Brassic
Joe Gilgun mines his own teen misadventures in Lancashire for a roguish comedy-drama with more than a whiff of Shameless about it. He plays Vinnie, a scammer with bipolar disorder whose best mate Dylan (Damien Molony) is debating going straight, encouraged by girlfriend Erin (Michelle Keegan). Naturally, it opens with a Shetland pony-stealing wheeze.
Thursday 22 August, 10pm, Sky One
Train Your Baby Like a Dog
Animal behaviourist Jo-Rosie Haffenden brings her pet-placating gifts to the world of parenting, tackling tantrums and sleep issues. Her emphasis is on “rewarding positive actions”, though hopefully not with a Bonio.
Tuesday, 8pm, Channel 4
Simon Amstell: Set Free
After dabbling in direction, Amstell returns to standup, where he tends to be at his frankest and funniest. Set Free sees him tackle weighty themes – mental health, masculinity, inner peace – albeit in his own quizzical, eyebrow-raised style.
From Tuesday 20 August, Netflix
Gregory Porter: The Hang
The dulcet tones of the acclaimed jazzer are just as compelling when he’s speaking as when he’s singing, and this new series makes the most of his gift for cheery conversation. Porter has a humdinger of a guest for his first episode: fellow jazz aficionado Jeff Goldblum. He has some goodies lined up for future instalments too, with Annie Lennox, Kamasi Washington and Amma Asante all popping in for a chat.
Podcast
Bauhaus Season
After tackling dadaism and abstract art, BBC Four now has designs on the minimalist movement. This season begins with an appreciation of designer Dieter Rams, then a retrospective (Wednesday 21 August, 9pm), plus Vic Reeves challenging art students to create Bauhaus-style work.
From Monday 19 August, 9pm, BBC Four
Hyperdrive
Executive-produced by, of all people, actor Charlize Theron, this petrol-headed gameshow tasks have-a-go drag racers with surviving some of the most devious obstacle courses ever devised by humans. Featuring painfully tight hairpin turns and giant see-saws, it resembles a smash-up of Total Wipeout and Wacky Races.
From Wednesday 21 August, Netflix
Journey Into Fear
Norman Foster directed, but Orson Welles’s was the guiding hand in his first venture into film noir, an Istanbul-set wartime thriller not a million miles from Casablanca. Munitions expert Joseph Cotten is on the run from Gestapo agents, but lucky to have leopardskin-suited Dolores del Rio on his side; Welles is the menacing police chief, Haki.
Monday 19 August, 6am, Movies4Men
The Rap Game UK
Seven unsigned MCs vie to become the first ever signing to Krept & Konan’s label in a series that should really have been called The Rapprentice. Still, it looks very watchable, with the budding rappers tested on their presence, freestyling skills and songwriting talent. Expect at least one airing of the phrase “I’m not here to make friends”.
From Friday 23 August, BBC Three
Legion
Noah Hawley always claimed the plan was for his kaleidoscopically handsome Marvel action drama to end after three seasons, so this finale will at least see it go out on its own terms, before Disney hoovers up all Marvel’s content for its Disney+ streaming service. Brave and cerebral, if slightly impenetrable, to the last.
Thursday 22 August, 9pm, Fox
Stath Lets Flats
A welcome return to Michael & Eagle Lettings, as Jamie Demetriou’s hapless agent Stath fails to fully grasp the delicate art of sales-pitch small talk without making a prat of himself. He’s helped/hindered by his sister Natasia Demetriou’s hilariously feckless Sophie, in a daft, sweet comedy with a perfect sprinkling of cringe. Viewing recommended.
Monday 19 August, 10pm, Channel 4
