TV: Once Upon A Time
When Channel 5 surprisingly dropped this faintly Lost-inflected fantasy series from its schedules in 2013, it dismayed a small but smitten band of devotees who had fallen hard for its allegorically repurposed modern take on classic fairytales. However, a platform can be found for almost everything these days and, perhaps inevitably, Netflix has stepped into the breach and given Once Upon A Time a new home. For UK fans, there’s an exciting amount of catching up to do: season four has already begun but season three didn’t make it to British screens and is also available on Netflix now.
Netflix
Radio: Chain Reaction
This enduring Radio 4 show is one of those excellent ideas that seems glaringly obvious once someone else has thought of it. The basic concept is a hostless chat show; an initial guest chooses a sparring partner who, the following week, chooses another, and so it goes on in a cheerful human centipede of chat. This series began with Adam Buxton talking to Reece Shearsmith and has passed through a range of comedy luminaries, including Vic Reeves and Sharon Horgan.
TV: Outlander
This daft but likable time-travel drama has gained momentum over the course of its first few episodes. It tells the story of Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe), a second world war nurse who visits northern Scotland on her honeymoon in 1945 but finds herself back in 1743, surrounded by civil war and dashing, hairy men in kilts. Once you’ve accepted the inherent absurdity of the premise, it rolls along compellingly, and a second series has already been commissioned. The first eight episodes are up on Amazon Instant Video, with new episodes available each week from Sunday.
Amazon Instant Video
TV: Free Speech
As no-frills election primers go, this BBC3 series has been really worthwhile. Political leaders are plonked on to a chair in front of a roomful of loudly sceptical young voters and grilled for an hour. Labour’s Ed Miliband and representatives of the Lib Dems, Ukip, Greens, SNP and Plaid Cymru have all appeared, but most exciting of all should be the promised turn from Tory figure of fun, sorry, man of mystery, Grant Shapps.
TV: Problems
Fine comedy quirk from Australia, featuring the reliably amusing Sam Simmons and Mr Meowgi, his talking cat. Simmons sets out to right various societal wrongs, ranging from lost Christmas tree angels to disappointing tacos. Aiming at all the big targets, then. Available from Wednesday.
