
Make lockdown a little bit better with these great shows.
If you thought you’ve already gone through every possible show on TV and you won’t find anything worth your time, we’re here to tell you that it’s simply not true. The Sydney lockdown is extended till August end. This gives us little choice but to snuggle up in bed with a comforting series. Luckily for us 2021 has so much to offer with some great television right from Marvel shows on Disney+ to Netflix documentaries, there’s something for everyone. If you’ve been putting off watching these shows, now would be a great time to dig into them and escape the garbage fire events happening outside.
1. Mare of Easttown
Mare of Easttown led by an excellent Kate Winslet is not an easy watch but it gets more and more compelling with each episode. Winslet portrays a detective leading a murder investigation in Pennsylvnia. She’s absolutely magnetic in the role and her gritty portrayal of Mare is one to behold. If you’re into slow burn thrillers, you’ll want to check this one out.
2. WandaVision
2020 was the only year Marvel didn’t have a release on the big screen and boy did we miss the madness of the MCU. Thankfully, WandaVision gave us just that and more. Simultaneously chaotic, exciting and original, the Disneyplus series follows Wanda Maximoff’s journey after the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019). Exploring themes of grief, confinement, heartbreak and general comic book mayhem in a sitcom setting, this was just the fix we needed after that year-long dry spell. With brilliant performances by Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany and some terrific storytelling, this is one show you can watch and love even if you’re not a Marvel fan (although if you are, the experience is just delightful.)
3. The Serpent
What’s better than a Netflix original? A Netflix/BBC One collaboration. The eight-part limited series follows the life and crimes of notorious serial killer Charles Sobhraj. Sobhraj was nicknamed ‘The Serpent’ and was known to prey on vulnerable travellers from the West in the mid-70’s. Branded in pop culture for being a master of disguise and a charming psychopath, à laTed Bundy if you will, this series is addictive and disturbing, but an unmissable watch for crime documentary enthusiasts.
4. Pretend It’s A City
A personal favourite on the list, Pretend It’s a City is a nostalgic ode to New York or what New York was before the pandemic hit. Reuniting formidable duo Martin Scorcese and Fran Lebowitz who collaborated on the documentary Public Speaking (2010), this series is replete with dry humour and wit. The title comes from Lebowitz herself who says she would use these words as a piece of advice for people coming to NYC. When it comes to great television shows of 2021, this one is up there with the greats.
5. Can’t Get You Out of My Head: An Emotional History of the Modern World
BBC is certainly a master at its game. But what they do particularly well are the originals. Journalist and Bafta award-winning filmmaker, Adam Curtis is at the helm of this six-part series that explores themes of money, power, drugs, love and everything in between. You might think it’s a lot to take in, but it’s so well put together and captivating that it makes for absolutely essential viewing especially for those with an inclination towards topics like politics and history.
6. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
It definitely looks like Disney Plus is primed to give its contemporary streaming services a serious run for their money. Marvel is unleashing an onslaught of television shows and movies and no one is complaining. The show follows the journey of Sam Wilson aka The Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie and Steve Rogers’ old buddy Bucky Barnes played by Sebastian Stan respectively.
7. For All Mankind (Season 2)
Created and written by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi, this Apple TV+ produced sci-fi series explores an alternative version of the events of 1969. The USSR gets to the moon first beating the US, consequently leaving the Americans to do the chasing instead. The show has grown by leaps and bounds in the second season and it is fast paced and exciting enough to keep you on the edge of your seat.
8. Shadow and Bone
This fantasy drama based on Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling Grishaverse novels and starring newcomer Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov has been long-anticipated by loyalists of the books. The story revolves around a teenaged orphan who discovers she has a power that may be able to help save her nation. The buzz around this one is so strong that a second season is reportedly already in the works.