SBS On Demand has a great range of local and international TV shows and series to choose from. The On TV Tonight team have sat through this month’s best SBS On Demand shows just for you!
DARK WINDS
Why you should watch: Zahn McClarnon is an actor I’ve seen many times, but really came to know him through the wonderful series Reservation Dogs. He is superb here as Joe Leaphorn, a Navajo police officer in the 1970s Southwest who, with his new recruit Chee and offsider Bernadette, is forced to challenge spiritual beliefs when they search for clues in a double murder case. This western drama certainly went in directions one did not foresee, which was refreshing. This is an excellent series.
Director: CHRIS EYRE, SANFORD BOOKSTAVER, MICHAEL NANKIN
Cast: ZAHN MCCLARNON, KIOWA GORDON, JESSICA MATTEN, DEANNA ALLISON, RAINN WILSON, NOAH EMMERICH, JOHN DIEHL
DNA (Denmark)
Why you should watch: This is a riveting crime drama from Denmark and France. There are scenes which are questionable at the beginning due to the rash actions by the leading character. Rolf Larsen, once a respected detective on the Copenhagen police force, has his life brutally upended when his baby daughter goes missing in a tragic accident. Rolf is devastated from grief, but five years after the tragedy, a new lead emerges when a serious flaw is uncovered in the Danish police’s national DNA database. Realising that his daughter may still be alive, Rolf tries to find out what really happened to her by investigating a parallel case with ties to an international child trafficking ring. Original director Henrik Ruben Genz withdrew from the project due to creative differences, and I can see why. But it is still worth viewing.
Director: HENRIK RUBEN GENZ, FABIAN WULLENWEBER, KASPER GAARDSOE
Cast: ANDERS W. BERTHELSEN, ZOFIA WICHLACZ, OLIVIA JOOF LEWERISSA, CHARLOTTE RAMPLING, JOHANNE LOUISE SCHMIDT
RIVER
Why you should watch: With Stellan Skarsgard, Nicola Walker, Lesley Manville and Eddie Marsen in the excellent ensemble cast, you know that this psychological crime thriller will be worth watching. A hardened, yet vulnerable, Swedish-born police detective in London struggles to deal with having witnessed the murder of his detective partner. He must come to terms with the loss whilst investigating her murder, helped (and sometimes hindered) by what he calls ‘manifests’ – the ghosts of both victims and criminals. This would have to be one of the best series produced by the BBC. Tina Charles’s I Love to Love is used throughout the series. Prepare to be singing it for days after.
Director: TIM FYWELL, JESSICA HOBBS, RICHARD LAXTON
Cast: STELLAN SKARSGARD, NICOLA WALKER, ADEEL AKHTAR, LESLEY MANVILLE, SORCHA CUSAK, EDDIE MARSAN, MICHAEL MALONEY
BLACK WATER
Why you should watch: Yet another excellent crime drama series from the Swedes. One midsummer evening in 1973 two tourists are found murdered in a tent. The unsolved crime casts shadows on the lives of several people living in a remote village, spanning 18 years. The story moves through the years and there are many scenarios taking place so one has to concentrate… or you will lose the plot.
Director: MIKAEL MARCIMAIN
Cast: ROLF LASSGARD, PERNILLA AUGUST, ALBA AUGUST, ERIK EHN, ASTA KAMMA AUGUST, ALVA ADERMARK, LINDA WINCENT, LIV MJONES
REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE
Why you should watch: With the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum occurring in the next few weeks, this series features First Nations trailblazers across media, politics, poetry and law, who have put everything on the line for change. The first episode reveals the struggles of Magistrate Pat O’Shane, followed by Senator Neville Bonner, poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal and media icon Tiga Bayles. It showcases the unparalleled efforts of those who altered the course of Australian history.
Director: JILL ROBINSON, DOUGLAS WATKIN, SIO TUSA, EJ GARRETT
RICK STEIN’S ROAD TO MEXICO
Why you should watch: There’s nothing like a bit of travel with your food. Rick Stein may not be as cool as Anthony Bourdain, but he knows his food and the those who serve up the best dishes. In 1968 the young Rick travelled down the Pacific Coast Highway to the Mexican border and beyond. 50 years later he retraces his steps from San Francisco to Mexico enjoying unique dishes and meeting chefs.
Director: BEN SOUTHWELL, DAVID PRITCHARD
Cast: RICK STEIN
THE CHANGE
Why you should watch: This series will definitely appeal to women of a certain age. Bridget Christie has written a hilarious comedy, in which she also stars, where 50-year-old Linda is driven to the limit by her own family. Convinced she’s got early onset dementia, Linda’s GP informs her it is, in fact, the menopause. Feeling empowered by this information, Linda decides to claw back some of the time she’s spent doing ‘invisible work’ over the years to do something for herself. Dusting off her old Triumph motorbike that she hasn’t ridden in 30 years, Linda sets off alone to the spectacular wilderness of The Forest of Dean where she meets an array of eccentric locals. Monica Dolan and Susan Lynch steal the show as The Eel Sisters. A real tonic, if you’re in need of a good laugh
Director: AL CAMPBELL
Cast: BRIDGET CHRISTIE, MONICA DOLAN, SUSAN LYNCH, OMID DJALILI, TANYA MOODIE, JIM HOWICK, JEROME FLYNN, LIZA TARBUCK
WHILE THE MEN ARE AWAY
Why you should watch: A bit hit and miss at times, but still worth watching. The series explores life in a small town while the men are off fighting in World War II. Two Women’s Land Army recruits arrive in the country and undergo a course in race relations, rural politics, farming, spirituality, sexuality and personal growth. There are lots of, dare I say yet again, quirky caricatures and there are many subjects explored, although I’m not sure life was quite like this, but I guess there’s a lot going on in country towns under the radar.
Director: ELISSA DOWN, MONICA ZANETTI
Cast: MICHELA DE ROSSI, JANA ZVEDENIUK, MAGGIE MCKENNA, PHOEBE GRAINER, MATT TESTRO, SHAKA COOK, BENEDICT HARDIE.