The best new TV to stream next week – from Black Bird to King of Stonks
THERE are dozens of exciting new TV shows and movies being released at the moment, and we can barely keep up.
Not only are the main TV channels rolling out some incredible releases, but the streaming services are also out in force.
From the recent launch of Paramount+ to trusty old Netflix, there's a show and a movie for everyone.
Here are some of the best new releases dropping at the start of July...
Black Bird - Apple TV+
Taron Egerton stars in this new six-part psychological thriller that’s given an extra edge by the fact it’s based on a true story.
After charismatic and cocky Jimmy Keene, former high school American football star-turned drug dealer, is busted and sentenced to 10 years behind bars, he’s offered the chance at release after only a few months.
There is, of course, a catch, and it’s a pretty big one – he must agree to be transferred to a maximum security prison, win the trust of suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser) and get him to confess to an unsolved murder and reveal the location of the body.
Despite being rather slow paced – you get the feeling a shortish story is being dragged out – it’s undeniably compelling stuff, featuring impressive performances from Egerton and Greg Kinnear, who plays the police detective desperate to nail Hall.
On top of that, the series holds the sad distinction of featuring the late Ray Liotta in his final TV role, playing James’ dad.
Available Friday July 1
King Of Stonks - Netflix
By name, this intriguing new German series might sound like a madcap comedy – possibly about Hale & Pace’s sadly-forgotten 1991 Comic Relief charity single (we’re showing our age there) – but it’s actually a drama about Felix Armand (Thomas Schubert) a ruthless, greedy and unprincipled financier at a start-up company, Cable Cash.
He will do pretty much anything for money and power, including inflating stocks – nicknamed stonks – money laundering, investor fraud and doctoring accounts.
But how long can he keep it up until his deceptions are revealed?
Laced with devilish black humour it’s inspired by true events.
In German with subtitles.
Available Wednesday July 6
Queen Of Trucks - BBC3
If you had to imagine the boss of a trucking driver school, it probably wouldn’t be Shannan Paterson.
But this smart and switched on 27-year-old from Willenhall in the West Midlands has big plans for the family business and is determined to use her charisma and bright ideas to get more young HGV drivers on the road.
One-off documentary Queen Of Trucks follows Shannan and her team, which includes her instructor dad Trevor, as she juggles the business and helping to raise her younger sister.
First up, though, there’s the small matter of Shannan getting her own HGV licence.
Available Monday July 4
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Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder - Paramount+
Remember Noughties cartoon The Fairly OddParents? It followed the adventures of a young boy called Timmy, who’s blessed – and cursed – with a pair of wish-granting, trouble-making fairy godparents called Cosmo and Wanda.
And now the show’s got a shiny new reboot, which carries on the craziness, a now grown-up Timmy passing Cosmo and Wanda onto his younger cousin Viv (Audrey Grace Marshall) and her new stepbrother Roy (Tyler Wladis).
But there’s a big difference: while Cosmo and Wanda are still animated, everything else is live action – but the wish-related mayhem remains very much the same.
Available Monday July 4
America The Beautiful - Disney+
We may mock the Americans for not having passports, but when you consider North America is actually the most diverse and extreme continent on Earth, it makes sense they may not see the need to travel.
Covering over 24 million square kilometres, it boasts everything from the Arctic icecap to roasting hot deserts and lush rainforests – which also means an incredible array of wildlife.
And if you thought Planet Earth and Frozen Planet were impressive, new six-part series America The Beautiful is going one step further than those ground-breaking documentaries.
Never mind drones, we’re talking cinema-grade cameras on fighter jets, and remote cameras using the very latest tech so they’re more stable and more versatile than anything that’s been used before.
Animals to look out for include grizzly bears, bald eagles, mountain lions and honeypot ants – eat your heart out, Springwatch.
And with an area that large there’s much more than wildlife on offer – there is breathtaking footage here of North America’s most iconic locations and wildest weather, from staggering waves to towering mountains.
But… brace yourselves… this is an ambitious nature documentary without Sir David Attenborough.
We know it’s hard to imagine watching toads, dolphins, whales, snakes, owls or deer without his soothing voice and know-how, but Creed actor Michael B Jordan does a cracking job bringing his dramatic background to his narration.
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It’ll have just the same calming effect on you, while the original soundtrack really does add another layer of intensity. Truly spectacular.
All episodes are available on Monday July 4
