BOX SETS AND ON DEMAND
American Gigolo (Paramount+, from Sat)
Following a comparatively quiet spell, it seems like Jon Bernthal is everywhere these days. He rose to fame in 2010 with The Walking Dead, a big hit. Only bit-parts followed for much of the decade, however, until leads in The Punisher, We Own This City, Saints of Newark and now this, a glossy new series from David Hollander, based on the 1980 film of the same name. The series follows Julian Kaye (Bernthal) who, 15 years after being framed for attempted murder, is struggling to find a foothold in the modern-day LA sex industry.
The Serpent Queen (StarzPlay, from Sun)
Catherine de Medici’s rise to power was no mere accident, nor happenstance and good fortune. In this big-budget period drama series starring Samantha Morton (Harlots, Minority Report) and Sennia Nanua (The Girl with All the Gifts), which is reminiscent of The Borgias and, to a lesser extent, The Tudors, we learn the full story of Catherine’s ascent. In the opening episode we find Catherine (Morton) recounting - and justifying - her actions to her servant and confidante, Rahima (Nanua). Through flashbacks we meet a younger Catherine, aged 14, orphaned, and about to marry into the French court. Her uncle is the Pope, which means that, despite her commoner status, she has a large dowry - and high expectations placed upon her.
Heartbreak High (Netflix, from Wed)
The iconic 1990s series featuring bad hair, dubious fashion, surfing and skating, teen lingo and actually surprisingly gritty, realistic and relevant storylines, is getting a reboot. While the original spoke to early millennials loudly and in their own language, this polished update aims to do the same for Gen-Z - although the rationale of using Heartbreak High rather than creating an entirely new series is uncertain, as fans of the original are unlikely to find much of this is to their tastes, while younger viewers at whom this is aimed won’t get the reference.
Minx (Paramount+, from Wed)
The 1970s porn industry is fertile territory for big-budget TV producers - or more to the point it is a topic that almost guarantees an audience. However this offering from HBO Max in the US, and starring British actor Ophelia Lovibond in the lead, relies on more than its subject matter, and is in fact one of the more thoughtful and genuinely smart American comedy drama series this year. It follows a young feminist from LA who is tired of the malecentric attitudes of pornography and wonders why there are no femaleoriented erotic magazines.
Unplugging (Paramount+, from Fri)
When bored couple Eva Longoria and Matt Walsh start to feel stuck in a rut, they look for ways to revitalise things. Suspecting that the only sparks in their bedroom come from their smartphones’ batteries, the couple come to the conclusion that a “digital detox” is the cure to what ails them. It’s a nice idea on paper but what begins as a quaint, rustic getaway soon starts to spiral out of control - and without tech to back them up they have to rely on each other to make it back to civilisation. A flop on the big screen, this comedy from first-time director Debra NeilFisher ironically fails to take chances or to tread new ground.