BOX SETS AND ON DEMAND
Station Eleven (StarzPlay, from Sun)
Count on the streaming platforms to tap into the pandemic mood of the moment and turn it into cracking - though we hope definitely not prophetic - entertainment. Spanning multiple timelines, this 10-part post-apocalyptic drama, based on the international bestseller by Emily St John Mandel, tells the stories of a group of survivors of a devastating influenza. They attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew by making a living as travelling performers, all the while trying to hold on to the best of what’s been lost. However, they come under threat from a violent cult whose leader has links to one of their number. The cast includes Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Matilda Lawler, David Wilmot and Lori Petty.
Suspicion (Apple TV+, from Fri)
Uma Thurman certainly kept herself busy last year. As well as filming teen romcom Hollywood Stargirl, she made two TV series which are also heading our way this year. Super Pumped will see her play Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington. Suspicion, however, is the latest in a long line of Israeli shows to be remade for the Englishspeaking market. Thurman takes the lead role of Katherine Newman, a prominent businesswoman whose 21-year-old son is kidnapped. Leo’s abduction from a large, upmarket hotel in central New York is captured on video and goes viral. Swiftly, four Brits staying there become the prime suspects - but are they guilty of anything more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Elyes Gabel, Elizabeth Henstridge, Georgina Campbell and Angel Coulby co-star.
Reacher (Amazon Prime, from Fri)
Tom Cruise proved not everything he touches turns to cinematic gold after Lee Child fans howled at him in the 2012 flick Jack Reacher.
Many complained that the blockbusting superstar was almost a foot too short to play the towering former US military policeman, others were forced to admit that the movie and its sequel, Never Go Back, weren’t that bad. Nevertheless, Child’s followers seem happier about this small-screen outing for the character, which sees the much taller Alan Ritchson take the lead role. The action kicks off as our hero is wrongly arrested for murder; while he tries to clear his name, he must take on corrupt cops, scheming politicians and shady businessmen. Malcom Goodwin and Willa Fitzgerald co-star.
Raising Dion (Netflix, from Fri)
If you missed the first series of this superhero drama when it premiered back in January 2020, then do yourself a favour and stream it. And as it’s two years since it first became available, those who did see it might want to watch again as a refresher ahead of the eagerly awaited but longdelayed second run. For the uninitiated, Dion is a little boy being raised by his devoted mother Nicole alone following the death of his father. But Dion is no ordinary youngster - he has special powers. Now, after befriending new student Brayden, who also has magical abilities, a series of alarming events unfold, and Dion learns that danger is everywhere. Cue a series of twists, turns, as he and Nicole must not only save themselves, but the entire city of Atlanta. Ja’Siah Young and Alisha Wainwright star.