The 20 best shows to watch On Demand this weekend

Release time：2024-05-21 18:16:57 Source：Culture Compass news portal

A giant of fashion, tiny tigers and some hard truths in Ibiza... there's so much to sink your teeth into On Demand right now.

We've selected the 20 best offerings - sifting through thousands of options so you don't have to.

Looking for a new series or film to stream On Demand?

Read on to find out the shows worth investing your precious time in...

The Jinx: Part Two

The six-part sequel series follow the investigation into Robert Durst

Year: 2024

Certificate: 15

Watch now on NOW

Watch now on Sky

When HBO's great true-crime documentary The Jinx ended in 2015, it signed off in a way that none of its kind has equalled since - with Robert Durst's apparent confession: 'What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course.' 

The evidence uncovered in the series led to the LAPD renewing their investigation into the murder in 2000 of Bob's friend, Susan Berman, and he was arrested the night before the final episode aired. Justice was not swift, though - Durst was only convicted of her murder in 2021 and died the year after, aged 78.

That span of time is where this sequel series fits in, following the investigation that led to that conviction. 'There's a certain image, even as a seasoned prosecutor, that you have of a killer. You can't help yourself. And it's not Bob,' says LA Deputy District Attorney John Lewin, who is one of the guiding voices in this steadily gripping series. 

As soon as you start watching, you realise how much space there is to fill in, and with how much fascinating detail, like this from when he was found by the FBI: 'When they end up going into the room they find drugs, a bunch of money, a loaded firearm and a map of Cuba. There was also a very expensive latex mask.' (Six episodes) 

Red Eye

Fasten your seatbelts for this highoctane thriller, set on a flight from London to Beijing

Year: 2024

Buckle up for this nerve-jangling six-parter in which Richard Armitage (Fool Me Once) plays Dr Matthew Nolan, a British surgeon who becomes entangled in an international conspiracy. The series begins with Dr Nolan barely surviving a car crash in Beijing while at a medical conference - but far worse is to come. When he arrives back in the UK,  he's arrested over the death of a Chinese woman - Matt insists he's innocent, but he's extradited to face charges. 

It's on the red-eye flight back to China that this thriller really ramps up. London detective Hana Li (Crazy Rich Asians' Jing Lusi) has been assigned to escort Nolan on the overnight flight, but when passengers start dying on board, she realises Nolan's life is in danger. Who wants him dead and why? Lesley Sharp also stars as an MI5 boss investigating events on flight 357.

This series won't win any prizes for realism, but writer Peter A Dowling, who created the successful 2005 movie Flightplan starring Jodie Foster, about a girl who goes missing on a transatlantic flight, sure knows how to keep us watching. (Six episodes) 

High & Low: John Galliano

Documentary examining the career of the controversial British fashion designer

Year: 2023

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Mubi

A giant of the fashion industry in the 1990s, British designer John Galliano relished life at the top of one of the most flamboyant businesses in the world. This celebrity-packed film includes everything from reflections from Vogue boss Anna Wintour on his lavish shows to supermodel Kate Moss remembering Galliano teaching her how to walk down a catwalk (it's harder than you'd think...). 

It also includes a detailed account of his spectacular fall from grace in the wake of a drunken antisemitic incident in Paris in 2010 that saw him fired by the fashion house Dior. New interviews with Galliano himself fill out the detail in a fascinating account of his rise and fall and eventual rise again. (116 minutes) 

The Red King

Spooky island police mystery from Being Human creator Toby Whithouse

Year: 2024

Certificate: 15

Watch now on NOW

Watch now on Sky

Toby Whithouse is best known for creating the vampire-werewolf flatshare show Being Human, so you expect a certain level of the natural hitting the supernatural from him. You definitely get that from the opening scenes of The Red King, a series that, were it to be pitched a little differently, could easily have more of a Death In Paradise feel. 

At its centre is Sergeant Grace Narayan (The Lazarus Project's Anjli Mohindra), a police officer relocated from the mainland to the island of St Jory, a strange place that plays by its own rules, and feels a lot like The Wicker Man. Grace soon latches onto the local mystery of a missing boy, and it's one that some clearly don't want her to pursue, especially her predecessor (a brilliantly sinister Mark Lewis Jones). But why? What happened to him? And what do all the strange items in her rented room above the pub mean, items that the landlady seems so slow to remove? 

The mystery of The Red King is a solidly exciting one but it's the way the show both creates a spooky atmosphere and plays with your expectations that makes it so fun to watch. Grace is great at calling out everyone's weird behaviour, which leads to a good amount of humour to leaven the tension, and the cast, which includes Jill Halfpenny as the series unfolds, work together very nicely to help this show hit exactly the right kind of unsettling notes it requires. (Six episodes) 

The Big Door Prize

Chris O'Dowd stars in a comedy about a machine that turns a town upside down

Year: 2023

Certificate: 12

Watch now on Apple TV+

One day, a mysterious machine shows up in a small town that tells people what their true potential is. No one seems to know where it came from or who made it, they're all too busy dealing with what the machine tells them. Should they change their lives entirely to follow what the machine says, even when it's open to interpretation?

It's a cracking concept for a TV show, because the most interesting stories are about people at a time of change, and this show is that from top to bottom. Chris O'Dowd, who has come a long way since The IT Crowd, plays the everyman teacher at the centre of a gentle US comedy that feels like The Twilight Zone but without the underlying moral current of impending darkness. 

That doesn't mean there won't ultimately be a sting in the tale but, if it does come, it feels like it won't be a mean one. (Two series) 

Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story

Documentary series looking at the history of the US rock band

Year: 2024

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Disney+

One of the biggest music acts of the 1980s and 1990s, big-haired rockers Bon Jovi filled stadiums around the world and sold albums like Slippery When Wet by the literal truck load.

This four-part documentary series charts all of that and more, as it stitches together concert footage, newspaper reports, comments by fellow rock greats such as Bruce Springsteen, and extensive interviews with the band members themselves. 

The music snippets are predictably entertaining, but it's the chats with Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and the rest of the band that make this fly - their accounts of the lives of rock star excess that they lived in their heyday are truly jaw-dropping. (Four episodes) 

Dead Boy Detectives

A ghost duo crack cases in London in a quippy mystery set in the same universe as The Sandman

Year: 2024

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Netflix

In 2022, Neil Gaiman's acclaimed Sandman graphic novels became a series on Netflix. It was a hit and Dead Boy Detectives, also a Gaiman comic creation, hails from the same universe. You don't need to know anything about Sandman to watch it, though - this is a supernatural detective comedy that stands on its own two feet from the start, with Jayden Revri and George Rexstrew as Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine, the Dead Boy Detectives of the title; ghosts with unfinished business who have chosen to stay on Earth and solve mysteries. 

'He's the brains, I'm the brawn,' says Charles, who isn't exactly brawny, even for a ghost. It's a mark of the casual wit of the show, which is set in London but roams between the land of the living and the dead to intriguing and refreshing effect - there's a ghost postman who shows up with cases, for instance. 

In the first episode Charles and Edwin come into contact with a living psychic who brings a new angle to their cases, and the series that follows is reminiscent of the sadly ill-fated Lockwood & Co. Hopefully this will find a bigger audience. If you did watch The Sandman, keep an eye out for Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death. (Eight episodes)

Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver

The second instalment of Zack Snyder's epic space opera

Year: 2024

Certificate: 12

Watch now on Netflix

Playing like a grittier, bloodier version of Star Wars, 300 director Zack Snyder's first Rebel Moon movie sketched out a sci-fi universe where plucky outnumbered rebels refused to submit to the overwhelming forces of the evil Imperium. That story continues here as the resistance led by Kora (Sofia Boutella) and Titus (Djimon Hounsou) prepares to defend a peaceful village against the murderous attentions of Admiral Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein) and his fleet. 

It's tough and frequently brutal but sci-fi fans will find moments to relish here in a story crammed with explosions, battles and sprawling scraps between laser-sword-wielding warriors. Watch out too for Jimmy the philosophical robot, voiced with aplomb by a certain Anthony Hopkins. (122 minutes) 

Dinosaur

Quirky new show about autistic thirtysomething Nina and her best friend and sister

Year: 2024

Certificate: 12

Watch now on BBC iPlayer

Cute, funny and refreshingly honest, this new Scottish show is a breath of fresh air. Thirtysomething palaeontologist Nina (Ashley Storrie) is in for a big shock when her sister and best friend Evie (Kat Ronney) comes home engaged to a man she met just six weeks ago. 

Nina, who's autistic, is happy following her structured routines and working with dinosaur bones in the museum (hence the show's title). So unsurprisingly, the new development throws everything into disarray for her - and that's before she's even met the man. As the series unfolds, Nina must learn to cope with all the big changes it brings to her life, including welcoming Evie's fiancé Ranesh (Danny Ashok), in her words 'arguably the most irritating man alive'. 

An insight into feeling like an outsider, this series and its protagonist Nina offer a refreshing take on how to accept all your quirks and eccentricities - even when they make you feel just a little out of place. (Six episodes)

Ibiza: Secrets Of The Party Island

Find out what makes the party island tick with Zara McDermott

Year: 2024

Certificate: 12

Watch now on BBC iPlayer

Ever since Balearic Beat in the 1980s, and that irritatingly catchy 1999 hit by the Venga Boys (Altogether now: 'We're going to Ib-Iz-Ah...'), Ibiza has been the go-to destination for Brits wanting to dance the night away. 

Its reputation as a party island, as well as a playground for the rich, is still going strong and for this four-part series, Zara McDermott is our guide to the side you don't see on your week-long trips. That includes the island's criminal underbelly and how the local authorities deal with it, but also the inner workings of the clubs, villas and yachts where the sunshine magic happens. (Four episodes)

The Worst Person In The World

A young woman grapples with what she wants, in both work and love

Year: 2021

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Channel 4

Norwegian writer-director Joachim Trier described his film as 'a coming-of-age film for grown-ups who feel like they still haven't grown up'. Trier's film and its sentiment struck a chord, whipping up awards recognition, including two Oscar nominations. 

Renate Reinsve stars as Julie, who is about to turn 30. Her inability to see anything through means she has failed to mature throughout her 20s.  As for her love life, she's equally incapable of seeing that through - with one person. 

Reinsve is a revelation: you can't take your eyes off her, and as she narrates her life, as filled with lust, doubt and intransigence as a teenager, it's easy to invest in being an un-grown-up grown-up like her. (128 minutes)

Strays

Elf's Will Ferrell voices a naive dog learning what it means to be a stray in this sweary canine comedy

Year: 2023

Certificate: 15

Watch now on NOW

Watch now on Sky

This might be a comedy about dogs who talk, but don't expect anything too cutesy. No, the strange charm of Strays lies in the fact that its dogs are rather raucous animals, canines who are no strangers to bad language and bad behaviour - all, that is, except our hero Reggie (voiced by Elf's Will Ferrell), a dog who loves absolutely everything, even his owner Doug, who is constantly trying to get rid of him. 

One day Doug succeeds, and Reggie learns what it means to be a stray. 'You're a stray now, you can do anything you want,' one of his new friends tells him, but it takes a while for poor Reggie to embrace the opportunities.  There's an awful lot of swearing along the way, but a lot of heart too, much of which comes from Ferrell's good-hearted voice. And his casting is spot-on - you may have noticed a certain plot similarity with Elf. 

Keep an eye out for the blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo from Dennis Quaid. (93 minutes) 

Tiger

Priyanka Chopra Jonas narrates a wildlife documentary about a tiger and her cubs

Year: 2024

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Disney+

Released to mark Earth Day on 22 April 2024, this engrossing wildlife film follows a young tigress named Ambar as she defies the odds to successfully raise her cubs in the forests of India. Narrated by actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Quantico and Citadel), it follows the playful cubs as they clumsily learn about life in the wild while their watchful mother struggles to keep them safe from bears, pythons and attacks by male tigers. 

It's a beautifully shot film with an involving emotional core that successfully pulls you into the life of one of the planet's most striking and endangered creatures. (90 minutes) 

The Retirement Plan

Nicolas Cage stars in a comedy thriller about a retired assassin

Year: 2023

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Paramount+

When Ashley gets in trouble with a gang of violent crooks, she sends her young daughter off to stay with the girl's estranged grandad Matt (Nic Cage). But when the criminals (led by Ron Perlman and Jackie Earle Haley) find Ashley and Matt, surely the battered old beach bum is doomed, right? Well, maybe not, as it turns out Matt has a secret past as a hired killer, and these crooks have bitten off much more than they can chew. 

Playing out like a light-hearted, family-focused John Wick, this cheery comedy actioner allows Cage to have a great time as he indulges in a full-throttle revisit to his action-star heyday. (98 minutes)

Blue Lights (Series 2)

Return of the explosive, character-led Belfast cop show

Year: 2024

Certificate: 15

Watch now on BBC iPlayer

This Northern Irish cop show struck a chord with critics and audiences alike, and now the 'Peelers' are back for a second series. Crime is flooding the streets of Belfast, but this first episode spends as much time reacquainting us with the characters - rookies, veterans and dearly departed - as it does establishing that there's a new crime gang in town. 

Partners Stevie and Grace are still flirting over their lunchboxes, Tommy (Nathan Braniff) catches the eye of the paramilitary task force whilst also trying to sort out his love life and Annie gets an eyeful of the hunky new guy Shane (Frank Blake). 

Jen (Hannah McClean), meanwhile, might have left the force, but has not forgotten her late comrade, Gerry. She's now working as a solicitor and sets out to investigate the chip-shop bombing that haunted him. 

As for that crime wave, you can expect plenty of nail-biting action for the response teams, from life-threatening stand-offs with desperate junkies to dramatic rescues from burning buildings. (Six episodes)

Land Of Bad

Liam Hemsworth and Russell Crowe star in an explosive action movie

Year: 2024

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Prime Video

When a mission to rescue a captured CIA spy from enemy territory goes badly wrong, a young special forces soldier (Liam Hemsworth) finds himself separated from his team, alone and outgunned as he attempts to escape through hostile territory. His only support? The drone pilot (Russell Crowe) providing air cover from back in the States who's determined not to abandon him. 

A gritty and exciting men-on-a-mission film, this action extravaganza draws fine performances from Hemsworth and especially Crowe as it doles out gun battles, fist fights and tension. Watch out for one of the other Hemsworth brothers - Luke - among the squad of rescue soldiers, along with other familiar faces including This is Us's Milo Ventimiglia and Hollyoaks' Ricky Whittle. (113 minutes) 

Superman & Lois

The Man of Steel swaps the city for country life - but there's still a world to save

Year: 2021-

Certificate: 12

Watch now on BBC iPlayer

Lois & Clark, with Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher, was a big hit with UK audiences in the 1990s, mixing Clark Kent's double life - of being Lois Lane's journalist boyfriend versus a caped superhero  -  to great effect. Next came Smallville in the 2000s, about the teenage Clark coming into his powers. This show is a bit like a combo of the two, mixing the Clark and Lois dynamic with the coming-of-age of their teenage sons Jonathan and Jordan - with plenty of cataclysmic fantasy action thrown in. 

Most families move from the city to the countryside for a quiet life and to raise their kids in a safer environment. But that was never going to be an option for the Kents when they moved from Metropolis back to the family farm in Smallville. Over three series, they have faced threats from secret experiments, superpowered cults, organised crime, and supervillains, as well as dealt with school bullies, local politics, and teenage angst and romance. (Three series)

The Asunta Case

Spanish drama series based on the real-life murder of a 12-year-old girl

Year: 2024

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Netflix

In September 2013, Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra reported to police the disappearance of their adopted 12-year-old daughter Asunta. Later the little girl's dead body was found abandoned by a roadside just outside Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. 

Her parents claimed she had vanished from an apartment while they were out, but the police picked holes in their tale with the aid of CCTV footage and began to shape a murder case against them. This six-part drama works hard to bring one of the most high-profile crimes in recent Spanish history to life, crafting an appallingly tragic mystery. (Six episodes) 

Secrets Of The Octopus

Wildlife series discovering the hidden life of the eight-legged sea creatures

Year: 2024

Certificate: pg

Watch now on Disney+

When it comes to octopuses, everyone knows they have eight legs (the clue is in the name...) but that's probably the least amazing thing about them. How about the fact that they have three hearts? That their blood is blue? That they can change colour to camouflage themselves? And that they're some of the planet's most intelligent creatures? 

Movie star Paul Rudd narrates this fascinating three-part look at the hidden life of the octopus. It's shot through with stunning underwater photography (by the same team responsible for the amazing Secrets Of The Elephants and Secrets Of The Whales) but the accounts from wildlife experts of the almost human bonds that they've formed with the creatures are perhaps the most startling thing here. (Three episodes) 

Murder, They Hope

Whodunnit comedy caper with Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson

Year: 2021-2023

Certificate: 12

Watch now on BBC iPlayer

In previous outings Murder On The Blackpool Express, Death On The Tyne and Dial M For Middlesbrough, Terry and Gemma (Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson) worked for a coach tour company, but they've set up their own private detective agency in this spin-off series.  

They're not particularly skilled as gumshoes, though, as you can see at the start when Terry tries to seduce a married woman whose husband hired them to catch her cheating (it sends shivers, and not of the good kind).  

There's no shortage of material to plunder when it comes to parodying the whodunnit mystery format. And a fine cast of guest stars are wheeled in - watch out for Paul Whitehouse, Lee Mack and Hannah Waddingham. (Two series)

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