PEOPLE JUST DO NOTHING
(BBC, available on iPlayer)
What can only be described as the success story of BBC Three’s online incarnation has finally been given the recognition it deserves with a proper slot on BBC Two. People Just Do Nothing has returned for its fifth and final series and we the audience are treated to one more visit to Kurupt FM and the finest in garage sounds. The quality of this mockumentary has not wavered in its fifth outing, with strong characterization and heart behind the jokes but it remains to be seen if this swansong ultimately lives up to fans’ expectations. ****JA
THE SINNER S2
(Netflix)
Following on from the enthralling first series, the Jessica Biel-produced second season of The Sinner is as highly addictive and unsettling as its predecessor. It begins with the calculated murder of a couple in a cheap motel, and the subsequent arrest of the perpetrator – their 13-year-old son. Detective Ambrose appears again as the man who attempts to unravel the dark details behind the crime, and what it has to do with the cult-style commune the boy lives in. With an incredible star performance by Carrie Coon, this whydunnit drama will keep you searching for answers until the jawdropping climax. ****AT
BIG MOUTH S2
(Netflix)
There’s already a few too many smugly ironic animations out there featuring foul-mouthed cartoon characters, but Big Mouth sits a step ahead of the rest by being so brutally real about the confusion and ridiculousness of adolescence. Series one set out its stall of realistic issues backed up by surreal hormone monsters and madness, and series two changes up a further gear. The introduction of David Thewlis as a nihilistic “shame wizard” who pops up to sow self-doubt into teenagers is inspired, but the unrelenting joke-a-second writing and brilliant vocal delivery is what truly makes this series majestically excellent. *****FT
HIP-HOP EVOLUTION S2
(Netflix)
A continuation of this hip-hop documentary series is entertaining although there are still some big issues. S1 covered New York up to the emergence of Rakim and Big Daddy Kane, and ended in the shift to the West Coast with NWA and Ice-T. S2 is more geographically varied, with episodes focused specifically on Miami and the Bay Area. It’s frankly staggering that the first genuine contribution from women only comes in episode three of S2 (and even then it’s only 10 mins on MC Lyte and Queen Latifah), and arguably presenter/writer Shad Kabango could do more to question some of the uglier elements of hip-hop rather than hailing every MC/producer featured as “game-changing”. The series is at its best when it digs into the nuts and bolts of hip-hop – such as a sequence where producers talk about the specifics of certain samplers – rather than empty platitudes. Still, the music is great. ***FT
HOUSE OF CARDS S6
(Netflix)
Such a shame that such a great series has ended in such a disappointing way. The justified firing of Kevin Spacey for his misdeeds was inevitably going to have an effect on the show, but this was a terribly mishandled closing series, and it’s all down to the writing. Robin Wright, taking centre stage, is superb. But the change from 13 episodes to eight has clearly hurt things. The plots and arcs feel half-cooked (a former major character is brought back for all of two minutes before being killed off – why?) and the narrative threads end up coming across as ill-thought-out. **FT
