You Are Wanted (Season 1)

For those in the mood for a European alternative to hacker show Mr Robot should look no further than You Are Wanted, Amazon’s first original German-language TV series. Produced, directed AND scored by leading man Matthias Schweighöfer (who may have also made the tea, while he was at it), YAW feels like one of the most current dramas to grace our screens, with its contemporary Berlin setting and a thrilling cyber terrorism plotline which sees a family man’s life get torn to shreds in the space of a few clicks. Thanks to a neatly packaged six episode run, it doesn’t outstay its welcome either. With season 2 now popping up on Prime Video, now’s a good time to sign in – but do yourself a favour and stick to the original subtitled version. The dubbed one is the stuff of nightmares.

Verdict: 3/5

Where to find it: Amazon Prime Video

Ozark (Season 1)

For all intents and purposes, Ozark feels like a spiritual successor to Breaking Bad. A middle class anti-hero who gets caught between the Cartel and local drug barons? A quiet backwater region doubling as the unlikely setting of gang wars and gruesome murders? A hefty dose of gallows humour perfectly balanced with suspense and tension? Ozark ticks enough boxes to justify the comparisons with Vince Gilligan’s unrivalled masterpiece, but also has enough hidden assets for it to step out of BB’s shadow. Key among these is an unexpectedly cold and calculating performance by Jason Bateman, a man we’ve become far too accustomed to seeing cast as the loveable everyman in forgettable comedies. While Walter White’s superpower was scientific knowledge, Marty Byrde’s is persuasion coupled with an off-the-charts financial acumen. Bateman is ably supported by solid turns from Laura Linney and Julia Garner, but it is Byrde’s unorthodox character arc that drives the show and that will have you eagerly awaiting for season 2 next month.

Verdict: 4/5

Where to find it: Netflix

13 Reasons Why (Season 1)

Unfairly lambasted upon its release by commentators and media outlets for glamourising teen suicide, 13 Reasons Why puts forward a portrayal of high school and adolescence that older viewers were perhaps not ready for, but that felt all too familiar to millennials. In the digital age, bullying, emotional rejection, public humiliation and even depression are exacerbated by social platforms and smartphone devices, and 13… explores these themes in unflinching detail. Anchoring the narrative is a cast of recognisable characters that isn’t restricted to tried and tested stereotypes (ok, most of them aren’t), the standout being Katherine Langford’s tragic Hannah Baker. The show’s intriguing premise – a suicidal student leaves behind thirteen tapes detailing the reasons she took her own life – would’ve made for a perfectly self-contained mini-series, which is why the imminent second season feels a little superfluous. But make no mistake – this remains the most relevant teen drama currently streaming on our screens.

4/5

Godless (Mini-Series)

Godless offers a good remedy for that cowboy itch left by Deadwood ten years ago. Here is a western that is dirty, gritty, sweary and offers plenty in terms of production value (the opening scene of episode #1 might well have been 2017’s best). Like old school westerns, you know it is building up to an almighty showdown but it also isn’t in a hurry to get there, opting instead to flesh out its compelling characters. But Godless also holds the dubious honour of being the most woke western in town, as it elevates its female cast from damsels in distress to bona fide badasses – with 90% of a small town’s male population lost in a mining accident, it is up to the local women to fend off the very male threats that descend upon them. Jeff Daniels makes a menacing yet oddly sympathetic villain, but the turns that linger long after the last gunshot is fired are by Merrit Wever as the town’s de-facto governor and Michelle Dockery, who seems all too happy to shed Lady Mary’s corset and brandish a shotgun.

Verdict: 5/5

Where to find it: Netflix

The End of the F***ing World (Season 1)

Imagine if Wes Anderson decided to remake Bonnie & Clyde after binge-watching Skins and you’ll get a rough idea of what you’re in for with The End of the F***ing World. Slightly misleading title aside (despite the hardly upbeat tone, no actual apocalypses are involved), this British pitch black comedy sees two maladjusted teenagers – she’s an impulsive rebel, he’s a closet serial-killer in the making – embark on a road trip to escape their disenfranchised existence. Expect whip-smart interior monologues and earnest soul-searching coupled with the odd burst of blood-soaked violence and a hefty wallop of gallows humour. It’s that kind of show.

Verdict: 4/5

Where to find it: 4oD, Netflix;