Ten sleeper TV hits everyone will be raving about
Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church star in the witty 'Divorce'. Photo: HBO
If you’ve been wondering what to do with all those holiday hours coming up, you’re in luck.
The many streaming media and on-demand video services available have come to the rescue with a influx of awesome TV, some of which you may not have heard of before.
Thanks to the ever-diminishing digital borders of our modern world, the best drama, comedy, thriller and everything-in-between TV series from around the world are now primed and ready for your eyeballs.
Bon appetit!
Victoria
Foxtel/FoxtelPlay
If you love: The Crown, Downton Abbey
A dramatisation of the early life of Queen Victoria (because we can’t get enough of royal biopics), this series explores the lives of the British Royal Family from the point of view of a young Queen mother as she navigates her new world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnW4NL7cALs
Bates Motel
Presto
If you love: American Horror Story, Hannibal
A sleeper hit if there ever was one – this twisted series tells the tale of Psycho‘s future serial killer, a young Norman Bates, and his mother, as they plunge into a dark abyss of moral corruption.
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
Netflix
If you love: Dr Who, Bored to Death
From the pen of British author Douglas Adams, join Dirk Gently in this charming, off-kilter comedy as he embarks on holistic investigations of supernatural mysteries, draws fatalistic connections between unconnected events and enjoys the occasional cup of tea.
Roadies
Stan
If you love: UnREAL, Younger
Capturing the life and soul of those who work behind the scenes in the live music industry, this dramedy about touring road technicians was created by Cameron Crowe, the writer/director behind Almost Famous and Jerry Maguire. Expect some laughs, some tears and a little indulgent introspection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WnLeNWBoMU
TURN: Washington’s Spies
Presto
If you love: The Night Watchman, Breaking Bad
The best spy thriller you’ve never heard of, this series, which stars Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot, The Adventures of Tintin), explores the origins of America’s first spies – men recruited by George Washington to spy on the British.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udtna7djtsg
Fauda
Netflix
If you love: Homeland, 24
This hit series concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict made waves in the Middle East, telling a tale of sacrifice, honour and betrayal by the men and women who risk their lives in undercover operations.
The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth
Stan
If you love: House of Cards, The West Wing
A fascinating, entertaining and occasionally disturbing look at life on the American campaign trail; and one that reveals some particularly poignant insights considering recent events. Grab some popcorn and your favourite beverage, but never forget: this is all real.
The Living and the Dead
Foxtel/FoxtelPlay
If you love: Penny Dreadful, Supernatural
A supernatural horror story, the Appleby family move to their newly inherited farmhouse to find it’s not as ideal as they first thought. When events begin to escalate, Nathan Appleby, father and psychologist, uses his investigative powers to force a few skeletons out of closets.
Brown Nation
Netflix
If you love: Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation
An hilarious tale of Hasmukh (Rajeev Varma), an Indian-American trying in vain to run an IT company while managing inept and occasionally recalcitrant employees. Poking fun at social conventions and racial stereotypes, it’s lighthearted and awkward – everything we love in modern TV.
Divorce
Foxtel/FoxtelPlay
If you love: Transparent, Veep
Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church take to this humorous tale of suburban, mid-life angst like ducks to water, executing every awkward, pathos-laden, all-too-familiar scene with charm and a dash of expert comic talent.