Every Friday we’ll be sharing our recommendations of the best things that we’re streaming. Some will be new, some might be old, just the things that we’re loving at the minute.
Friday 07 June 2023
As we’ve hit the halfway point of the year we thought we’d reflect on the 4 best TV shows of the year we’ve streamed so far!
First up, The Last of Us, for anyone who hasn’t played the game or watched the show yet, it’s a post-apocalyptic drama series that follows Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler tasked with escorting Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a teenage girl who may be the key to a cure for a deadly pandemic, across the United States. The series is set 20 years after the pandemic has ravaged the world, and the few survivors are forced to live in fear of the infected.
The Last of Us is available to stream on Now TV
At the beginning of the year BBC graced us with the final series of Happy Valley. The final series came 7 years after series 2, which came to a dramatic climax. If you haven’t seen it, Happy Valley is a British crime drama series set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Happy Valley. The series follows Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), a police sergeant who is investigating the murder of a young girl which quickly spirals… well with a binge!
Happy Valley is available on BBC iPlayer.
After the Last of Us, Succession is probably the most talked about show this year. The final season aired this year and it lived up to the hype. Episode 3 was a highlight of the season, in true Succession fashion I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. For those who haven’t watch it, Succession is a satirical comedy-drama series about the Roy family, who control one of the largest media and entertainment conglomerates in the world. The series follows the family’s patriarch, Logan Roy (Brian Cox), as he prepares to step down from the company and his four children vie for control. It’s fantastic television.
Succession is available to stream on Now TV.
Another show that’s final season was aired this year is Atlanta. Atlanta is a comedy-drama series created by Donald Glover that follows Earn Marks (Glover), a Princeton dropout who is trying to make it as a manager for his cousin, rapper Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry). The series is set in Atlanta, Georgia, and explores themes of race, identity, and family. Atlanta is known for its unique visual style, eclectic soundtrack, and Glover’s sharp writing and acting. As a little bonus, if you like Atlanta you might want to check out Swarm on Amazon Prime.
All 4 seasons of Atlanta are available on Disney+.
Friday 30 June 2023
This week we’re getting ready for The Bear season 2, we’re taking a flight with Idris Elba, we’re heading back to the MCU and we’re preparing ourselves for I’m A Virgo, which we’re hoping is our new favourite comedy.
Are posts about The Bear season 2 popping up on anyone else social feeds? If you haven’t watched it yet, The Bear is a comedy-drama series about a young chef who returns home to Chicago after his brother’s death to run his family’s sandwich shop. The show follows Carmy as he tries to balance his grief with the demands of running a restaurant. Oh and it’s demanding, you can almost feel the heat and sweat while watching it.
Season 1 is available on Disney+ now, Season 2 will be available from the 19th of July.
Hijack is a thriller series about a hijacked plane that is diverted to London. The show follows the passengers and crew of the plane as they try to survive the hijacking and the authorities as they try to negotiate with the hijackers. This series seems like another win for Apple TV+.
You can stream the first 2 episodes on Apple TV+ now, then episodes are released weekly every Tuesday.
Secret Invasion is the next instalment in the Marvel Universe that you can stream on Disney+. It follows Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) as they try to stop a group of Skrulls who have infiltrated Earth’s highest levels of government and society.
You can stream the first 2 episodes on Disney+ now, then episodes are released weekly every Wednesday.
Have you watched the film Sorry to Bother You? If you have then you know why we’re excited to watch I’m A Virgo that’s just been released on Amazon Prime. I’m a Virgo is a comedy series about a group of friends in their 30s who are all Virgos. The show follows the friends as they navigate their careers, relationships, and friendships. If it’s anything like Sorry to Bother You, then we expect it to be a bit of a wild ride.
I’m a Virgo is available to stream in its entirety on Amazon Prime.
Friday 16 June 2023
The eagerly awaited Season 6 of Black Mirror landed on Netflix yesterday, 15th June 2023. Ahead of diving into the 5 new episodes, we’ve decided to look back at some of our favourite episodes over the past 5 seasons.
White Christmas (Season 2, Episode 4)
A man is forced to relive the worst moments of his life over and over again, while being haunted by a digital copy of his dead girlfriend. This twisted Tale features Jon Hamm and is often hailed as one of the best Black Mirror episodes.
San Junipero (Season 3, Episode 4)
Two women in the 1980s fall in love, but their relationship is threatened by the fact that one of them is from the future. While this episode still has an underlying dystopian theme, the love story shines through and it also had an impeccable soundtrack. It’s a beautiful episode of TV.
Nosedive (Season 3, Episode 1)
In a future where everyone’s social status is determined by a rating system, a young woman named Lacie tries to raise her rating by going on a road trip with her friend. However, her plans go awry when she encounters a series of people who are less than friendly. Out of the 4 selected this one feels closest to what-could-be the near future, this is what Black Mirror does best, it questions technology and morality.
The Entire History of You (Season 1, Episode 3)
In a future where people have implants that record their memories, a man becomes obsessed with a memory of his wife cheating on him. As he revisits the memory over and over again, he begins to question his own sanity. It’s hard to believe this came out in 2011, then it didn’t feel so real, but now it doesn’t seem so far away.
All 6 seasons of Black Mirror are available to stream on Netflix. Season 6 features 5 brand new episodes starring Aaron Paul, Salma Hayek Pinault and Rob Delaney.
Friday 09 June 2023
What we’re streaming this week features a hotly anticipated show that might actually be not so hot… an off-the-wall comedy sketch show that’s regarded the best of it’s kind, another Apple TV+ original featuring Gary Oldman and a Great British summertime staple.
The Idol, created by Sam Levison (the creator of Euphoria), has been hotly anticipated. It stars Lily-Rose Depp as the rising pop star who begins a complex relationship with a self-help guru played by co-creator Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd). Episode one was a little chaotic and didn’t get the best reception online… but Euphoria started off slowly too, so this one might take a few episodes to get going.
The first episode of the Idol is available on Now TV. It’s streaming weekly on Sundays on Sky Max/Now TV.
Each sketch in I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson is awkwardly hilarious, driving someone to the point that they need, or desperately want, to leave. It’s in its third season now, if you haven’t heard of it, it’s worth checking out, but be prepared… it can be a lot.
All 3 seasons of I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson are available on Netflix
Since posting about Apple TV+ a few weeks back, Duncan our CEO, hesitantly decided to check it out. Since then he’s been streaming Slow Horses, a spy thriller based in London. Slow Horses has been running for two seasons and has been renewed for another two seasons, better renew that Apple TV+ subscription, Duncan!
Season 1 & 2 of Slow Horses are available now on Apple TV+.
Lastly this week, is the Great British summer staple, Love Island. Love it or hate it, it’ll be on our screens for circa 8 weeks. I’ll be honest, I try to avoid it, but if you’re like me then it always seems to appear on my TV at some point through the week. My wife will mostly be streaming it on ITVX, but you can stream it live on ITV2 at 9pm most nights through the week.
Love Island available on ITV2/ITVX
Friday 02 June 2023
This week we’ve selected an Oscar winning film that’s now available to stream, a long running TV show that never fails to put a smile on our faces and two brand new series’s that are well worth checking out!
Critically acclaimed film The Whale is now available to stream on Amazon Prime. Brendan Fraser’s Oscar winning performance in this harrowing drama is admittedly a challenging watch, but Brendan Frasers is captivating. It’s directed by Darren Aronofsky whose other films include Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler and Black Swan – if you’ve seen any of these films, then you’ll know to go into this one prepared for an emotional juggernaut.
The Whale is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
On a slightly lighter note, Poker Face is a 10-part crime/comedy-drama from Rian Johnson, the mind behind the “Knives Out” movies. Poker Face is a mystery-of-the-week show following Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a truth-seeker with an extraordinary ability to detect lies. As she hits the road, strange crimes and intriguing characters await her at every stop. Treat this a lighter, more fun CSI.
All 10 episodes of Poker Face are available to stream on Now TV.
It was the final of series 15 of Taskmaster last night. This delightfully entertaining and unpredictable watch is an hour of non-sense fun. I wasn’t expecting to be shouting at my TV when Kiell Smith-Bynoe failed to fill up a glass with a hose… I mean, eh? I guess that’s the beauty of Taskmaster. For those who didn’t watch it live, after the episode they announced season 16’s contestants, they are, Julian Clary, Lucy Beaumont, Sam Campbell, Sure Perkins & Susan Wokoma.
Season 15 is now available to stream in it’s entirety on All 4.
The Days is a new Netflix mini-series from Japan that was released yesterday, June 1st. This thriller-drama delves into the real events of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster. The eight-episode series details the events of the incident over a seven-day period, telling the story from the perspective of various people involved, including government officials and employees at the power plant.
The mini-series is available to stream on Netflix
Friday 26 May 2023
This week is a little appreciation post dedicated to Apple TV+. When discussing this in the office yesterday it seems that it’s not really on anyone’s radar, so I wanted to shine a light on some of the content that I think is worth seeking out a free trial for!
Probably one of the best Apple TV originals is Severance. Honestly not quite sure how to describe this one, but it’s an intense ride that was great to watch unfold. The basic plot, work memories and non-work memories are seperated, meaning that outside of work they have no indication of what they do for work, I bet some people would love this in real life…
As the episodes unfold we follow a group of employees who start to question their positions and what it is they’re really there for. The dystopian, psychological thriller stars Adam Scott, John Tutorro, Britt Lower and Christopher Walken. If you’re a fan of Black Mirror this is well worth checking out and existing fans will be happy to hear that Season 2 is expected sometime in 2024.
Next up is something a little less intense, but is equally stacked in terms of cast, Shrinking.
Shrinking stars Jason Segel and Harrison Ford. Segel and Ford are both Therapists at different stages in their career and we follow Segel’s character take on the role of a grieving single parent to a teenage daughter. Not only is he struggling in parent life, he also makes some choice decisions at work, leading to some hilarious moments. This is a feel-good comedy-drama that his some really endearing, but also some laugh-out-loud moments. The entire series is available to watch now.
Third on the list is another dystopian future drama, Silo. This is a little easier to follow than Severance, but also has an underlying tone that you can’t quite put your finger on, it makes you ask a lot of questions and after 4 episodes this far we haven’t had many answers.
The ‘Silo’ is a structure build that goes deep underground where a vast community lives. Why are they there? How did they get there? What’s really going on? It seems that no-one really knows… or at least that’s what we’re led to believe. Silo is being released weekly, every Friday.
Last up this week is Platonic. Rose Byrne and Seth Rogan take the lead in this newly released comedy. The first three episodes were released on Wednesday and the remaining episodes will be released weekly, every Wednesday. I’ve only watched the first episode, but it’s what you’d come to expect from Seth Rogan, a good time.
Apple TV+ has tonnes of other great content, from The Morning Show featuring Jennifer Aniston to Ted Lasso, the football comedy that people seem to love. Ted Lasso gives me Dream Team vibes from Sky One, remember that? There’s also lots of great films and documentary content to explore. Something for everyone. If you haven’t tried it already, I think it’s well worth getting the free trial and having a look for yourself!
Friday 19 May 2023
First up, congratulations to Lewis Capaldi on the realises of his sophomore album Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent. It’s going to be the soundtrack of our Friday in the office. It’s available now on the music streaming platform of choice.
If you haven’t heard of Jury Duty, this is your sign to check it out. Jury Duty follows a trial in America, the twist, everyone is an actor except one member of the jury, Ronald Gladden. Poor, Ronald. This show is nothing short of hilarious, but it’s also got its heartwarming side. The full series is available to stream now on Amazon Prime.
Everyone has probably heard of this by now, but if you’ve been sitting on it, we highly recommend you put it to the top of your list. Colin from Accounts follows a guy and girl who go through a not-so-classic meet cute. It’s funny, endearing and features a dog with what can only be described as bike stabilisers. What’s not to love? Colin from Accounts is available on the BBC iPlayer.
Last up this week is Citadel. This has split opinion in the office. Richard Madden takes the role of a super agent with a questionable accent. This one isn’t to be taken too seriously, it’s big budget and it’s got more twists and turns than a rollercoaster which makes it verge on the ridiculous.That being said the action scenes are impressive and I’m now fully invested to see how it plays out. Citadel is streaming weekly on Amazon Prime.
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