February 5, 2024
Discover the best programmes on Prime Video who continue to invest heavily in programming. There is another key benefit to being a subscriber.
It’s a clever hook up between Amazon and it’s TV subscription service – next day delivery for pretty much all of your Amazon purchases.
Here are some programmes worth watching.
A Very Royal Scandal
Back in April, Netflix broadcasted Scoop an account of the PR disaster that was Prince Andrew’s 2019 interview with Emily Maitlis on Newsnight, when he faced questions about his links to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A Very Royal Scandal tells the same story over three episodes, swapping in a transformed Michael Sheen to play the duke and Ruth Wilson to put on the military-style jacket of his journalistic nemesis.
Sheen is excellent as the folly of his consent to be interviewed becomes apparent and equally so is Wilson as her role at Newsnight becomes emasculated as potential interviewees shy away for fear of a similar Prince Andrew experience.
Sven
This career-spanning documentary encompasses love affairs, banquets with government functionaries in North Korea, financial catastrophe and, of course, miraculous footballing success.
Sadly, Eriksson is near the end of his life with terminal cancer and he’s in an inevitably reflective mood.
He spends time with his family in Sweden and dryly recalls a few of his many memorable adventures.
He had an attitude towards his private life as if to say “I will not let the tabloids dictate my life” which was far too mature for those he had to deal with. The shame was it overshadowed what he gave us on the field, which included one of England’s greatest victories a 5-1 win in Germany.
Clarkson’s Farm
Over three seasons, the series charts the ups and mainly downs of the 10,000 acre farm purchased by Jeremy Clarkson in 2008.
In 2019, Clarkson took over the running of the farm, assisted by local farmer, Kaleb Cooper. Much of the show revolves around the banter between Clarkson, Cooper and Charles Ireland who advises on farm management and the increasing involvement of Clarkson’s partner, Lisa Hogan.
Clarkson can be a divisive figure but few would question his ability in front of camera and the show works because it mixes humour with the difficulties of real life farming. Clarkson challenges the accepted norms of farming and whenever he says “Then I had a brilliant idea” you know disaster lurks around the corner.
Clarkson is committed to farming and there are some genuine emotional moments. With a personal fortune and other streams of income, it’s easy to dismiss failure as divorced from reality, yet this series does highlight how financially unviable farming can be.
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart
In their adaptation of Holly Ringland’s 2018 Australian coming-of-age novel, the producer-director duo Bruna Papandrea and Glendyn Ivin have made several astute choices.
They’ve curated an impeccable cast, led by the outstanding Sigourney Weaver in the pivotal role of the grandmother. Moreover, they’ve scaled back on the book’s intricate symbolism, crafting an intelligently told narrative of trauma and survival that exudes the mystery of a gothic whodunnit.
Well worth watching.
20 Days In Mariupol
This is a searing film that follows AP journalists over 20 days as the city is besieged by the Russians.
At times it’s a hard watch, particularly scenes of a mother grieving for her baby, but it’s a necessary one, especially now that the war has been relegated from the front pages. You cannot fail to admire the sacrifices and the bravery of Ukrainians who refuse to bow to superior numbers.
It exposes the brutality and discriminatory nature of war and fully deserved the Oscar for best documentary.
A Very British Scandal – 2 Series
The first tells the story of Jeremy Thorpe, leader of the Liberal Party who was tried and later acquitted of conspiring to murder his ex-lover, Norman Scott.
At the time homosexuality was still illegal. When Scott threatens to reveal the affair, Thorpe decides upon a plan of action that eventually exposes the scandal and leads to a watershed moment in British social and political life.
Hugh Grant stars as Thorpe and Ben Whishaw as Scott, both are superb.
The second is a story of the events surrounding the notorious divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll in 1963 starring Clare Foy and Paul Bettany.
Two very watchable series.
Wilderness
Liv (Jenna Coleman) and Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) initially appear to have the perfect marriage as they embark on a road trip through the US countryside.
However, cracks soon emerge, revealing Will’s infidelity. Rather than walking away, Liv agrees to join him on a journey through America’s national parks, secretly plotting her revenge along the way.
Coleman delivers a captivating performance, portraying Liv with depth and complexity, keeping viewers guessing about her true intentions. It’s compelling to the extent that your sympathies get torn one way and the other.
Daisy Jones and The Six
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestseller, which follows a Fleetwood Mac-esque band’s rise to the top of the LA music scene in the ’70s.
Decades on and band members reveal what really went on and why they quit. It’s a familiar tale that’s fun and easy to watch and it features Elvis Presley’s granddaughter in the lead role.
The English
If you like a Western, this is one of the better ones.
Starring Emily Blunt, an English woman who travels to America on a search that unfolds over the six episodes as she joins forces with an ex-Army Indian scout.
Stunning to look at, it may not grip you initially, but it will by episode three.
The Fake Sheikh
In a captivating three-part film, former Panorama producer Ceri Isfryn delves into the rise and fall of British reporter Mazher Mahmood, known as the “king of the sting” from 1991 to 2012.
Mahmood, famous for his elaborate deceptions targeting celebrities, politicians, sports figures, and even royals, is explored through interviews with colleagues and those affected by his manipulations. This meticulous true-crime documentary offers a jaw-dropping portrayal of a bygone era in tabloid journalism.
Catastrophe
During a business trip in London, an American named Rob meets Sharon, an Irish teacher with whom he shares incredible chemistry.
While the two plan to have some fun with no strings attached, things go awry when Sharon learns she is pregnant. The unexpected news inspires the recent acquaintances to try and make it as a couple, despite nonstop complications that include hailing from different countries and a pregnancy that is not without risks.
This was the series that launched Sharon Horgan’s career as a major TV writer.
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