While I’m still relishing the cosy autumn evenings, I’m not as happy about the cold, dark mornings kicking in. “Go on, just one more episode” feels like such a great idea at the time, but it does make waking up on a gloomy Monday morning that little bit harder.
Nightsleeper
Now, I’ve had some tricky train journeys in my time (‘Delay Repay’ is my best friend at this point), but thankfully, none have been remotely hijacked by an unknown entity, as is the case in Nightsleeper. The six-part drama follows a group of passengers — all from very different walks of life — as their London to Glasgow sleeper train is hijacked by a remote driver.
Conveniently, one of the passengers has a satellite phone to contact the outside world (the hijacker has installed phone jammers somewhere in the train), which off-duty police officer Joseph (Joe Cole) uses to communicate with the National Cyber Security Centre’s acting technical director Abby Aysgarth (Alexandra Roach) as they attempt to save the day. Both play their respective characters well and are supported by a wider group of generally believable performances. In particular, Sharon Rooney demonstrates her versatile acting chops as highly strung but kind-natured train conductor Yasmin.
The show loses some of its tempo — which is usually part of the appeal of these kinds of stories — by being drawn out over six episodes. While the number of episodes gives us more time and space to explore each character’s circumstances, I feel the story could have been wrapped up more quickly.
Overall, Nightsleeper didn’t necessarily have me on the edge of my seat, but it was very watchable.
Nobody Wants This
With great characters and equally great writing, it is no surprise Netflix’s recent release Nobody Wants This was received so well commercially and critically. The ten-part romantic-comedy series is loosely based on creator Erin Foster’s own life and astutely captures the trials and tribulations of the minefield that is modern dating.
Joanne (Kristen Bell) and Morgan (Justine Lupe) are millennial adult sisters and podcast co-hosts who have, thus far, been unlucky in love and who use much of their sex and dating successes and mishaps for podcast material. Nobody Wants This explores the highs and lows of sibling, platonic, and romantic relationships.
However, at the heart of the story is Joanne’s meet-cute and resulting relationship with the newly single ‘Hot Rabbi’, more formally known as Noah (Adam Brody) — reminiscent of Fleabag’s ‘Hot Priest’. While their union provides Joanne with the safe space she has always sought in a relationship, it upsets several other parties, including Noah’s mother, sister-in-law and ex-girlfriend, as well as Joanne’s sister, Morgan.
Noah’s faith is a huge part of his identity, and the show looks at what sacrifice means for both Noah and Joanne. Bell and Brody are brilliant as Joanne and Noah, and their chemistry is authentic and believable. Timothy Simons is also hilarious as Noah’s brother Sacha, and some of the funniest moments are when both sets of siblings are in the same room. Or, in the case of one scene, all in one car. As many of us do, Morgan is hastily texting Joanne her initial thoughts on Noah — who is in the back with Sacha — unaware Joanne’s phone is connected to Bluetooth. What comes next is everybody’s worst social situation nightmare.
Sharp, witty and relatable, Nobody Wants This doesn’t miss a beat and is some of the most bingeable TV of the year.
Daddy Issues
After watching the first two episodes of BBC Three’s big summer comedy release Daddy Issues, I waited a while before watching the rest. So, I can’t say it had me hooked from the outset. However, when I returned to it a little later, I stormed through the remaining episodes, wishing they were longer than 25 minutes.
In a Mamma Mia-style scenario, Daddy Issues follows carefree and self-sufficient Gemma (Aimee Lou Wood) as she discovers she’s pregnant. Each episode introduces a different stage in Gemma’s pregnancy which paces the series well. After being ditched by her flatmate, Gemma decides to move in with her hapless father, Malcolm (David Morrissey), who is anything but self-sufficient. Wood and Morrissey are at the helm of a great ensemble cast, and their chemistry captures all the quirks and dynamics of Gemma and Malcolm’s dysfunctional but loving father-daughter relationship.
After a slow start, Daddy Issues makes its mark as a punchy yet poignant piece of TV about the beauty of platonic love, and the often difficult but enriching experience of making friends later in life. The ending also leaves good scope for a second season, which has since been commissioned.
Showtrial
If you can recall the first season of Showtrial in 2021, you’ll remember how much of a wild ride it was. Series two is no exception.
Like the first series, Showtrial’s second instalment takes a controversial, high-profile legal case and explores the subsequent fallout — inside and outside the courtroom. This time around, the case and characters are entirely new. At the heart of it is PC Justin Mitchell (Micheal Socha), who controversial climate activist and hit-and-run victim Marcus Calderwood (Barney Fishwick) names as he dies on the side of the road.
But PC Justin Mitchell says he’s innocent and can’t understand why Calderwood names him. That’s where acclaimed but contentious defence lawyer Sam Malik (Adeel Akhtar) comes in. What follows is a high-octane police investigation and court case, which you find yourself as a viewer changing your mind about constantly. Is he really the bad guy? Does this mean I am rooting for the bad guy?
Showtrial explores relevant and nuanced topics, including the fallout from more extreme forms of climate activism and the role (and ethics) of journalism in high-profile cases like these. And while we are intrigued by the mystery of the plot, we are also invested in the characters’ lives, which can be hard to achieve.
The whole cast is impressive, but standout performances come from Socha and Akhtar, who play their characters with visceral intensity. And again, this piece is another great show to binge on those darker winter nights.
Other things I’ve watched
On the topic of crime drama, I also recently finished D.I. Ray, which left a lot to be desired. While I wasn’t bothered by its generic crime drama format, I didn’t invest in the characters until the very last episode, which was too late. The best way to describe it would be ‘intrigued but not invested’, which is a shame because I remember enjoying the first series.
On a more positive note, I’ve been loving The Great British Bake Off and Ru Paul’s Drag Race. I also caught several episodes of M&S: Dress The Nation, which is like The Great British Sewing Bee but focused on different M&S clothing departments, and the prize is a full-time fashion designer gig with M&S.
I’m also watching Gilmore Girls for the first time (I know, where have I been?) and I can see why it’s such a well-loved comfort show. I’ve also been dipping back into BBC’s Miranda, prompted by Miranda Hart’s recent comeback after a hiatus from the public eye.
On an unrelated to TV note, I also recently visited the loveliest family-run Art Deco cinema by the seaside to watch Beetlejuice for the Halloween vibes. It was the quaintest place, and they even had a short interval for ice cream, which my mum tells me was common practice ‘back in the day’.
What I’m looking forward to
I’ve been hearing great things about Ludwig, which looks to be a crime drama that doesn’t follow a generic format. I read somewhere that David Mitchell was made for this role, so I am expecting big things. I also can’t wait to get stuck into Disney’s adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals, which people have warned me features full-frontal nudity. Maybe not one to watch with the family? I’ll let you know in next month’s column.
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