The best TV to stream next week – from Vikings: Valhalla to The Iron Claw
THE streamers have made sure to double down on binge-worthy summer content.
From hilarious comedies to gripping documentaries, The Sun’s TV Mag has all the must-see picks for the week ahead
NETFLIX
Vikings: Valhalla – Available from Thursday
Blood, battles and long-boats – it must be the return of Vikings: Valhalla.
The third and last season of the action-packed saga sets sail this week, promising a gripping conclusion to the stories of Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter) and Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson).
Boasting new adventures and new characters – including Leif and Freydís’s father Erik the Red (former ER star Goran Višnjić) – it looks certain to be a dramatic and exciting finale.
But will Leif find that fabled land in the west? And will Harald be crowned King of Norway? “I am so grateful to have had three seasons to tell the stories of Leif, Harald, and Freydís,” says co-creator Jeb Stuart. “I hope when the audience gets to see the new season, they’ll be excited by all the new heights that we’ve taken these heroes to.”
Let battle commence!
Exploding Kittens – Available from Friday
Anyone who’s played the entertaining card game of the same name will know how fun it is.
Now, in a development few fans might have predicted, it’s got its own spin-off streaming series. In this animated adaptation, God (voiced by Tom Ellis) has been sacked, after it’s decided that his creation, Earth, sucks.
To ‘rehabilitate’ him, he’s sent down to Earth to try to reconnect with humanity. However, to make the experience tougher for him, he’s been trapped inside the body of a house cat.
Determined to help humans so he can get back to heaven, Godcat’s mission is derailed when he realises that the next-door cat is none other than the Devil in disguise (Sasheer Zamata).
Cue a dramatic struggle to protect his new human family from this demonic furry foe – as long as he doesn’t get distracted by laser pointers.
It’s irreverent, wild and wickedly funny, but be warned, unlike the card game, Exploding Kittens is definitely not for kids.
Sugar Rush – Available from Wednesday
Brilliant, barmy baking shows are definitely the order of the day right now, whichever part of the globe you come from.
Emerging from a multi-coloured cloud of icing sugar and self-raising flour, here comes a second season of the Mexican version of Sugar Rush, the tasty, surprising and highly addictive competitive bakery series.
As ever, six teams of talented pastry chefs use all their skill – plus a healthy dollop of imagination – to create some spectacular cakey creations that often defy both belief and gravity.
The eventual winner will bag a whopping $1million pesos, which works out as about £42,000. Capi Pérez returns as host, joined by regular judges Gris Verduzco and Luis Robledo Richards.
Vanished Into The Night – Available from Thursday
Drowning in debt and going through a difficult divorce and custody dispute, Pietro (Riccardo Scamarcio) is having a hard time.
But things are about to get even worse when the two children he shares with his estranged wife Elena (Annabelle Wallis) disappear from his house in the middle of the night.
After receiving a ransom demand of €150,000, Pietro has little choice but to agree to undertake a difficult drug-smuggling mission for an old criminal contact.
But when he returns home, nothing is quite how it was before. A compelling and, at times, enjoyably cheesy mystery thriller from Italy.
Hannah Berner: We Ride At Dawn – Available from Tuesday
She made her name on social media, hit reality show Summer House and several massively successful podcasts, and now New York comedian and presenter Hannah has got her own stand-up special.
This hour-long show, which was filmed at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, finds Hannah riffing on topics that include her love life, relationships, mental health, different phases of life, pop culture and politics.
Throughout, Hannah – who performed in London back in May – is never afraid to poke fun at everything and everyone, especially herself.
A fresh, modern and entertaining comedy voice.
Receiver – Available from Wednesday
If you enjoyed last year’s fly-on-the-wall series Quarterback (which followed the fortunes of five star players in the NFL), chances are you’ll be gripped by this companion show, which turns the spotlight on to those players on the American football field whose job it is to catch a quarterback’s inch-perfect pass: the wide receiver.
Over immersive and dramatic episodes, we accompany four receivers and one tight end – a position with a similar mission – as they experience the ups and downs of the 2023 NFL season.
So get ready to meet Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers, Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions and George Kittle, tight end of the 49ers.
A thrilling glimpse into the daily lives of top sportspeople.
APPLE TV+
Sunny – Available from Wednesday
Whether it’s Severance, The Big Door Prize or Dark Matter, Apple TV+ is on a real roll when it comes to mysterious and highly-original sci-fi thrillers.
The latest off that conveyor belt is a blackly funny 10-part series that follows Suzie (Rashida Jones), an American woman living in Japan who’s grief-stricken and angry when her husband, Masa, and young son disappear after a plane crash.
As Suzie struggles with her grief, the technology firm Masa worked for gifts her a highly intelligent robot called Sunny – designed by Masa – to keep her company. Initially highly suspicious of Sunny, Suzie slowly starts to bond with the robot, and before long they’re investigating the shocking truth behind that plane tragedy.
There’s a lot to love about this show, including Rashida’s wonderfully deadpan and world-weary performance and the atmospheric Kyoto location, while the intriguing, surprising plot is sure to keep you gripped.
Me – Available from Friday
Fans of Ms Marvel – the 2022 coming-of-age series about a youngster who acquires life-changing superpowers – should definitely check out this coming-of-age series about – yes, you’ve guessed it – a youngster who acquires life-changing superpowers.
Meet Ben (Lucian-River Chauhan), a 12 year old who’s having a hard time handling the overwhelming complications of life at a new school, not to mention a newly blended family.
Everything changes one morning when he wakes up to discover that he’s somehow developed the ability to shape-shift and transform into anyone he meets.
With the help of his stepsister Max, Ben sets out to use his new powers to uncover some local mysteries – and learn who he really is in the process.
A smart and exciting new teen sci-fi show.
DISNEY+
Descendants: The Rise Of Red – Available from Friday
If you happen to have pre-teens in your life, chances are you’ll be very familiar with the Descendants series of music-filled movies, which follow the dramatic lives of the offspring of some of Disney’s most famous heroes and villains.
After a five-year break, the fourth movie in the franchise is finally here, moving the action on by a few years.
Keen to open the school up to more people, Uma (China Anne McClain), now the headmistress of Auradon Prep, extends an invite to Red (Kylie Cantrall), the daughter of the Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora).
However, upon arrival at the school, the Queen – looking for revenge – starts a coup and takes over. Desperate to make up for her mum’s bad behaviour, Red teams up with Cinderella’s daughter Chloe (Malia Baker) on a mission back in time to prevent the Queen from turning evil in the first place.
Feisty fairy-tale fun – with an added pop edge.
Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer – Available from Thursday
She might not be a household name but former psychiatric nurse and professor Dr Ann Burgess was instrumental in the development of serial-killer profiling at the FBI, helping to catch murderers and save lives.
Her remarkable story and achievements are revealed in this new, feature-length documentary, which boasts in-depth interviews with Ann herself, colleagues and experts.
It’s a genuinely fascinating watch, not only because Ann was involved in some of history’s most notorious serial-killer cases – including that of Ted Bundy and Ed Kemper – but also because of the importance she placed on protecting America’s women.
PRIME VIDEO
Sausage Party: Foodtopia – Available from Thursday
The 2016 Sausage Party movie may have been rude, crude and utterly bizarre, but it was an enjoyably daft guilty pleasure none the less.
Yet even the most ardent admirer of the film is unlikely to have been holding their breath waiting for a sequel – let alone a full series.
Still, here comes an eight-part follow-up, which rejoins Frank (voiced by Seth Rogen), Brenda (Kristen Wiig), Barry (Michael Cera), Sammy (Edward Norton) and the rest of the edible gang as they establish a safe haven, Foodtopia, away from hungry humans.
However, when a huge flood destroys their new home, they realise they may need a human helping hand to ensure their safety.
Outrageous fun – and definitely not for kids.
The Iron Claw – Available from Friday
A top cast, led by Zac Efron, The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White and Lily James, star in this well-acted and unexpectedly moving film based on the true story of the Von Erich family of American professional wrestlers.
Retired wrestler turned wrestling promoter Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) has high hopes that his sons – Kevin (Zac), David (Harris Dickinson), Kerry (Jeremy) and Mike (Stanley Simons) – will follow in his footsteps and find fame and fortune in the ring.
But will a supposed family curse, which the Von Erichs believe was behind the childhood death of Fritz’s eldest son Jack Jr, bring them nothing but tragedy?
PARAMOUNT+
Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken – Available from Wednesday
Over two episodes, this powerful documentary follows award-winning singer-songwriter Melissa as she gets to know five female prisoners incarcerated at the Topeka Correctional Facility in Kansas.
All five women have issues with addiction – a subject important to Melissa, who lost her son to an opioid addiction in 2020 – and the singer uses their stories and experiences as the inspiration for a new song.
“I’m excited for audiences to join me on this powerful journey and hear these remarkable stories filled with pain and struggle but also hope and healing,” says Melissa.
“I hope that this docuseries shows viewers the challenges that women face in our prison system while also serving as a resource to those who currently are struggling.”
Kamp Koral – Available from Sunday
While the first season of this SpongeBob SquarePants spin-off prequel didn’t hit the same charming, hilarious heights of the original show, it certainly provided plenty of chuckles for the show’s younger viewers, and now it’s back for a second – and final – run of 13 episodes.
Get set for more underwater fun as the young SpongeBob (voiced by Tom Kenny), alongside his pals Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke), Sandy (Carolyn Lawrence) and Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), returns to Kamp Koral for another summer of silliness.
Adventures this time will include the gang trying to stop five Patrick clones from taking over the camp, a wilderness expert visiting and SpongeBob competing to become Kamp Koral’s mascot.
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