The reality show based on the Korean hit is brutal and totally gripping, plus Jodie Whittaker shines in an Aussie drama where the past simply won\u2019t stay buried
There\u2019s no doubting this reality show<\/a>\u2019s commitment to the original South Korean drama\u2019s concept \u2013 the contestants wear numbered green tracksuits and live in a massive dorm with identical bunk beds. But as hundreds of players scramble to win $4.56m (the largest prize in reality TV history), it\u2019s clear that what landed perfectly as sharp anti-capitalist satire in the show often feels bleak and ruthless when acted out for real. That\u2019s not to say this isn\u2019t hugely watchable \u2013 as the strategising and alliance-making begins, it\u2019s hard to take your eyes off the unfolding spectacle. But as the games take their toll (clearly no one dies but there are tears and panic attacks aplenty), you might feel a little grubby afterwards. PH
Netflix, from Wednesday 22 November<\/em>
The often surprising life of former footballer Vinnie Jones<\/a> takes another turn in this reality show with a tragic subtext. In 2019, Jones\u2019s wife Tanya died, six years after being diagnosed with skin cancer. This prompted Jones to leave Los Angeles, where he\u2019d established a film career, and return to the UK. This series sees Jones and a team of builders attempt to transform a potentially beautiful but dilapidated farm in West Sussex into a sustainable home and business. The poignancy underpinning the endeavour makes Jones easy to root for. PH
Discovery+, from Monday 20 November<\/em>
Margery Williams\u2019s celebrated children\u2019s story about a toy rabbit brought to life by the love of its owner has, over the years, been adapted for the screen many times, in forms ranging from film to claymation. This latest version builds its fantastical world out of a mix of cartoon and live-action elements, starring Phoenix Laroche as William, the slightly wistful and melancholy boy whose dreams of friendship come true. It\u2019s sugary sweet and unashamedly twee but, as a pre-Christmas confection, that\u2019s essentially the whole point. PH
Apple TV+, from Wednesday 22 November<\/em>
There is a wild life story behind this documentary about Lewis Raymond Taylor \u2013 who overcame an abusive childhood to set up a life-coaching business worth $25m. It follows him through alcoholism, prison and a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder in a way that ends up feeling a little hagiographic. There\u2019s 15 minutes of content on his love life, but concerns about how his business may use social media to cynically target vulnerable people get the briefest of mentions. An interesting, if often dark, tale that fails to ask enough questions. AD
Netflix, from Wednesday 22 November<\/em>
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A very old-school Christmas special, utilising the ebullience and charisma of Ted Lasso and Eurovision star Hannah Waddingham<\/a> to put on the kind of variety show that drew vast TV audiences in the 70s. Filmed at the London Coliseum, the show mixes comedy, dancing, balladeering and numerous special guests including Leslie Odom Jr, Sam Ryder, the London Gay Men\u2019s Chorus and Waddingham\u2019s Lasso co-star Nick Mohammed. With its multiple costume changes and periodic flurries of fake snow, it\u2019s cheesy as hell and, in the end, pretty irresistible. PH
Apple TV+, from Wednesday 22 November<\/em>
John Fontanelli (Philip Froissant) is a twentysomething waster working as a courier. But that\u2019s about to change as, in a far-fetched sequence of events, he emerges as the heir of $1tn. But there\u2019s a catch: with the money comes a task. He\u2019s charged with solving the climate crisis \u2013 creating new economic systems and changing the world, and alienating some of its most dangerous and powerful people in the process. Adapted from Andreas Eschbach\u2019s novel, it\u2019s a distractingly maximalist and melodramatic affair, though Froissant is a likable lead. PH<\/em>
Paramount+, from Thursday 23 November<\/em>
A group of adult friends united and divided by a traumatic event in their teens? It\u2019s a familiar premise but this Australian drama benefits from fine performances by Jodie Whittaker<\/a>, Nicole Da Silva and Yael Stone as three middle-aged women who are a long way from the best pals they used to be but unable to draw a line under their past. To make matters worse, one of them has written a novel about the incident. When the trio return to their home town \u2013 struggling with mental health problems, alcoholism and elderly parents \u2013 barely healed wounds soon reopen. PH
Paramount+, from Friday 24 November<\/em><\/p>\n