PICK OF PAY TV AND MOVIES

(Season 3) HHHH

AMAZON PRIME NEW! LAST ONE LAUGHING

(Parts 1 & 2) HHH Comedians try to make each other laugh in this new, six-part Australian contest, the twist being that if they buckle and guffaw at a joke, they lose – and there’s a big cash prize at stake. Rebel Wilson hosts the lively parade of oneupmanship and ego-tweaking that results. A new double bill arrives every Thursday.

COMEDY GARY BUSEY: PET JUDGE

(Season 1) HH The only real thing about this comedy courtroom series seems to be Gary Busey, who appears to take his duties as a judge dispensing ‘Pet Justice’ in disputes between owners very seriously indeed. The owners are actually actors, which is a shame, but this is worth dipping into for the curiosity value of Busey alone.

(2019) U n HHHHH Shaun (left) and friends look after a stranded alien in this delightful and very British comedy from Aardman Animations. A truly universal entertainment, it’s like a classic of the silent era. From Thursday.

MOVIE MOVIE SHAUN THE SHEEP: FARMAGEDDON BACK TO THE FUTURE

(1985) PG ● HHHHH This great adventure and its sequels come to Amazon. From tomorrow.

Espionage adventure My Spy, which had its cinema release cut back by Covid-19, is on Amazon

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SKY ON DEMAND/ NOW TV MOVIE THE FAVOURITE

(2018) 15 u HHHH Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone give dynamite performances in a dark, Oscar-winning comedy drama about rivals for power in the court of Queen Anne.

It’s from the same writer as The Great (see right).

DRAMA LIVING THE DREAM

(Seasons 1-2)

HHH A Yorkshire family run a caravan park in sunny

Florida in Sky’s cheery comedy drama, starring Philip Glenister and Lesley Sharp.

NEW!

(Both parts) HHH Conrad Roy killed himself after receiving encouraging text messages from his girlfriend, Michelle Carter, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2017. This high-end HBO documentary tells the story of that very sad case. From Friday.

MOVIE I LOVE YOU, NOW DIE GALAXY QUEST

(1999) PG ● HHHH One of the best sci-fi spoofs ever made, with Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman as actors on a Star Treklike show. A great documentary about it is on Sky Documentaries tonight at 10pm. s Particularly

BEST OF THE REST NEW! THE GREAT

(Starzplay via Amazon & Virgin) HHH Tony Mcnamara, the writer of The Favourite, brings a rebellious and modern perspective to the Russian imperial court for this punky, funny drama about the rise of Catherine the Great and her husband, Peter III (Nicholas Hoult, left). From Thursday.

PAY MOVIES THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD

(2019) PG ● (BT TV Store, Sky Store (buy & keep only), Virgin) HHHHH Armando Iannucci’s vibrant retelling of Charles Dickens’s tale features a huge and absolutely cracking cast – Hugh Laurie, Peter Capaldi, Ben Whishaw – and Dev Patel is superb as Copperfield.

DOLITTLE NEW! MAKE ME FAMOUS

(BBC3 via iplayer) HHHH Reggie Yates has written this disturbing one-off drama about life after the show for reality stars. From Wednesday, 6am.

(2020) PG ● (BT TV Store, Sky Store, Virgin) HHH Robert Downey Jr dons a Welsh accent for a child-focused and very expensive-looking adventure for the man who talks to animals. Both from Monday.