Nobody Wants This to Grotesquerie: the seven best shows to stream this week | TV & Radio

Pick of the week
Nobody wants that

This comedy about an unlikely couple reflects in part the experiences of its creator, Erin Foster, who converted to Judaism after her marriage. Joanne (Kristen Bell) is an outspoken sex and dating podcaster, while Noah (Adam Brody) is a progressive rabbi recovering from a failed relationship and surrounded by an overprotective family. Their counterintuitive romance recalls the central trash-and-nerd relationship in Bell's hit series The Good Place. Each 30-minute episode is slick and can be watched in one sitting, full of snappy, cheeky dialogue, light cultural confusion, and a sense that for all its lightheartedness, there might be something slightly serious lurking beneath the surface.
Netflix, from Thursday 26 September

grotesque

An air of theatrically gruesome violence surrounds this horror thriller series (executive producer: Ryan Murphy). Niecy Nash plays detective Lois Tryon, who is tasked with investigating a series of brutal crimes in a small community. Tryon has problems: she drinks too much and tends to imagine the worst of humanity. As she struggles with the case, she accepts the help of journalist and nun Sister Megan (Micaela Diamond). But who can she really trust? First of all, almost certainly not Sister Redd, played by Lesley Manville.
Disney+, from Thursday 26 September

After Baywatch: Moment in the sun

It was aware of its own ridiculousness, yet shamelessly out to have it both ways. In that sense, Baywatch was a phenomenon that could only happen in the '90s. This series appeals to most of the main players and gets very close to the core of the show's appeal, which was essentially moral simplicity: life-or-death situations in which the protagonists conveniently didn't wear many clothes. The story isn't entirely without its downsides – it touches on the show's absurd beauty ideals and how white and straight it was. But it's as gleefully escapist as Baywatch itself – and brace yourself for a near-casting fail.
Disney+, now available

Ellen DeGeneres: For your consent

DeGeneres' second Netflix special will also reportedly be her final hour of standup comedy — and possibly even her final showbiz salvo. Her tumultuous career took another turn in 2020, when allegations of a toxic work environment on set (including insinuations of bullying and racism) surfaced on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Those controversies are covered in detail here, along with revelations about what she's been up to since being, as she sees it, “kicked out of showbiz,” and some more thoughtful reflections on her career in general.
Netflix, from Tuesday, September 24th

Midnight Family

This documentary-based drama examines the life of a woman who finances her medical studies by working part-time as a doctor. It's a fascinating situation with a disturbing subtext: Mexico City has just over 45 government ambulances serving a population of 9 million, leaving a gap in the market that is partially filled by private companies. Marigaby Tamayo (Renata Vaca) is the deeply overworked main character – when she finds time between dramatic medical procedures, she also leads a pretty busy personal life. Stressful.
Apple TV+, from Wednesday 25 September

Ayla and the Mirrors

A significant proportion of TV commissions seem to be spent on developing new angles on young adult stories – and here's another one. This glossy Spanish drama introduces Ayla, a rich, slightly spoiled teenager whose father suddenly dies, leaving her alone in the world. She also discovers that she has no memories. Ayla is a girl with no past, but thanks to the Mirrors, a group she meets at a home for lost youth, she soon builds a new identity for herself through dance. Trouble begins, however, when her aunt Esmerelda arrives on the scene.
Disney+, from Friday, September 27th

Visions

A fascinating supernatural crime drama from France. When eleven-year-old Lily disappears, the only useful lead the police have is the eerie eight-year-old Diego, who seems to have visions related to the case. But should police captain Romain take Diego at face value? There are many good reasons not to, especially when it turns out that his lieutenant Gérald has been hiding certain information about the case. But Diego's statements are usually eerily accurate. Starring: Soufiane Guerrab and Jean-Hugues Anglade.
Channel 4, from Friday 27 September