ENTERTAINMENT

GRIPPING SERIES RETURNS alternate lives of marvel heroes People often complain that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is simply too complicated to follow, especially with all the TV shows that now interconnect with the movies. Well, this series of standalone tales is a neat antidote to that. ‘What If...’ takes characters from the MCU and asks questions like what would have happened if Thor were an only child? Or if all the Avengers were zombies? The stylishly animated, action-filled series (below) returns for a second run this week, and the brace of thought-provoking tales have a distinctly Christmassy feel.

What is National Theatre At Home and how much is it? A place to watch National Theatre plays on demand that launched during Covid. It’s three years old and has more than 70 productions, access to which costs £9.99 a month – or, you can rent a single play for three days for £5.99 or £7.99.

How do I watch it?

By using the National Theatre At Home app on a Samsung Smart TV, Apple, Amazon Fire, Android or Roku devices.

What are the highlights?

Phoebe Wallerbridge’s onewoman play of Fleabag (right) is a standout, and there are a lot more familiar TV faces, too. Nicola Walker (top) is a force to be reckoned with as a late-19th-century teacher in The Corn Is Green, and Gillian Anderson (below) is dynamite in the Bette Davis role in All About Eve. From 9 January, look out for Paapa Essiedu (The Lazarus Project) in Lucy Prebble’s powerful love story The Effect.

Is it as good as going to the theatre? You do miss the excitement of seeing something live – but this is a lot cheaper, and the plays are filmed in such rich, up-close cinematic detail that your view is arguably better than the best seat in the house.