Melbourne has been through it (four times). Sydney is right in the thick of it. Brisbane could soon be the same, and Perth is looking sketchy. So what shows are worth checking out while you’re in lockdown over the school holidays?
This week the TV Blackbox team will deliver their own lists full of hours of entertainment containing shows just for you, shows for you and your friends, or shows the whole family can enjoy! First up – it’s our Viewer’s Advocate Steve Molk!
(We’d also love to know your recommendations too – please share them in the comments below.)
Sweet Tooth
(Netflix): A surprising series that leaps off the pages of the DC Comics franchise of the same name and into our near future, with an extra dose of pandemic reality.
A global disease starts wiping people out (“the sick”), and at the same time babies are being born as human/animal hybrids. There’s concern the hybrids caused the illness, so they become hunted properties but all is not as it seems.
It’s a little dark at times so I don’t recommend it for primary school age kids, however teens up will be transfixed by the tale of Gus, Pubba and Big Man as tales intertwine through the journey of discovery, growth, and our humanity (You’ll never hear Auld Lang Syne the same again). An easy 8x1hr episode season one available right now.
The Good Fight
(SBS season 5/Stan seasons 1-4): Season five starts this Thursday on SBS/SBS On Demand, and it really is delivering new and interesting plots each season.
A more than valid sequel to the universe established in The Good Wife.
Loki
(Disney+): Marvel’s take on Doctor Who in the best possible way. This six instalment run is the third episodic series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four and is prepping you for the new film Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
Each 60 minutes-ish episode lands Wednesdays with the fourth coming this week!
The Leftovers
(Binge/Foxtel Now): This 3-season series is now nearly six years old and hoo-baby does it pack a punch. Opening with “what would happen if 2% of the world’s population simply vanished all at once” the drama plays out with those who ‘survived’.
It’s made even more incredible due to fabulous Aussie comedian Justin Hamilton delivering an accompanying episode-by-episode podcast to help you consider some of the bigger narratives at play (and help you spot the things you might have missed).
Watch an ep then let it sit with you for a day to marinate and ponder – so worth it!
Watchmen
(Binge/Foxtel Now): This was a belter of a series when it landed in late 2019 and expanded the universe set by the film in all its glorious complexity.
Regina King is an absolute star in this series that continues a few years after the film and has all the twists, turns, and mindsplosions you’d expect from Lost’s Damon Lindelof.
As with The Leftovers, Hammo also has an ep-by-ep companion podcast for incredible series too.
Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House Of Fun
(Netflix): Oh, it’s crazy alright, and worth every minute of of the six episodes. Obtuse, irreverent, creative, and everything’s a drum, these Aussie comedians dropped this series in 2020 after filming it essentially in secret in the US in 2019 and it has received global attention since release. Don’t expect to understand it; just let it wash over you…
Mare of Easttown
(Binge/Foxtel Now): Quite simply, it’s the must-watch drama series of the year. Kate Winslet stars as Mare, a detective in a small Pennsylvanian town who struggles with her identity and letting anyone close.
It’s far more than your run of the mill whodunnit – it’s deeply affecting television that offers twists and turns you won’t see coming and a finale that won’t let you breathe for the tension.
Seven one hour episodes of everything that’s great about TV in 2021.
Molk, I watched Sweet Tooth based solely on your recommendation in the TV Blackbox Podcast. This is the best show I have seen in a while, I’m desperately hoping we get a second season because otherwise I will be devastated
Hi Gabrielle – SO GLAD that you loved it. All at my house are also hoping for S02 (everything crossed) as it was just enchanting and there is so much we now need to learn! 🙂