Every few weeks I do a little round up of the TV programmes that have currently got my attention. I am one of those people who likes to watch an episode or two each week rather than binge watching a whole series. From documentaries to comedies, dramas to thrillers, I have plenty of shows that currently take up my evenings.
Today I wanted to talk about three that entertain me in different ways. One is a discussion programme all about books. Another is a YA series set in the beautiful Austrian ski resort of Kitzbuhel. The third is another thriller from the makers of ‘The Stranger.’
Between the Covers (BBC Two/ BBC iPlayer)
Now in its third series, this BBC show is presented by the brilliant Sara Cox (of Radio 1 and 2 fame) and involves four celebrities discussing recently released books. Each week there is a featured new release which they all have to read and the author does a little reel about why they wrote it. The chat is honest and lively, really examining the book and then going on to talk about each celebrity’s favourite book.
Sometimes the panel bring in older books too, such as The Lord of the Rings, for example. Sara is good as maintaining a fast pace, while ensuring each publication is analysed in terms of setting, character development and relevance. If you want some quick reviews of widely release books then this is a good reference point.
Kitz (Netflix)
I stumbled upon this series because Netflix makes suggestions based on previous choices and I often watch programmes filmed in Europe. Kitz came up as a glitzy YA story set in the snowy town of Kitzbuhel, a popular ski resort in central Austria. At first I assumed it was an American production but then I realised it was dubbed. The dubbing was pretty excellent and as soon as I started watching it I forgot that the characters’ lips were not in sync with the audio.
A girl’s brother drastically plummeted off a cliff in his car, on the way to meeting his rich girlfriend. After a year, his sister (Lisi) wanted to find out who this misleading aristocrat (Vanessa) was and got a job as a waitress at one of her extravagant parties. The series began with the premise that his sister wanted some kind of revenge.
While she got more entwined in the rich girl’s Instagram crazy lifestyle, her old friend Hans was having a fling with another millionaire’s son, Kosh, who happened to be Vanessa’s old chum. To make things even more interesting, Lisi started to feel attracted to Vanessa’s kind and arty boyfriend, Dominik.
It is hard to put this in a nutshell but the story is fast and lively, the settings are breath-taking and the drama feels compelling. It is difficult to make a story this dramatic and funny in equal measures but the writers have succeeded and I certainly now want to visit that ski resort at my earliest chance.
Stay Close (Netflix)
Harlen Coban has written some incredible stories and already entertained us with ‘The Stranger’ and ‘Safe’, which were both gritty Netflix thriller series. This new story is no exception to the rule. With a Stellar cast, including James Nesbitt (The Hobbit) and Jo Joyner as well as Richard Armitage, returning to a Coban from his role in ‘The Stranger’, this show is gripping from the word ‘Go’.
Immediately I recognised the backdrop of Blackpool, having been there again last summer myself. This narrative is all about a woman who has rebranded herself, having been a nightclub pole dancer called Cassie and now having a settled middle class family under the name of Megan. It is safe to say she isn’t proud of her past, and after a guy goes missing, her old friends come back to remind her of the old days. How will she shade her family from the troubles she attracted?
Without giving too much away, a brilliant scene-stealing role by Eddie Izzard introduces a solicitor who has always represented the Vipers Club dancers. He is now hooked on drugs and runs his business out of a pet store. He seems to know everybody, including the police officer obsessed with a disappearance which occurred several years earlier, on the same date as the guy who vanished. The connections to Cassie are riddled through the storyline.
These programmes are all brilliant in their own ways. The writing of Kitz and Stay Close is very good, convincing and easy to become fascinated by. Sara Cox plays host to a great discussion show about books and reading. I would totally recommend checking one or all of them out if you are looking for something different to watch on TV.
For my previous TV show recommendations click here. Thank you so much for reading my suggestions. If you enjoyed this post then perhaps consider following my blog to help me grow and develop as a blogger.
