Looking for something new to watch? The Mail’s TV experts have sifted through hundreds of programmes to bring you 20 of the best shows and films to stream on demand right now…
High Potential
Kaitlin Olson stars in a Monk-style mystery series as a single mother with an IQ of 160
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
Like Monk, Psych and Poker Face before it, High Potential fits into a grand tradition of light-hearted mysteries in which our investigator is an unlikely soul with a special talent. Meet Morgan, a scrappy single mother of three with a cleaning job and an uncanny knack for spotting what others don’t. Why? Well, Morgan is what’s known as a ‘high potential intellectual’ – her brain is always whirring and she has an IQ of 160, something that brings her into contact with the LAPD when she spots a hole in one of their cases.
That development gives this show its case of the week element. There’s also an ongoing mystery, because Morgan’s ex disappeared and she’s convinced he didn’t just walk out on her. Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia) is a nice mix of snark, smarts and charm as Morgan, a sharply drawn character whose hilarious habit of making socially unacceptable outbursts is redeemed by the fact that she is rarely, if ever, wrong. Look out for a cast of familiar US TV faces, including Judy Reyes (Scrubs) and Garret Dillahunt (The Mindy Project), in a series that makes for very easy viewing with just a little edge – mostly from Olson. (13 episodes)
The Traitors US
The US version of the reality contest returns for a third series
Year: 2023-
Certificate: pg
If you thought Claudia Winkleman had style when she hosted this hugely entertaining contest, then check out Alan Cumming, who pushes the dress code to maximalist extremes on this US version.
Alan, known for The Good Wife and much more, is Scottish, so feels quite at home in the Highlands – and at Ardross Castle, where this version is also set. In fact, were it not for the change of host and the celebrity players, it’s pretty similar to the UK show.
Series one features 22 suspects pulled from American reality shows such as The Bachelorette, Big Brother and Below Deck but for series two, the reality show stars are mixed with public figures who will be more familiar to British viewers, namely former Commons Speaker John Bercow, Love Islander Ekin-Su Culculoglu and boxer Deontay Wilder.
Series three arrives after the finale of the latest British series on Friday 24 January, and the celebrity contenders run the considerable gamut from Britain’s Lord Ivar Mountbatten to Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Strause. (Three series)
The Night Agent
An FBI agent battles a top-level conspiracy in this thriller
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
Stuck in a White House basement guarding a phone that never rings, FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Hillbilly Elegy’s Gabriel Basso) is starting to wonder if perhaps he hasn’t made the wrong career choice. But then, one day, a call unexpectedly comes through and he finds himself catapulted into a lethal conspiracy involving a Russian mole deep within the government.
With echoes of The Bourne Identity and 24, this slick modern thriller series, created by The Shield’s Shawn Ryan – a past master of macho action, with a TV CV that includes LAPD dramas The Shield and S.W.A.T. – ticks all the right boxes for fans of tense revelations and all-out action scenes.
Trivia fans may like to know that the show is a direct result of the Covid lockdown – Ryan read the Matthew Quirk novel it’s based on while he was quarantining in 2020, and liked it so much that he decided to adapt it for TV. The result was a big hit for Netflix, and the latest second series continues the story in fine style, with Sutherland riding high on an operation in Bangkok. That doesn’t last for long, though… (Two series)
Astrid: Murder In Paris
French crime procedural featuring a dynamic female detecting duo
Year: 2019-
Certificate: 15
Order and chaos combine in this perky French police procedural which teams an autistic criminal records archivist with an impulsive police inspector.
Astrid Nielsen (Sara Mortensen) is the young woman who talks like a book and has a special gift for criminology. Commissioner Raphaelle Coste (Lola Dewaere) is the rule-breaking police inspector with a messy desk and equally messy personal life. They make a pretty unlikely team on paper but on screen they are great to watch.
Astrid’s memory and gift for finding connections means she’s often one step ahead of police, while Raphaelle is just the woman to take the risks necessary to follow Astrid’s often out-there leads.
After a feature-length pilot episode, which first brings Astrid and Raphaelle together, they settle into a case a week. Their working relationship is anything but easy and straightforward – Astrid is brilliant but often overwhelmed, while Raphaelle’s carelessness can lead her into danger, and it’s a partnership that continues to entertain across four series. For contrast, seek out the UK version Patience on Channel 4. (Four series)
Out There
Martin Clunes stars as a farmer fighting drug gangs in the Welsh countryside
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
Martin Clunes stars in this new, six-part drama that’s more Happy Valley than Doc Martin. It’s a great role for Clunes, who adopts a gentle Welsh lilt to play lone ranger farmer Nathan Williams, a widower raising his teenage son on the family homestead.
As we know, farming is no easy life – long hours, hard graft and an ever-increasing struggle to make ends meet – but Nathan takes it in his stride, shooting drones from the sky for sport and greeting tragedy with gallows humour: ‘For such a tidy man he made a complete mess of it,’ he says of the farmer who blows off his own head in his barn.
But if the struggles of farming weren’t bad enough, this rural community is becoming infected with something far, far worse. Drug gangs have moved in, using the rolling Welsh fields and valleys as a base of operations. When they attempt to sink their claws into Nathan’s son Johnny (Louis Ashbourne – son of Andy – Serkis), Nathan appoints himself sheriff and saddles up for a fight.
From the team who brought us the excellent Manhunt, also starring Clunes, this is quality crime drama that builds a strong sense of its community and sits neatly alongside other character-led ensemble pieces like Happy Valley or Sherwood. (Six episodes)
Prime Target
One Day’s Leo Woodall plays a mathematician pulled into a global mystery
Year: 2025
Certificate: 12
What if there was a hidden pattern in prime numbers that could unlock every computer on the planet? That’s the driving idea of Apple’s Da Vinci Code-style series, starring One Day’s Leo Woodall as a rude, rebellious British academic with good looks that people keep telling him don’t belong on a mathematician.
So, leaving aside the potential to offend mathematicians around the world, what can you expect from this series? A lot of money has clearly been spent on producing the conspiracy-filled story, which jumps between the 1990s and the present day and around the world while the cast, which includes David Morrissey as a mentor, Borgen’s Sidse Babett Knudsen and the reliably excellent Martha Plimpton and Stephen Rea, is top notch.
The script comes from Steve Thompson, an ex-maths teacher and the creator of Vienna Blood who also has writing credits on Sherlock and Doctor Who. He weaves an expansive picture of a complicated world that starts when Edward (Woodall) makes a discovery that changes his life forever. And could well end it…
For more on the show, see our Inside Story here. (Eight episodes)
Whiskey On The Rocks
Cold War political satire about the 1981 stand-off between Russia and the West
Year: 2025
Certificate: 15
In October 1981, a Soviet Whiskey-class nuclear submarine ran aground after hitting some rocks. That would be a big enough global problem, but the situation was exacerbated by the fact that the rocks in question were deep in Swedish territorial waters in a restricted military area. Were the Russians spying? Was this the start of a preemptive attack on the West? Does America need to take action?
The political and military furore that followed is satirised expertly in this Swedish black comedy as the country’s relaxed former farmer prime minister Thorbjörn Fälldin (Wallander’s Rolf Lassgård) tries to keep the peace between the two nuclear superpowers as tensions ramp ever higher. It’s a sharp and funny six-part series with an excellent supporting turn from British actor Mark Noble (All Creatures Great & Small) as US president Ronald Reagan. (Six episodes)
Nightbitch
Psychological horror starring Amy Adams as a woman afraid that she’s becoming a dog
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
After pausing her career as an artist to stay at home and bring up her now-two-year-old son, Mother (Amy Adams) feels frustrated and unsettled by domestic life, especially when her partner Husband (Scoot McNairy) is away on extended work trips. She begins fantasising about a wilder and more savage life, but soon those fantasies impinge on the real world as she experiences actual physical changes that leave her wondering whether she’s transforming into an actual dog.
A psychological comedy horror movie shot through with surreal touches – we never know the names of the lead characters Mother and Husband, for instance – this is a darkly funny piece that gives the always brilliant Adams the chance to embrace hr feral side as the suburban mom howling against social norms. (98 minutes)
Blade Runner 2049
Dune director Denis Villeneuve’s awe-inspiring sequel to the sci-fi classic
Year: 2017
Certificate: 15
This belated yet triumphant sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 science fiction classic stars Ryan Gosling as a blade runner, a cop tasked with killing androids (or replicants) who have gone rogue. The twist? He’s a replicant himself, and he knows it.
There are some really smart touches that move this on from the 1982 original but it doesn’t lose touch with what made that film special, either – including Harrison Ford, who returns as Rick Deckard. The director of it all is Denis Villeneuve, who since went on to deliver the awe-inspiring Dune movies and puts his own astounding and hallucinatory visual stamp on the material here. (163 minutes)
Star Trek: Section 31
Michelle Yeoh stars in a feature-length Star Trek adventure
Year: 2025
Certificate: 15
One of the undoubted high spots about the TV series Star Trek: Discovery was Michelle Yeoh’s presence as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, the fierce and merciless ruler of an alternate universe empire who finds herself stuck among the goody two-shoes officers on a Federation starship. Tough, pragmatic, scheming, wickedly funny and following a moral code so murky that it was functionally impenetrable, Georgiou never quite got as much screen time as she deserved.
This feature-length standalone spin-off puts that to rights, as the character is recruited by Starfleet’s top-secret black ops division – the Section 31 of the title, first seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – to lead a small team on a mission to save the galaxy. Full of phaser fights, space battles and acid wit, this Dirty Dozen In Space adventure is a great showcase for Yeoh’s acting talents, weapons-grade charisma and formidable martial arts skills. (95 minutes)
Beacon 23
Lena Headey takes the lead in an outer space mystery drama
Year: 2023
Certificate: 12
Space itself may be almost infinite but many of the best sci-fi dramas thrive on the tight, claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in a spacecraft. And so it is with this mystery drama.
In the 23rd century, former soldier Halan (Stephan James) lives a lonely existence manning a hi-tech deep-space lighthouse known as a beacon. The arrival of a mysterious agent named Aster (Game Of Thrones’ Lena Headey) with an agenda of her own tips his ordered world on its edge. What secrets are the pair keeping? And when external forces threaten the beacon will they be able to work together or just end up tearing each other apart?
A stylish and clever sci-fi drama that thrives on suspense and atmosphere more than flashy effects, there’s plenty to enjoy here for fans of the genre. (Two series)
Blink Twice
Zoe Kravitz directs this psychological thriller starring Channing Tatum
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
Being invited to spend the weekend on a billionaire’s private island sounds perfect, right? It’s anything but for waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) when they befriend ultra-rich tech entrepreneur Slater King (Channing Tatum) while working at a party.
At first island life seems great – a festival of gift bags, tropical indulgence and poolside makeovers – but soon Frida begins to feel uneasy. Gaps are appearing in her memory, some of the people on the island already seem to know her and strange things are happening with the other guests…
The directorial debut of singer and actress Zoe Kravitz, this is a strong and unsettling psychological thriller with echoes of Get Out in its DNA. It’s easy to see why the likes of Christian Slater, Haley Joel Osment, Kyle MacLachlan and Geena Davis can all be spotted in supporting roles. (102 minutes)
Harlem
Comedy about a quartet of female friends in New York, now in its third series
Year: 2021-
Certificate: 15
The romantic, social and business misadventures of Camille, Quinn, Angie and Tye (Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Shoniqua Shandai and Jerrie Johnson) return as the four thirtysomething friends continue to navigate life, love and families in New York City. Crammed with sparky dialogue and a genuine sense of affection between the leading quartet, this comedy drama is a smart, soapy treat – and the fact that it has Whoopi Goldberg in regular support only adds to its charm.
Series two ended with a cliffhanger, but this third run aims to do much more than just resolve that, throwing new players – both professional and romantic – into the ladies’ already messy lives as old flames from the distant past reappear and new work colleagues (and their families) offer up entirely unexpected complications. (Three series)
Life And Death Row
Crime and punishment cases from America’s Death Row
Year: 2014-
Certificate: 15
One of our best homegrown true-crime docuseries, this takes a look at US Death Row stories, skewed towards the impact of the crime and the punishment on younger people. In addition to three more conventional series of hour-long self-contained episodes, there are two special series. Love Triangle explores a single case in eight bite-size 10-minute episodes, while The Mass Execution follows four cases that form part of an unprecedented slate of executions scheduled in Arkansas – of eight men in ten days. Balanced and fair, the show is thought-provoking, revealing and a must for true-crime addicts. (Five series)
Posso Entrare? An Ode To Naples
Documentary about the city and people of Naples directed by Trudie Styler
Year: 2023
Certificate: 15
The city of Naples in the south of Italy has a long and storied history that’s seen it invaded by everyone from the Spanish and the French to the Byzantines and the Nazis. It has a reputation today as a passionate, vibrant and even somewhat dangerous place, with a long connection to crime and gangs.
Filmmaker Trudie Styler tries to capture all of that in an intimate and revealing documentary look at the city and its people that talks to everyone from authors, artists and councillors to those involved with organisations battling violence and crime in the city, often at great cost to themselves.
It’s an involving and intimate film that works hard to capture the city’s sense of community. It also boasts a little guitar playing by Styler’s famous husband, rock star Sting, who picks up an instrument made by the inmates of a prison from wood salvaged from migrant boats. (108 minutes)
In Search Of Instagram’s Worst Con Artist
The story of Australian influencer Belle Gibson and her terrible web of lies
Year: 2023
Certificate: 12
We can be forgiven for filtering our pictures to present the most flattering version of ourselves, but outright lies to win followers, admiration and lucrative deals remain as wrong online as they are in real life. This two-part documentary revisits the story of one of the most damaging online cons since, well, the internet began.
Australian Belle Gibson was 21 when she became a social media star with thousands of followers and a book deal worth more than £200k. Hers was an inspirational story that brought hope to many. She had, after abandoning traditional medicine, cured her inoperable brain cancer through healthy eating and alternative therapies. It was as implausible as it sounds and, when journalists investigated, they discovered that she never had cancer at all.
Speaking to family and friends of Belle, this not only tells the whole sorry story, but attempts to answer the question of what motivated her. Getting to the truth with Belle, though, is never going to be easy. A Netflix drama about the whole sorry case, Apple Cider Vinegar, is coming on 6 February – so watch this now to get a feel for the story before it does. (Two episodes)
Emilia Pérez
Zoe Saldana stars in a divisive musical crime drama with a record-setting 13 Oscar nominations
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
When a fearsome cartel boss contacts defence lawyer Rita (Zoe Saldana), she can only guess at what he wants. None of her suppositions come close to the truth though: that the mobster wants to transition to become a woman and start a new life away from crime.
Stylish and violent, operatic and musical, this is a whirling, enthralling amalgam of tones and situations. Saldana is fantastic as Rita but she’s matched almost every step of the way by trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón as the mob boss, Selena Gomez as their blonde bombshell wife and Adriana Paz as a battered woman swept up into the madness of the story.
The film is far from easygoing – swerving from crime drama to musical and back again in a heartbeat – but it is hugely rewarding if it floats your particular boat. One thing’s for sure, Emilia Pérez has been a hot awards contender with 11 Bafta nominations – placing it second after Conclave with 12 – and it leads the Oscars pack with a record-setting 13. (132 minutes)
The Girl With The Needle
Harrowing but visually stunning dive into First World War Copenhagen
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
Denmark’s 2025 Oscar nominee is a nightmarish tale of holes in society. Set at the end of the First World War and filmed in a visually arresting black and white, it follows seamstress Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne), whose life goes from bad to worse when she’s evicted from her flat.
So much happens after that, as she pinballs around Copenhagen looking for a berth, that we couldn’t possibly recount it here – suffice to say it takes her from the house of a baroness to an underground freak show, and into the orbit of a figure based on a real Danish serial killer as the film explores what it means to be left out in the cold.
It’s a beautifully acted tale of desperation that’s utterly compelling throughout, even in the stomach-churning bathhouse scene where the film really earns its title. If you remember the Danish drama series The Legacy, you’ll recognise Trine Dyrholm as Dagmar, a relatively friendly face who Karoline encounters; Dagmar has a line that sums up the film’s view of the world: ‘The world is a horrible place. But we need to believe it’s not so.’
It’s a stark idea but there’s room in it for humanity, too; the quest for which is ultimately what defines the whole film. (123 minutes)
The Only Girl In The Orchestra
Oscar-nominated documentary about the New York Philharmonic’s first full-time female member
Year: 2024
Certificate: pg
In 1966, Orin O’Brien made musical history by becoming the first woman to occupy a full-time position as a member of the 104-strong New York Philharmonic orchestra. Her hiring for the role by none other than the great Leonard Bernstein was so significant that Time magazine even published a feature about the double bassist, discussing how she had to get changed in the toilets because there was no female changing room for musicians at the concert hall.
Directed by her niece, filmmaker Molly O’Brien, and featuring long interviews with the now-eightysomething Orin, this documentary paints a picture of an almost reluctant pioneer, a woman who just wanted to make music and much preferred that any attention be diverted to the family, students, friends, and colleagues that still surround her. It’s a sweet and intimate documentary of a groundbreaking woman whose ability is only equalled by her quiet determination. (35 minutes)
Sugarcane
Oscar-nominated documentary about the treatment of Native children at a residential school in Canada
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
The discovery of more than 50 unmarked graves on the grounds of a Native residential school run by the Catholic Church in Canada triggered a wave of revelations about the history of that school in particular and about a whole system aimed at forcing assimilation in general. Amid the national outcry, members of the indigenous community spoke out for the first time about their experiences at the schools, recounting tales of widespread abuse and indifferent authorities.
Uncovering the story behind the discovery of the graves and telling the stories of many who suffered at the school, this powerful documentary reveals horrific tales of what happened at the institutions across the country. It’s an uncompromising watch that not only gives a voice to those denied one for so long, but also demonstrates the resilience of the communities from which they came. (107 minutes)
This post was originally published on here
