Taboo

If you’re a fan of Tom Hardy, we’ll say no more than he is in it playing his trademark oddball baddie. If you don’t know who he is, you might still like this show.

It took quite a team effort to create this utterly bizarre world. Tom, his dad, Steven Knight (the creative brains behind Peaky Blinders) and all the other producers and executive producers all chiselled out a world that spans continents and some pretty grim themes.

The show is a slow burner and we’re only three episodes in ourselves, but we’ve been promised it’s worth sticking with.

The dialogue in the early episodes can be a bit cringeworthy, sprinkled with a few quirky quips.

As for the overall narrative, well, it’s hard to tell what exactly is going on, but various reviews insist that this is a marathon not a 10km and it’s worth persisting with. So we shall.

Available on Showmax

The End of the F***ing World

A Netflix original based on a graphic novel by the same name, this teen-comedy follows a budding psychopath and his self-appointed girlfriend on their misadventures.

When we say teen-comedy, we don’t mean Mean Girls or Clueless. The show is dark, but the teenage characters and their turmoil feels like a realistic portrayed of the general discontent of existence.

It’s sprinkled with a bit of self-discovery and romance and makes for the perfect end-of-evening distraction.

Available on Netflix

Derren Brown: Sacrifice

Derren Brown divides opinion in some circles, but his elaborate experience and real-life Sherlock Holmes demeanour is always charming. Or maybe that’s what he’s manipulated us into believing.

Whatever it is, Sacrifice is one of Brown’s most important experiments to date. In it, the mentalist tries to change the views of a hard-wired “I’m not racist, but…” American.

It’s suspense that makes Brown’s experiments so successful, he is the master of building up to something and convincing you that he doesn’t know what’s going to happen and that he might fail. Yes, even when there is this nagging feeling in the back of your mind that a network surely wouldn’t air a show if it all came crashing down.

The premise is simple: Brown uses standard techniques to evoke sympathy and empathy in a man who thinks illegal immigrants are taking all the jobs in America.

In a time where we are increasingly divided and antagonistic, the separation fuelled by the rise of right-wing politicians, the message of this experiment is powerful. We’d like to see him give it a crack in South Africa.

Available on Netflix

Video of the Week: A Coming Home

If you think Southern Africa’s waters are empty, you are sorely mistaken. Those kelp forest millions of South African drive past each day contain an entirely different world. Take a look. DM