TV Gold

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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Three series we are calling Australian dramas this week.

Starting with Apples Never Fall (Binge/Foxtel series, 7 episodes). Filmed in Queensland from an Australian author’s book is enough for us to claim it. Sam Neill and Annette Bening star in this family drama set in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Next up is Population 11 (Stan, series 12 episodes) which is another quirky comedy/thriller set in outback Australia. Filmed in Derby, WA, it tells the story of the US son of the local tour guide returning home to discover his dad has gone missing.

Finally, another powerhouse performance from Leah Purcell. This time in High Country (Binge/Foxtel series, 8 episodes) as a country police officer thrown into a missing person investigation.

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Three very ambitious dramas this week – two set in Europe and the third in 17th century Japan. Shōgun (Disney+ series, 10 episodes) tells the story of how a British sailor was captured in Japan after his ship ran aground. It’s a big budget, sprawling historical drama.

The Regime (Binge/Foxtel series, 6 episodes) brings Kate Winslet back to television in this satire about a Central European regime. After her brilliance in The Mare of Easttown, does Winslet bring the magic again?

Mary and George (Binge/Foxtel series, 7 episodes) is a British history drama about King James I and the male lover he takes after the young man’s mother hatched a plot to get him into the royal household. The series features some wonderful scenes with Julianne Moore facing off against Nicola Walker.

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A Netflix triple-play this week and a quirky New Zealand comedy.
The Netflix productions start with the Tyler Perry movie Mea Culpa with Kelly Rowland as an ethically-challenged criminal lawyer. The movie is already #1 on the Netflix movie chart. Next up is Can I Tell You A Secret?, a 2-part docudrama about a very creepy UK stalker and how he created chaos for many women and how they ultimately trapped him. Thirdly from Netflix is Loudermilk, 3 seasons of a Canadian sitcom overlooked on Prime and now getting a big crowd on its new platform.
Finally, this week we have another sitcom about two lesbians who get more than they bargained for when trying to have a baby – Double Parked (ABC iview, 8 episodes).

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A deeper dive on two very different dramas that do have connecting themes. First up for review is House of Gods (ABC/iview, series) telling the story of the Messenger Mosque and the ambitious family involved in its leadership. Next up is Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon (AppleTV+, movie). James manages to find some connections with his favourite drama Billions. When it comes to Show of the Week, Andrew decides to choose another program not on the original running sheet! The hosts also talk about the launch of Hubbl and Andrew has been watching MAFS!

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Two major new dramas are reviewed this episode. The first is a real surprise package – Three Women (Stan, series). It features Shailene Woodley and Betty Gilpin starring in a story adapted from the book of the same name. We guarantee there’s a few scenes in those first two episodes you won’t forget in a hurry. The other new release is The New Look (AppleTV+, series). Ben Mendelsohn stars as Christian Dior and Juliette Binoche is Coco Chanel. The series starts with the story of how the fashion designers survived the Nazi occupation of Paris and then how their businesses grew after the war.

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You shouldn’t overlook the brilliant Mr Bates vs The Post Office (Seven & 7plus, series) which tells the tale of what is being called the worst miscarriage of justice ever in the British legal system. Also this week we look at the latest adaption of the David Nicholls’ novel One Day (Netflix, series). Also the Australian feature film Five Blind Dates (Prime, movie), a romcom from Goalpost Pictures that is set in Townsville and Sydney.

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Five new series reviewed this week. A brilliant cast is the reason not to miss the second season of Feud (Binge/Foxtel series), sub-titled Capote vs The Swans. Also this week is Griselda (Netflix, series) from the creators of Narcos. Three Little Birds (BritBox, series) from writer and producer Lenny Henry. Also Mr & Mrs Smith (Prime, series) and finally, the brilliant doco Nemesis, about the three recent Liberal Party prime ministers Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison.

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