BOX SETS AND ON DEMAND
America: The Motion Picture (Netflix, from Wed)
Channing Tatum, Simon Pegg and Olivia Munn are among the stellar vocal cast for this wildly over-the-top animated adventure that takes the well-worn story of the American Revolution, screws it up into a ball and throws it over its shoulder. A muscle-bound, chainsawwielding George Washington (complete with perfect teeth) assembles an assorted bunch of rapscallions, including beerloving bro Sam Adams, famed scientist and inveterate inventor Thomas Edison, acclaimed horseman Paul Revere and a not-so chirpy Geronimo, to take on and defeat Benedict Arnold and Britain’s King James. It’s history, but not as anyone in the US currently knows it.
Monarch of the Glen (BritBox, from Thu)
Inspired by the Compton Mackenzie’s tale of the same name, this lighthearted and charming drama ran for seven series from 2000 to 2005; the first two are now being made available to stream. Alastair Mackenzie (most recently seen in Unforgotten) heads the cast as Archie MacDonald, who is trying to eke out a living as a London restaurateur when he receives a call from his mother telling him his father Hector is dying. Archie heads home to the family estate of Glenbogle, little realising his mother’s story is a ruse to get him there so he can take over his father’s title and property. Archie learns the place is in great debt and decides to stick around to find ways out of the financial predicament. Richard Briers and Susan Hampshire co-star.
Somos. (Netflix, from Wed)
Inspired by Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Ginger Thompson’s investigative article ‘How the US Triggered a Massacre in Mexico’, Somos. is created by James Schamus, and co-written by Monika Revilla and Fernanda Melchor. Set in the Mexican border town of Allende, whose residents’ lives are scarred by the ongoing drug wars, the series features a blend of non-actors and professionals, and examines events from the townsfolks’ perspective, exploring how things changed forever when, without warning, Allende ended up at the centre of a shocking massacre, prompted by a Drug Enforcement Administration operation that went badly wrong. Mercedes Hernandez, Jesus Sida and Jero Medina are among the cast.
The Blood Pact (Walter Presents/All 4, from Fri)
The fascinating Dutch series is back for a third run. This time, Hugo is down on his luck and feeling sorry for himself after losing his job, despite once being just a whisker away from becoming the new State Secretary of Finance. Forced to start at the bottom and work his way up again, he decides to open a tax consultancy, little realising his infamy will only attract real criminals who hope he can help them hide their ill-gotten gains. However, Hugo is eventually approached by someone with a risky deal, but one he cannot resist – and it brings him back into contact with Marius Milner and his wife Kitty van Mook, who are also looking for a fresh start. Barry Atsma, Jacob Derwig and Georgina Verbaan star.