TV: Transparent
Probably the crowning achievement of streaming TV to date. The most dramatically audacious thing about Transparent is that the Pfeffermans are really not very likable. This allows the drama to manifest itself as pitch-black comedy, too; after all, they’re not making it easy for you to root for them. Season two begins with a naturalistic opening shot during which the extended clan are photographed at Sarah and Tammy’s wedding. They’re bickering away in their familiarly infuriating style; hard to watch but impossible to ignore. One of the more excruciating small-screen weddings in recent history inevitably ensues, nothing being simple with this lot.
Amazon Prime Video
TV: Arena Archive
After the 90-minute Night And Day collage, Arena’s 40th-birthday celebrations continue online. A beautifully chosen selection of classic cuts is now available; highlights include an exploration of Elvis Presley’s diet; Jim White’s Southern Gothic masterpiece Searching For The Wrong Eyed Jesus; and classic explorations of Dylan Thomas and Henry Moore.
Audio: Star Wars Minute
In this earnest yet hilarious podcast, Star Wars obsessives Pete and Alex set out to analyse each film in the series, minute by minute, from beginning to end. Yes, really. The level of discursive detail is something to behold but crucially, these two nerds are both clued-up enough to shed new light while remaining sufficiently self-aware to be amused by the ludicrousness of their own undertaking. This may prove to be a life’s work for Pete and Alex; if that turns out to be so, one suspects they’ll die happy.
Radio: The Inquiry
The World Service remains one of those quixotic examples of the BBC’s benign soft power that the corporation’s critics will never quite understand. These podcasts are a perfect example of its spirit. The latest offering, which discusses the battle agains Isis, is typical of its desire to usefully engage with all sides of any given issue.
TV: River
Abi Morgan’s River was a meditation on mental fragility and grief disguised as a cop show. But if the premise sounds bleak, rest assured that River was never without humour, even as it plumbed the psychological depths. Boasting superb perfomances from Stellan Skarsgård (pictured, inset) and Nicola Walker and a climactic episode that walked the line between beauty and grimness with striking assurance, the series proved to be one of the slow-burning TV treats of the year.
