TV: Chelsea Does…
Comedian Chelsea Handler has a busy 2016 planned. Later in the year she debuts a late night-style talkshow on Netflix (a curious platform for the genre). Before that comes this loose documentary series that sees Handler tackle a hefty topic each episode, from racism to technology. Obviously this isn’t The Cook Report; Handler’s angle is irreverent rather than searching, and her guests include Khloé Kardashian and American Pie’s Jason Biggs, but there are also some more serious figures featured, including the Reverend Al Sharpton and former president of Israel Shimon Peres.
Audio: Reasonable Doubts
Another week, another true-crime podcast. This five-part series comes from WBUR, Boston’s National Public Radio (NPR) station, and concerns a Massachusetts man who has spent 30 years in prison for a murder he claims he didn’t commit. Like Netflix’s Making A Murderer it features extensive allegations of massive institutional corruption, including doctoring of evidence. Likely to make your blood boil.
TV: Mad Dogs
Another UK show handed an unlikely US remake, Sky 1’s black comedy Mad Dogs does at least have an easily adaptable premise: four middle-aged blokes head abroad to celebrate their mate’s retirement, only to find themselves dragged into crime and corruption. This Amazon remake, a successful product of its pilot scheme, boasts a solid cast, including Billy Zane, Michael Imperioli (Christopher from The Sopranos) and Ben Chaplin (who also appeared in the British version), as well as The Shield creator Shawn Ryan on exec-producer duties.
Amazon Prime Video
TV: The Comic Strip Presents… Red Top
The Comic Strip trains its eye on the hacking scandal and manages to get a decent smattering of its shots on target. This, like many of the alternative comedy group’s recent specials, is a hit-and-miss affair, but does feature a brilliantly savage portrayal of Rebekah Brooks from Maxine Peake, and some very funny digs at us pinko liberals at the Guardian.
TV: Courting Controversy
The BBC Store offers a nice range of editorially curated collections, spanning factual, drama and comedy. The best of the bunch is Courting Controversy, which features boundary-pushing dramas from the past half-century. Some, like Cathy Come Home and Threads, have passed into telly folklore; others, such as Dennis Potter’s once-banned Brimstone And Treacle, about the devil arriving in suburbia, remain curios. All are worthy of your attention, and can be bought for £3.99 a piece.
