actress and musician falling in love. From New Year’s Eve.

AMAZON PRIME

COMEDY SEINFELD (All nine seasons) ★★★★★ Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David’s comedy went out on top, but took a while to find its feet. In today’s more competitive TV world, it might not have had the chance.

NEW! JAYDE ADAMS: SERIOUS BLACK JUMPER

★★★ The Bristol comic presents her own take on feminism – wearing a serious black jumper – in this amusing and insightful stand-up special. From Friday.

NEW! JAMES MAY: OUR MAN IN JAPAN

(All six parts) ★★★★ James May is determined to buck travelogue tropes in his three-month voyage to a land that, from a British perspective, is ‘the most abroad you can go’. Our host approaches the country from an everyday point of view, visiting shops and sitting in pubs, etc, which arguably tells you more about Japan than spending time with high-tech robots or dressing as a samurai – although he does that, too. You can only ignore tropes for so long. From Friday.

MOVIE I, TONYA

(2018) 15 ◆ ★★★★ Dynamite acting from Margot Robbie and Allison Janney – as Tonya Harding and her overbearing mother – powers this punchy drama about the infamous ice skater.

SKY ON DEMAND/ NOW TV

GENERATION KILL

NEW! (All seven parts) ★★★★★ Authentic, foul-mouthed Iraq War drama, adapted by The

Wire’s David Simon from the book by embedded reporter

Evan Wright. From Monday. NEW! THE NEWSROOM (All three seasons) ★★★★

Aaron Sorkin’s drama is often mired in handwringing, but has moments when it soars above that to become something special, and it’s worth seeing for those alone.

The stars are Jeff Daniels as a news anchor having a revelation, Emily Mortimer as his producer – and ex-girlfriend – and Sorkin’s usual good ear for dialogue. From Monday.

IN TREATMENT

NEW! (All three seasons) ★★★★ A rewarding series if you have the time for it, this US therapy drama stars Gabriel Byrne as the shrink and some familiar faces (Melissa George, Josh Charles, Debra Winger) as the clients. From Monday.

ANGELS IN AMERICA

NEW! (All six parts) ★★★★ Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson star in this well-made Aids epidemic drama. From Monday.

BEST OF THE REST

NEW! VEGANVILLE (BBC3 via iplayer) ★★★ Five vegans travel to south Wales and try to convert the meat-eating locals in this eye-opening documentary series. From New Year’s Day.

NEW! DOOM PATROL (Starzplay via Amazon & Virgin) ★★★★ The enigmatic ‘Chief’ (Timothy Dalton, left) collects damaged souls with superpowers in this knowing drama series from the darker end of the DC Comics universe. If you liked Umbrella Academy or The Boys, this is a bit like that. From Thursday.

PAY MOVIES

OPHELIA (2018) 15 ◆ (Virgin) ★★★ Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley plays the doomed Ophelia in a worthwhile reimagining of Hamlet that’s told from her perspective. Ridley is a solid heroine, but Naomi Watts is superb as Queen Gertrude, who takes the young Ophelia under her wing.

THE INFORMER (2019) 15 ◆ (BT TV Store, Sky Store (buy & keep only), Virgin) ★★★ No Time To Die’s Ana de Armas co-stars in this decent thriller about an undercover ex-con who’s abandoned by his FBI handler (Rosamund Pike). Both from Monday.