New to TVNZ+: February 14-27

An award-winning BBC2 comedy that originally ran overnight for one season on TVNZ 2 before vanishing from the schedule returns ready to binge on TVNZ+.

Alma’s Not Normal (February 25) is named after a woman who starts life over after a break-up and spending time in care because of her dysfunctional family.

“TV comedy at its rudest and most fabulous,” raved The Guardian about the semi-autobiographical BAFTA-winner while The Telegraph said, “The series crams copious ‘issues’ into its half a dozen half-hours (substance abuse, sexual consent, disability, grief, inequality, mental health, homelessness) without ever losing its light touch“.

The first season went to air five years ago in the UK and the second in 2024.

Creator Sophie Willan plays Alma and Siobhan Finneran (Downton Abbey, Happy Valley) her mother.

Being dusted off after 10 years is the US version of Mad Dogs (February 15), in which Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) and Steve Zahn (The White Lotus) plays underachieving 40-something friends who reunite in Belize, where celebrations turn dark and murderous.

It originally aired here on Sky’s SoHo.

New movies to stream include, from February 17:

• Stand by Me
• Sense and Sensibility
• Boyz n the Hood
• The Secret Garden
• Cadillac Records

And from February 24:

• A Few Good Men
• The Remains of the Day
• The Craft
• A League of their Own.

Also streaming will be season two of Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection (February 19) and the TVNZ linear debuts previewed here and here.