WHAT TO CATCH THIS WEEK
ALL THE SINS
A brooding cop with violent tendencies is forced by his bosses to return to the remote hometown that damaged him and use his local knowledge to crack a murder case with sinister religious undertones… nothing too original in that, you might think, but the fact that this compelling series (above) is set in a devout Laestadian (no, us either) community in northern Finland brings an undeniably exotic (albeit chilly) twist to the plot. Add in a pair of powerful performances from Johannes Holopainen as hung-up cop Lauri and Maria Sid as his older but definitely not wiser partner Sanna, and you might just be adding creepy Varjakka to your travel bucket list. Box set available Friday.
FATE: THE WINX SAGA
Based on a cartoon original in which the students at a witch academy look like an anorexic Little Mix, this mildly mystical drama operates in roughly the same universe as the now Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, transplanting the familiar High School Mean Girls bitch fest scenario to a supernatural setting – we’re in an academy for trainee fairies where outsider Bloom (Abigail Cowen, left) must learn to harness her powers while not being distracted by a blond stud with killer abs. Life can be hard. Series available Friday.
EQUINOX
It’s usually best to skip those ‘We’ve Got A Show We Think You Might Like’ messages sent to you by Algie The Annoying Algorithm but I’ll make an exception for this one (above). I thought I was all Scandi noired out
but this Danish tale of a journalist’s quest to discover the fate of her (assumed) long-dead sister is worth a look if you’re a fan of anguished foreheads and lighting that never gets above three on the ten scale. Algie, you know me too well. Available now.
CALL MY AGENT!
Is there a show more deliriously French than this? The daily dramas at Paris acting agency ASK have kept us entertained for three series so it’s a joy to welcome back Andréa, Hervé, Gabriel and the rest as they ride the roller-coaster of thespian egos, calamitous personal lives and cameo star turns. Charlotte Gainsbourg and Nathalie Baye, French icons both, are among the first big names to put in an appearance as Andréa
(a woman for whom motherhood does not come easily) tries to prevent ASK collapsing in the wake of scheming Mathias’s shock departure. Series available Thursday.
STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS
You can never have enough Star Trek, right? Well, possibly, because Trekkies may not be entirely convinced by this animated voyage where no man has gone before… to the service levels of the Enterprise staff, it turns out. Our heroes are a gang of squeaky young Kirk and Uhura wannabes whose days involve scrubbing corridors rather than encountering aliens. It’s a neat concept and makes for space-based escapism, though the Scooby-Doostyle voices could do with being dialled down a notch. Is space meant to make your ears bleed? Available Friday.