STUMPED for what to watch next week – don’t worry we’ve got you covered. Here’s a brand-spanking new list of TV shows to get stuck into next week – from Squid Game: The Challenge to Archie.
Once again, The Sun’s TV Mag has come up with a great list of TV shows and films that you should add to your watch list for the next week.
NETFLIX
Squid Game: The Challenge – Available from Wednesday
If you’re one of the few people on the planet who still haven’t watched the original Squid Game drama series, here’s what you need to know: in that show, 456 financially desperate folk agree to take part in a series of deadly games, hoping to survive long enough to win an eventual cash prize of 45.6 billion Korean won (around £280,000). This spin-off game show is almost identical – apart from the whole killing the contestants bit, of course. Over 10 nail-biting episodes, 456 people from all over the globe will compete to win an incredible $4.56 million (£3.7million). To do that, they must take part in some ridiculously tough and often physically dangerous games inspired by those on the original show. Testing skill, strength, ingenuity, agility and teamwork, it makes for totally compelling, emotionally draining viewing.
Leo – Available from Tuesday
Leo (voiced by Adam Sandler) is a jaded 74-year-old lizard who’s spent most of his life as a school pet, stuck in the same Florida classroom with only a fed-up turtle called Squirtle (Bill Burr) for company. So when Leo learns that he only has one year to live, he decides that it’s time to grab life by the scruff of its neck, escape from the terrarium where he lives and see the world. But before he can do that, Leo and Squirtle get caught up in the problems of the anxious students – and find themselves facing off against the meanest substitute teacher you’ve ever met. A wild and wonderful adventure for all the family.
High On The Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America – Available from Wednesday
Chef and writer Stephen Satterfield is back for a second, taste-bud-tingling series of the award-winning High On The Hog. And just like last time, he’ll be hitting the road to trace the journey of black food from Africa to the States and the huge impact that it’s had, not just on the way Americans eat but on the entire culture of the continent. In particular, he’ll be investigating how African-American cuisine had helped to fuel social justice movements, transform communities and awaken cultural creativity. Seriously moreish food for the mind as well as the stomach.
The Psychopath Life Coach – Available from Wednesday
Lewis Raymond Taylor is the founder of multi-million-dollar, global self-help life-coaching academy The Coaching Masters. He also has a diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder, Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder and Bipolar Type 2 – otherwise known as a psychopath. So is The Coaching Masters everything it says it is? Or is it, as some critics – including former member -, have claimed, a cult? And has Lewis really managed to curb his psychopathic traits, or is he simply manipulating vulnerable people for his own financial gain? Featuring interviews with the man himself, followers, critics, psychologists and business experts – including former Dragons’ Den investor Richard Farleigh – this intriguing documentary provides a deep dive into the mind of a charismatic if highly controversial figure.
A Nearly Normal Family – Available from Friday
And now for a pleasingly gloomy slice of Scandi noir. This six-part Swedish crime drama introduces us to the Sandell Family. On the surface, the Sandells appear to have the perfect life in an affluent neighbourhood: dad Adam (Björn Bengtsson) is a priest, mum Ulrika (Lo Kauppi) is a lawyer and their 19-year-old daughter Stella (Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors) looks to have a bright future ahead of her. But all that changes one fateful day when Stella is arrested, accused of murder, leaving her parents dumbfounded and at a loss over what to do. Surely Stella couldn’t really be guilty, could she?
My Daemon – Available from Thursday
When a catastrophic nuclear explosion causes Earth to momentarily overlap with hell, a number of strange creatures, known as a daemons, find their way through the rift and end up stuck on Earth. Tokyo schoolboy Kento discovers one of these creatures – a tiny, scrawny dog-like monster – in the woods and decides to adopt it, naming it Anna. Before long, however, the world’s fear of daemons puts Anna in danger and Kento has to fight to keep the creature safe. And when a terrible tragedy befalls Kento’s mother, he and Anna set off on a journey to find a way to save her. An imaginative, action-filled new sci-fi animation series.
ITVX
Archie – Available from Thursday
The complicated and often tragic life of Hollywood legend Cary Grant is the subject of this brilliant four-part drama, written by Jeff Pope (Cilla, The Reckoning) and starring Jason Isaacs. And despite being uncanny in the lead role, Jason, 60, admits that he wasn’t convinced when he was first approached to play Bristol-born Grant, whose real name was Archie Leach.
APPLE TV+
Hannah Waddingham: Home For Christmas – Available from Wednesday
Who doesn’t love Hannah Waddingham? The Emmy Award-winning Ted Lasso star has the world at her feet right now, and she’s set to cap what’s already been a great year (which included an epic Eurovision hosting gig) with her very own seasonal spectacular. Filmed live in front of an adoring crowd at the London Coliseum, Hannah will be getting everyone in the festive mood by performing some Christmas classics, backed by a big band. She’ll also be joined by some very special guests for more songs and chat. If this doesn’t start making you feel just that little bit festive, nothing will.
PRIME VIDEO
Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge Of Everything – Available from Thursday
The description ‘troubled genius’ gets thrown about all too easily, but one person it genuinely applies to is snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan. A phenomenally gifted, charismatic and entertaining player, Ronnie has also faced well-documented struggles with his mental health, struggles that have made him consider walking away from the sport. Now, for the first time, we’ll be able to find out first-hand what makes Ronnie tick, thanks to this new feature-length documentary, which follows the star as he prepares for the 2021 Snooker World Championship. Allowing access to his life and family, ‘Rocket’ Ronnie talks openly about his upbringing, rise to fame, his inner demons and what continues to drive him – and features revealing interviews with friends like Damien Hirst, Ronnie Wood and Jimmy White.
PARAMOUNT+
One Night – Available from Friday
Leaving Doctor Who far, far behind her, Jodie Whittaker stars in this tense, emotionally-draining thriller from Australia. One Night tells the story of three women – Tess (Jodie), Simone (Nicole da Silva) and Hat (Yael Stone) – whose close friendship was violently torn apart 20 years earlier by a very traumatic event. Now, two decades on, just as the friends appear to be on the verge of repairing their damaged relationships, aspiring author Simone uses the shocking incident as the plot for her debut novel, without asking Tess or Hat’s permission – a decision that is set to have dramatic consequences for them all. Thought-provoking and well-paced.
DISCOVERY+
Vinnie Jones In The Country – Available from Monday
Prepare to see Vinnie Jones like you’ve never seen him before. Four years ago, Vinnie lost his beloved wife Tanya to cancer, and in an effort to cope with his bereavement, the former football hardman has decided to take on a totally new challenge. Like Jeremy Clarkson and Kelvin Fletcher before him, he’s upped sticks and headed for the countryside, buying 147 acres of land in the South of England. Here, Vinnie hopes to find a new meaning to life, celebrating the beauty of the British countryside and throwing himself into various farming projects, including saving the local wildlife. “I was brought up living off the fruits of the land and I can’t wait to show people at home the joy of the outdoors,” he says. It’s going to be wild.
APPLE TV+
The Velveteen Rabbit – Available from Wednesday
More than 100 years since it was first published, the much-loved children’s story is brought to life in spellbinding fashion with this adaptation, which mixes live-action filming with incredibly cute animation. When seven-year-old William moves to a new home and school, far from his friends, his world is transformed by a stuffed toy rabbit he receives for Christmas. Together, William (who’s played by Phoenix Laroche) and the Velveteen Rabbit (voiced by Alex Lawther) set off on some magical, heart-warming adventures. Also featuring the voices of Helena Bonham Carter, Paterson Joseph, Nicola Coughlan, Nathaniel Parker and many more, it’s a delightful family treat that feels perfect for the festive season.
PARAMOUNT+
One Trillion Dollars – Available from Thursday
Young Berlin bicycle courier John (Philip Froissant) finds his poor but carefree life totally transformed when he learns that he’s the sole heir to a mysterious fortune created 500 years ago – a fortune that now amounts to a mind-boggling $1trillion.
Overnight, John has become the richest person in the world. However, there’s a catch because with the inheritance comes an unusual demand from his ancestor: he must use the fortune to give back mankind its lost future.
Cue John taking on the world’s most powerful and ruthless figures, in an attempt to save the planet from climate-change disaster, environmental pollution and the worst excesses of capitalism. A thought-provoking six-part drama from Germany.
