The best of TV and streaming this week Our pick of the best television shows BBC1’s The Luminaries is menacing and clever — but uninvitingPoor lighting in this adaptation of Eleanor Catton’s novel set in 19th-century New Zealand leaves viewers in the dark Billion Pound Cruises investigates the cost of coronavirus on the cruise industryThe documentary explores how infection rapidly spread across liners and turned dream trips into floating nightmares Dark forces haunt 1930s LA in Penny Dreadful on Sky AtlanticThere are evil spirits and gruesome murders aplenty in this period sleuth series The School That Tried to End Racism tests if bias can be alteredThe story of a ‘segregation experiment’ is a tough watch at times, but the children exude enthusiasm and kindness Scandalous! The Tabloid That Changed America brings The National Enquirer to BBC4This Storyville documentary charts the history, glory years and notoriety of the muck-raking paper Perry Mason returns in a show of slick, gruesome storytellingThe HBO/Sky reboot imagines the defence attorney as a young private detective in 1930s Los Angeles More from this Series Deadly Russian intrigue in BBC1’s The Salisbury PoisoningsThis suspense-filled mini-series dramatises the attempted assassination of Sergei and Yulia Skripal My Brilliant Friend, Season 2 — a world rendered in exquisite visualsThe rewarding adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel returns to Sky Atlantic and HBO Fascinating riches and dazzling sights in BBC4’s Art of PersiaThis three-part investigation into the art and history of Persia beguiles the eye and mind I May Destroy You, BBC1 — drama from the remarkable Michaela CoelStick with this 12-part portrayal of the search for self-worth and the perfect orgasm Channel 4’s Murder in the Outback investigates the case of Peter Falconio The four-part documentary re-examines the evidence surrounding the missing British tourist Inside Monaco: Playground of the Rich — don’t ask who owns the yachtA three-part documentary gives viewers access to the once-discreet principality Space Force — Steve Carell lands as a lunatic general in cosmic Netflix comedyLisa Kudrow and John Malkovich also feature as wife and scientific adviser to Carell’s cocksure but clueless general Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich — a “sexual abuse pyramid scheme” deconstructedLisa Bryant’s four-parter includes victims’ testimony and details how the billionaire aggressively evaded justice Cardinal, BBC2 — menacing, detective noirA serial assassin with a ghastly MO targets a politician’s husband in a gripping episode The Plastic Nile — Sky documentary exposes the extent of Africa’s waste problemImages capturing the catastrophic pollution of the river are an antidote to ravishing nature films Snowpiercer is a rickety Netflix spin-off of Bong Joon-ho’s filmJennifer Connelly stars in series about a strictly hierarchical train carrying Earth’s last remaining inhabitants McMillions tells the gripping story of the McDonald’s Monopoly scamThe six-part documentary follows an FBI agent’s hunt for the mastermind prize-rigger Men at the Barre on BBC4 has leaps, pliés and lots of testosteroneAthletes could be mistaken for young gods in this dance documentary White Lines brings violence and hedonism to NetflixNew series follows a British woman in search of answers about her brother’s murder on the Spanish party island Exhilarating documentary Climbing Blind comes to BBC4This inspiring film traces the record-breaking ascent of a blind climber and his wife Comedian’s struggle told in BBC2’s What’s the Matter with Tony Slattery?Documentary follows the once-nimble comic as he attempts to confront mental illness Mark Ruffalo plays diverging twins in I Know This Much Is TrueSix-part series adapts Wally Lamb’s novel about family, loss and mental illness Michelle Obama’s charm shines in Netflix’s BecomingThe film captures the former first lady’s warmth as it chronicles her stadium-filling book tour Dave — US comedy about a bumbling rapper comes to BBC2The series follows an idiotic yet charming nerd trying to make it big as Lil Dicky Sleaze and racism in Netflix’s Hollywood take shine off ‘golden age’New period drama about an aspiring actor pulls back the curtain on postwar Tinseltown David Stratton’s Stories of Australian Cinema is a riveting overviewThe much-loved film critic traces how the nation’s film industry found its voice in a three-part series on BBC4 Brassic’s cast of grotesques returns to Sky OneVinnie and his misfits are back for more misadventures in their small Lancashire town The Eddy — Netflix’s Parisian jazz drama is stylish and scuzzyAndré Holland stars as a beleaguered club owner in a series that accents the downbeat Atmospheric and beautifully acted: BBC1’s Normal PeopleThe best-selling novel by the ‘voice of the millennial generation’ comes alive in a 12-part TV adaptation Comedy Code 404 brings mismatched inspectors to Sky OneDaniel Mays and Stephen Graham are paired in a new sitcom about a murdered detective rebooted through AI Simon Schama and Alastair Sooke explore Museums in Quarantine on BBC4Unmissable four-part series visits masterpieces by Warhol and Rembrandt hanging in closed galleries Gangs of London is a revoltingly inventive crime seriesA kingpin’s murder sparks a frenzy of revenge and investigation in the Sky Atlantic/Cinemax series After Life, Netflix — performances lift an uneven second season of Ricky Gervais’s showThe comedian returns to the role of a bereaved husband whose serenity proves short-lived amid a cast of oddballs Killing Eve Season 3 — gruesome exits and bad behaviourSandra Oh and Jodie Comer return in the hit BBC series where violence and vengeance reign supreme Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered revisits killings of children in 1979HBO mini-series captures the fear and chaos that gripped a city in the wake of a series of crimes Home Before Dark — crime show with a hero who’s tough, ruthless and nine years oldApple TV+’s quirky and accessible series stars a self-styled reporter trying to crack a cold case Devs: Futuristic tech thriller comes to BBC2Alex Garland’s mysterious eight-part series is full of lengthy silences and philosophical questions Channel 4’s Prue Leith: Journey with my Daughter, Channel 4The restaurateur travels to Cambodia with adopted daughter Li-Da to reconnect with heritage and tragic histories Domhnall Gleeson and Merritt Wever play old flames reunited in RunThe emotional and sometimes awkward comedy series is executive-produced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge Noughts and Crosses — looking back over a series reversing racial imbalancesThe BBC drama set in an alternate reality has its flaws but its central message is clear and urgent Magic, malaise and feats of recovery in Dynamo: Beyond Belief on Sky OneThe Bradford magician shows off a fresh arsenal of tricks in a globetrotting new series The Countess and the Russian Billionaire, BBC2 — wealth, death threats and self-isolationThe twisty tale of an Englishwoman and her oligarch husband reveals the risks and rewards of being close to the Kremlin Pen15, Sky Comedy/Hulu — delicious chemistryIt’s all braces and bad haircuts as the pair depict their awkward high-school days in the early 2000s BBC1’s London Kills returns for an underwhelming second season A new crime squeezed into each episode leaves the plot feeling compressed to the point of absurdity Feel Good brings comedy, love and other addictions to Channel 4Canadian comic Mae Martin stars in new series drawing on her own life that also features Lisa Kudrow Channel 4’s Putin: A Russian Spy Story traces his rise to power The documentary relates Putin’s life from his early days as a KGB officer to a political adept Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins play killers in HitmenThe duo have a lark tackling kidnap and murder in this awkward assassin comedy on Sky One/Now TV Knights and evil princes in Netflix’s The Letter for the KingPacked with quests, prophesies and plucky characters, this new fantasy series is tremendous fun BingeWatch: the BBC’s Handmade offers calming creativity in troubling timesOur new series on TV that is perfect for lockdown and isolation begins with a meditative documentary about making things Babylon Berlin: the murky glamour of late WeimarSeason Three of the show on Sky Atlantic/Netflix combines intrigue with period authenticity Westworld series 3 — robots and pseudo-reality do battle on Sky Atlantic/HBOEvan Rachel Wood and Aaron Paul are great, but there’s enough cod philosophy to restock the North Sea Julian Fellowes’s Belgravia — glossy period drama lords it over LondonTamsin Greig, Harriet Walter and Philip Glenister among top-flight cast in an entertaining account of the 19th-century aristocracy Martin Freeman is perfectly cast as a furious father in BreedersThis expletive-heavy family comedy elicits resigned smiles rather than belly laughs Hilary Mantel plays with ghosts in Return to Wolf HallThe dead are ‘like a backing group’, reflects the novelist in this insightful BBC2 documentary Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan back on form in The Trip to GreeceThe pair return for their fourth gastronomic odyssey following in the footsteps of the Ancients The Accused: Damned or Devoted? — Pakistan’s blasphemy trialsMohammed Ali Naqvi looks at those affected by the country’s controversial laws in a BBC4 documentary The Twilight Zone, Syfy/CBS — Jordan Peele’s chilling talesEpisodes deliver thought-twizzling chills with nightmares in the air and supernatural twists Plenty to treasure in royal spoof The Windsors, Channel 4Real life has begun to outface parody but in Series 3 there are divine performances — including an adorably daft Wills I Am Not Okay With This, Netflix — rites-of-passage turns supernaturalA show based on Charles Forsman’s graphic novel about vulnerable teenagers blends the surreal with deadpan wit Confronting Holocaust Denial with David Baddiel is a chilling investigationThe presenter goes abroad and online to understand how anti-Semitic groups continue to refute an unspeakable atrocity The Battle for Hong Kong, C4 — a front-line view from the streetsA powerful new documentary follows five young activists and their fight for democracy Work in Progress, Sky Comedy/Showtime — navigating non-binary loveAbby McEnany plays a middle-aged lesbian discovering new queer etiquette Baghdad Central on Channel 4 is a crime thriller that pulses with menaceA new series based around the Iraq war is rich in emotional succour Universal Credit: Inside the Welfare State, BBC2 — behind the scenes of a creaking systemA three-part documentary looks at the UK’s biggest welfare reform ten years on The Righteous Gemstones has fun with a fraudulent family of televangelistsDanny McBride’s series about Bible-bashing millionaires comes to to HBO and Sky Comedy Star Trek: Picard — Patrick Stewart makes it slow with leisurely return on Amazon/CBSThe Next Generation star still has gravitas but the new series takes a while to get off-planet Cobra, Sky One — a catastrophe drama with high stakesRobert Sutherland exudes calm and competence verging on ruthlessness as his character handles a national disaster Sex Education, Netflix — the unofficial teen ‘sexpert’ returnsBeyond the bouncing bodies and trembling flesh run a myriad tender emotional storylines Deadwater Fell, C4 — a slow-burning, brooding taleA doctor and family man is suspected of doing something unspeakable Apocalypse Cow: How Meat Killed the Planet, C4 — a radical take-down of food farmingBritish writer and activist George Monbiot on how the food industry is destroying the living world The Planet is Burning, Amazon Prime — Ilana Glazer is naturally warm, shrewd and very New YorkIn an atomising world with diminishing shared culture, it’s interesting to note what topics comedians can now rely on for common ground The Deuce, Sky Atlantic — Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Franco deliver impressive performancesSocial issues and new technology bring change to streetwise but tender characters Sticks and Stones, ITV — words cut deep in Mike Bartlett’s workplace dramaNew psychological mini-drama explores the corrosive effects of bullying and mind-play The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Season 3 delivers vintage screwball comedyThe Amazon Prime series stars Rachel Brosnahan as stand-up comedian Midge in 1950s New York The Crown Season 3 brings the genius of Olivia ColmanFarewell to Foy and Smith in a new series of palace family drama and treachery on Netflix Climategate: Science of a Scandal, BBC4The story behind a hacking case that derailed a UN conference and tried to sway nations on an issue of global concern The War of the Worlds, BBC1 — a timely take on HG WellsRafe Spall and Eleanor Tomlinson star in the new three-part adaptation of the 1898 sci-fi classic His Dark Materials, BBC1 — starring James McAvoy and Ruth WilsonThe eight-part series gives space to address the ever pertinent themes of the Milton-inspired trilogy The Accident, Channel 4 — the aftermath of tragedyWriter Jack Thorne has constructed his drama with an almost mathematical approach to apportioning blame Giri/Haji, BBC2 — masterful cross-continent thrillerA Tokyo detective is dispatched to London to investigate a suspicious murder in a winning series directed by Julian Farino Netflix’s The Politician — a complex, cynical and stylish portrait of ambitionBen Platt stars as a wealthy high-school Machiavel alongside manoeuvring mom Gwyneth Paltrow The Loudest Voice, Sky Atlantic‘How do they sleep at night?’ is a question that resonates throughout this pummelling drama series about the launch of Fox News HBO’s ‘Succession’ returns to Sky Atlantic with a savagely brilliant second seasonThe drama starring Brian Cox is back with raging sibling spats and coarse put-downs Undercover: Inside the Chinese Digital Gulag, ITV — chilling insightA film-maker travels to so-called ‘re-education centres’ where reports of torture abound Stranger Things 3, Netflix — a plague of rodents, hormones and ’80s pop hits HawkinsJobs and kissing replace bikes and board games as the goofy young kids turn teenagers The Unwanted: The Secret Windrush FilesIn a new BBC documentary, historian David Olusoga reveals the history of racial prejudice in the UK George Clooney’s Catch-22 recaptures the humour and horror of the novelGlossy, visceral and with an exceptional cast, the satirical mini-series conjures a paradox-laden second world war The Handmaid’s Tale is back, praise be! — season 3 reviewedElisabeth Moss’s Offred is all eerie composure as Gilead’s foundations begin to totter Black Mirror Season 5 — Andrew Scott as a creepy cabbie, Miley Cyrus as a doll in captivating new episodesNetflix’s tech anthology series continues with three cunningly plotted stories Tales of the City — Laura Linney stars in this Netflix revivalHas Armistead Maupin’s classic series about a queer community in San Francisco dated badly? Gentleman Jack, BBC and HBO — a sparkling delightWas Anne Lister a lesbian superhero — or an unashamed forerunner of class-privileged white feminism? 63 Up, ITV — is this the last of the Seven Up saga?The cast of Michael Apted’s 1963 TV social experiment reunite for a ninth time Years and Years, BBC1 — a sharp, nightmarish vision of the futureRussell T Davies’ drama presents an all-too-identifiable 21st century through the lens of one Mancunian family Chernobyl, Sky Atlantic — shrouded in mystery and smokeThis series starring Emily Watson and Jared Harris dramatises the events surrounding the 1986 nuclear accident to gripping effect The final series of Game of Thrones is more of the same — but just as addictiveThe last six episodes of the fantasy epic are set to be an enjoyable panoply of improbable sets, outlandish names and ‘sexposition’ Climate Change: The Facts — David Attenborough shows that the truth hurtsThe BBC documentary is a sobering, uncompromising portrait of the effects of global warming on our world Fleabag returns, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s creation remains irresistibleAfter the success of Killing Eve, the writer-director is back with a second — and starrier — season of her brilliantly offhand comedy-drama
