OUR LIST this week does not offer the usual mix of television dramas and blockbuster films. Instead we recommend a range of formats: you could tune into a private chef’s video podcast to discover culinary secrets or watch the re-enactment of a murder trial. If you’d prefer to spend your weekend sofa-time with a spy thriller, we recommend one that gallops along at a cracking pace.
“The Jury” (on Channel 4)The third instalment of this award-winning documentary series re-enacts the
OUR LIST this week does not offer the usual mix of television dramas and blockbuster films. Instead we recommend a range of formats: you could tune into a private chef’s video podcast to discover culinary secrets or watch the re-enactment of a murder trial. If you’d prefer to spend your weekend sofa-time with a spy thriller, we recommend one that gallops along at a cracking pace.
“The Jury” (on Channel 4)The third instalment of this award-winning documentary series re-enacts the trial of two brothers, who were 23 and 14 when they killed their stepfather. It’s illegal to film jurors during trials in Britain, so this show uses actors and court transcripts to recreate the case. Will the members of the public cast as the jury reach the same verdict as their real-life counterparts? The series offers fascinating insights into the justice system and probes groupthink and the age of criminal responsibility.
“Saturday Night Live UK” (on Sky One and Peacock)Expectations were low when the British iteration of the long-running American variety show launched earlier this year. Many critics gleefully predicted it would be a flop and that sketch comedy would not command a broad audience across the pond. It turned out, however, to be enjoyable and popular: in the first month the witty skits drew almost 90m views on the “SNL UK” social-media accounts. So far the show has done an excellent job of tailoring the existing format to British humour and sensibilities. The second season, which airs on September 12th, promises more send-ups of Blighty’s politicians, cultural figures and twee traditions.
“Slow Horses” (on Apple TV)This hit show takes its name from the moniker given to the fictional pariahs of MI5, Britain’s security service. In the sixth season, the agents are under attack: a nefarious actor has a list of names and is planning to assassinate everyone on it. Jackson Lamb (a typically brilliant Sir Gary Oldman), the leader of this band of misfits, must work out why before all his operatives are murdered. The script is as pacy and darkly funny as ever, with some gripping set pieces. This season is improved by the return of Sid (Olivia Cooke), a capable, sarcastic agent long believed dead.
“Wishbone Kitchen” (on Netflix)This video podcast is like Meghan Markle’s lifestyle show—had it been hosted by someone who actually knows about food and entertaining. When Meredith Hayden (above) started documenting her life as a private chef in the Hamptons, her video diaries went viral; she parlayed her social-media stardom into a bestselling cookbook. Ms Hayden has been so successful, in fact, that she has been able to buy her own house in the Hamptons, where she films this weekly programme. “Wishbone Kitchen” offers a beautiful setting, mouthwatering dishes and genuinely useful cooking tips. Ms Hayden is an unpretentious guide, despairing over her chaotic pantry and swigging a beer as she grills.
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