Also coming to streaming
Palm Royale (Apple TV+, from March 20) New 10-part comedy based on the novel Mr & Mrs American Pie by Juliet McDaniel; the first three episodes are being made available immediately, with the rest dropping on a weekly basis. The story takes place in 1969 and stars Kristen Wiig as Maxine Simmons, who will stop at nothing to worm her way into Palm Beach’s high society set. Although determined to make the leap across the class divide into a wealthy world, those already living in it are reluctant to accept her, and it soon becomes clear she’s going to have to make radical changes if she’s to be accepted by the in-crowd. But how much of herself is she willing to sacrifice to make it happen? Laura Dern, her father Bruce, Hollywood legend Carol Burnett, Ricky Martin and Allison Janney also appear.
Twisted Metal (Paramount+, from March 21) For decades, TV and film-makers have adapted successful video games into series and movies, with varying degrees of success. There are high hopes, however, for the latest. Twisted Metal, a vehicular combat challenge, was originally released in 2000, with a big-screen version set to be made in 2012. However, it collapsed and it’s taken more than a decade for this TV series to get off the ground. It’s being billed as a post-apocalyptic action comedy, in which Anthony Mackie stars as John Doe, a talkative milkman suffering from amnesia. He’s tasked with a potentially life-changing mission – to deliver a mysterious package – but to be successful he must first overcome various dangerous enemies. Stephanie Beatrix and Thomas Haden Church also appear.
Buying Beverly Hills (Netflix, from March 22) The closest to a British version of this series we’ve had is probably Channel 4’s Mega Mansion Hunters or Britain’s Most Expensive Houses, in which estate agents attempt to sell the kind of places most of us can only dream about. But even some of those lavish properties look slightly pathetic at the side of those on the books of The Agency RE, the business run by Mauricio Umansky, which is at the heart of Buying Beverly Hills. The second season offers insights into Umansky’s separation from his wife, actress Kyle Richards, and its impact on their daughters. Richards is expected to feature more prominently this time, perhaps to cash in on her fame as a member of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast.