NETFLIX
Last month Netflix released the latest stand-up special from Trevor Noah. Noah, famous primarily from his stint on The Daily Show, opens his set by talking about his influx of free time and how it’s led to him performing in places he’s never been before. Noah is a strong comedian who introduces a variety of accents to add colour to his stories. Much of Noah’s comedy comes in observation – or uncomfortable conversations that he relates to his audience.
Where Was I, Noah’s latest special showcases that since leaving The Daily Show Noah’s been more free to travel – leading him to performing in Germany where he sought to soak up the local culture. Noah presents a fascination with Germany’s efforts to prevent another nationalist rise and the uncomfortable history they need to confront every day. He also finds humour in how some of Germany’s efforts are completely unrecognised – such as changing the lyrics to their national anthem.
Overall, Noah presents another funny hour of material – some of his material requires a bit of miming on stage, but Noah has a good sense of how far those silences should last and always gets a laugh from his expression alone. Where Was I is another strong set from Noah, well worth watching for any of his fans.
APPLE TV+
Criminal Record brings the British crime drama to Apple TV+. The show, starring Peter Capaldi (The Thick of It, In the Loop, Doctor Who, The Devil’s Hour, Paddington) and Cush Jumbo (Torchwood, The Good Fight, The Beast Must Die), starts everything with an anonymous phone call – reporting domestic violence and hinting that a previous case ended with a wrongful conviction. When Detective Sergeant June Lenker is assigned to the case she quickly spots the likely case and brings it to the attention of the former arresting officer Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Hegarty.
From there it becomes obvious that Hegarty is hiding something. He cares little for details about the case, then quickly has a fantastic memory for minute information. He begins looking after his old crew, as Lenker starts to do her own digging and finds several problems with the official story.
Capaldi plays Hegarty well. He wavers between villainous and respectable – never being clear on whether or not his intentions are cruel. Of course, Capaldi has played sinister before – though Hegarty is far from the loud, overbearing and terrifying Malcolm Tucker of The Thick of It. Hegarty is manipulative, smart – but not panicked. Jumbo presents Lenker as a woman of strong convictions who wants to fight against injustice. She takes the case personally and keeps finding threads of Hegarty’s that pull her deeper into the case.
As of this week there are only two episodes of Criminal Record available. Episodes are added weekly, going live on Wednesdays.
DISNEY+
Over the last few weeks Disney+ has been adding episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The series, adapted from the young adult fantasy novel series, Percy Jackson, follows young Percy as his life suddenly takes a turn and he discovers he is the son of a Greek God.
Percy Jackson runs at a fast pace, its first episode shows us Percy’s struggles in the normal world, introduces his lineage and places him on the run from a bevy of mythological monsters before placing him in Camp Half-Blood, a haven for other demigods.
The second episode finds Percy’s skills tested before he is launched on a quest to retrieve Zeus’s stolen thunderbolt and save his mother from the Underworld. The quest places our young protagonists on a road trip that challenges them with even more mythological monsters and other Greek Gods who believe Percy to be the thunderbolt’s thief.
To the show’s credit this material comes across well-paced and its young leads seem up to the challenge of keeping these events relatable and understandable from an emotional perspective. Walker Scobell (best known for The Adam Project) makes an effective lead. His Percy is often sarcastic, guarded and headstrong. Leah Sava Jeffries (Something from Tiffany’s) is effectively wise beyond her years, hiding her own fears and trauma behind wisdom. Aryan Simhadri (from the 2022 Cheaper by the Dozen) presents an overeager people pleaser who wants to atone for his mistakes. Thankfully the three manage to bounce off one another well.
The supporting cast and guest stars feature the likes of Jason Mantzoukas (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, Paper Girls, Obliterated), Glynn Turman (Peyton Place, The Wire, House of Lies, Fargo), Adam Copeland (WWE Wrestler The Edge, Vikings, Money Plane), Jessica Parker Kennedy (The Secret Circle, Black Sails), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In The Heights, Fosse/Verdon, His Dark Materials), Toby Stephens (Die Another Day, Black Sails, Lost in Space) and Lance Reddick (John Wick, Corporate, Oldboy, Godzilla vs Kong).
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an engaging show that is appropriate for the whole family. New episodes arrive every Wednesday.
