Watch, listen and be inspired by Calum Henderson's definitive list of what's hot right now and from the vault.
COBRA: Cyberwar (Neon)
No matter how bad things get, they could always be worse. This seems to be the philosophy driving the British political thriller COBRA, the second season of which has just dumped a whole lot more problems on the government's top brass, who must once again assemble in Cabinet Office Briefing Room A.
In season one it was a massive solar flare that knocked out power to most of Britain, leading to widespread social disorder and all sorts of political headaches for Prime Minister Robert Sutherland (The Full Monty himself Robert Carlyle), his chief of staff (Victoria Hamilton, the Queen Mum in The Crown) and assorted high-ranking secretaries of state. This time it's looking even more dire.
For one thing, a series of small earthquakes has ruptured the hull of a sunken World War II munitions ship off the coast of Kent. It probably won't blow up, someone from the Navy attempts to reassure the PM. But if it does? The blast would be big enough to reshape the Kent coastline.
The poor bloke barely has time to take two sips of red wine with his wife before the next bad thing draws him back to COBRA: a helicopter carrying a Russian oligarch has been shot down by an armoured drone while taking off from a school playing field after a rugby game, accidentally killing the coach of the first XV.
These, believe it or not, are only setting us up for the main bad thing alluded to in the series title. Once all three events come together in implausible but undeniably entertaining fashion, it's all go, with briefing rooms A through J booked out for the foreseeable. While its political plotlines might lack the procedural tightness of a Line of Duty or a Vigil, anyone looking for their next hit of tension and disaster will certainly find it in COBRA: Cyberwar.
The Girl in the Woods (TVNZ OnDemand)
The small town of West Pine, Oregon, looks quite a lot like Forks, Washington – but instead of intense vampire and werewolf populations, it's home to a mysterious door in the middle of the woods which is a portal to a terrifying Stranger Things-style monster dimension. Direct from the US, The Girl in the Woods is the latest in this line of supernatural young adult coming of age dramas. If you're looking for strange, cultish goings-on, ominous symbols carved into trees and most importantly secret doors, this is the one.
The Highland Vet (TVNZ OnDemand)
TV vets come and TV vets go, but few have ever been as cool – or as hardcore – as the ones on The Highland Vet. The northernmost veterinary practice in mainland Britain, Guy Gordon and his team are on call for hundreds of farms spread across the rugged Scottish Highlands, which means along with all the usual cats and dogs in various states of strife they're also regularly called out to do things like horse dentistry and emergency cow caesareans. Probably not one to watch while you're eating your dinner, but a hugely enjoyable watch otherwise.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (Neon and Sky Go, from Tuesday)
Somewhat against the run of play, as they say in sports commentary, last season of Curb Your Enthusiasm (the show's 10th) ended up being one of the best yet. So where to for Larry David after his all-consuming strip-mall cafe feud with Mocha Joe? The trailer doesn't give too much away, only that Jon Hamm makes a welcome return, there's a guest appearance from Seth Rogen and the act of looking someone in the eye when you say cheers is taken to task in typical Larry David fashion. There's also not a mask in sight, which is probably for the best.
Movie of the Week: Promising Young Woman (Neon)
It's unlikely anybody who saw Promising Young Woman at the movies earlier this year has forgotten it in a hurry – and it remains a must-see now that it's available to stream at home. The big, bold, topical and thought-provoking thriller is the kind of roller coaster of a film that keeps you glued from the first minute, thanks mostly to Carey Mulligan's outstanding performance as the young woman who's dedicated her life to giving predatory men a taste of their own medicine. Fans of comedian Bo Burnham following his Netflix special Inside are in for an especially uncomfortable ride.
From the Vault: The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971) (Tubi)
If nine weeks into lockdown isn't the right time to start watching 1970s Italian horror films on obscure free streaming platforms, then when is? The Cat o' Nine Tails, an early giallo classic from Dario Argento (best known for 1977's Suspiria) follows a suave newspaper journalist who teams up with a blind puzzle expert and small child to track down the killer who broke into a secretive genetics laboratory. A stylish murder mystery featuring some preposterously gruesome death scenes, it's a hidden gem on a platform where the gems are well hidden indeed.
Podcast of the Week: Storytime with Seth Rogen
Another week, another celebrity starts a podcast where they interview their famous mates. But in an increasingly crowded field, Storytime with Seth Rogen already stands out head and shoulders above the rest.
The first two episodes are stories of celebrity encounters that each spiral out in all sorts of surprising directions. In the first, comedian Quinta Brunson (A Black Lady Sketch Show) talks about growing up a strict Jehovah's Witness and how a chance encounter with Hollywood nice guy Paul Rudd in a movie theatre convinced her to pursue a career in comedy. Rogen then calls up Rudd, who has no memory of it whatsoever but instead recounts his own story of being treated with kindness by a celebrity – the singer from Semisonic, of all people – who Rogen then calls up for his side of the story, and so on. In the second episode, David Crosby tells the story of how meeting George Harrison (and, inevitably, getting extremely stoned with him) inspired him to write "Laughing", one of his all-time greatest songs.
Rogen is a great interviewer – funny, open and curious – and each episode is woven together with deft editing and production touches. Recommended if you like Heavyweight, which is probably one of the highest recommendations a podcast can get.
