The best TV and film to watch this week – from Umbrella Academy to Love is Blind UK
THINGS may finally be hotting up with the weather but if you want to stay cool indoors, we've got you covered.
The Sun's TV Mag has got all the new TV shows and films you should be checking out over the next seven days.
NETFLIX
The Umbrella Academy - Available from Thursday
The ‘unlikely people who happen to have superpowers’ market is, perhaps, dangerously overcrowded right now. But The Umbrella Academy, created by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, has always managed to stand out from that busy crowd, thanks to some brilliant acting from the cast - particularly Elliot Page and Robert Sheehan - not to mention witty scripts and some enjoyably dark storylines.
Sadly, this fourth season is going to be the last, but before we bid farewell to the dysfunctional Hargreeves siblings once and for all, there’s the small matter of the gang trying to escape the new timeline they found themselves in at the end of the last series.
They’re going to have to do it without their powers, though, and with some terrifying new enemies who want to erase them from existence. Better get that umbrella up, there’s a storm coming…
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Love Is Blind UK - Available from Wednesday
Hit dating show Love Is Blind has been such a winner on Netflix, spawning versions in Brazil, Sweden and Japan, that it’s something of a mystery that it’s taken so long for a British incarnation to arrive.
But that changes this week, as hosts Emma Willis and her hubby Matt unleash Love Is Blind UK. As you might expect, the winning format’s the same - 30 single men and women will enter the show’s special dating pods, where you can hear your date but can’t see them, hoping to find their soulmate.
Should they bond with someone, they have the chance to get engaged, meet in person for the first time and then test their relationship in the real world. But will their love survive outside the pods? Join Emma and Matt for all the romantic, emotional fun.
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Gabby’s Dollhouse - Available from Monday
Get ready for some very big - but physically tiny - adventures as Gabby shrinks down once again to visit her friends in the Dollhouse.
There’s lots of fun to be had as Gabby and her bestie Pandy Paws investigate all the exciting rooms to be found there, and this season, that includes the Party Room, where Marty the Party Cat can whip up any celebration you could possibly imagine with a wave of his magical ‘party tail’.
Where better for Gabby to celebrate her own birthday? Other adventures will involve a visit from Grandma CatRat and a magical wishing well. Perfect escapism for any pre-schoolers in your life.
Blue Ribbon Baking Championship - Available from Friday
State fairs are a long and much-loved tradition in the US. These annual local celebrations feature all manner of amusements and exhibitions, plus competitive events including baking.
Now, this exciting eight-part reality show is giving 10 talented winners from various state fair baking competitions the chance to take each other on in a prestigious and intense bake off, with a whopping $100,000 up for grabs for the eventual victor.
The series is hosted by actor Jason Biggs, alongside co-host and judge Sandra Lee, and the contestants will need to prove their abilities across a range of pastry-based challenges.
The pressure promises to be immense, not least because former White House pastry chef Bill Yosses and award-winning artisan baker Bryan Ford make up the rest of the judging panel. Let the baking begin.
Shahmaran - Available from Thursday
If you didn’t catch the first season of this seductive, if rather overwrought, fantasy drama from Turkey, here’s a quick catch-up.
After becoming involved with a mysterious community called the Mar - and with a hunky local called Maran - lecturer Sahsu (Serenay Sarikaya) discovers that she is none other than Shahmaran, a mythical half-snake, half-woman creature, fulfilling an ancient prophecy. Don’t you hate it when that happens?
Now, in season two Sahsu is getting used to this new life, and her love for Maran, but must undergo a series of challenging trials before Shahmaran truly awakes.
Meanwhile, Shahmaran’s sister Lilith has escaped from the well where she was being held captive, and is itching to have her revenge on everyone. Yes, it’s pretty cheesy, but if you’re after some overblown, romance-filled fantasy, look no further.
Rising Impact - Available from Tuesday
Who’d have imagined that a Japanese animation about a young, naturally gifted golfer would make for such entertaining, exciting viewing?
But the first season of Rising Impact - based on the manga comic series - proved great fun for golf fans young and old, and season two is set to be just as much of a hit. Last time we were with him, golfing prodigy Gawain had travelled with his rival Lancelot and the rest of the Japan team to the UK to take part in the prestigious Camelot Cup.
But will he be able to hold his nerve and inspire the team to victory? And what’s the truth about Gawain's mysterious connection to the Cup? All will be revealed as the show swings back into action.
ITVX
Slip - Available from Thursday
Prepare for a romantic comedy-drama quite unlike any you’ve seen before. Thirtysomething New Yorker Mae (Zoe Lister-Jones, who stars in and created the series) is feeling unsatisfied in her life with her husband Elijah.
One evening, she has a one-night stand with another man, Eric, only to wake up in a parallel version of her life, in which she’s now married to Eric and all traces of her former life have been removed. Confused and realising that perhaps the grass isn’t greener on the other side, she eventually has to come to terms with the fact that every time she sleeps with someone, she enters a new parallel version of her life.
Can she find a way back to Elijah and the life they had together? Witty, thoughtful and quirky enough to set it apart, this is definitely one for people who love Sex And The City and Girls.
Apple TV+
The Instigators - Available from Friday
We’re used to seeing Matt Damon being paired with his pal Ben Affleck in movies, but in this comic crime caper, Matt’s starring alongside Ben’s little brother, Casey.
Funnily enough, it turns out that this pairing has a similarly entertaining chemistry, one that’s ideal for the film’s plot. When a lucrative robbery goes badly wrong, mismatched thieves Rory (Matt) and Cobby (Casey) are forced to go on the run, chased by the police and angry crime bosses.
In a desperate attempt to evade capture, they persuade Rory’s therapist (Hong Chau) to come along for the ride and help them work together to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. Blackly funny and filled with action.
Yo Gabba GabbaLand! - Available from Friday
Who remembers Yo Gabba Gabba!? That bright and breezy kids’ TV series, which ran from 2007 to 2015, featured memorable characters, marvellous music and a colourful mix of live action and animation.
And now it’s back, reimagined for a new young audience, with a new host - Kammy Kam (Kamryn Smith) - but with the much loved original characters of Brobee, Foofa, Muno, Toodee and Plex all returning. As ever, the show aims to teach kids about the world, using catchy songs, stories and lots of dancing.
And throughout the ten episodes, there’ll be a raft of exciting visiting guests, including Reggie Watts, Gillian Jacobs, Diplo, Chelsea Peretti, Lauren Lapkus and Flea. Your kids will be up and dancing in no time.
Prime Video
The Mallorca Files - Available from Thursday
It’s been a while since we last accompanied ambitious British detective Miranda Blake (Elen Rhys) and her laidback German partner Max (Julian Looman) as they solve crimes on the sunny Spanish island of Mallorca.
Three years on, the show has a new home on Prime Video and the pair are ready to bring the bad guys to justice and unravel mysteries all over again.
As ever, expect their intriguing chemistry to be simmering as they throw themselves into cases that, this time, involve arson, kidnappings, murders, high-stakes adventures and treasure hunts.
Their highly strung boss Inés (Maria Fernández Ache) returns too, and there are a host of guest stars, including The Fast Show’s Charlie Higson.
Arthur The King - Available from Friday
How do you almost guarantee that your movie is going to be a feelgood treat? Put an adorable dog in it, that’s how. Starring Mark Wahlberg, this film tells the inspiring true story of Michael, an adventure racer who decides to take on one last challenge - a five-day race through the mountainous jungles of the Dominican Republic.
Along the way, Michael chances upon a stray dog who won’t leave him and his team alone. Soon, a series of dramatic events suggest that fate might have brought Michael and the dog - who they name Arthur - together.
Expect your heartstrings to be sore from all the tugging by the time the credits roll.
Discovery+
Andrew Tate: Icon Or Toxic? A Faking It Special - Available from Friday
Anyone who’s read or heard Andrew Tate’s pronouncements online will possibly already have an opinion on the answer to the question posed in the title.
With the controversial influencer and self-proclaimed misogynist currently awaiting trial both in the UK and Romania on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, Faking It’s experts look for the hidden clues that tell us who the real Andrew Tate is.
Just a glance at his not-so-hidden social-media platforms should help on that front.
Paramount+
Germany Shore - Available from Saturday
“Wait, what’s this?” you’re thinking. “Didn’t Germany Shore start two weeks ago?” Yes, it did - but that was season three of the typically outrageous Jersey/Geordie Shore spin-off.
This is the start of season one of the show. No, you didn’t read that wrong, for reasons best known to Paramount+, we’re actually going back in time and getting the first season a fortnight after the third began. It makes little difference, of course, it’s still the reliably gripping mix of outrageous, party-fuelled antics and dramatic romantic exploits.
For this season, the nine housemates, who include some familiar faces if you’ve watched series three - hello, Jessy, Bellydah, Walentina and Jessica - find themselves in a sun-splashed luxury villa in Crete. It’s idyllic - and we’d be horribly jealous if we weren’t so busy being thoroughly entertained.
Self Reliance - Available from Friday
Would you risk your life for one million dollars? Single guy Tommy (Jake Johnson) is given that choice when he’s selected to appear on a wild new reality show on the Dark Web, in which hunters will attempt to kill him, for 30 days. If he survives, the money is his, if he doesn’t… well, it’s game over.
There’s an important rule - the hunters can only attack when he’s alone, so Tommy figures if he spends the whole time with his friends and family he’ll be fine. However, there’s a huge problem: his nearest and dearest don’t believe him and won’t play ball.
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Can he convince perfect stranger Maddy (Anna Kendrick) to stick with him instead? Armed with its brilliant set up, great chemistry between Jake and Anna, plus heaps of humour, it’s a real winner.
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