On this episode of TV Gold, Andrew Mercado and James Manning review:

Two Years Later (Paramount+, 8 episodes)
Two Years Later is an Australian romantic dramedy created by Pete Bridges, starring Brenton Thwaites and Phoebe Tonkin. The show tracks thirty-somethings Ryan and Emily, who exchanged flirty glances on their daily commute prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. When they reconnect years later, Ryan proposes an unconventional experiment: they will go on exactly eight dates to determine if they are truly meant to be together.

Ground Up (ABC iview, 6 episodes)
After years of trying, Tasmania has finally been given the green light to field a team in the AFL - but there's a catch. The locals have to build a new stadium. Given Tasmania has a housing crisis, and a health crisis… and two sizeable stadiums, not everyone thinks the 1.13 billion dollar taxpayer spend is the greatest idea. AFL administrator Hugh Shen (played by Sam Pang) has been sent from Melbourne, tasked with establishing the club. There's a divided public to win over, oppressive deadlines to meet, feisty protesters to handle and inoffensive mascots to employ. Not to mention the coach they employ who’s had an interesting past.

Cape Fear (Apple TV, 10 episodes)
The TV remake of two classic movies follows married attorneys Anna and Tom Bowden, whose lives are upended when Max Cady, a notorious killer they previously defended and prosecuted, is released from prison and begins stalking their family in a twisted quest for vengeance.
Seventeen years ago, Amy Adams‘ Anna was a defense attorney representing Max Cady (Javier Bardem), a Savannah restauranteur accused of murdering his pregnant wife. Tom (Patrick Wilson) was the prosecutor. Soon after the trial ended with Cady pleading guilty and getting life in prison, Anna and Tom got married, which caused some tongues to wag since she was pregnant throughout the proceedings with a different man’s baby.

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A special episode of TV Gold this week with Andrew Mercado and James Manning joined by author Holden Sheppard, whose best-selling debut novel Invisible Boys was turned into a Stan series. All three have watched Tip Toe and talk about the series, the themes explored, the plot devices and how some critics have had problems with the storytelling.

The five-part series on Binge and Foxtel follows Leo and Clive who have lived next door to each other in Manchester for almost 15 years. But just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe. Alan Cumming plays Manchester bar owner Leo and David Morrissey is his tradie neighbour Clive. They are supported by a great cast playing lovers, friends, family members and work colleagues. Creator Russell T Davies has the viewer riveted from the chilling opening scene.

Picking Show of the Week was easy this week with just one program reviewed. The panel’s unanimous choice – Tip Toe.

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Shows reviewed by Andrew Mercado and James Manning this week on the TV Gold podcast:

A Woman of Substance (Binge, 8 episodes)
Based on the best-selling novel by Barbara Taylor Bradford, A Woman of Substance is a drama spanning six decades, charting the rise of Emma Harte (Brenda Blethyn) from penniless Yorkshire maid in the early 1900s to apparently a powerful 1970s business mogul.  Brenda Blethyn  plays the grown up successful businesswoman Emma Harte, while Young Emma Harte – is played by Jessica Reynolds.

Dear England (Binge, 4 episodes)
Dear England was an acclaimed stage play, and now a television drama, by James Graham that chronicles Gareth Southgate’s tenure as the manager of the England men's football team. It explores the psychological toll of elite sports, leadership, and the quest to cure "years of hurt". Joseph Fiennes is wonderful in the lead role as Gareth Southgate. Jodie Whittaker however doesn’t have much to do and is wasted as Pippa Grange, Southgate’s sports psychologist Pippa Grange)

Deli Boys (Disney+, S1 10 eps, S2 6 eps)
After their father ("Baba") dies unexpectedly, brothers Mir and Raj Dar lose their trust funds and learn that their family fortune actually comes from cocaine smuggling. Plunged headfirst into the criminal underworld, they rely on their fierce and unfiltered aunt, Lucky, to help them learn the ropes, evade the authorities, and navigate rival gangs—all while attempting to wash the money and secure a normal future.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (Stan, S1 6 Eos, S2 6 eps)
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has returned for Season 2 with new episodes in the YA mystery series. Emma Myers is back as Pip, alongside Zain Iqbal as Ravi Singh, with the six-episode season picking up in the aftermath of the pair solving what happened to missing student Andie Bell (India Lillie Davies).

Life Is Short (Netflix, documentary)
The acclaimed documentary about comedy legend Martin Short. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan, the doco explores Short’s life, comedic resilience, and enduring friendships with intimate home movies and celebrity interviews. Wonderful interviews featured include Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, Paul Shaffer, Catherine O’Hara, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Steven Spielberg, plus archive footage featuring many including Mel Brooks, Johnny Carson, Goldie Hawn, David Letterman, and Conan O’Brien.

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Andrew Mercado and James Manning review three new TV series this episode:

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (AppleTV, 10 episodes)
Paula (Tatiana Maslany) is a magazine fact-checker in the midst of a messy divorce from her ex-husband Karl which centres around the custody arrangements of their daughter Hazel.  She begins paying Trevor, a webcam boy, for his time, during which she vents about her life and enjoys sexual experiences with him. One night, during one of their sessions, Paula witnesses Trevor being brutally attacked in his home. Reporting it to the Police, Detective Sofia Gonzalez believes it to be a scam. Co-starring are Murray Bartlett and Dolly De Leon.

The Boroughs (Netflix, 8 episodes)
The Boroughs is a Netflix sci-fi series executive-produced by the Duffer Brothers. It follows a quirky, resilient crew of retirees in a seemingly idyllic retirement community. The story kicks off in a picturesque retirement community, where a grieving newcomer experiences a bizarre and monstrous encounter. Super cast including Alfred Molina, Geena Davis and Bill Pullman.

Kylie (Netflix, 3 episodes)
Believe the hype, this really is an unfiltered look at the singer life including the major hits and plenty of revealing insights about and from her family and lovers. It doesn’t cover everything which would be a huge undertaking beyond the scope of this doco. There aren’t a lot of interviews but the director has secured the best with contributions from Pete Waterman, Jason Donovan, Nick Cave and sister Dannii – in addition to several sessions with Kylie on the couch.

Plus: Andrew also talks about a new Crawford Productions YouTube channel which is home to some classic Australian TV series. James sounds a bit excited about watching Keeley Hawes playing a nun in the forthcoming series Falling.

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This week on the TV Gold podcast Andrew Mercado and James Manning review:

Dutton Ranch (Paramount+, 9 episodes)
Reilly and Cole Hauser reprising their roles from Yellowstone as Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler. They gamble everything on a new life in South Texas, with the promise of building a future far from the ghosts of Yellowstone. Also features Aussie actors Finn Little and Jai Courtney.

The complete Yellowstone universe so far (aka Duttonverse)
Yellowstone (53 eps)
1883 (10 eps)
1923 (16 eps)
Marshals (13 eps)
Dutton Ranch (9 eps)
5 series, 92 eps

Legends (Netflix, 6 episodes)
A six-part British crime thriller based on the true story of ordinary Customs employees recruited by the government in the early 1990s. Handed new covert identities—their "legends"—these untrained civil servants were sent undercover to infiltrate and take down Britain's most dangerous drug gangs. Brilliant cast is led by Steve Coogan, Tom Burke, Hayley Squires and Tom Hughes.

Gary (Bonus episode of The Bear) (Disney+)
Stars cast members Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Richie) and Jon Bernthal (Mikey) and was directed by series creator Christopher Storer. The episode is a flashback to early 2019, when Richie's pregnant wife Tiff (Gillian Jacobs) is close to her due date. Richie and Mikey get a job from Uncle Jimmy and take an emotionally charged road trip from Chicago to Gary, Indiana. In this episode, James asks Andrew: Is this an insightful exploration of two central characters from The Bear or a self-indulgent hour that doesn’t shed any light on the series?

Rivals (S2 Disney+, 12 episodes – 2 batches of six)
The battle for the Central South West television franchise heats up as incumbent Corinium and newcomer Venturer continue their war. Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) seeks to destroy his rival which is led by former TV star Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner). In this 1980s setting, the personal lives of the Rutshire heroes fall into chaos, with marriages breaking under pressure, affairs causing trouble, and secrets emerging with consequences.The supporting case are all superb in this dramatisation of the late Jilly Cooper’s novels.

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TV series reviewed on the TV Gold podcast this week:

Widow’s Bay (Apple TV, 10 episodes)
Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is a well-meaning but somewhat timid leader determined to transform his struggling, isolated town of Widow’s Bay into a bustling tourist destination. Despite warnings from eccentric locals—led by skeptical fisherman Wyck (Stephen Root)—that the island is cursed, Tom pushes forward, focusing on attracting a New York Times travel reporter who he hopes will brand the destination the new Martha's Vineyard.

Urzila (ABC iview, 6 episodes)
Urzila is an outrageous and ambitious sketch comedy, capturing Carlson’s fearless, no-filter approach to comedy in full flight. Each episode mashes up her stand-up with cheeky, fast‑firing sketches, many of them plucked straight from the wildly funny stories she riffs on during her live shows. 

The Revenge Club (BritBox, 6 episodes)
The Revenge Club is a six-part British darkly comic thriller following six members of a divorce support group who bond over shared trauma and pivot from healing to plotting revenge against their exes. What begins as petty pranks spirals into sinister "accidents" and murder, turning their unlikely alliance into a dangerous conspiracy.

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Half Man (Stan, 6 episodes)

The original six-episode drama from the multi award-winning Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer) explores male rage, trauma, and identity over 30 years, starting with the childhood of two “brothers from another lover” and following them into adulthood. A tough watch for some, this is nevertheless an important series. The series explores their non-biological bond that turns toxic and destructive.

A TV Gold Show of the Week.

Bad Company (ABC iview, 6 episodes)

Comedian Anne Edmonds didn't just create and write Bad Company. She also stars in the six-part series as artistic director Margie Argyle, who's run her beloved "Papa's" avant-garde theatre into the ground in her six short years at the helm. With the future of The Argyle Theatre in peril, the board installs restrained chief executive Julia McNamara (Kitty Flanagan) to turn things around.

A TV Gold Show of the Week.

Apex (Netflix, movie)

The movie follows Sasha (Charlize Theron), an elite rock climber haunted by the death of her rock climbing partner during a tragic ascent in Norway. Seeking a form of penance and solitude, Sasha travels to the rugged Wandarra National Park in the Australian wilderness for a solo kayaking expedition. Her journey turns into a nightmare when she befriends a seemingly helpful local named Ben.
See which of our critics (Andrew and James) got it right.
Andrew: “Revolting torture porn”
James: “Edge of the seat climbing scenes”

Andrew also reviews the third season of Euphoria (HBO Max).

He is halfway through the series and yet to settle on his final review: “I don’t know if this is the best or the worst TV show in the world.”

James talks about the TV production sector in shock as networks and streamers cut back commissions. Although the numbers are down in all genres, Australia scripted drama, especially on broadcast TV, almost seems extinct.

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Margot’s Got Money Trouble (Apple TV, 8 episodes)
Nineteen-year-old Margo Millet, daughter of an ex-pro wrestler and a former waitress, finds herself pregnant after a brief affair with her English professor. Defying everyone's advice to terminate the pregnancy, she decides to keep the baby. Needing cash fast, Margo launches an OnlyFans account under the name HungryGhost. Brilliant cast includes Elle Fanning as Margo, Michelle Pfeiffer as her mum and Nicole Kidman in a very surprising role. Series marks the first time Michelle Pfeiffer has worked with her husband, super-producer David E Kelley.

The Audacity (SBS, 8 episodes)
The Audacity is being billed as a tech dramedy focusing on entrepreneur Duncan Park (Billy Magnussen), the narcissistic CEO of Hypergnosis, who exploits personal data to gain power. Would anybody do that? When a reckless mistake forces him into a chaotic redemption quest, he relies on his unethical therapist, JoAnne Felder (Sarah Goldberg), amid a toxic Silicon Valley landscape of bio-hacked tech bros and jaded billionaires.  The show references tech giant Cupertino as an allusion to Apple, with characters referring to the CEO as Big Tim (referencing soon-to-depart Tim Cook).

Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair (Disney+, 4 episodes) AM
The sitcom revival centres on Hal and Lois's 40th wedding anniversary party. Malcolm, who has spent the last decade distancing himself from his parents and brothers to maintain a sense of sanity, is forced to attend when his parents make a surprise visit to his home. On the visit they discover a secret Malcolm been hiding a significant part of his life from his family.

Beef S2 (Netflix, 8 episodes)
Set within the elitist world of the fictional Monte Vista Point country club in California, the second season follows two couples working at the club from different generations. The conflict ignites when the younger couple Ashley and Austin witness and film an explosive, violent argument between their bosses, Josh and Lindsay. What begins as a moment of accidental observation quickly spirals into a dark game of blackmail, coercion, and shifting alliances as the younger couple attempts to use the footage for professional leverage.

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Outcome (Apple TV, movie)
Reef Hawk (Keanu Reeves) is an actor who has been sober for five years. He has taken a break from acting to build his new home, and he takes pride in his progress in life. However, when he receives a call from his crisis lawyer Ira Slitz (Jonah Hill), who reveals that someone is blackmailing him with a video of questionable content, his life is turned upside-down. Reef then sets out to make amends with those whom he has wronged in the past in order to figure out who the blackmailer is.
Andrew loved this, but James not so much!

The Testaments (Disney+, 10 episodes)
This sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale is a dramatic coming-of-age story that finds a new generation of young women in Gilead grappling with the bleak future that awaits them.

The Miniature Wife (Stan, 10 episodes)
Lindy (Elizabeth Banks) is accidentally reduced to a six-inch height by her scientist husband, Les (Matthew Macfadyen). Not many laughs in this long series. Nice cameo from Ronny Chieng though as Hilton Smith, a billionaire who is funding the miniaturisation project with his own agenda

Big Mistakes (Netflix, 8 episodes)
Dan Levy stars, executive produces, and showruns his new series Big Mistakes. Two deeply incapable siblings, church pastor Nicky (Levy) and his school teacher sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega), find themselves pulled into the world of organised crime after Morgan steals a necklace from a store, intending it to be a gift for their dying grandmother. After their petty theft, Nicky and Morgan are blackmailed into a series of criminal assignments, all while their overbearing mother, Linda (Laurie Metcalf), is mounting a run for mayor of their suburban New Jersey community.

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This week TV Gold hosts Andrew Mercado and James Manning review:

• Something Very Bad is Going to Happen (Netflix, 8 episodes)

The series follows Rachel (Camila Morrone), a cynical and anxious bride-to-be, and her fiance, Nicky (Adam DiMarco), a seemingly perfect, kind-hearted optimist. They arrive at the remote Cunningham family cabin in the snowy countryside for their wedding week. The atmosphere is immediately thick with tension, isolating the couple from the outside world.
Rachel is not just suffering from ordinary pre-wedding jitters; she is plagued by visions, eerie coincidences, and an intense, intuitive feeling that something catastrophic is going to happen. Eerie red-and-white motifs, including a dead fox, a "Sorry Man" story, and a creepy local custard vendor, surround her.

• Your Friends and Neighbours (S2 Apple TV, 10 episodes) 

Jon Hamm reprises his role as Andrew "Coop" Cooper, a wealthy, disaffected financier who resorts to stealing from his neighbors after getting fired from his job. Amanda Peet as Mel Cooper, Coop's ex-wife who is a therapist with a mid-life crisis of her own.

• Crime 101 (Prime Video, movie) 

Chris Hemsworth is Mike Davis is a meticulous, disciplined loner who pulls off sophisticated high-end jewel heists along the Pacific Coast Highway, specifically targeting couriers and deliverymen. His operations are clean—he leaves no evidence and, crucially, avoids harming anyone at the scene. 
Meanwhile, Mark Ruffalo is Lou Lubesnick is a weary, veteran LAPD detective who has identified a pattern in the seemingly unrelated robberies. While his colleagues dismiss his theories, Lou is convinced a single, skilled thief is responsible. As he closes in on the "101 thief," his obsession with the case begins to strain his personal life. 

• Patience (S2 ABC iview, 8 episodes)

Season 2 of the British crime drama Patience follows neurodivergent archivist Patience Evans (Ella Maisy Purvis) as she continues her work in the criminal records department of York Police, navigating new leadership, complex cases, and personal life changes. The eight-episode series features a major cast change, with Laura Fraser’s DI Bea Metcalf replaced by a new boss, DI Frankie Monroe (Jessica Hynes).

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