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Pick of the week
Black Rabbit
Not so much Black Rabbit as Black Sheep, as Jude Law’s New York bar-restaurant owner Jake finds his business, and eventually life, turned upside down by the sudden reappearance of his no-good brother Vince (Jason Bateman). Jake is just about getting by, running the titular nightspot and looking to take it upmarket – as we meet him, he’s sweating on the verdict of a prominent food critic. But Vince has a target on his back: he owes money to bad people and Jake is his last resort. It’s snappy, fast-talking trash but with an undercurrent of fraternal tenderness that lends it a dimension beyond the generic – Jake may not want his brother in his world but he doesn’t want to throw him to the wolves either.
Netflix, from Thursday 18 September
Haunted Hotel
“Welcome to the Undervale. We know about the smell, and we’re trying.” With a voice cast including Will Forte and Eliza Coupe, this adult animation (from the makers of Rick and Morty) revives the spooky holiday hotel trope to amusing effect. The premise isn’t a million miles away from Ghosts – the phantoms wandering the corridors of the Undervale do their best to be scary but generally fail. Instead, owner Katherine, who is attempting to run the place with her formerly estranged brother Nathan, tries to promote the apparitions as a feature. Inevitably, the spectres aren’t as biddable as she’d like.
Netflix, from Friday 19 September
The Morning Show
Two years have passed – in both TV terms and in the fictional US of this media drama – since we last heard from the newsroom gang. With deepfakes rife and conspiracy theories holding as much sway as reportage, whose truths will they be telling? The company now trades under the name UBN after a merger. When rumours emerge about a cover-up perpetrated by former owners UBA, will the show be allowed to follow the story wherever it leads? The Morning Show feels (perhaps appropriately) dated but the melodrama is ripe enough all the same.
Apple TV+, from Wednesday 17 September
High Potential
This comedy drama manages to be goofy fun and oddly sweet at the same time. Kaitlin Olson stars as Morgan, a single mother whose life choices have led her to neglect her prodigious IQ – until a night cleaning a police station sees her becoming a detective, almost by accident. This second season is less “case of the week” than the opener, centring on a killer who is terrorising LA and relishing an intellectual battle with Morgan. Meanwhile, the mystery surrounding Roman – the lost love of Morgan’s life and the father of her first child – gets deeper still.
Disney+, from Wednesday 17 September
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Next Gen Chef
To the Culinary Institute of America (the CIA for short – and indeed the atmosphere does often resemble a particularly intense interrogation) for a demanding, high-end cooking contest in which 21 young American chefs are put through their paces. The calibre of these contenders is beyond dispute – one has already worked in 11 Michelin-starred restaurants, for example – and the prize ($500k) is hefty. Accordingly, its tone is a lot less collegial and its vibe a lot more cut-throat than any equivalent UK contest. Still, at least there’s no Gregg Wallace.
Netflix, from Wednesday 17 September
Gen V
This entertaining series – both a backstory to The Boys and an oddball teen drama in its own right – returns for a second season. Marie (Jaz Sinclair) has talked her way back into Godolkin University of Crimefighting, where the next generation of superheroes are learning the ropes. But, as per the polemical undercurrent always evident in The Boys, the atmosphere has changed: the place is festooned with banners proclaiming “Make America Super Again”. As the university’s dark secrets bubble to the surface, our gifted teens face stark moral choices.
Prime Video, from Wednesday 17 September
The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy
Given that he nominally hates travelling, it’s impressive that actor Eugene Levy has managed to tolerate prolonging this gently enjoyable series into a third season. Still, he soldiers bravely on. This time his bucket list sees him attempt to play cricket in India, take an open-top bus tour around London (more tourist than traveller really), get stuck into some St Patrick’s Day action in rural Ireland, and celebrate the Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico. He’s avuncular, curious, patient and open-minded, in fact showing every sign of being anything but reluctant.
Apple TV+, from Friday 19 September
