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BOX SETS AND ON DEMAND
El Bulli: The Story of a Dream (Amazon Prime Video)
He may not be as famous as the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal, but few chefs are more gifted or acclaimed as Ferran Adria – not bad for someone who began his culinary career washing dishes in a Spanish hotel. After spending his compulsory military service as a cook, he landed a job at Catalan restaurant elBulli; 18 months later he was head chef. It was named the best restaurant in the world five times, but closed in 2011. This 15-part documentary series was filmed over 13 years and examines Adria’s work, from the early years at elBulli, his melding of food, art, design and science, to the projects he is developing via the elBulli foundation.
Mr Sunshine (Netflix, from Saturday)
The acclaimed drama Descendants of the Sun paved the way for this 24-part series written by Kim Eun-sook and directed by Lee Eung-bok. It centres on an American expedition to Korea in the late 19th century. The protagonist is a Korean boy born into a family of house servants who runs off to board an American warship, later returning to his homeland as a US marine officer. He eventually falls for an aristocrat’s daughter and discovers the disturbing plan to colonise the country he once fled. Fans of the GI Joe movies will recognise Lee Byung-hun; he was also in Red 2. And look out too for Kim Tae-ri, from The Handmaiden.
Drug Lords: Season 2 (Netflix, from Tue)
The drama world’s thirst for tales about drug dealers and crimelords shows little sign of abating. Of course truth is always stranger than fiction, as series one of Drug Lords proved. The stories of history’s most notorious kingpins, including Pablo Escabar and Frank (American Gangster) Lucas, their employees and those who will stop at nothing to bring them down gripped fans. The second run starts this week, so now is the perfect chance for newcomers to catch up on a compelling saga from the ITN stable, and for series veterans to find out more about Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, aka El Chapo; Los Angeles crack “queenpin” Jemeker Thompson; Jamaican drug-seller Christopher Coke and Dutch dealer Klaas Bruins.
Sugar Rush (Netflix, from Fri)
If you were hoping the namesake Channel 4 series from 2005 was getting another airing, you’ll be disappointed. However, this challenging new contest should hit the sweet spot. Candace Nelson, who runs an LA cupcake chain called Sprinkles, is one of the judges, alongside Adriano Zumbo (who became a cult star thanks to Australian TV show Zumbo’s Just Desserts). Hunter March is your host, and it should be slicker than melted chocolate on a summer’s day. Described as a “relentlessly fast-paced baking competition that challenges brilliant bakers to create sweet treats that look beautiful and taste great”.