The best TV to stream next week – from Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F to Space Cadet
WHAT are you in the mood for? Comedy? Drama? Documentary?
To be honest, whatever you are in the market for, The Sun’s TV Mag has got you covered for another week.
NETFLIX
Sprint – Available from Tuesday
Following on from football, Formula 1, tennis, golf and cycling, athletics is the latest sport to get the intimate docuseries treatment.
This six-parter goes behind the scenes of the sport in an attempt to find out what makes elite sprinters tick – mentally, physically and emotionally – following Sha’Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles, Shericka Jackson and others as they compete in the 2023 World Championships and prepare for the forthcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
“It takes a special talent, both physically and mentally, to succeed in a world where your fate is decided in just 10 seconds,” says Sebastian Coe, the World Athletics president. Get ready to meet some incredible athletes blessed with that talent.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F – Available from Wednesday
Look who’s back! Thirty years after the last Beverly Hills Cop movie, Eddie Murphy returns to the role of irrepressible plain-clothed detective Axel Foley, for a barnstorming new adventure.
When his daughter Jane’s life is threatened, Axel heads back to Beverly Hills and, together, they take on the bad guys and uncover a conspiracy along the way.
Ramping up the nostalgia factor, Axel ropes in old pals John Taggart (John Ashton) and Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) – and even hooks up with the irrepressible Serge (Bronson Pinchot). Also starring Kevin Bacon and crammed with crash-laden car-chases and explosive stunts – not to mention helicopters, huge lorries and even snowploughs – it’s the kind of movie they simply don’t make so often any more. A big, daft but hugely entertaining blockbuster.
Supacell – Available now
If you like your superhero series to be all eye-catching costumes, fancy weapons and spectacular settings, this isn’t the show for you… When five ordinary people from south London estates – who have no other connection than all being black – suddenly develop superpowers, they have no idea what it means.
But with a dangerous enemies circling, Michael (Tosin Lasaki) realises that he must bring all five together to save the day – and the woman he loves. Created and directed by the multi-talented Rapman, the six-part sci-fi series has much more in common with shows like Misfits than the Marvel universe – and is all the better for it.
The Imaginary – Available from Friday
What happens to imaginary friends when children grow and forget them? Rudger is an imaginary boy, dreamed up by young girl Amanda to share in her exciting make-believe adventures. When Amanda inevitably eventually forgets him and reality takes over, Rudger finds himself in the Town of Imaginaries, a remarkable place where forgotten imaginary friends live.
But soon a looming and mysterious danger threatens Rudger’s existence. Teaming up with some other Imaginaries, Rudger searches for answers and a way to stop himself from disappearing completely. Bittersweet and beautifully animated, it’s a gorgeous and affecting movie that all the family will enjoy.
Barbecue Showdown – Available from Thursday
Everyone – well, to be more accurate, every bloke – reckons they’re an expert when it comes to barbecues. The moment the sun peeks out from behind a cloud, guys like to get outside, fire up the grill and amaze everyone with their burger-flipping and sausage-singeing skills.
But as the first two seasons of American competitive cookery series Barbecue Showroom proved, cooking well with a barbecue is a skilled business. Now it’s time for the third series, with host Michelle Buteau challenging eight contestants to prove they’re the best grillers, smokers and pitmasters around, and impress judges Melissa Cookston and Kevin Bludso.
As ever, at the end of each episode someone will be sent packing, until the barbecue champ is crowned. Tasty.
Star Trek: Prodigy – Available from Monday
When Star Trek: Prodigy – the space-hopping animated series aimed at a younger Trekkie audience – was cancelled by Paramount+ after only one season, fans were up in arms.
Fortunately, their campaigning convinced Netflix to beam to the rescue, resulting in this second series. Rejoining the action, the young adventurers – including Dal R’El (Brett Gray), Gwyndala (Ella Purnell) and Jankom (Jason Mantzoukas) – become Starfleet warrant officers and join Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) aboard the USS Voyager-A on a mission to locate the missing crew of the Protostar.
With several nods to the rest of the Star Trek universe, plus fresh characters and new spaceships, it promises plenty of out-of-this-world fun. All 20 episodes of the series land on Monday, so prepare to boldly binge like no man has binged before.
PRIME VIDEO
The Boys – Episode six available from Thursday
Remarkably, the fourth season of The Boys has turned out to be even more extreme, violent and viciously funny than the first three, which is an impressive achievement.
With episodes one to five available now, this week episode six drops and Homelander (Antony Starr), Sage and prospective Vice President Neuman attend a party of important government and business folk, hoping to build support for their dastardly plans to seize power.
Eager to gather information on what’s going on, The Boys send Hughie to the party in disguise – with shocking consequences… Meanwhile, Butcher (Karl Urban) continues his quest to find the virus that could stop Homelander.
LOL: Last One Laughing Thailand – Available from Thursday
Already a worldwide phenomenon, LOL: Last One Laughing made a splash in this corner of the globe back in January, when the Graham Norton-fronted Irish version launched. For anyone who missed it, the idea is simple: a group of comedians are put together in a room, with the mission of trying to make the others laugh.
There’s a twist, of course, and if any of them even so much as snigger, they’re kicked out. The last comedian standing is the winner. This week, the show’s international reach extends with the launch of the Thai version, hosted by two acclaimed local comedians, C Siwat and Oat Pramote.
“Thai comedy has always been renowned for our unique creativity,” says C. “LOL: Last One Laughing Thailand serves as the right avenue to showcase our comedic talents.” And if that’s not enough, also starting this week is LOL: Last One Laughing Philippines. Now that’s something to smile about.
PARAMOUNT+
Murdaugh Murders: The Movie – Available from Thursday
The shocking real-life saga of Alex Murdaugh – the influential and powerful US lawyer who was accused of the double murder of his wife and son in June 2021, and then convicted almost two years later – kept the American public gripped.
Now, those events – which also included drug abuse, alcoholism, financial crimes, insurance scams and even a botched attempt to arrange for a hitman to kill his oldest son – has been turned into a compelling two-part movie starring the brilliant Bill Pullman as Murdaugh.
If you don’t know much about the original case, prepare for a staggering and twisted story of greed, privilege and cold-blooded murder.
Space Cadet – Available from Thursday
Take Legally Blonde, turn it into a movie about a wannabe astronaut rather than a trainee lawyer, and you’ve got the bare bones of this enjoyable comedy.
Emma Roberts stars as Rex, a fun-loving Florida party girl who dreamed of going into space as a child, but got waylaid as a teen by the desire to have fun.
Now in her 20s and worried that she missed her opportunities in life, things take an unexpected turn when her doctored CV helps get her selected for an ultra-tough NASA astronaut training course. But can the unconventional, seemingly ditzy Rex prove that she’s got the determination, drive and heart to succeed, before her true identity is revealed?
CHANNEL 4
Inspector Ricciardi – Available from Friday
We’re heading back to the winding streets of 1930s Naples, where the enigmatic and highly intuitive Inspector Ricciardi (Lino Guanciale) has a new selection of grisly crimes to investigate.
As ever, he’s both blessed and cursed by his supernatural gift: being able to see the ghosts of people who came to a violent end and hearing their final thoughts. While that’s great for solving cases, it doesn’t make for a happy personal life and Ricciardi has decided to turn his back on love, despite his obvious feelings for his neighbour Enrica.
As the new season opens, Ricciardi – still rocked by the death of his beloved housekeeper Rosa – is tasked with a particularly gruesome case, following the discovery of body with one eye gouged out. Meanwhile, the news that Enrica has an admirer causes our hero a whole heap of heartache.
APPLE TV+
Land Of Women – New episode available from Wednesday
After promising Amat that she’d help the town’s women improve their wine, Gala (Eva Longoria) gets to work, with potentially impressive results.
Meanwhile, she discovers something shocking about her estranged husband Fred, we get an intriguing glimpse into Amat’s past, Julia’s runaway antics as a teen start to catch up with her and the bad guys have found their way to Catalonia – but will they manage to track Gala down?
Yes, at times it’s all a bit Mamma Mia without the songs, but Land Of Women is turning out to be a hugely enjoyable, escapist treat.
ITVX
The Gilmore Girls – Available from Thursday
Anyone in the mood for some Noughties nostalgia, look no further. ITVX has bagged all seven seasons of this heart-warming, bittersweet mother-and-daughter comedy-drama, giving established fans the excuse to binge themselves silly – and a whole new generation the chance to find out what the fuss was all about.
If you need a reminder, the show follows the growing pains of smart, switched-on teenager Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) and her determined single mother Lorelai (Lauren Graham). Together they navigate the ups and downs of life, love, family and relationships in the close-knit town of Stars Hollow.
Also starring the likes of Melissa McCarthy, Milo Ventimiglia and Jared Padalecki, it’s of its time, sure, but still relatable after all these years.
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