TV reviews: week's top picks are Dept. Q, Stick, Guy Montgomery's Gut Mont Spelling Bee
We've sifted through the latest offerings from TV and streaming platforms to find the best shows you should be watching this week.
Matthew Goode as a traumatised cop in Dept Q on Netflix.
DEPT. Q
NETFLIX
British actor Matthew Goode's traumatised but talented Edinburgh copper Carl Morck in this nine-part crime thriller is a thoroughly unlikeable chap – think Jackson Lamb from Slow Horses but with less farting and more showering. And like Gary Oldman's character, Morck has also been tasked with running a department staffed with misfits and rejects and held together with string and paperclips. After Morck's arrogance and carelessness at a murder scene left a young officer dead, his partner paralysed and him with PTSD thanks to a bullet passing through his neck, he's been banished to the basement and told to investigate cold cases for a department vanity project. With the help of his mysterious new assistant Akram, formerly of the Syrian police, Morck sets out to discover the fate of a talented but prickly prosecutor who hasn't been seen for four years and left behind a brother who was rendered mute by a brutal beating. The hunt will send them to a remote Scottish island and deep into the corridors of power as they start to expose long-buried secrets and cover-ups in a dark, twisting and captivating journey full of broken and cruel characters.
Guy Montgomery and his spelling pals are back.
GUY MONTGOMERY'S GUY MONT SPELLING BEE
WEDNESDAY, 8.35PM, ABC
Who knew that spelling could be so fun? The first season of this ridiculous concept of competitive comedians testing their abilities proved to be one of the most reliably funny shows of the year. Smartly retro-dressed host Guy Montgomery is back – alongside his even more resplendent sidekick Aaron Chen – to tempt a who's who of the Aussie stand-up scene with his Coward's Cup (easy words), Person's Purse (medium words) and Bucket of Bravery (hard words) while dishing out and being on the end of plenty of spelling-adjacent zingers. First up this week are Lloyd Langford, Nina Oyama, Hannah Gadsby and returning season one champ Tom Walker – their spelling results are patchy, but top of the class for laughs.
Owen Wilson and Peter Dager in the golfing comedy Stick.
STICK
NEW EPISODES WEDNESDAYS, APPLETV+
It's been billed as the golfing equivalent of Ted Lasso, which is a big swing but one that lands not far from the pin. With his trademark blend of hangdog enthusiasm and whiny snark, Owen Wilson is spot on as former golf pro Pryce 'Stick' Cahill, who has fallen on hard times since a 'full psychotic break' on live TV, in which he punched out his playing partner, saw him booted from the game and is now trying to make a living in a sporting shop while hustling punters in bars with his former caddie and only friend (a very funny Marc Maron). But when Stick discovers a freakishly talented teen from a broken home who claims to hate the game – but can't stay away from it – he resolves to take him on the road to qualify for the US Amateur and the potential riches that come with it.
James Nelson-Joyce as Michael in This City is Ours.
THIS CITY IS OURS
WEDNESDAY, STAN
Crime thriller fans with a MobLand-shaped hole in their lives following last week's excellent finale can get a fresh fix of British villains and geezers – with a healthy side serving of The Godfather and The Sopranos – in this nine-part series from the creator of The Last Kingdom and set on the even grittier streets of Liverpool. Sean Bean is in quietly terrifying form as gang leader Ronnie Phelan, who is looking to transition out of the drug-dealing game, but wants to build his bank balance before he goes. He charges his loyal 2IC Michael – who also dreams of one day going legit and starting family – with renegotiating the deal with their Spanish suppliers, but with higher rewards comes higher risk. When a delivery goes wrong, it becomes clear there's a rat in the ranks, and it might throw the succession plan into bloody disarray.
It's all go at Melbourne Airport on reality show Airport 24/7
AIRPORT 24/7
THURSDAY, 7.30PM, CHANNEL 10
Plane travellers might look at airports in an entirely different light after watching this new homegrown doco that goes behind the scenes to spotlight the staff who keep things (for the most part) running smoothly so you get where you need to go safely and on time. Narrated by Susie Youssef, the producers have been given incredible access to Melbourne Airport – the country's biggest, with enough people to fill the MCG passing through each day. Whether it's the operation centre dealing with a blackout before its repercussions cause travel chaos around the country, the quick-thinking, stressed-out tower control staff juggling a plane every minute in the busy periods, or an international flight forced to turn back and dump its fuel over the bay, there's never a dull moment.
Lisa Blari braves the elements in Ice Maiden.
ICE MAIDEN
THURSDAY, 8.30PM, SBS VICELAND
Sailor Lisa Blair's quest to become the first woman to sail solo around Antarctica in 2017 was nothing short of extraordinary. Facing fierce winds, raging waters and frigid air, she displayed not just extreme skill but also poise and resilience in the face of deadly danger, even with the closest help three days away. But just as impressive in this documentary is the drive and ambition that got her there in the first place, and the hard work for sponsorship and fundraising that made it possible. Through her trip vlog and interviews with family and fellow adventurers such as Dick Smith and Jessica Watson, it paints a picture of an inspirational individual prepared to face extremes to realise her dream.
Costa Georgiadis and the Gardening Australia gang are powering on through winter.
GARDENING AUSTRALIA WINTER SPECIAL
FRIDAY, 7.30PM, ABC
As the irrepressible host Costa Georgiadis observes early on, growing might be slowing down over winter, but he and his team certainly won't be this year. Naturally enough, the emphasis is on the colder months, both the plants that can provide a burst of colour for your garden, as well as what you can do right now to maximise spring and summer. An addition to visiting some extraordinary gardens around the country – including a 120 year old camellia nursery in South Australia and a stunning spread in Victoria masterminded by a passionate wheelchair-bound plant enthusiast – Costa also visits a boffin at Sydney's Macquarie University whose innovative frog saunas are helping to eradicate a fungus that has wiped out 90 species so far.
Simon James Bailey from Toast the Host.
TOAST THE HOST
SATURDAY, 5.30PM, SBS FOOD
If the thought of hosting others is enough to send you into a blind panic – or it putting you off from doing it at all – journalist Simon James Bailey has some simple advice to make it achievable 'with minimum stress and maximum enjoyment', whether it's having a couple of friends around for lunch or a bigger spread like a poolside engagement party. Most of it's not rocket science but it's certainly practical, from modern invitation etiquette to devising menus and calculating budgets, right through to easy-to-follow recipes and demonstrations, as well as health-conscious food tips.
There's pranks aplenty with the return of The Inspired Unemployed.
THE INSPIRED UNEMPLOYED (IMPRACTICAL) JOKERS
MONDAY, 9.40PM, CHANNEL 10
Now that they have stopped terrorising the world and threatening a diplomatic incident with their recent travel show The List, Jack Steele and Matt 'Falcon' Ford are back on home turf and reunited with their pranking partners Dom and Liam for another season of ritual humiliation and cringe-worthy comedy. Thomas Jefferson once said 'travelling makes men wiser, but less happy' and the lads seem keen to prove him wrong on both counts – they still look like complete idiots trying to crash dinner tables in restaurants and posing as flamenco instructors, but they look like they are having an absolute blast doing it.
Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks in The Better Sister.
THE BETTER SISTER
PRIME VIDEO
The latest entry into the ever-growing, bad-things-happening-to-beautiful-rich-people genre is adapted from Alafair Burke's best-selling 2019 thriller and will appeal to fans of Big Little Lies, Gone Girl and the recent Sirens. Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks star as sisters – the former is Chloe, a successful media boss with a luxurious lifestyle and a teenage son, while the latter plays estranged older sister Nicky, whose former addictions have left her struggling and embittered. When Chloe's high-powered and possibly shady lawyer husband is murdered, the investigation will reunite the pair to bicker and air old grievances from their shared traumatic childhood as the eight episodes weave together courtroom drama, family secrets and dollops of jet-black humour.
Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT …
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Now streaming, Tubi
Eddie Redmayne deservedly won the quadrella of accolades – an Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG – for his performance as Stephen Hawking in this 2014 biopic. Based on Jane Hawking's memoir about her marriage to the renowned physicist, the film chronicles the couple's relationship as they navigate the joint strains of Hawking's meteoric rise in the scientific world and his physical decline from early onset Motor Neurone Disease. Just like Daniel Day Lewis did with his heart wrenching performance in My Left Foot, Redmayne does a remarkable job of capturing the physicality of Hawking's disease. Felicity Jones also shines as Hawking's devoted and underappreciated wife.
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Sitting in a hotel in 2023, Damson Idris had just landed the most important role of his life. Legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joe Kosinski, the team who took over the box office (OK, and the world) with Top Gun: Maverick, wanted Idris for their high-stakes Formula 1 blockbuster, F1. Idris would play Joshua Pearce, a young gun rookie modelled on Lewis Hamilton (also a producer on the film), and Brad Pitt would play his team-mate and rival, Sonny Hayes, a grizzled veteran who returns to the sport to partner Pearce on the fictional APXGP team. As far as big breaks go, they don't come much bigger than this. So you'd imagine Idris' mind might be racing faster than the F1 car he didn't know how to drive (but would soon master). 'Not really,' deadpans Idris, speaking to me from South Africa, where he is shooting his next film. 'I was just consumed by one thought: I need to be faster than Brad Pitt.' 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In 2022, he helped 'save cinema' (Spielberg's words, not mine) with Top Gun: Maverick, a sweeping sequel to the 1986 original that was critically and commercially celebrated, grossing $1.496 billion worldwide at the box office. Such a feat warrants time off. A mini-break. Honestly, Joe, what were you thinking? 'Well, as with so many people, during the pandemic, I became obsessed with Drive to Survive on Netflix,' says Kosinski. 'I went to school for mechanical engineering and aerospace, so the way these cars work is fascinating to me, and then factor in the personalities and team dynamics, it's rich with story.' Pitt and Bruckheimer shared Kosinski's obsession, and they all agreed that if they were going to make a racing film, it had to look real. The first step was getting Formula 1 on board as an official partner on the film, with a view to embedding production in real Grand Prix races worldwide. Having seen F1's popularity surge following Netflix's Drive to Survive, CEO Stefano Domenicali was open to the idea but harboured concerns about how the sport would come across. Thankfully, super producer Jerry Bruckheimer is no stranger to sweet-talking nervy organisations. 'When I did the first Top Gun, the navy was worried about how they'd be portrayed, so Tom Cruise and I went to the US Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego to convince them it would be a good thing, and instead the admiral threw us off the base,' laughs Bruckheimer. 'So Tom went to Washington and met with the Secretary of the Navy at the time, and he understood what a movie could do for recruitment. We got to shoot Top Gun, and after it came out, naval recruitment went up 500%. Oh, and the other admiral was fired.' Bruckheimer's Top Gun -inspired pitch was enough to convince Domenicali, and the group secured Formula 1 as an official partner, allowing them to film at 14 Grand Prix events. Current F1 drivers, including our very own Oscar Piastri, agreed to appear. The next hurdle was figuring out how to bring the audience inside the chaos of a machine that can reach a top speed of 374.97 km/h. 'Cameras,' says Kosinski, perking up. 'And lots of them.' He's not lying. To ensure authenticity, the film's team, in collaboration with Mercedes-AMG and Formula 1 team engineers, built six F2 cars, which were then customised to resemble modern F1 cars. Each car came affixed with four IMAX-certified cameras in 15 possible positions, plus up to six additional cameras inside the car's cockpit. 'We worked closely with Sony, who created the cameras for Top Gun, to create a smaller version that would allow us to swivel between the driver and the track.' Kosinski is a self-described 'attention to detail fanatic,' meaning F1 would always look the part. However, few people know how it feels to race—the sounds, smells, noise, fury, joy, and heartbreak. Enter Lewis Hamilton. With seven World Drivers' Championship titles, Hamilton is the most successful F1 driver of all time (tied with Michael Schumacher), a driving prodigy who holds the records for most wins (105), pole positions (104), and podium finishes (202). He also happened to be the only driver Kosinski knew. 'We talked about casting him in Top Gun: Maverick; he's friends with Tom [Cruise]. We couldn't make it happen, but through that conversation, I had Lewis' email, so I asked for help, and straight away, he was on board,' says Kosinski. According to Bruckheimer, Hamilton wasn't shy of critiquing the film's inaccuracies during production. 'We were filming in Silverstone, where they host the British Grand Prix, and in turn three, Lewis could hear that we were in the wrong gear,' he says. 'Brad was in third gear, and you take that turn in second gear; not many people in the world would know that.' Aside from gear changes, Hamilton's insight as the first black driver to compete in the F1 proved invaluable to Idris. 'The beauty of this movie is that Lewis exists, and the barriers that he's broken down means Joshua Pearce can exist on screen too,' says Idris. 'We spoke about what it means to be an advocate without seeking out that label, so I modelled Joshua on Lewis.' On paper, F1 is the kind of film destined for success. A high-octane blockbuster based on a hugely popular sport featuring an all-star cast on screen and Hollywood heavyweights behind the scenes. However, in an increasingly competitive marketplace, films still need to be sold to audiences, which might be the one thing Brad Pitt isn't good at. Earlier this year, Bruckheimer attended Liberty Media's (the company that owns Formula One) investor day in New York. He discussed Pitt's reluctance to self-promote there, telling the crowd, 'He doesn't like to do press.' This approach is at odds with Bruckheimer's other most recent A-list collaborator, Tom Cruise, a famously shrewd marketing machine who boosts the profile of his films with attention-grabbing stunts and endless global press tours. However, with a reported budget of $463 million, Bruckheimer requires Pitt in full salesman mode ahead of the film's release. 'Brad has told me he loves the movie and wants to go out and support it, so he'll join us on the world tour.' As for Idris, he seems to be channelling the rookie energy of F1 's Joshua Pearce, all wide-eyed enthusiasm accompanied by mild disbelief that any of this is happening. 'To be talking about working with Brad Pitt on a Formula One movie still blows my mind,' he laughs. On the day we speak, it's announced that he will play jazz legend Miles Davis in the upcoming film Miles & Juliette. The movie will explore Davis's romance with French singer Juliette Gréco during his 1949 trip to Paris. Anamaria Vartolomei will portray Gréco, and the film is produced by Mick Jagger's company, Jagged Films. 'There are so many interesting icons out there that I want to pay homage to, and Miles was at the top of my list,' says Idris. 'This is my dream job, and I can't wait to stretch myself, show my range and learn the trumpet!'
