Pick of the week
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
The feverishly anticipated and preposterously expensive prequel to Peter Jackson’s big screen Tolkien adaptations is with us at last. It is exactly what you expect: beautifully staged and entirely faithful to the tone and tempo of the films. The eight-parter begins during an era of relative peace in Middle-earth, with Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) the only elf able to envision the brutal future that lurks a few millennia down the line. The Elvish have become complacent about the threat of Orcs but, haunted by the fate of her brother – specifically by the mark left on his hand – Galadriel begins a lonely mission to find Sauron’s minions. An autumn of sprawling fantasy awaits. Phil Harrison
Prime Video, from Friday 2 September
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House of Hammer
When an Instagram account began revealing abuse allegations against Armie Hammer in early 2021, the actor dismissed them as trolling. But these whispers have become louder, detailing rape threats and even a desire for cannibalism. While Hammer denies these claims, this three-part series hears testimony from two of his alleged victims, Courtney Vucekovich and Julia Morrison. But that’s just the start of it. Hammer’s aunt, Casey Hammer, turns it into a dark exposition on a dysfunctional family. Whatever the truth about Armie, his family has a grim history of malfeasance. PH
Discovery+, from Friday 2 September
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Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul
“I said to myself: ‘I shouldn’t be doing this.’ But we were winning.” It’s the dilemma for everyone who succumbs to greed, makes a wrong move and then can’t find the strength to stop. Tim Donaghy grew up basketball-mad. He became an NBA referee. So how did he end up destroying his own reputation and lining the pockets of New York crime families by using his insider knowledge to bet on games he was refereeing? This startling documentary features interviews with cops, lawyers, co-conspirators and Donaghy himself. PH
Netflix, from Tuesday 30 August
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Off the Hook
“You’re like a giant notification. You pop up without warning.” When you’ve started viewing your friends through the prism of social media features, it’s time for a break from the internet. But in a world where online life and reality have become indivisible, what chance does anyone have? This French comedy stars Manon Azem and Tiphaine Daviot as Léa and Manon, roommates who, in the wake of their breakups, realise how toxic their smartphone use is and decide on a detox. It’s not the most original premise but many of us will relate to something here. PH
Netflix, from Thursday 1 September
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The Slow Mo Guys’ Big Adventures
Many adults will recognise the Slow Mo Guys from their wildly successful YouTube videos. They essentially perform the kind of experiments that kids (and overgrown kids) would attempt if they had unlimited resources and an extremely powerful camera. If you’ve ever wondered, for example, how many glass panes a bullet will go through before running out of energy, Gav and Dan are your men. For this series, they’ll be applying their expertise to various explosive moments in history, from the wild west to the Viking invasions. PH
Sky Kids, from Thursday 1 September
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Devil in Ohio
Based on Daria Polatin’s 2017 novel of the same name – which, worryingly, was inspired by real events – here’s a horror that definitely won’t be winning any Emmys, but will likely rope in a big audience looking for some creepy thrills. It follows psychiatrist and mother of two Suzanne Mathis (Emily Deschanel) and her patient Mae (Madeleine Arthur) who has just escaped a cult. Suzanne decides to take Mae home, but when the new guest says grace to the devil at the family dinner table it’s clear that strange incidents are ahead. Hollie Richardson
Netflix, from Friday 2 September
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Dated & Related
This new dating show concept probably isn’t what you think the title suggests – although with the way television ideas are going watch this space … But the next 10 episodes are still pretty bizarre. Siblings “support” each other in finding love in a French villa, by going on double dates, vetting potential matches and, at some points, awkwardly watching their brother or sister flirt and snog. “Why would anybody do this?” asks host Melinda Berry (from Too Hot to Handle). The only apparent answer is the $100,000 cash prize on offer. HR
Netflix, from Friday 2 September
