Guide #233: From Wonder Man to Girl Taken, Here’s One Thing to Watch on Every Streaming Device | culture

SStreaming services: There are a lot of them (with another, HBO Max, on the way later this month) and everyone seems to be subscribed to different services, which makes recommendations a challenge. Step forward to the fourth edition of the guide from A Show for Every Streamer (previous editions can be seen here , here , and here ), which does exactly what it describes. As always, we’ve tried to avoid the series everyone’s been talking about (the heated, unlucky rivalry), and instead highlight the lesser-known and more surprising picks, starting with…

Apple TV | Drops of God
…a Japanese-American-French drama about warring wine connoisseurs, of course. It’s strange, though it fits with Apple’s penchant for cutting-edge themes. After the first series which saw the daughter of a deceased French wine expert take on his Japanese protégé over ownership of his multi-million-dollar wine collection, season two – which arrived in January – sees the two team up to investigate the mysterious origins of a red bottle from his father’s collection.

BBC iPlayer | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy / Smiley’s People
Listen, we can point you to the excellent Small Prophets or the raucous fourth season of Industry, but in reality most new BBC series of any cop tend to be highly praiseworthy. It’s best, perhaps, to point out the old series that has returned to iPlayer: both Le Carré’s unparalleled late-’70s and early-’80s adaptations, featuring Alec Guinness in the final role of George Smiley, are streaming in their entirety.

Channel 4 | Fake it
The channel’s online archive is a collection of classic documentaries, from Nick Broomfield’s early efforts to indie films from Dispatches and Cutting Edge (although it’s annoying that no one has thought to group them all together under these titles). And of course, their lighter nonfiction documentaries include the still-charming Professional Exchange series, which was forcefully revived (and then quickly cancelled) by Channel 5 last year.

Channel 5 | X-Files
Given that Channel 5’s involvement in the ill-advised reboot has, according to its chief content officer, almost doomed the channel to failure, you might think it might stay a mile away from The X Files. But no, the whole thing, the shunky reboot and all, is available on its streaming service. Warning: Avoid certain episodes, such as the horror series Home (which Fox has banned from reruns for years), before bedtime.

Disney+ | The miracle man
A Marvel series that requires no knowledge of the deep lore of the 30 films, keeps the city-wrecking CGI scenes to a minimum and features Ben Kingsley having a lot of fun with a saucy accent? Register with us. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is actor and secret hero Simon Williams, who must hide his powers in order to land the role of fictional superhero Wonder Man; Kingsley is Trevor Slattery, a long-running Marvel character, mentoring Williams while also secretly spying on him. Great fun that doesn’t overstay its welcome.

ITVX | Shursi
As streamers scramble to secure acquisitions to build their libraries, shows are starting to appear in very strange places. Shoresy, a Canadian comedy about a violent, foul-mouthed hockey player, seems an odd fit for ITVX, as it sits alongside Martin Clunes’ gentle dramas and TOWIE episodes. However, it’s definitely worth a shot: even if references to high clinginess and the like are sailing over your head, you’ll be drawn to its very funny depiction of fractured masculinity.

Netflix | Vladimir
Here’s what’s hot off the editorial board: Netflix’s lively adaptation of Julia Mae Jonas’ novel about college campus marital adventures and intrigue only hit the platform yesterday. The cast is implausibly well assembled: Rachel Weisz as our lifelong professor/unreliable narrator; John Slattery as the poetry teacher’s unfaithful husband who pushes things further this time; And a sad hunk of the moment is Leo Woodall as the honorary assistant professor who catches her attention.

now | Teamwork
The imminent arrival of HBO Max could pose a long-term problem for Sky’s streaming service, although a deal has been reached at the moment to give Now subscribers access to all the good stuff at that network, including its usual big beasts – most recently A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms – and some of its lesser-known gems. This relationship comedy-drama from mumblecore kings the Duplass Brothers only lasted two series, but is well worth watching for its depiction of family chaos in the late 1930s.

Paramount+ | Girl taken
To further complicate the streaming situation, Paramount just beat out Netflix in acquiring Warner Bros., the parent company of the aforementioned HBO Max. Which means you may soon have to subscribe to Paramount+ to watch those HBO shows. While you’re there, check out some Paramount originals, including Taylor Sheridan’s hugely successful series Yellowstone and the Landman, and this nasty little British kidnapping drama (pictured above), which features a wonderfully sinister performance from Alfie Allen.

Pluto TV | Cagney and Lacey
The real draw of this completely free stream is its surprisingly diverse movie selection, including a really impressive selection of films from the Curzon library. On the television side, the selection is quite slim, although it does offer some nostalgic crime thrillers and dramas, including Prisoner: Cell Block H and the quietly groundbreaking series Cagney and Lacey that is still much loved.

Prime Video | He steals
Amazon seems to have become a home for trivial but engaging dramas – edgy thrillers, teen series, ultra-violent superhero epics and so on. This British thriller, starring Sophie Turner as a trading floor manager who is drawn into a violent heist at a pensions management company, was one of their best recent offerings, opening with a bone-chilling action first episode, before settling into a twisty and entertaining mystery.

Sh | Strangers
UKTV’s streaming service, which can’t be accessed through Google, has all sorts of curios hidden in its streaming depths: half-forgotten home renovation shows; More cozy crime dramas than you’ll ever see in a lifetime; And all sorts of short-lived high-concept comedy game shows commissioned by Dave. Hosted by David Mitchell, this kind of scouting weekend serves as a decent stand-in for a taskmaster when Greg and Little Alex are away from our screens.

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