TV Gold

Four programs reviewed this week:

The Veil (Disney+, series) Elisabeth Moss stars in this thriller about an MI6 agent bringing in a suspected ISIS senior officer.

Red Eye (Stan, series) Richard Armitage plays a doctor who was framed for a murder in China. He spends all of the episode in the air trying to flee the country.

We Were the Lucky Ones (Disney+, series) – A Jewish family split apart during WW2 are determined to survive and reunite.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Stan, series) Holocaust survivor Lali, played by Harvey Keitel, tells his story of his time in a concentration camp and how he met his wife.

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Baby Reindeer (Netflix, series) is the latest hit series from the hottest streaming platform this year by a long way. Thank You Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story (Disney+, series) features interviews and archival footage with original band members including former guitarist Richie Sambora. After The Party (ABC iview, series) is a brilliant New Zealand drama starring Robin Malcolm which will keep you riveted until the final moments of episode six.

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The New Zealand drama After the Party has just launched on ABC iview where all six episodes are available to watch. TV Gold’s Andrew Mercado called it “one of the best dramas of the year”. Nine Publishing gave it 5 stars and called it a must-watch. TV Tonight called the series “an uncomfortable but utterly compelling ride” and give it 4 1/2 stars.

Robyn Malcolm joined TV Gold hosts Andrew Mercado and James Manning to talk about the Lingo Pictures series she co-created and stars in. Malcolm talks too about one of the best TV series of 2023 she also starred in – Far North. Don’t miss this special podcast episode.

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We start this episode with a very different love story, Alice & Jack (BBC First/Binge/Foxtel, series).

Swift Street (SBS, series) tells the story of petty crime in suburban Melbourne.
White Lies (Stan, series) is a crime investigation starring Natalie Dormer set in South Africa.

Sugar (AppleTV+, series) sees Colin Farrell playing LA detective John Sugar.

How to Poison the Planet (Stan documentary) is a brilliant documentary made in collaboration with The Sydney Morning Herald that tells a chilling tale about how we are impacted by poisons let loose by the chemical industry.

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This week’s TV goes from suburban Sydney to Saigon and Paris. Stars in the series include Robert Downey Jr, Sandra Oh, Angus Sampson and Michael Douglas
The Sympathizer (Binge/Foxtel, series) tells the story of a half-French, half-Vietnamese spy during the final days of the Vietnam War.

The second series of Heartbreak High (Netflix, series) starts with a school fire at the end of term. But it’s then back to the start of the school year.

Benjamin Franklin and his diplomatic efforts are the subject of Franklin (AppleTV+, series). Michael Douglas is the lead and the series details the years one of America’s founding fathers spent in France.

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Four very memorable pieces of television this week for very different reasons.

We start with the compelling British crime drama Truelove (BBC First on Fetch, Binge or Foxtel, series.)

Next is Ripley (Netflix, series) with a standout performance from Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley in a new version of the Patricia Highsmith novel The Talented Mr Ripley.

The sole Australian production under review this episode is White Fever (ABC/iview, series) which starts off at a furious pace with an episode you are not likely to forget.

Finally, we watch the TV movie Scoop (Netflix) with Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew.

It’s a dramatisation about how the BBC’s Newsnight managed to convince the Prince to be a guest and be interviewed by journalist Emily Maitlis.

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3 Body Problem (Netflix, series) is the much-anticipated new series from the creators of Game of Thrones. This is the first of 4 shows reviewed this week. One of the TV Gold hosts checked out immediately, while the other hung around.

A Gentleman in Moscow (Paramount+, series) is a stunning piece of television starring Ewan McGregor as a Russian count sentenced to spend his life inside one Moscow hotel after the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Steve (AppleTV+ 2-part documentary) chronicles the life of American comedian and actor Steve Martin.

Finally this week, the latest work from Sally Wainwright, the creator of Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack. Renegade Nell (Disney+, series) tells the story of a women who accidentally becomes a notorious outlaw with a magical spirit that protects her when needed. It might sound strange, but Wainwright makes this drama set in 18th century England work.

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Two new dramas set in the media and a series set at the end of the American Civil War.

Obituary (BritBox, series) tells the story of an obituary writer for a small Irish newspaper. She needs more bodies to keep her job. You’ll be surprised at her initiative.

The Girls on the Bus (Binge/Foxtel, series) is set on the campaign trail for a US election in what is an election year in the US. We meet four very different reporters who chase their stories in four different ways. Even though it is set in the current day, it manages to feature cameos from a character playing gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson.

Manhunt (AppleTV+, series) is a dramatic recreation about the hunt for the killer of American president Abraham Lincoln.

As an Easter extra, Andrew and James detail their greatest hits of the year so far with some viewing tips if you have time over Easter for catch-up viewing.

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The important, yet challenging to watch, story of Jimmy Savile is recreated in The Reckoning (Binge/Foxtel, series). Savile is played by Steve Coogan and the disc jockey manages to land a job with the BBC in the 60s on the then new music show Top of the Pops. The series explores the impact of his crimes and the difficulties faced by those who tried to raise the alarm.

Palm Royale (Apple TV+, series) features Kristen Wiig as an ambitious woman trying to become a member of the most exclusive club in Palm Beach at the end of the 60s. Watch it for the wonderful period recreation and the excellent supporting cast.

Our third series up for review this week is The Gentlemen (Netflix, series), from creator/writer/director/executive producer Guy Ritchie. It is really the surprise package out of these three series. It tells the story of a son who surprisingly inherits the family estate instead of his older brother. And wow, does he uncover a few surprises hidden in that family!

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High Country star Leah Purcell is the guest on this bonus edition of TV Gold. She join’s TV Gold hosts Andrew Mercado and James Manning to talk about her new series now on Binge and Foxtel. Set in the Victorian north east around Jamieson, Purcell talks about what drew her to the series and the wonderful location that is the setting for the 8 episodes.

In addition to talking about her character Andie Whitford, Purcell also discusses working with some of her acting colleagues including Ian McElhinney, Aaron Pederson and Henry Nixon. Listeners will also hear a scoop about plans to make a sequel to The Drover’s Wife. Purcell also discusses the possibility of a second season of High Country.

Make sure you follow the TV Gold podcast to get alerts about the regular weekly review episodes plus these bonus specials.

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