BOX SETS AND ON DEMAND
Tokyo Vice (StarzPlay, from Sun)
Last month, the BBC announced it would be broadcasting this eight-part true-life drama based on the book by US journalist Jake Adelstein. But if you want to get ahead of the crowd, there’s a chance to see it beforehand courtesy of the streaming service, which is making the first two episodes available this Sunday, followed by one edition per week after that. Ansel Elgort, perhaps best known to viewers for his starring role in Baby Driver, plays Adelstein, who became immersed in the neon-soaked underbelly of the Japanese capital during the 1990s, regularly coming face-to-face with a selection of unforgettable, seedy individuals.
Life & Beth (Disney+, from Wed)
Amy Schumer heads the cast of this eagerly awaited comedy-drama. The first series proved to be so successful with American TV viewers that it was immediately renewed for a second. Schumer herself created the programme (describing it as her ‘passion project’) and takes the lead role of Beth, a Manhattanbased woman fast approaching her 40th birthday. She’s recently broken up with her boyfriend, is disenchanted with her career and prefers shopping to clubbing. Then, after a bizarre incident takes place, she begins having flashbacks of her younger self which begin to reveal where she’s gone wrong with her life – and what she must do to get back on track.
The Photographer: Murder in Pinama (Netflix, from Thu)
On January 25, 1997, Argentine news photographer and reporter Jose Luis Cabezas was kidnapped, tortured and killed by individuals working for Alfredo Yabran, a wealthy businessman with close links to the government of thenPresident Carlos Menem. The obsessively private
Yabran was horrified by the fact that Cabezas had taken a photo of him and his wife while holidaying in Pinama, a seaside resort on the Atlantic coast, almost 12 months earlier. Now the chilling story and its aftermath is the latest true crime to feature in a Netflix documentary.
Now and Then (Apple TV+, from Fri)
The streaming service’s first bilingual series is about to make its debut. Shot in both Spanish and English, it’s a thrilling tale told across eight episodes – the first three are being made available immediately, with one new edition following every Friday. It begins as a group of best friends celebrate the end of their college days with a huge weekend party – during which one of them dies. Fast forward 20 years as the remaining five are reluctantly brought back together by a threat that could ruin their seemingly perfect lives.
Night Sky (Amazon Prime, from Fri)
Imagine suddenly discovering a portal in your back garden that can transport you into outer space – what would you do about it? That idea forms the premise of this new sci-fi drama starring Oscar-winners Sissy Spacek and JK Simmons. They play Irene and Franklin York who, years ago, uncovered a chamber buried on their property that can mysteriously transport them to a deserted planet. They’ve kept quiet about it for decades, but their secret is about to be unearthed by a charismatic young man who manages to earn their confidence. Soon the Yorks begin to realise their portal is far more important than they ever thought possible.