Support Us Login

TV

What to watch on TV this week

By Euan Franklin on 5/6/2023

From the controversial Hollywood series The Idol starring Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd to interrogation drama The Crowded Room with Tom Holland, this week's TV has plenty to talk about

The Idol, Sky Atlantic/NOW

The Idol – Sam Levinson’s first TV project after the success of Euphoria – could become the most controversial show of the year. Not only did Rolling Stone run a piece that exposed the alleged chaos of the production, but the series' world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival received a diabolical reception from critics. But you can’t help but be curious: is it that deplorable?

Lily-Rose Depp leads the hedonism as Jocelyn, a famous pop star recovering after a nervous breakdown. Instead of hiding away, she's determined to break out as the biggest and sexiest musician in the world – bolstered by nightclub manager Tedros (Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye), who revitalises her passions. She hopes to move into a new era of stardom, but a dark and morally depraved underworld awaits.

Photo: Sky/HBO

The Crowded Room, AppleTV+

Tom Holland has one of the most recognisable faces on the planet: hitting mainstream popularity as the latest Spider-Man. Thankfully, he’s not avoiding roles that show a more nuanced side. Similar to Kingsman star Taron Egerton and his transition into the bleak world of Black Bird, Holland shifts into a less sympathetic character for The Crowded Room. In an interview (via Esquire), the actor and executive producer said the role ‘caused a bit of a meltdown at home’.

Holland plays Danny Sullivan, a man arrested for a New York shooting in 1979. Told in a series of sessions with interrogator Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried), The Crowded Room reveals Sullivan's mysterious and devastating history.

Photo: Apple

WHEN

Friday 9 June

WHERE

AppleTV+

Significant Other, ITVX

Actor Youssef Kerkour is best known for the underrated Channel 4 comedy Home, in which he played a Syrian refugee surviving in Brexit Britain. He’s since had smaller roles in Sex Education, Dracula and House of Gucci. Now, he's leading Significant Other, a new sitcom that kicks off with a suicide attempt and a heart attack.

The heart attack is Anna (The IT Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson), a solitary woman in her mid-40s who’s endured her fair share of heartbreak and tragedy. When she has the attack, she seeks help from her neighbour... who’s in the middle of killing himself by drug overdose. This is the more socially obligated Sam (Kerkour), who sits with Anna until the paramedics arrive. But this bleak encounter forges a deep and funny relationship that inspires them out of despair.

Photo: ITV

WHEN

Thursday 8 June

WHERE

ITVX

Somebody, Somewhere season 2, Sky Comedy

Although there’s nothing like the LA and New York experiences that market most American stories on-screen, it’s refreshing to see shows and movies that dwell in between those cities. Recently, Poker Face provided several doses of rust belt Americana; this week, Somebody, Somewhere grounds itself in Kansas – parked right in the centre of the contiguous United States.

Bridget Everett stars as Sam, a woman who struggles to fit the mould of her hometown and continues to mourn the loss of her sister. But after meeting Joel (Jeff Hiller) in the first episode, she finds a band of outsiders and rediscovers her passion for singing. In season two, Sam moves in with Joel temporarily and pursues her talent for music, getting in touch with a former voice teacher in the hope of becoming her student again.

Photo: Sky

WHEN

Tuesday 6 June, 9pm - 10:10pm

WHERE

Sky Comedy

Davina McCall's Pill Revolution, Channel 4

Ostensibly, the contraceptive pill is a boon for both science and feminism: allowing women autonomy over their own bodies. However, it’s not impenetrably brilliant or innocuous – a considerable number of women have reported harmful side effects that impact their mental and physical health.

Following her Channel 4 documentary on menopause, Davina McCall is back to tackle female contraception and the intense scepticism around the options available. McCall interviews activists and politicians to determine why the situation is so dire.

Photo: Channel 4

WHEN

Thursday 8 June, 9pm - 10pm

WHERE

Channel 4

What to watch on TV this week

From the controversial Hollywood series The Idol starring Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd to interrogation drama The Crowded Room with Tom Holland, this week's TV has plenty to talk about

The Idol, Sky Atlantic/NOW

The Crowded Room, AppleTV+

Significant Other, ITVX

Somebody, Somewhere season 2, Sky Comedy

Davina McCall's Pill Revolution, Channel 4

TV

Drama

The Idol

Sam Levinson

Lily-Rose Depp

The Crowded Room

Tom Holland

Amanda Seyfried

ITV

ITVX

Sky

Sky Atlantic

Sky Comedy

NOW

Netflix

AppleTV+

Streaming

TV

2023

What happened to The Idol?: a timeline

Succession finale review, Sky Atlantic/NOW ★★★★★

New on streaming, June 2023: Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, NOW, Prime Video

Upcoming K-dramas on Netflix 2023: from Black Knight to Squid Game, season 2

Squid Game, season 2, Netflix UK: everything we know

The Crown, season 6: who's playing Prince William and Kate Middleton?