DRUNK HISTORY
Comedy Central (available on Now TV)
Inspired by the award-winning online series, Drunk History’s forays onto television have been every bit as funny as the original – if just a little bit more tame. Every week, a few guests are interviewed about their favourite historical characters. They’ve also been drinking all day. The topics range from the absurd to the eye-opening, but it manages to get the difficult blend of hysterical and informative perfectly balanced. Their stories are used as voiceovers as well-known comic actors re-enact their tales with brilliant results. Recommended to comedy fans every bit as much to history fans. ****LOB
OZARK
Netflix (available on Netflix)
Jason Bateman stars in this rescue fix for those suffering from Breaking Bad withdrawal. Bateman is a financial advisor and family man who launders money for a Mexican cartel in Chicago. His colleague is revealed to have been skimming off the top and the inevitable happens. Bateman is spared and promises to launder millions of dollars for the cartel in the picturesque Ozarks. Well-written, well-paced and well-shot, Ozark is something of a study into the nature of good and evil and the rippling consequences of Bateman’s introduction into the area. ****LOB
EEGA
Varahi Chalana Chitram (available on Netflix)
Every once in a while, there’s a film that just stays with you: 12 Angry Men, Blade Runner, and Rear Window for example. Eega is one such film. Not because of its profundity, but because of its utterly unique concept. In essence, it’s a classic love story of when a man loves a woman, a woman plays hard to get, the man gets murdered by another admirer, he’s reincarnated as a fly who then embarks on a quest to exact revenge for his death. It’s also a musical. Make this the next thing you watch. *****LOB
NAKED
Netflix (available on Netflix)
Marlon Mayans writes and stars in this bizarre rom-com, where he plays a man who’s about to get married. He goes out the night before and wakes up a bit worse for wear, naked in a lift while stuck in a time loop. It smells very strongly of Groundhog Day, just with extra predictable rom-com sappy rubbish and predictable comedy tropes thrown in. Has some funny moments, but it genuinely could have been a good film had the laziness not spoiled the concept. Because of this, it’s also not quite bad enough to be so bad it’s funny, just stuck in the no-man’s land of cinematic mediocrity. **LOB
CHEF’S TABLE
Netflix (available on Netflix)
Chef’s Table is ultimately an exploration of the passions and motives that drive the world’s best chefs. It interviews and follows a different chef every episode as they explain why and how their obsessions with food began, the issues they’re passionate about, and the menus that they cook. One part philosophy, one part art, one part travel show, and one part cooking programme, Chef’s Table is an absolute masterpiece of a documentary series that educates as it entertains and wonders. It proves that one of the best ways to learn about the world and different cultures is through their cuisine. *****LOB
WORKAHOLICS
Comedy Central (available on Now TV)
Adam DeVine, Blake Anderson, and Andres Holm star in this mildly refreshing series about three university friends starting out in the workforce. Working as telemarketers, the characters are hit and miss. They all have their strengths and funny moments, but they often seem to just resort to character tropes that seem a bit stale, although funny in small doses. The writers are clearly talented though, with inventive plot points and some very amusing gags. However, it has exceedingly little in the way of character development to keep viewers engaged. Still, a good background show for unwinding to. ***LOB