#Bingewatch: your #TV #show guide for March 11th-17th
What’s up, bingewatcher? By now we’re expecting the doc-heads among you will have had the chance to sit down and absorb the four hour Michael Jackson behemoth after it aired last weekend. Like The People vs OJ Simpson back in 2015, we’re predicting this one to be the defining doc of the year. It shook our perceptions of celebrity and stardom to the core, and our exhaustion was only fuelled by last night’s TV continuation of the Serial podcast, The Case Against Adnan Syed.
After a week of downright distressing television, barely counterbalanced by Marvel’s latest sludgy origin story, Captain Marvel, we’re looking forward to some great new shows to bring us out of our depressive fugue. Unfortunately, Ricky Gervais’ After Life didn’t cut it, so this week the promise of being able to fall back on some old faves, like Arrested Development and Catastrophe, is giving us life.
Also check out the latest must-watch from Netflix, their three hour genre mismatched bloodfest, anthology series Love, Death, and Monsters, guaranteed to tantalise the geek in all of us. Plus, new comedies Shrill and Turn Up Charlie could be classics in the making.
Check out our picks for the best TV hitting your screens this week below.
Manhunt (Acorn)
Airs in three parts from Mar. 11th, 2019
Martin Clunes (Vanity Fair) stars in this British crime miniseries as a Metropolitan detective who tracks down a London serial killer. Based on a true story, the three-part series aired on ITV earlier this year to rave reviews.
Punk (Epix)
Airs Mondays from Mar. 11th, 2019
Four vulgar episodes of a documentary miniseries that spans the emerging subculture of bad attitudes and DIY fashion that defined the British punk movement. Featuring profiles on Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry, Johnny Rotten, and more.
Empire (Fox)
Original air date Jan. 7th, 2015
Season 5 returns Wednesdays from Mar. 13th, 2019
Terence Howard (Wayward Pines) and Taraji P. Henson (Hidden Figures) star as a husband and wife team at the head of a multi-million hip-hop and entertainment company called Empire. Cookie Lyon (Henson) returns from prison to claim what’s hers after taking the fall for her husband Lucious’ drug-dealing that financed the company’s early beginnings.
Created by Lee Daniels (The Butler) and writer Danny Strong (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay), the series takes much of its inspiration from Shakespeare’s King Lear. Lucious Lyon’s past sins come back to haunt him, and his bickering between his three sons as to who will take over as CEO threatens the future of the company.
Following a fittingly Shakespearian plot of deception, hidden schemes, and back-stabbing, Empire also showcases one of Howard’s finest performances yet, as a deeply troubled music mogul who must endure guilt, deteriorating health, and his family tearing itself apart at the seams.
Essential watching for fans of Daniels’ more recent show, Star, with which Empire has frequently crossed over.
Star (Fox)
Original air date Dec. 14th, 2016
Season 3 returns Wednesdays from Mar. 13th, 2019
Musical series featuring original songs starring Jude Demorest as Star Davis, a foster child who pursues a career in the music industry with her half-sister Simone, and her best friend Alex. Since the death of her mother, Star has been moved around foster homes for the last two years, before she’s taken in by Carlotta Brown (Queen Latifah), an ex-R&B singer who collabed with Star’s mother in the 90s. Though she doesn’t approve of their musical dreams, she soon becomes a surrogate mother to the three girls.
Navigating the vibrant, unpredictable, and dangerous music scene of Atlanta, the girls become known as Take 3, and start lighting up the city’s nightlife with their undeniable talent. They soon fall under the eyes of talent scout Jahil Rivera (Benjamin Bratt), a lowlife cocaine addict who thinks the girls could be his key back to the top.
A spin-off of sorts to Daniels’ show Empire, which takes a look at the other end of the music industry spectrum, the collapse of already successful company, Star features crossovers and guest spots but absolutely stands on its own.
The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Original air date Dec. 14th, 2016
Season 3 returns Thursdays from Mar. 14th, 2019
Sequel series to The Good Wife starring the incomparably elegant Christine Baranski (Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again) as Diane Lockhart, a senior lawyer and feminist powerhouse. In this spin-off, Diane struggles with the trials of divorce whilst getting her life back on track after being forced out of her law firm and losing her life savings. Co-stars Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones) and Erica Tazel (Justified).
Arrested Development (Netflix)
Original air date Nov. 2nd, 2003
Part 2 of Season 5 available on Netflix from Mar. 15th, 2019
The dysfunctional adventures of the Bluth family continue on Netflix after the cult favorite series was initially cancelled by Fox. Starring Jason Batemen (Game Night) and a supporting cast of comedy greats, Michael is forced to move back with his family and handle the family real estate business when his father is sent to jail for white-collar crime. He soon realises that the family is falling apart from the seams. His mother is an egotistical tyrant, his brothers are eccentric weirdos, and his son is falling in love with his cousin.
The initial three season run is considered one of the most influential modern sitcoms, influencing everything from 30 Rock to Community, so find out if the team’s still got it when they check back in to their new home on Netflix this year.
Catastrophe (Amazon)
Original air date Jan. 19th, 2015
Season 4 continues Fridays from Mar. 15th, 2019
Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney star as an unlikely couple who start a relationship after an unexpected pregnancy. Sharon is a single, Irish primary school teacher, and Rob is an alcoholic sales exec. When the pair meet in a bar they embark on a six-day fling that changes their lives for the stranger, and they eventually get married before the birth of their child. Not exactly a match made in heaven, Sharon and Rob try to balance their various hang-ups and eccentricities in their new life in London.
Love, Death, and Robots (Netflix)
Available on Netflix from Mar. 15th, 2019
Unlikely partners Tim Miller (Deadpool) and David Fincher (Gone Girl) are teaming up to co-produce – let’s just check we’ve got this right – “a NSFW animated anthology spanning sci-fi, horror, fantasy, comedy”? Sign us the hell up. Netflix’s first of what will hopefully become many animated anthologies for adults collects an eclectic team of artists for a series that runs just over three hours in total, so the more adventurous among you can treat this as one crazy movie to bingewatch on Friday night.
Shrill (Hulu)
Available on Hulu from Mar. 15th, 2019
Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) stars as a plus-sized young woman who struggles to make it as a journalist in a world that constantly tells her she’s not good enough. Inspired by Lindy West’s book Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, this touching comedy series explores what it means to live as a loud, proud, opinionated feminist who happens to be a little larger than the people around her.
Turn Up Charlie (Netflix)
Available on Netflix from Mar. 15th, 2019
Idris Elba blends art with reality as he channels his DJ alter-ego in this upcoming Netflix comedy series. Elba plays Charlie, a struggling disc jockey who’s given a second chance at success when he reluctantly becomes a manny for his famous best friend’s daughter. Unfortunately for him, Gabby is an infamously spoiled trouble-child, and Charlie quickly realises he may have bit off more than he can chew. Guaranteed to implant a crippling fear of tweens into your psyche.
Billions (Showtime)
Original air date Jan. 17th, 2016
Season 4 airs Sundays from Mar. 17th, 2019
Showtime: Complicated financial drama that unpicks the corporate nastiness and shady politics of the New York business sector. Paul Giamatti (Private Life) stars as Chuck Rhoades, a powerful US Attorney who frequently goes head-to-head with hedge fund champion Bobby Axelrod, played by Damien Lewis (Wolf Hall).
The two iconoclasts muster every facet of brain power, financial influence, and crooked strategy in a desperate attempt to remain one step ahead. Get a pen and paper ready, ‘cause you’re gonna need to take notes to fully retain the ins-and-outs of its complex money machinations.
