You’ll find thousands of hours of TV, movies, sport & kids content on the popular Aussie streaming service, Stan. But where do you start? Check out our top shows to watch on Stan right now!
TEN POUND POMS
Why you should watch: This drama series is based on and the Assisted Migration scheme of the ’50s where a group of Brits leave post-war Britain in 1956 to embark on an adventure to Australia for ten pounds. The brochures paint a rosy picture of glorious sunshine, golden beaches, and plentiful jobs. Of course, the truth is vastly different. The Roberts family tries to make the best of their situation, but life at the shelter tests them, but they’re not the only ones avoiding the truth. As with most migrants trying to establish themselves in a new country, they are thwarted at every turn and treated abominably by the locals. It is appalling that in all these years, this is what occurs to this day in some cases. It’s not a perfect series, but it has a good cast attached and is worth a look.
Director: ANNA KOKKINOS, JAMIE MAGNUS STONE
Cast: WARREN BROWN, FAYE, MARSAY, MICHELLE KEEGAN, DAVID FIELD, EMMA HAMILTON, LEON FORD, HATTIE HOOK
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Why you should watch: What a nightmare situation is this! You may drive into town, but you may not leave it. I must say I found this very scary. Perhaps I just scare easily. The main problem was I was pre-empting the scary bits, which then didn’t happen, and was caught off guard when they did. There’s some very gory stuff here, so be prepared. The story follows the mystery of a nightmarish town in middle America that traps all those who enter. As the unwilling residents fight to keep a sense of normalcy and search for a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest; including the terrifying creatures that come out when the sun goes down. You need to suspend your belief with this one. Creator John Griffin has a bizarre imagination.
Director: JACK BENDER, BRAD TURNER, JENNIFER LIAO, JEFF RENFROE
Cast: HAROLD PERRINEAU, EION BAILEY, CATALINA SANDINO MORENO, HANNAH CHERAMY, ELIZABETH SAUNDERS, PEGAH GHAFOORI
LUCKY HANK
Why you should watch: Most of you would be familiar with Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill in Better Call Saul. Bob’s as busy man as he’s also part of the ensemble cast of Bear, and stars here as Hank Devereaux, the unlikely chairman of the English department at West Central Pennsylvania University. Disgruntled professor Hank always seems to be upsetting someone, not on purpose, he does it without any effort on his part. In this comedy drama he has his nose slashed by a feminist poet, discovers that his secretary writes better fiction than he does, suspects his wife of having an affair with his dean, and finally confronts his philandering elderly father. The series is based on the novel Straight Man by Richard Russo. This one is very amusing.
Director: DANIEL ATTIAS, PETER FARRELLY, NICOLE HOLOFCENER
Cast: BOB ODENKIRK, MIREILLE ENOS, OLIVIA SCOTT WELCH, SUZANNE CRYER, NANCY ROBERTSON, CEDRIC YARBROUGH, DIEDRICH BADER
61st STREET
Why you should watch: I was reluctant to view this drama series as I knew I would be confronted with young African-American men being treated unfairly by all sides of the judicial system. And that is what occurs. The story follows Moses Johnson, a promising high school athlete, who is swept up into the infamously corrupt Chicago criminal justice system, through circumstances beyond his control. Moses is wrongfully accused, and no one is listening. It is frustrating viewing, and it’s a scenario we know is played out every day in the USA. Courtney B. Vance heads a talented ensemble cast as Franklin Roberts, who seems to be the one person who endeavours to obtain justice for these young men who appear to have no hope of impartiality.
Director: RAMAA MOSLEY, MARTA CUNNINGHAM, DARREN GRANT
Cast: COURTNEY B. VANCE, BENTLEY GREEN, AUNJANUE ELLIS, TOSIN COLE, ANDRENE WARD-HAMMOND, MARK O’BRIEN, MARK O’BRIEN
BILLIONS
Why you should watch: The ruthless men of Billions are back for a seventh and final season. This is an excellent series, even though I struggled to understand the financial jargon most of the time, but I got the gist of what was occurring. Shrewd, savvy Attorney Chuck Rhoades and the brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod are still wrangling with each other as the stakes escalate and their gamesmanship threatens to topple empires as Axe returns to settle some scores. Everyone’s back and fighting fit. And while all this was going on Damian Lewis aka Axe also had time to release an album and tour with his band!
Director: JOHN DAHL, SHAZ BENNETT, DARREN GRANT, ROSE BETH JOHNSON-BROWN
Cast: PAUL GIAMATTI, DAMIAN LEWIS, COREY STOLL, MAGGIE SIFF, DAVID COSTABLE, ASIA KATE DILLON, MALIN AKERMAN
LUCKY! – DOCUMENTARY
Why you should watch: My knowledge of Formula One racing is exceedingly sparse, and any I do have is from my older sisters who found racing car drivers exciting individuals. But I’m talking Sterling Moss, Fangio, Jackie Stewart, Lauda, Senna et al. But I must say I found this documentary series on Bernie Ecclestone interesting viewing, especially the archive footage of drivers from the past, some, sadly, no longer with us. If you’re into Formula One, you’ll enjoy this behind the scenes look, both on and off the track. Who knew what went on in the corridors of power?!
Director: MANISH PANDEY
Cast: BERNIE ECCLESTON
TWISTED METAL
Why you should watch: This is definitely a series for the gamers out there as it’s based on the vehicular combat video game franchise of the same name. Not having ever been a gamer as such, except for playing scrabble and card games on my phone, I do have some knowledge due to my subliminally listening to my sons’ conversations about such things. The drawcard for me was Anthony Mackie. I’ll watch him in anything! The story follows a talkative milkman with amnesia, who is given a mission to traverse the desolate US to deliver a mysterious package with unknown contents. He faces a life-altering opportunity but must confront ruthless marauders in deadly and destructive vehicles. So, as you can imagine, it’s a very noisy series with action aplenty.
Director: KITAO SAKURAI, BILL BENZ, MAGGIE CAREY, JUDE WENG
Cast: ANTHONY MACKIE, STEPHANIE BEATRIZ, SAMOA JOE, WILL ARNETT, NEVE CAMPBELL, THOMAS HADEN CHURCH, MIKE MITCHELL.
THE WINTER KING
Why you should watch: An Arthurian action saga adapted from Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicle books. Goriness and copious amounts of blood abounds in this drama where any minor infraction could have dire circumstances. Life was not easy in Post-Roman Dark Age Britain. It was dark, very dark. An elderly Saxon-born monk tells the story of how Arthur was banished, Merlin has disappeared, and the Saxons are invading. I haven’t read the books, but I still found this worth watching if you’re into Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the rest of them. But, beware, there be blood and bone!
Director: OTTO BATHURST, FARREN BLACKBURN, ANU MENON
Cast: IAIN DE CAESTECKER, JORDAN ALEXANDRA, ELLIE JAMES, STUART CAMPBELL, VALENE KANE, EDDIE MARSAN, NATHANIAL MARTELLO-WHITE
DOMINA
Why you should watch: Continuing the historical theme, we’re now off to ancient Rome where, again, one dare not step out of line as your head could be lopped off before you could say… well, anything. The story follows the extraordinary rise of Livia Drusilla, who overcame adversity to become the most powerful woman in the world. Livia’s journey from a naive young girl whose world crumbles in the wake of Julius Caesar’s assassination, to Rome’s most powerful and influential Empress, is fraught with betrayal and machinations from those she would like to trust and those she knows she can’t. Trying to keep up with all the plots, poisonings and treachery is no mean feat. One needs eyes and ears everywhere in this scenario. And I was thinking what bad indigestion they all must have had, constantly lying around eating and drinking.
Director: DAVID EVANS, CLAIRE MCCARTHY, DEBS PATERSON, SALLY APRAHAMIAN
Cast: KASIA SMUTNIAK, NADIA PARKES, TOM GLYNN-CARNEY, CLAIRE FORLANI, MATTHEW MCNULTY, COLETTE DALAL TCHANTCHO