Fear
From Tuesday, March 4th, Prime Video
Fresh from his latest outing on the ecohorror sci-fi series The Rig, Line of Duty’s Martin Compston has decamped to Glasgow for this three-part psychological thriller that gives a sinister new meaning to “neighbourhood watch”. Compston plays Martyn, who has moved with his wife, Rebecca, and their young kids out of London and into a grand period house in the Scottish city. It’s the ideal home – apart from the unsettling atmosphere and the creepy guy living in the basement apartment. Their downstairs neighbour turns out to be a relentless stalker who seems to know the family’s every secret, thanks to some high-tech surveillance techniques. When he makes an accusation of child abuse against the couple, Martyn is driven to seriously contemplate murder.
Daredevil: Born Again
From Wednesday, March 5th, Disney+
The Marvel universe is crumbling: can a blind lawyer with awesome fighting skills save this fast-fading franchise? Charlie Cox returns as Matt Murdock, a man dedicated to bringing criminals to justice by slapping them with a writ. He’s trying to leave behind his former life as a superhero vigilante, as he got a bit addicted to the violence, but despite his best efforts he soon has no choice but to don the Daredevil costume and break bad-guy skulls again. Meanwhile, Murdock’s arch-enemy, Vincent Fisk, aka the mob boss Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), is “going legit” as the new mayor of New York, but Murdock’s not fooled by the populist political facade, and it’s not long before both men revert to raging-fury type. This is the official sequel to the 2015 Netflix series Daredevil, also starring Cox and D’Onofrio, and fans are already slavering at the prospect of this 10-year kick-ass reunion.
The Leopard
From Wednesday, March 5th, Netflix
The aristocracy is under threat amid the creeping rise of democracy. What’s a rich nobleman to do? This sumptuous Italian period drama tells the story of a fading Sicilian toff desperately seeking to secure his family’s legacy in the face of a fast-changing political tide. Kim Rossi Stuart stars as Don Fabrizio Cordoba, prince of Salina, whose life of power and privilege is threatened by the impending unification of Italy. Don Fabrizio quickly realises that “if we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change”, so he sets out to arrange a marriage between his nephew Tancredi (Saul Nanni) and the rich and beautiful Angelica (Deva Cassel, daughter of Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci). The series is based on one of Italy’s most popular novels, which Luchino Visconti also made into a film, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, in 1963.
Deli Boys
From Thursday, March 6th, Disney+
Life is good for the Pakistani American brothers Raj and Mir. Their dad runs a successful convenience store, and they’re enjoying the fruits of his hard work, playing golf and generally doing very little else. They’ve never questioned their riches, but when their father dies suddenly and unexpectedly, Raj and Mir discover that the deli is nothing more than a front and that the real money is coming from drug-dealing. The brothers will have to take a crash course in racketeering while navigating a whole new underworld. Can they keep the family business afloat or will they end up sleeping with the fishes?
Temptation Island
From Wednesday, March 12th, Netflix
It’s a holiday hazard: there you are relaxing by the pool when a bunch of hunks and honeys sidle up and try to tempt you to cheat on your partner. (I usually bring a large fly-swatter to beat them off.) In this saucy game series, four couples who are teetering between committing and cutting loose arrive on an idyllic tropical island, where they are immediately separated and thrown in among a group of hot singletons with just one thing on their mind. The 24 tempters and temptresses have no compunction about breaking up relationships, and they’ll shamelessly use all their charm and sex appeal to lure their prey offside. It’s the ultimate test of a relationship. (Actually, choosing kitchen cabinets is the ultimate test.) Will the couples heed the siren call of seduction or ignore the invitation to infidelity? As usual, presenter Mark L Walberg presides over this sun-drenched pheromone fest.
The Wheel of Time season three
From Thursday, March 13th, Prime Video
It’s not easy being a humble farm boy. One minute you’re mucking out the pigsty, and next thing you’re revealed as the Dragon Reborn, and the fate of the entire world rests in your calloused hands. In season three of the epic adventure based on the best-selling fantasy series by Robert Jordan, former agricultural worker Rand al’Thor has reunited with his friends following his victory over Ishamael. But he’s not home free yet, not by a long shot. The White Tower is still divided, the Black Ajah are still at large, and the Forsaken are closing in on Rand. But as his power grows, his friends don’t recognise him any more, and his close allies Moraine and Egwene must join forces to stop Rand turning to the dark side. Rosamund Pike returns as Moraine, Josha Stradowski as Rand and Madeleine Madden as Egwene.
Dope Thief
From Friday, March 14th, Apple TV+
Ray and Manny are best pals and petty criminals knocking about in Philadelphia, but friendship doesn’t pay the bills, so the delinquent duo come up with a foolproof plan to get rich quick: dress up as DEA agents and carry out a drug bust, keeping the confiscated stash and cash for themselves. No surprise that their targets turn out to be part of the biggest drug cartel around, and they’ve vowed revenge on Ray, Manny and everybody they know and love. Wagner Moura, from Narcos, stars as Manny, alongside Brian Tyree Henry as Ray, in a series based on the novel by Dennis Tafoya and executive produced by Ridley Scott. Look out for Kate Mulgrew from Orange Is the New Black and Ving Rhames from Mission: Impossible.
The Residence
From Thursday, March 20th, Netflix
A twisty whodunit set in a big mansion house? Nothing new here. Except that the address of this mansion is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC, aka the White House. Shonda Rhimes set her hit series Scandal in these same hallowed halls; now she returns to the presidential gaff for this screwball murder mystery starring Uzo Aduba as eccentric detective Cordelia Cupp. The story revolves around a disastrous state dinner, a dead body and a list of suspects as long as the Declaration of Independence. Cupp will have her work cut out sifting through the staff, politicians and celebrities to unmask the killer. “I’m trying to solve a murder, and I’ve got the FBI, the president and Kylie Minogue breathing down my neck,” she deadpans. Aduba heads a cast that includes Randall Park, Giancarlo Esposito, Jane Curtin, Jason Lee and the aforementioned Aussie pop star.
Million Dollar Secret
From Wednesday, March 26th, Netflix
Twelve guests check into a luxury lakeside hotel in Canada, and when they get to their room a mysterious box is waiting for them. Eleven of the boxes are empty, but one is stuffed with $1 million. Whoever has it will have to keep their windfall a secret, as the other guests are out to get their hands on the cash. Soon the accusations, denials and downright insults are flying as everyone tries to flush out whoever is hoarding the treasure. This new game series sounds like a twist on Traitors, where everyone has to lie and conceal to get what they want and no betrayal is too cruel in this high-stakes battle of wits. If the millionaire is exposed they’re out of the game and the cash moved to a new custodian. The English actor and comedian Peter Serafinowicz is the smooth-voiced master of ceremonies who will guide the guests through tasks that will help them find clues to the identity of the millionaire in their midst.
The Studio
From Wednesday, March 26th, Apple TV+
Cinema is under siege from a barrage of tentpole TV series, as more people choose to skip the trip to their local cineplex and just settle down on the sofa to binge-watch Emily in Paris. But cinema is fighting back, and it has a brave gladiator in the form of Matt Remick, head of the beleaguered Continental Studios, who leads his team of executives on a quest to make movies great again. But can Remick stay relevant in this fast-changing industry? Seth Rogen stars as the studio head who is so immersed in cinema that he’s practically made of celluloid. The series also stars Catherine O’Hara and Kathryn Hahn, with guest appearances from Bryan Cranston and Rebecca Hall, plus a dizzying number of cameos from the likes of Paul Dano, Zac Efron, Olivia Wilde, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Charlize Theron and Steve Buscemi. Will TV save the cinema stars? You’ll have to skip that trip to the movies to find out.
