Stream dream! 7 unmissable shows to watch on TV this week

It’s (finally) Rivals week! Here’s what we’re watching between now and Friday when Jilly Cooper’s Eighties-set bonkbuster takes over our screens.

PICK OF THE WEEK

Rivals, Disney +, Fri 18 Oct

Hang on to your shoulder pads as we’re about to go full throttle into the steamy and scandalous world of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals. This star studded adaptation – David Tennant, Emily Atack, Danny Dyer, Alex Hassell, Katherine Parkinson and (swoon) Aidan Turner – begins with a raunchy rendezvous on Concorde, and the bed-hopping, champagne popping, six-packs and sex doesn’t stop from there! Aside from steamy scenes, luxe country piles and big hair, a long-simmering power struggle between two men (Tennant and Hassell) threatens to boil over. Hot stuff indeed.

Mr Loverman, BBC One, Mon 14 Oct

Step this way for a gorgeous adaptation of Bernadine Evaristo’s bestselling novel, Mr Loverman. It centres on Barrington “Barry” Walker (played superbly by a rather dapper Lennie James), a 74-year-old Caribbean immigrant who has been in a secret relationship with his best friend Morris (Ariyon Bakare) most his life. The story unfolds over eight poignant and surprisingly funny episodes which sees Barry wrestling with whether to live what’s left of his life as his true self, despite the pain this may cause his wife, family and community, or remain in the closet away from hate and judgement.

Shrinking, Apple TV+, Wed 16 Oct

Jason Segel and Harrison Ford are back as psychotherapists dishing out brutally honest (if slightly unethical) advice to patients as they both navigate a myriad of personal crises. Picking up where season one left us and Jimmy (Segel) is dealing with the fallout when one of his patients is imprisoned as a result of his unconventional methods. Though Shrinking comes from the funny minds behind Ted Lasso and Scrubs, don’t expect the same levels of laugh out loud moments – this remains an altogether more macabre affair but, trust us, it’s still a must watch. 

Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare, Netflix, Wed 16 Oct

Your true crime quota of the week comes courtesy of Sweet Bobby. You may already be familiar with this unbelievable catfishing case from a hit podcast about the saga released in 2021, but now it’s getting the Netflix treatment. Kirat Assi met Bobby via a mutual connection on Facebook, over the course of a decade a blossoming romance turns into a horrifying and devastating nightmare as Bobby is not what he seems. Brought to you by the producers of The Tinder Swindler and American Nightmare, this needs to be seen, to be believed.

The Lincoln Lawyer, Netflix, Thu 17 Oct

Matthew McConaughey who? Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is the Mickey Haller for us! He’s gassed up his motor for a third outing as The Lincoln Lawyer with another twisty turny case to defend, and this time, it’s personal. When a former colleague is murdered no one is prepared for the damning conspiracy which follows. All your cast favourites – Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole and Angus Sampson – return for this criminally good watch.

The Devil’s Hour, Prime Video, Fri 18 Oct

Psychological scarefest, The Devil’s Hour, returns to stoke those spooky season fires this week. Jessica Raine resumes her role as the perpetually tortured Lucy, who is left reeling after discovering she is not just stuck on a time loop, she is stuck on it with Peter Capaldi’s demonic Gideon. If Groundhog Day was a horror it would be this! Yes it’s eccentric and pretty out of this world but this mind-bending watch is worth it for Capaldi and Raine who are superb.

Woman of the Hour, Netflix, Fri 18 Oct

It’s hard to think of Anna Kendrick not in a role that’s cutesy, wisecracking and singing but in Woman of the Hour – which she also directed – she’s crossing paths with a notorious serial killer. This chilling true story, set in Seventies Los Angeles, sees her play an aspiring actress, Sheryl, who is hired for an episode of The Dating Game. The very same episode which mass murderer Rodney Alcala (played by a charmingly creepy Daniel Zovatto) was also a contestant on and hunting for his next kill. Giving air time to some of Alcala’s unfortunate victims, though a tense and at times unsettling watch, it’s undeniably gripping viewing.

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