The Herald - The Herald Magazine

BOX SETS AND ON DEMAND

- Cate Blanchett

Our Living World (Netflix, from Wed)

Netflix is rapidly gaining a reputation to rival the BBC’s famed Natural History Unit when it comes to nature programmin­g.

This one may not be narrated by David Attenborou­gh, but it comes from the same team as the Barack Obama-presented Our Great National Parks, and is further bolstered by the presence of Academy Award-winner Cate

Blanchett as narrator.

The ambitious new docuseries illustrate­s the interconne­ctedness of all life on earth, a concept which is truly remarkable – but explained in great detail here. One may never have imagined, for example, that the grazing patterns of reindeer in the Arctic Circle might have any impact whatsoever on the daily lives of Botswana hippos. Not convinced? You know what to do.

The Upshaws (Netflix, from Thu)

Regina Y Hicks and Wanda Sykes’s US comedy felt slightly old-fashioned when it launched as a multi-camera family sitcom in an era of edgy, single-cam comedydram­as.

It quickly proved, though, that there was life in the old format yet and went down a treat with viewers.

Now entering its fifth “part” (actually the second half of its third series, but who’s counting?), we can expect more of the same laughs and realness from Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps) and his Black working-class Indianapol­is family (wife Regina, played by Kim Fields, and four kids – Khali Spraggins, Journey Christine, Jermelle Simon and Diamond Lyons).

Sykes also stars as Bennie’s dry-witted sister-inlaw, frequently the source of the show’s best lines.

Feud: Capote vs the Swans

(Disney+, from Wed)

The long-awaited follow-up season to Ryan Murphy, Jaffe Cohen and Michael Zam’s anthology series

Feud (the first being 2017’s Bette and Joan, charting the rivalry between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis) is here at last.

This series focuses on the acclaimed Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood author Truman Capote, and his friendship­s with a group of New York City high society women he termed the “Swans”.

The titular rift developed when, on writing his novel Answered Prayers, Capote included very thinly veiled versions of the women – and the secrets with which they trusted him. A fabulous cast includes Tom Hollander as Capote, alongside Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloe Sevigny, Calista Flockhart and Demi Moore.

Sloborn (Walter Presents/C4, from Fri)

For those who don’t find Scandi-noir quite bleak enough, Sloborn returns for a second season of Scandipoca­lypse horrors.

The series effortless­ly combines the genres of coming-of-age drama and vast, sweeping disaster thriller as a deadly virus infects a small community living on the island of Sløborn, between Denmark and Germany in the North Sea. For 15-year-old Evelin (Emily Kusche), this nascent calamity was only one of many problems, as she dealt with the separation of her parents and her own pregnancy – her teacher is the father.

As we return in season two, the island is a very different place. Many locals are dead and most of the rest have evacuated.

Some remained, including Evelin, but they find self-sufficient living hard going.

 ?? ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom