New to View: September 12 – 18

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

Sunday

➢ 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room Apple TV+

Streaming for free today only. “Documentaries tend to rise or fall on the quality of their contributors, and Inside the President’s War Room boasted a roster any Bush administration reunion tour would have been proud to assemble … The extraordinary level of access allowed a much deeper excavation: fascinating, candid, first-source anecdotes, and a display of the disparate and nuanced shifts of human emotion that are experienced in real time during crises … There have been many films, books and television shows about 9/11, and there will be many more, but this is one of the most worthwhile.” — The Guardian.

“Even with 20 years between that moment and the present day, 9/11 remains a raw and distressing wound. A 90-minute documentary airing cannot hope to tackle the metastasising mess that is its global social and political legacy. Fortunately, it doesn’t try to. Instead, it focuses on the human element; the intimate, heartrending recollections of those who, by sheer chance, made it out alive.” — Independent.

➢ American Rust Neon (SoHo, 8.30 Sundays from September 19)

Poorly reviewed prestige drama set in a depressed Pennsylvania town where life is upended by the strange death of an ex-cop. Still, worth a look given Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney head the cast. “Bears a likeness to Mare of Easttown — without the humour.” — Los Angeles Times.

Tuesday

➢ Scenes From a Marriage SoHo, 9.30/Neon

“Unfolding like a series of one-act plays, writer-director Hagai Levi’s (In Treatment, The Affair) five-part adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s seminal 1970s miniseries dissects the dissolution of a marriage in painful, psychologically acute detail. Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain are at the soul-baring top of their game as Jonathan and Mira, who cling to each other even as they draw apart in confrontations that shift from tenderness and sorrow to sensuality, cruelty and even violent rage. It’s an acting tour-de-force in a drama that’s sometimes almost too difficult to watch.” — TV Insider.

Wednesday

➢ Reservation Dogs Disney+

Takai Waiti co-created this acclaimed comedy but apparently co-wrote only the first episode, which is “by far the best … The series is drenched in funny, surprising, sometimes moving details about teen life on an Oklahoma Indian reservation. Its texture alone is reason enough to watch; there’s nothing else like it on television.” — National Review.

➢ Grow Your Own at Home With Alan Titchmarsh Living, 8.30

“This three-part series is about using that space to grow fruit and vegetables. It is aimed at the novice, and communicated its message with such enthusiasm and simplicity that even I, a hopeless gardener, was filled with confidence that I could grow some radishes. I don’t know anyone who really likes radishes, but we all have to start somewhere.” — The Daily Telegraph.

Friday

➢ Chicago Party Aunt Netflix

Netflix newest animated series was inspired by the Twitter account of Chris Witaske and will stream in two eight-episode blocks. “For those who have followed the Twitter account over the years — a loving riff on a certain type of bluntly old school Chicago personality — her white lady exploits are legendary (in her own head). She’s never turned down anything resembling a good time; she’s full of piss and vinegar and a whole lotta Old Style.” — Chicago Tribune.

➢ Sex Education Netflix

“The new season of Sex Education is an absolute joy to watch. It’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you cry, and even after eight (almost) hour-long episodes, it’ll somehow still leave you wanting more.” — Decider.

➢ Packed to the Rafters Amazon Prime Video

The first scripted Australian Amazon Original series continues the Rafter family’s story six years on, when Dave and Julie have moved to the country, complete with most of the original cast (Rebecca Gibney, Erik Thomson, Hugh Sheridan, Angus McLaren, Michael Caton, George Houvardas).

➢ The Morning Show Apple TV+

Nearly two years after its premiere, the COVID-19 disrupted drama about a cable news morning talk show returns with new cast member Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) as Bradley’s (Reese Witherspoon) new co-anchor in the wake of long-time rival Alex’s (Jennifer Aniston) exit. “You’ve got to believe me when I tell you this character was worth getting on a plane for in the middle of a pandemic,” Margulies says.

Saturday

➢ The Highland Vet TVNZ 1, 8.35 

S1 of the Channel 5 series about mixed vet practices in Scotland premieres here just as a fourth season screens in the UK, where All Creatures Great and Small makes its comeback this week.