New to View: May 23 – 29

A weekly guide to what’s new of note on air and online

Monday

➢ Whitstable Pearl Acorn TV

Cosy new whodunit about a former policeman who opens a detective agency in a seaside village while running a seafood restaurant. “Pearl is extremely likable, and rumpled, and so is the series — a low-key, six-episode foray into storylines that are as much about the town and the locals as they are about crime and punishment.” — Wall Street Journal.

➢ In Treatment SoHo, 8.00

HBO is airing S4 in four half-hour episodes a week but SoHo is limiting it to one weekly half-hour. “The multi-night scripted series about therapy is back with a new star, Uzo Aduba, a new Los Angeles location and similar high-stakes psychological drama.” — The Hollywood Reporter.

➢ Gomorrah Neon

➢ Borat Supplemental Reporting Retrieved From Floor Off Stable Containing Editing Machine Amazon Prime Video

Reads the blurb: “A multi-part special featuring never-before seen footage from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan … [that] reveals some of the danger and high wire acts that went into the creation of the smash hit film.”

➢ Allen v. Farrow SoHo, 8.30

If you can’t get enough of In Treatment this week, try this consolation prize: a four-part investigation of the accusation of sexual abuse against Woody Allen involving Dylan, his then seven-year-old daughter with Mia Farrow. “Allen v. Farrow unearths new evidence in a well-known case to craft a compelling – if one-sided – indictment of society’s complicity in upholding powerful people over seeking justice for those they’ve wronged.” — Rotten Tomatoes.

Wednesday

➢ LA’s Finest Three, 8.30

Bad Boys meets Rizzoli & Isles in the belated premiere of this Jessica Alba-Gabrielle Union union that lasted three seasons. “A female-buddy cop drama that shows a deft touch in mixing tart humour with impressively violent action sequences.” — Reason.

➢ In the Long Run TVNZ Ondemand

“Set in the 1980s and loosely based on Idris Elba’s childhood in the London borough of Hackney, this is an unexpected joy. Life-affirming, funny and with a cracking soundtrack (Bowie, the Cure, the Clash), it is character-led, which works because all the characters are credible.” — The Times.

Thursday

➢ Friends: The Reunion TVNZ 2, 7.00

Unscripted special of the sitcom phenomenon that has more friends than ever 27 years after first going to air. The secret of its longevity? “It was a character-driven funny, not timely funny,” Matthew Perry told People magazine. “They didn’t make timely jokes. They didn’t make jokes about O.J. Simpson. They made character-driven jokes about people — and people are going to come back time and time again and watch that.” The special scheduling means Shortland Street now will air at 8.40, ahead of Police Ten 7 at 9.15 and the VF 48Hours Film Festival at 9.45.

➢ Ragnarok Netflix

“The second season will likely pit Magne against the remaining giants while developing his celestial heritage further. Hints that his brother Laurits is actually Loki could also be explored, potentially setting him up as the show’s new villain at some point.” — DigitalSpy.

➢ Black Space Netflix

A rogue detective leads an investigation into an Israel high school massacre in an eight-part drama that describes itself as “a psychological thriller series that centres on the rising violence in the western society”.

Friday

➢ Rebel DIsney+

Katey Sagal plays the Erin Brokovich of network TV lawyers in this drama series that ABC has just axed after only one season. “An entertainingly rollicking and sprawling network drama.” — Decider.

➢ The Kominsky Method Netflix

Alan Arkin’s absence as Norman will be keenly felt in the third and final season but joining Michael Douglas’ Sandy for the last six episodes will be such prominent guest stars as Morgan Freeman, Kathleen Turner and Barry Levinson.