A WHOLE host of brand new TV series and movies will be landing on some of the world’s biggest streaming platforms next week.
Whether young or old, there is something lined up for everyone in the family to watch!
Cobra Kai – Available from Thursday
When this Karate Kid spin-off launched in 2018, few expected it to become such a hit, but a combination of 80s nostalgia, spirited performances, over-the-top plots and brilliant fight scenes helped Cobra Kai become one of Netflix’s most bingeable shows.
Sadly, the end is almost upon us, as this sixth season is the last. Before the dojo shuts its doors for good, Daniel (Ralph Macchio), Johnny (William Zabka) and the gang have one last objective: to compete in the Sekai Taikai, the world championships of karate.
But with John Kreese (Martin Kove) back on the scene after escaping from prison, it won’t be easy.
Fans will need to be patient to find out how the story concludes, however, as the 15-episode series has been divided into three batches of five episodes.
The first lands on Thursday, the second follows in November, and the final five will be with us next year.
Too Hot To Handle – Available from Tuesday
If you enjoy watching hot singletons getting it on in the sun on Love Island, we’ve got news for you: it’s more interesting watching hot singletons not getting it on in the sun.
Yes, Too Hot To Handle, the reality dating show that encourages couples to keep their hands off each other, is back for a scorching sixth season.
As ever, the contestants will be given the chance to form strong emotional bonds with each other, on the condition that should things get physical, their saucy behaviour will see money being deducted from the $250,000 prize pot.
There are some differences in this series, though.
Unlike in previous seasons, when contestants signed up thinking they were going on a different show, this time, they know exactly what they’re getting themselves into.
Plus, Lana – the A.I. personal assistant who keeps an all-seeing eye on the contestants’ behaviour – is being joined by an evil companion, Bad Lana, who’s ready to stir things up. Bring on the heat.
Simone Biles: Rising – Available from Wednesday
When record-breaking American gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from a number of events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – events she was tipped to win with ease – it shocked the sport.
However, behind the scenes, Simone, then 24, was struggling with her mental health.
Now, over four candid episodes, Simone, who began her elite career aged 14, tells the story of her life and what happened in Tokyo.
She also lifts the lid on her training as she gets ready to return to the Olympic stage in Paris later this month.
“Everything that happened is a trauma response,” she admits during the series. “I wanted to quit like 500,000 times – and I would have if it weren’t for my people.”
A compelling and genuinely moving portrait of one of the biggest sports stars of our times.
LaLiga: All Access – Available from Monday
The Premier League might consider itself the biggest and the best, but there’s little doubt that Spain’s LaLiga pushes it mightily close, boasting as it does some of the best players and most glamorous clubs in the world.
This docuseries takes us behind the scenes of the 2023/2024 season, revealing the true stories behind Real Madrid’s glorious race to the title, the unexpected success of Girona, the continuing struggles faced by Barcelona and much much more.
Taking us inside the dressing rooms and featuring honest and intriguing interviews with the likes of Poland and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, Dutch winger Memphis Depay and former Barca coach Xavi, it’s the ultimate insiders’ guide to the highs and the lows of LaLiga last season.
Homicide: Los Angeles – Available from Tuesday
It might be known as the City of Angels, but Los Angeles has its fair share of demons, too.
This five-part documentary series – produced by Dick Wolf, the creator of Law & Order – tells the story of five shocking true-life murder cases which stunned the city and its law enforcement teams.
From the prosecution of record producer Phil Spector – who was found guilty of the murder of actress Lana Clarkson – to the appalling killer of pregnant 20-year-old Teresa Broudreaux in 1980, the series gives veteran detectives, prosecutors and the victims’ loved ones the chance to talk about some of the most infamous cases in the city’s history.
Skywalkers: A Love Story – Available from Friday
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus aren’t like most young couples in love.
Instead of going to the cinema or out for dinner, this pair of Moscow daredevils spend their time climbing the world’s tallest buildings together – usually with zero safety precautions and often without permission.
Now, their remarkable exploits are revealed in this adrenaline-pumping documentary, which follows them over seven years and six countries and captures the couple as they prepare for their most terrifying climb yet: the Merdeka 118 super-skyscraper in Malaysia.
Featuring extensive interviews and plenty of their own footage filmed during some of their most heart-in-your-mouth ascents, it’s fascinating, if cover-your-eyes, viewing.
Lady In The Lake – Available from Friday
It’s 1966, in Baltimore, and two mothers are leading very different lives: Maddie (Natalie Portman) is a frustrated, well-to-do housewife with an ungrateful husband, desperate to escape her humdrum life and become an investigative journalist; Cleo (Moses Ingram) is a young black woman, working several jobs to make ends meet and provide for her kids while trying to navigate rising tensions in her community.
The women’s lives collide when Cleo’s mysterious death becomes an obsession for Maddie, determined to discover the truth of what happened to her.
The story unfolds over seven tense episodes, which both look and feel the part thanks to some stunning noir-tinted period detail and heartfelt performances.
A slow-burning but atmospheric and compelling crime thriller.
Omnivore – Available from Friday
Even if you haven’t heard of chef René Redzepi, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of the restaurant he co-owns, the three-Michelin-starred Noma in Copenhagen, thought by many to be the world’s best.
Now, René is bringing his talent to television, taking viewers on a special journey to investigate what Apple TV+ is calling “the cultivation, transformation and consumption of eight of the world’s most essential ingredients”.
The ingredients featured in the series are banana, chilli, coffee, corn, pork, rice, salt and tuna, with viewers transported everywhere from Peru to Rwanda, meeting many of the ordinary people involved in growing and supplying.
It’s utterly absorbing, while the cinematic visuals leave a great taste, too.
Those About To Die – Available from Friday
Imagine if the classic movie Gladiator was turned into a TV series, and you’ll have a good idea of what to expect from this full-on, action-packed series set during the height of the Roman Empire.
Following the lives of a group of characters involved in the blood-splattered, highly-pressured world of violent gladiator battles, it’s filled with fighting, scheming, political intrigue and romance.
And since it’s directed by Roland Emmerich, the man behind movies including Independence Day, you should expect some spectacular sequences, not to mention the heavyweight acting talent involved: Sir Antony Hopkins plays the Emperor Vespasian, while Rupert Henry-Jones, Iwan Rheon, Tom Hughes and Death In Paradise’s Sara Martins also star.
Quantum Leap – Available from Thursday
The original Quantum Leap—which ran for four years during the late 1980s and early 90s—had a true cult following.
Unfortunately, the rebooted version hasn’t quite caught people’s imaginations in the same way, and it was announced earlier this year that the show had been cancelled after just two series.
The second and final season arrives on British screens with a box-set drop of seven episodes and the rest to follow at a later date.
The last time we were with him, physicist Ben (Raymond Lee) was all set to leap back to the present day, but as the series begins, and to his dismay, Ben finds himself jumping into an Air Force cargo plane over Russia, and another action-packed adventure begins.
Mean Girls: The Musical – Available from Tuesday
Back in 2018, when comedy legend Tina Fey got the chance to remake her 2004 movie classic, she didn’t simply take the easy route of recasting and reshooting for a younger audience.
Instead, she turned it into an all-singing, all-dancing stage musical, which quickly became a hit on Broadway and, more recently, the West End.
Now, the musical has been turned into a movie, giving everyone the chance to see what all the fuss is about.
Angourie Rice stars as Cady Heron, a teenage girl who moves to an American high school after years of home-schooling, only to find herself quickly making enemies with the gang of popular girls – the Plastics – led by mean Regina George (Renee Rapp).
Can she and her nerdy pals Janis (Auli’I Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey) find a way to cut the Plastics down to size? With Tina reprising her role of Ms Norbury from the original movie and Lindsay Lohan – who played Cady – making a cameo, get ready for an entertaining, laugh-out-loud singalong treat.
Walter Presents: The Wagner Method – Available from Friday
In television land, there’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ detective.
If you’re going to solve crimes, you’re going to need some kind of quirk, personality defect or troubled personal life to go along with your police badge.
Captain Cesar Wagner (Gil Alma), a French detective from Strasbourg, is no different.
Yes, he’s kind-hearted and professional, but he also happens to be a compulsive hypochondriac who suffers badly from anxiety.
Still, that doesn’t stop him from solving crimes, and in this third series, he, medical examiner Elise and the rest of the team have their work cut out investigating the murder of a man seemingly bumped off at Wagner’s mum’s wedding, as well as the suspicious death of a young Orthodox Jewish woman.
In French with subtitles.
Superkitties Su-Purr Charged – Available from Wednesday
Here’s a purrfect treat for the pre-schoolers in your life: a second series of this bright and exciting animation.
Once again, the fursome foursome – Bitsy, Ginny, Sparks and Buddy – are all set to hop in the Purr ‘N’ Go and protect the people and pets of Kittydale from a selection of dastardly villains, including Mr Puppypaws, Lab Rat, Cat Burglar and Zsa-Zsa.
Armed with their Su-Purr Charged superpowers, some exciting new gadgets and their biggest weapons of all – their friendship and kindness – they’re guaranteed to save the day and put a smile on everyone’s faces.
Aussie Gold Hunters – Available from Monday
The streets are paved with gold in the Australian Outback – at least, that’s what the teams of prospectors featured in this series hope.
As the second half of season nine kicks off, as usual, these daring, rugged men and women are ready to put themselves through hell in the hope of unearthing some of the precious, gleaming stuff.
We rejoin them with Jacqui and Andrew coming up against deadly snakes and sharp rocks, while office worker Kat is struggling to handle the big machines, and Shane and Kate have struck gold but face a serious problem trying to extract it.
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