What to stream this weekend: 13-14 Jan 2024

I’m not wild about UK crime procedurals. Many are very well made with great performances, but so many of them are too tonally similar for me to feel like I’m getting anything new out of it. I appreciate for some viewers, that’s the draw.

This week UK drama Silent Witness launched its 10-episode season 27. That show launched back in 1996 and has cranked out 236 episodes to date. I have never watched it. Am I missing out?

Something I have seen is UK Apple TV+ drama Criminal Record. It has a very generic name, generic opening title sequence, and a plot that is, well, we’re treading familiar water. Where the show is elevated is with the two compelling leads: Cush Jumbo (The Good Wife, The Good Fight) and Peter Capaldi (The Thick of It and, memorably, there was his role as WHO Doctor). The show has been praised by some critics for its thematic interest in race and gender inequity, which will be a draw for some viewers. I feel both are handled more interesting with a more masterful subtlety in the revived True Detective, which viewers will see back on screen in a few days time.

On a different note, I did see a few episodes of Ted, the TV series prequel to the movies. I don’t understand why they bothered making this a prequel as its main interest seems to be tackling modern concerns about wokeness gone too far. Why not just do this as a reboot, setting it in the modern day? At least then it can be unfunny while having something relevant to say.

Actually, that’s unfair - there are a few good jokes in Ted, but they are too far and few between to bother with it.