Welcome to what to watch, the place we take you thru what’s on the field in April.
This month is chock filled with new-season premieres, from a two-handed comedy from Anne Edmonds and Kitty Flanagan, to a extremely anticipated sitcom reboot, and the latest drama from the creator of Baby Reindeer.
Here’s what we’re watching this month.
The Audacity
Billy Magnussen nails the transient as sociopathic tech luminary Duncan Park. (Supplied: SBSonDemand)
What’s it about? Silicon Valley CEO Duncan Park (Billy Magnussen) desires you to suppose he has all the pieces below management. But proper from the get-go of this techy new drama from Succession author Jonathan Glatzer, it’s totally obvious Park is flailing wildly.
After leaking rumours of his personal knowledge firm’s acquisition, the consumers are backing out, leaving Duncan bug-eyed and determined to maintain his inventory worth excessive. He ruthlessly badgers everybody in his privileged circle for a approach out, however none extra so than his “performance psychologist” Joanne Felder (Sarah Goldberg), as he virtually begs Silicon Valley’s most in-demand shrink to coddle him and say it is gonna be OK.
Of course it isn’t all going to be OK. The Audacity comes in an extended line of satirical dramas poking enjoyable at society’s richest, and most deranged characters. Moving the Succession-esque motion from New York media to the tech centre of the United States offers ample alternative to snort on the petulant toddlers that sadly have entry to all of your private knowledge.
After her beautiful flip in Barry, it is wonderful to see Goldberg’s gentle sliminess as soon as extra and Zach Galifianakis drops by to do some killer deadpan work, however Magnussen’s frazzled, frantic CEO rightly steals the very dirty highlight.
Perfect for: Anyone with a Succession-shaped gap in their hearts
Where to watch: The Audacity will stream from April 15 on SBS On Demand
Bad Company
Fisk’s Kitty Flanagan and Anne Edmonds go head to head in Bad Company. (Supplied: ABC)
What’s it about? If you may think about an argument between the creative proper half and the logical left half of a human mind then you might be about midway to Bad Company, the newest sitcom from AACTA award-winning comic Anne Edmonds.
Edmonds performs Margie Argyle, the nepotistic artistic director of The Argyle Theatre, which was began by her father and has been happening the gurgler for the reason that previous man was in cost. Verging on monetary spoil and exasperated by Margie’s on a regular basis theatrics, The Argyle’s board installs no-nonsense CEO Julia McNamara (Kitty Flanagan) to flip the flailing theatre round.
Written by Edmonds, there are twinges of her breakthrough character Helen Bidou in Margie — particularly when she’s forcing her workers right into a respiration train or touting her personal creative achievements. Crisp as a freshly ironed sheet, Flanagan offers the flip facet of Margie’s coin with hopes that her straight-laced finance #girlboss can let her hair down earlier than the season’s finish.
Caught in the crosshairs of Margie and Julia’s warfare is a hilariously understated supporting solid, together with Cameron James as a flop-sweaty advertising supervisor and comic Angella Dravid as a deliciously deadpan costumer.
Perfect for: Those who need to watch two Australian comedians on the high of their video games
Where to watch: Bad Company will stream on ABC iview from April 26
Half Man
Jamie Bell and Richard Gadd have some demons to work via in Half Man. (Supplied: Stan)
What’s it about? In 2024, comic Richard Gadd broke out of the stand-up scene together with his dark drama Baby Reindeer, based mostly partly on his real-life expertise with a stalker. The Netflix sequence was a sleeper hit, breaking international viewing data and sending superfans on a twisted mission to discover the actual people who impressed the characters on the present.
Baby Reindeer would possibly nonetheless be caught up in a legal battle based mostly on the definition of “true story”, however Gadd is pushing on together with his subsequent venture, this time a piece of pure fiction known as Half Man.
The six-part sequence is a two-hander between Gadd as Ruben, the jacked surrogate older brother to meek Niall (Jamie Bell). Flashbacks reveal the boys had been as thick as thieves in their youth, however when Ruben turns up to Niall’s marriage ceremony a long time after college, each males are thrown again into their tumultuous connection.
Gadd has said he did not write Half Man with the manosphere in thoughts, somewhat lasering in on a relationship between two males and their shared sense of masculinity.
Perfect for: People who need a story with heft.
Where to watch: Half Man will stream on Stan from April 24
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
Almost the entire unique solid of Malcolm in the Middle seems in the twentieth reunion particular. (Getty: Theo Wargo)
What’s it about? It’s the 12 months of the tv reboot and subsequent on the chopping block is Malcolm in the Middle, the scruffy early-2000s household comedy.
It’s been 20 years and short-fused genius Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) has lastly discovered how to not freak out whereas round his giant, loud household by avoiding them in individual fully. He’s even stored his teenage child Leah (Keeley Karsten) a secret from the household brood. But when his mother and father Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) insist he attends their fortieth anniversary social gathering, going as far to go to Malcolm unannounced, his elaborate ruse unravels.
With practically all of the solid returning, apart from Erik Per Sullivan, the unique Dewey who declined to return to deal with academia (respect), the present falls again into its snug vibe very simply. Cranston and Kaczmarek stay the MVPs for his or her heightened, bodily comedic performances.
Don’t go into Life’s Still Unfair anticipating a Scrubs-style story pickup; the 4 half-hour episodes go away the sensation of extra of an elongated reunion than any form of sequence continuation — however generally that is all you want.
Perfect for: Indulging in slightly smooth-brain nostalgia
Where to watch: Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is streaming on Disney+ now
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Margo finds an out-of-this-world approach to help her child. (Supplied: Apple TV+)
What’s it about? All hail Elle Fanning, the patron saint of chameleon appearing! She’s slipped into all the pieces from a Russian queen to a legless android and now she’s Margo, who has cash troubles.
The troubles stem from the actual fact she entered into a bootleg relationship along with her married faculty literature professor, which resulted in a child boy who requires much more cash for repairs than a 20-something waitress can present. With her mom (Michelle Pfeiffer), an ex-Hooters waitress who had Margo by herself at a younger age, solely in a position to present minimal help, and her lit instructor going full radio silence it is up to Margo to work out how to present for herself and her bub.
Just about when it seems to be like the top of the street, Margo’s estranged, ex-wrestler father Jinx (Nick Offerman) rolls again into city, prepared to be the daddy he by no means was. It’s her roommate’s thought to begin moving into on-line “modelling” in order to make more cash, which leads to Margo spinning up an arty OnlyFans-style profession.
Executive produced by Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman, maintain an eye fixed out for the latter as a wrestler from Jinx’s previous — full with sparkly spandex costume and unique Australian accent!
Perfect for: Feeling slightly bit higher about your present predicament
Where to watch: Margo’s Got Money Troubles streams on Apple TV from April 15
