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BOX SETS AND ON DEMAND
The Ghost Bride (Netflix, from Thu)
Huang Peijia, Ludi Lin and Kang Ren Wu are among the impressive cast of this period drama set in 1890s Colonial Malacca. It centres on Li Lan who has been offered a marriage proposal from the rich Lim family to become the “ghost bride” to their late son. Though it means her clan will be saved from a lifetime of debt, she will spend the rest of her days being haunted by the Lim family’s son. Keen to extricate herself from this horrendous arrangement, the heroine finds herself wrapped up in a murder mystery and neckdeep in other-worldly affairs.
Riverdale (Netflix, from Thu)
Archie comics have generated many unusual spin-offs over the years, from the classic 1969 pop hit Sugar Sugar to more recent comic Archie versus Predator. Compared to the latter, this slick teen drama seems relatively normal by comparison. Series four so far has seen the locals preparing for an Independence Day parade, and Archie receiving a phone call that changes his life forever. Now that season continues with a fine cast including KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes and The Breakfast Club’s Molly Ringwald.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix, from Fri)
If you’re late to the party, this saga re-imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story. Part three finds Sabrina reeling from the harrowing events of Part two. Though she defeated her father Lucifer, the Dark Lord remains trapped within the human prison of her beloved boyfriend, Nicholas Scratch. Meanwhile, in Greendale, a strange carnival arrives town, bringing with it a threat to the Spellmans. This is another feather in the cap of Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.
Rise of Empires: Ottoman (Netflix, from Fri)
Charles Dance has long been one of the most compelling actors of his generation, and this project is no exception. You may never have heard of Turkish talents such as Selim Bayraktar, Birkan Sokullu, and Osman Sonant, but that could all change when this new series launches via the streaming giant this week. Critically acclaimed historians such as Professor Dr AM Celal Sengor and Dr Emrah Safa Gurkan lend their expertise to the six-part docuseries which has been shot in several locations across Istanbul. The show reveals how Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II wages an epic campaign to take the Byzantine capital of Constantinople and shapes the course of history.
Star Trek: Picard (Amazon Prime, from Fri)
When the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation bowed out with the film Nemesis in 2002, it felt like a massive let down. Despite 178 episodes, and several films, there was still so much more to explore with Captain Jean Luc Picard and company. However, the demise of robot Data and his inferior replacement felt like a story left in mid air. Fans have had to wait 18 years for a sense of closure, and now they can rest easy as Patrick Stewart and old associates return for the first of a new series.
Fans are in safe hands as Picard and company boldly go once more.