Michelle Keegan, Stephen Graham, Stacey Dooley and more!
This week's best telly includes two gripping new dramas, Adolescence on Netflix and The Au Pair on Channel 5 as well as the return of BBC One's Ten Pound Poms.
Elsewhere, Ola Labib brings us her debut comedy pilot for Channel 4, The Pharmacy and Stacey Dooley returns with a new two-part documentary for BBC Three which promises an unflinching look at rape and a justice system struggling to deliver for those who need it most.
Here are 5 TV shows you can't miss this week...
1
RETURNING DRAMA
TEN POUND POMS
Sunday 9th March at 8pm on BBC One
Daniel Brocklehurst's BBC One drama Ten Pound Poms, which follows a group of Brits escaping post-war Britain to embark on a life-changing adventure on the other side of the world, is back this week for a second series.
After a challenging first year in Australia, series two follows nurse Kate Thorne, played by Michelle Keegan, and the Roberts family into 1957 on their adventure down under, each determined against all odds to achieve their slice of the Australian dream.
As Kate, Annie and Terry settle into their new lives, they each struggle to reconcile their hopes for the life they were promised with the harsh realities they face at Galgownie.
6 EPISODES CONTINUES WEEKLY
STREAM ON BBC IPLAYER ALL EPISODES AVAILABLE
2
COMEDY PILOT
THE PHARMACY
Monday 10th March on Channel 4
This week, pharmacist turned comedian Ola Labib brings us The Pharmacy, a new Comedy Blap for Channel 4 which delves behind the counter of a local pharmacy as the oddball staff attempt to cure their community one patient at a time.
Ola leads as beleaguered pharmacist Lola, starring alongside Sue Vincent as her aggressively efficient right-hand woman, Margaret, Finlay Christie as up-and-not-so coming wannabe grime artist Harry and Nabil Abdulrashid as Zein, who you can always rely on to deliver bad service with a smile.
This diverse group of misfits are tempted by the pills they serve, all whilst dealing with high rent, high stress and low pay.
Read my interview with Ola Labib on Monday.
STREAM ON CHANNEL 4
3
BRAND NEW DRAMA
THE AU PAIR
Monday 10th to Thursday 13th March at 9pm on Channel 5
Channel 5's brand new drama The Au Pair, stars Sally Bretton as Zoe Dalton, a woman who seems to have it all. A successful business, a happy marriage, two beautiful stepchildren and a stunning house in the idyllic countryside.
The drama begins with Zoe’s already chaotic day taking a turn for the worse when a series of alarming incidents that endanger her father George and stepson Noah push her to the brink. Struggling to manage, she agrees with her husband Chris to bring in an au pair.
Enter the mysterious Sandrine, played by Ludmilla Makowski, who's capable and composed, but carrying a hidden agenda. As Sandrine settles into their home, subtle shifts in the family dynamic begin to unfold, setting off a chain of events that put Zoe in grave danger.
Following a disturbing incident, Zoe finds herself increasingly on the outside of her own family. As doubts about her judgement grow, she throws herself into preparing a meaningful gift for her stepdaughter Amber’s birthday. But tensions at the party reach a boiling point, leading to an unexpected injury and shocking revelations.
4 EPISODES CONTINUES NIGHTLY
STREAM ON MY5
4
BRAND NEW DRAMA
ADOLESCENCE
Thursday 13th March on Netflix
Created and written by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, Netflix's new drama Adolescense, reunites Graham with his director for Boiling Point, Philip Barantini.
The new four-part drama tells the story of how a family’s world is turned upside down when 13-year-old Jamie Miller, played by Owen Cooper, is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl who goes to his school.
Stephen Graham plays Jamie’s father and ‘appropriate adult’, Eddie Miller whilst Ashley Walters stars as Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe and Erin Doherty plays Briony Ariston, the clinical psychologist assigned to Jamie’s case.
4 EPISODES
STREAM ON NETFLIX ALL EPISODES AVAILABLE
5
BRAND NEW DOCUMENTARY
STACEY DOOLEY: RAPE ON TRIAL
Thursday 13th March at 9pm and 9.50pm on BBC Three
In her new two-part documentary, Rape on Trial, Stacey Dooley explores the challenges of reporting rape when the alleged perpetrator is someone you know and asks whether the justice system delivers what those desperate to be believed hope for.
With an increasing number of rape cases going to court and growing court backlogs, complainants are left waiting years for their day in court—prolonging their trauma and testing their resilience.
Filmed over three years, this powerful documentary follows 23 year old Jessie who has reported being raped by an ex-boyfriend, 19 year old Emma who says she has been orally raped by a fellow college student, and 22 year old Becca who reported being raped by someone she was dating, having had consensual sex earlier that evening.
They have all waived their legal right to anonymity, as they fight to have their voices heard in a system under immense strain. Once their case begins, they will face intense cross-examinations, with verdicts sometimes resting solely on their word. But in cases built on personal testimony alone, verdicts sometimes rest solely on whom the jury believes.
It promises to be a compelling and unflinching look at rape and a justice system struggling to deliver for those who need it most.
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