Killer Sally
From Wednesday, November 2nd, Netflix
In 1995 the world of bodybuilding was put in the spotlight when Ray McNeil, a US national champion, was shot dead by his wife, Sally, on St Valentine’s Day. Sally, also a bodybuilder, claimed she shot her husband in self-defence while he was choking her, but the prosecution claimed it was murder. The media had a field day with the story, calling Sally the “brawny bride” and the “pumped-up princess”, but behind the sensational headlines was a story of domestic violence and steroid-fuelled marital strife.
The Mosquito Coast
From Friday, November 4th, Apple TV+
Paul Theroux’s novel was made into a movie starring Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and River Phoenix, but the USP of this series based on the novel is that it stars the author’s nephew Justin Theroux in the role of the eccentric inventor Allie Fox, who takes his wife, Margot (Melissa George), and their two teenage kids, Dina and Charlie (Logan Polish and Gabriel Bateman), on a dangerous journey across Mexico, with US government agents, drug lords and hit men just one step behind them. In series two, the family head deep into the jungles of Guatemala — not exactly the ideal family holiday destination.
Save our Squad with David Beckham
From Wednesday, November 9th, Disney+
The soccer great David Beckham comes home to his east London roots to coach a team of under-14s who badly need a leg-up if they’re to avoid relegation in the Echo Junior Football League. The Westward Boys haven’t had a win all season, and it’s up to Becks to turn their fortunes around in this new series. Who knows, Posh might even make an appearance in the dressingroom and spice up the training.
The Crown
From Wednesday, November 9th, Netflix
In the year of Queen Elizabeth’s death, season five of the royal-family saga focuses on a tumultuous decade for the House of Windsor, which sees the collapse of the Soviet Union and the collapse of Charles and Diana’s shaky marriage and culminates in the death of Diana in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Forty years after the queen’s accession to the British throne, the family face an existential crisis as the public begins to question whether their country needs a monarchy at all. Imelda Staunton stars as the queen, with Dominic West as Prince Charles and Elizabeth Debicki as Diana.
Beauty & the Beast review: On the way home, younger audience members re-enact scenes. There’s no higher recommendation
Matt Cooper: I’m an only child. I’ve always been conscious of not having brothers or sisters
A Dublin scam: After more than 10 years in New York, nothing like this had ever happened to me
Patrick Freyne: I am becoming a demotivational speaker – let’s all have an averagely productive December
Mammals
From Friday, November 11th, Prime Video
We know James Corden as the cheeky-chappie chatshow presenter on US TV, and a bit of a stickler for the perfect egg-yolk omelette in restaurants, but we forget that he’s also an accomplished actor, voice of Peter Rabbit and a creator, writer and star of the hit BBC comedy series Gavin and Stacey. In his first big acting role since announcing his departure from the American Late Late Show, Corden stars as Jamie, a chef who discovers some shocking truths about his marriage in this dark comedy drama by Jez Butterworth. Sally Hawkins, Melia Kreiling and Colin Morgan costar.
Limitless with Chris Hemsworth
From Wednesday, November 16th, Disney+
The Australian actor Chris Hemsworth is well known for playing an immortal god in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but in this new series from National Geographic the Hollywood heart-throb is on a quest to find the secret of eternal youth — or at least put off old age for as long as possible. He travels the world to explore the science of prolonging our lifespans and goes through some hair-raising challenges designed to improve his strength, resilience and memory — and maybe even unlock the body’s hidden regenerative powers and find the key to reversing the ageing process.
Wednesday
From Wednesday, November 23rd, Netflix
The Addams family are back — as is the director Tim Burton — in this new series starring Jenna Ortega as the titular uber-goth teen. Having been expelled from Nancy Reagan High School after throwing piranha fish into the swimming pool, Wednesday is enrolled at creepy Nevermore Academy, where her parents, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez (Luis Guzmán), met, but Wednesday is finding it hard even here to fit in. Then a mysterious creature starts a killing spree, and it’s up to Wednesday to use all her paranormal powers to save the local town.
Echo 3
From Wednesday, November 23rd, Apple TV+
If you liked The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty you’ll want to tune into this new 10-part thriller from the writer of those two acclaimed films, Mark Boal. Echo 3 tells the story of a brilliant young scientist, Amber Chesborough (Jessica Ann Collins), whose family become concerned when she goes missing somewhere along the Colombia-Venezuela border. But this is no ordinary family; her brother Bambi (Luke Evans) and her husband, Prince (Michiel Huisman), are both elite soldiers with a wealth of experience in covert warfare. But when they set out to find Amber even their military expertise is tested to the max.
Willow
From Friday, November 30th, Disney+
Warwick Davis reprises the role that made him famous 34 years ago, in a new sequel to the George Lucas fantasy adventure. Davis plays the aspiring sorcerer Willow Ufgood, one of the Nelwyn people; in the original film he saved an infant princess, defeated an evil queen and banished the forces of evil. Job done? Not quite. In this new series, Willow — presumably now a fully qualified mage — must assemble an unlikely bunch of heroes and set off on new, even more perilous adventures. Oh, goody.
The Patient
From Friday, November 30th, Disney+
Doctors are used to patients ringing them up at night with all sorts of ailments, but it must rarely be the one the features here. Steve Carell plays Alan Strauss, a therapist, and Domhnall Gleeson is the serial killer Sam Fortner in this psychological thriller that twists the doctor-patient relationship into terrifying shapes. When Sam abducts Alan and demands that the shrink cure him of his murderous compulsion, Alan find himself having to use all his wits to prevent Sam from killing again — and to prevent himself from becoming Sam’s next victim.
