The Herald - The Herald Magazine
BOX SETS AND ON DEMAND
Leonardo (Amazon, from Fri)
Poldark may be over but Aidan Turner hasn’t let the grass grow under his feet. He’s been busy filming this eight-part historical drama based on the life of Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci. Its aim is to reveal how young Leonardo’s restless curiosity led him down many different avenues, from art to science and technology, as he tried to unfold the mysteries of the world. “As an actor, to explore the inner workings of this great artist was a very exciting and humbling experience and I feel so fortunate to have worked with such a great team in Rome to make this series happen,” gushes Turner. Giancarlo Giannini co-stars as Leonardo’s master, Andrea del Verrocchio, while Freddie Highmore plays a young detective.
Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! (from Wed)
Jamie Foxx and his daughter Corinne are close. She’s now 27 with a blossoming showbiz career of her own, but during her adolescence she was often seen as her father’s “date” at various red carpet events, including when he won an Oscar for his role in Ray.
She also claims that sometimes his behaviour could be embarrassing, and it’s that aspect of their relationship that forms the basis for this sitcom. Foxx Sr also stars as successful businessman and bachelor Brian Dixon, who is determined to be the best father he can be after his headstrong teenage daughter Sasha moves in with him. Luckily help is on hand in the form of his own dad and sister.
The Hunter (Walter Presents/All 4, from Fri)
We’re travelling to Sicily in the 1990s for the latest award-winning offering from Walter Presents. Provincial prosecutor Saverio Barone is young, ambitious and has been the brains behind several street-level arrests in Palermo for a number of years, but as blood continues to flow on the city’s streets, he realises it’s time to make a stand. He turns in his own corrupt boss, to the horror of his colleagues. The move does, however, earn Barone a promotion to a unit specialising in bringing the Mafia to book. He’s soon involved in spectacular arrests involving 300 organised crime members but begins to pay a heavy personal price for his dedication.
Floodland (Walter Presents/All 4, from Fri)
There are shades of The Bridge about this eight-part thriller which explores identity, immigration and cross-border relations. A mysterious and traumatised African girl is found wandering around the border between Holland and Belgium, and Belgian court psychiatrist Bert Dewulf is asked to figure out what has happened to leave her in such a state. Meanwhile, Dutch police inspector Tara Dessel investigates a shootout on a pleasure yacht, and eventually discovers there is a link between the two cases. Tara and Bert work together to bring down a merciless gang of human traffickers from whom the girl escaped and who are seemingly responsible for the shootout, discovering in the process how those on the border have been dealing with incomers for centuries.