Much-buzzed-about comedy Demascus finally releases
STREAMING, TUBI
Demascus
On a quest of self-discovery, Demascus (Okieriete Onaodowan) is urged by his therapist (played by The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air's Janet Hubert) to try an experimental treatment that allows him to visit alternative realities.
Each version – where the same friends and relatives (including Martin Lawrence as an aged uncle) keep popping up but reshaped by their new context – sees Demascus gain new insights into himself and his fear of commitment as he navigates one awkward situation after another.
There has been a lot of buzz around this comedy in the US media as it was uncertain fans would be able to see it until it was snapped up by free streaming service Tubi.
If You Liked: Shōgun
Try: Chief Of War
STREAMING, APPLE TV+
Visually spectacular, this epic historical drama (created by and starring Jason Momoa) recreates the bloody battles over the unification and colonisation of Hawaii.
Momoa plays warrior Ka'iana who, having forged a simpler life on one of Hawaii's smaller islands, is talked into returning to battle by King Kahekili (Temuera Morrison).
Told in traditional language, the series is a deep dive into a lesser-known chapter of history. Momoa is believable as a wave-riding hero who can lead an army to victory without any armour, let alone trousers.
If You Liked: Sandition
Try: Miss Austen
9PM, SUNDAY, ABC TV AND STREAMING, ABC iVIEW
If you have a passion for Regency romance then you're in for a treat with this new drama
starring Keeley Hawes (pictured). Based on Gill Hornby's book, this delightful series casts
the other Miss Austen – author Jane's sister, Cassandra – as the heroine. Austenites will
already be familiar with Cassandra's diabolical act of literary vandalism (destroying almost all
of her sister's correspondence to protect the family's privacy).
This series imagines her
motivations, offering glimpses into the inspirations for Jane's most famous stories.
The Couple Next Door
STREAMING, BINGE
In the aftermath of the last murderous neighbourly entanglement, the remaining residents of
the tight-knit cul-de-sac are trying to get on with their lives. Here in this fancy Leeds
neighbourhood, we find surgeon Charlotte (Annabel Scholey, pictured second from right)
and her anaesthetist husband Jacob (Sam Palladio, pictured second from left), who struggle
to find time for each other amid the pressures of their careers and caring for her elderly
father.
So when disarmingly confident nurse Mia (Aggy K Adams, pictured right) and
Charlotte's old flame (Sendhil Ramamurthy, pictured left) begin working at the hospital, the
stage is set for another dangerous love quadrangle.
Hitmakers
STREAMING, NETFLIX
In the 1980s, the songwriting team of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman famously
wrote Kylie Minogue's hit I Should Be So Lucky in 40 minutes, proving that when inspiration
strikes, magic can happen fast. In this reality series, aspiring hitmakers are thrown together
and given a few short hours to write the next big pop song for musicians such as John
Legend (pictured left) and Lisa of Blackpink (and The White Lotus).
You may not know their
names, but you will already know some of their lyrics, as the cohort has penned hits for the
likes of Beyoncé, Justin Bieber and boy band BTS. Creativity flourishes and rivalries flare in
the pressure-cooker environment.
Dancing With The Stars
7.30PM, MONDAY, SEVEN
The glittering stage is set as six celebrities – comedian Felicity Ward, journalist Michael
Usher, footy player Trent Cotchin, actor Kyle Schilling, TV host Shaun Micallef (pictured with
Ash-Leigh Hunter) and radio personality Brittany Hockley – and their partners hit the floor in
the final. While Ward makes no secret of her desire to win and newlywed Hockley dances in
tribute to her husband, it's clear everyone is keen to put their best foot forward.
The Decline Of Western Civilization Part Ii: The Metal Years
STREAMING, TUBI
In Black Sabbath's farewell concert last month, held just weeks before the July 22 death of
frontman Ozzy Osbourne (pictured with his family), the singer reunited with his bandmates to
feel the love of fans and fellow musicians such as Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Guns N'
Roses vocalist Axl Rose.
In this 1988 doco, Osbourne joins another legendary line-up to reflect on his headline-grabbing career.
In Case You Missed It …
The Kennedys
If the Kennedy clan is basically America's answer to royalty, then this 2011 series is its
equivalent to The Crown.
With a star-studded cast that includes Tom Wilkinson as domineering patriarch Joe, Greg Kinnear as JFK and Katie Holmes (pictured) as Jackie, the four-part miniseries takes real people and events and serves them up as a salacious soap opera.
The series attracted some fierce criticism from the family's inner circle, who feared it
wasn't an accurate portrayal of the Kennedy legacy. Certainly this is not a historically
accurate account of JFK's time in the White House. But it doesn't claim to be. And, if you
enjoy a good biopic (as I do) then this one will be your next guilty pleasure – if only to watch
Holmes's wardrobe and breathless impersonation of the fashionable First Lady.
One Show. Two Views
The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer
Siobhan Duck
Whether it's an old-school classic like Perry Mason (and its grittier reboot starring Matthew
Rhys), a series playing the legal system for laughs like Ally McBeal, or TV justice served with
a sidebar of politics such as The Good Wife, I love courtroom dramas. Certainly, this series
starring Sam Neill as wily defence barrister Brett Colby is the best Aussie take on the genre
since Janet King.
In this new season, Colby is called upon to defend an old friend accused of
killing a woman who was digging into a cold case murder.
Complicating matters further for
Colby is the fact he's squaring off against his former protégée, Gabe Nicholls (Danielle
Cormack) in court.
Against the backdrop of the whodunnit are the equally intriguing machinations of the sequestered jury. As the case unfolds, viewers will also learn about the private lives and prejudices of these 12 strangers sitting in judgement – and you will start to judge them as well.
James Wigney
As the guilty verdict from one of the most fascinating murder trials in living memory still rings in our ears, it's a tough ask for any homegrown courtroom drama to top a woman killing her lunch guests with death cap mushrooms.
Indeed, with the proliferation of top-notch true crime documentaries and podcasts, I'm finding it harder to look past the factual in favour of the fictional, no matter how well made.
That said, while the format is starting to show a few familiar signs in its third season, The Twelve is still solid, thanks to its one constant: Sam Neill as the cunning and calm Brett Colby. Smartly, he's now a reluctant defence barrister, concerned about being compromised thanks to his connection with the accused.
And if the time shifts between the current crime and a historical double murder, secret lives of jury members and many twists get too much, just crack a bottle of Neill's Otago pinot noir and enjoy the stunning Margaret River scenery.
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