Alice And Steve
Streaming now on Disney Plus
I’d love to tell you more about this show, which stars Jemaine Clement and Nicola Walker, but I can’t — I couldn’t get through more than one episode.
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Which is a shame, because this has all the makings of a fabulous comedy.
For a start, it stars two of my all-time favourites — Walker, who is absolutely sensational in everything, and Clement, whom I’ve adored since his Flight Of The Conchords days — but I just couldn’t move on from the show’s questionable central premise.
Walker and Clement’s characters, the titular Alice and Steve, have been best friends for over 30 years, and they have insane chemistry. It wouldn’t be wrong to assume the two of them might realise they harbour long-unexplored feelings for one another . . . but this ain’t that show.
Instead, the “unexplored feelings” belong to 50-something Steve . . . and Alice’s 26-year-old daughter Izzy (Yali Topol Margalith), who hook up after Steve stays at Alice’s place after a friend’s funeral.
You heard right: Steve falls for Alice’s daughter. The one he’s known since she was little. The one who is half his age. And yeah, nah.
Over the course of the series, Alice goes full “scorched earth” on her former bestie (and rightly so, I say), in an attempt to break apart their burgeoning relationship.
I wish I could tell you whether this gets less skin-crawly, and whether Clement’s character sees that having a relationship with your best friend’s daughter is just outright gross, but, alas.
Rom-com? More like wrong-com — this is like watching your cringy uncle try to hook up with one of your niece’s teenage mates, which is to say: it’s a hard pass from me.
Still, this is getting reasonably good reviews, so someone watch it and tell me what happens, OK?
Escape To The Chateau S10
Friday, 7.30, Nine
After a break, the Strawbridge family are back with their delightful series, Escape To The Chateau. Credit: Supplied
I’ve been watching this delightfully naff reality show for the better part of a decade. In that time, Dick and Angel Strawbridge have totally renovated their chateau — I’ve only managed to assemble a Billy bookcase.
But there’s something delightful about this escapist fantasy.
Ten years on — and one very public bust up with the producers of their program — and the couple is returning to screens. They’ve reunited with the team, buried the hatchet, and opened their home once more to cameras.
With their kids almost grown up, there’s many changes to be made to their historic home as they enter this new phase of their family life.
Keep an eye out for a stack of old favourites, who are still knocking about the Chateau, lending a hand with the couple’s creative flights of fancy.
The Rest Is Football
Streaming now on Netflix
The Rest Is Football is headed to Netflix. Credit: Supplied
Fans of the popular podcast will no doubt be tuning in en masse as the team — Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards — pack their mics and head to the US for 40 consecutive daily episodes of their show while the World Cup is on.
Sugar
Friday, streaming on Apple TV Plus
Sugar returns to Apple TV Plus for a second season. Credit: Supplied
Colin Farrell is back playing detective John Sugar, and if you peeped the first season, which dropped the biggest almighty “what the?” on viewers, you’ll want to be onboard to see how the series moves forward for its second season. This is some serious genre-bending television.
Monty Don’s British Gardens
Friday, 7.30pm, ABC
Monty Don is here to make everything better. Credit: ABC/Supplied
I’m too broke to holiday anywhere this year. So instead, I’m going to watch old mate Monty tiptoe his way around some gloriously picturesque British gardens. I get my kicks where I can these days.
