TV: Better Call Saul
Vince Gilligan is nothing if not bold, judging by his decision to follow up one of the most acclaimed dramas of recent times, Breaking Bad, with that riskiest of ventures: a spin-off. Better Call Saul traces the formative years of Albuquerque’s most unscrupulous lawyer Saul Goodman (played again by Bob Odenkirk), back when he was called James McGill. Early days yet, but the opening episode suggests a lighter, funnier show than its predecessor, though one that still possesses a ruthless streak. Catch the opening episode on Netflix from Monday. Future episodes will be available Tuesdays.
Netflix
TV: Looking
Looking isn’t quite living up to its name, drawing only 183,000 viewers for its season two launch in the US. But this portrait of a group of gay mates living in San Fran still deserves your eyeballs. The second run sees all of the show’s usual suspects return, including Russell Tovey’s Kevin, who sneaks in mentions of Take That and “hideous” Romford while his romance with anxious Patrick gathers pace. It’s intimate, beautifully shot and funny – what’s not to love about a show with lines like “You do know that getting drunk and slapping cock around your face isn’t the worst thing in the world?” Catch the opening pair of episodes on Sky Go.
Sky Go
Radio: Picture Power
Miles Warde’s Radio 4 series about the stories behind notable photographs returned last week with five new instalments, including the fingernail-shredding tale of a Times photojournalist’s kidnap and escape in Syria, and a Reuters photographer’s account of how he got a shot of the winning goal of the 2014 World Cup final. Both series of the show are available on iPlayer indefinitely.
TV: The Pearl Of Africa
Jonny von Wallström’s seven-part documentary webseries follows Ugandan transgender activist Cleopatra Kambugu as she transitions publicly, and is forced into exile. A full-length feature film is in the works.
TV: Broadchurch
If you’re feeling as if the wind has gone out of ITV’s windswept rural drama, you’re not alone: viewers have been departing, with more opting to get their crime-procedural kicks from Silent Witness on the other side come episode three. The legal jousting remains equal parts clunky and boring, but maybe there’s something to salvage in the Sandbrook mystery. This is deepening nicely, with lingering shots of mysterious men on hillsides and DCI Hardy falling over quite a lot. Episode two is on the ITV Player until Thursday.
