BOX SETS AND ON DEMAND
Murder in Provence (BritBox, from Tue)
Roger Allam and Nancy Carroll are heading the cast bringing to life the books of ML Longworth. Allam plays Antoine Verlaque, a judge in Aix-en-Provence, with Carroll as his romantic partner Marine Bonnet.
They also team up to investigate local murders and mysteries, as well as the dark underbelly of the seemingly idyllic area in which they live. Longworth is Canadian born but has lived in Aix since 1997, allowing her to bring a touch of realism to her novels. Here’s hoping that Alison Owen and Debra Hayward, the acclaimed producers behind the project, can do them justice.
The Dropout (Disney, from Thu)
In 2019, journalist Rebecca Jarvis hosted The Dropout, a podcast focusing on the life of Elizabeth Holmes, the entrepreneur who was convicted of fraud earlier this year; she is currently awaiting sentencing, and faces up to 20 years in prison. The series was a massive success, winning various awards.
As a result, it was decided to turn it into a drama and this seven-part series is the result. Kate McKinnon was all set to star as Holmes, but left the production and was replaced by Amanda Seyfried. The story charts how the Stanford University dropout founded medical technology company Theranos, which built its reputation on the claim that it could test for hundreds of diseases by using a drop of blood, something which was later found to be false.
Pieces of Her (Netflix, from Fri)
With a name like Karin Slaughter, there’s no wonder the Georgia-born author became a crime writer. She’s written more than 20 novels, selling over 40 million copies in 120 countries. Now one of her books, 2018’s Pieces of Her, has been snapped up by Netflix and turned into a gripping eight-part drama.
Toni Collette heads the cast as Laura Oliver, whose secret past is about to come to light after her daughter Andy is caught up in a mass shooting in their usually quiet home town. Andy witnesses her mother coolly take down the assassin, and as video footage of the incident goes viral, Andy begins to piece together the truth about Laura, which may change their relationship forever.
Star Trek: Picard (Amazon Prime, from Fri)
The first series of this spin-off from Star Trek: The Next Generation went down a treat with fans, so it’s no surprise to see it return for a second run. Once again Patrick Stewart reprises his iconic role as the supposedly retired Jean-Luc Picard, who this time must enlist friends old and new for a bold and exciting journey that takes them into the past.
They’ll be visiting 21st century Earth, where Picard and co face a race against time to prevent one of his greatest foes’ efforts to destroy the galaxy.
Lucy and Desi (Amazon Prime, from Fri)
Later in March we’ll find out if Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem have won Oscars for their portrayals of Hollywood star Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, in the well-received biopic Being the Ricardos. But before then there’s an opportunity to learn more about the couple courtesy of this fascinating documentary directed by Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler. It charts how they met, fell in love and went on to found their own studio. There’s also, of course, an insight into the groundbreaking sitcom itself.