The Mandalorian
From Wednesday, March 1st, Disney+
The first – and still the best – of the live-action Star Wars spin-offs, The Mandalorian has established itself firmly as a fan favourite, and Baby Yoda, aka Grogu, is a top meme. In season three, Mando (Pedro Pascal) is seeking forgiveness for past transgressions (taking off his helmet – gasp), while rumour has it that Grogu is learning the way of the Jedi from the best teacher in the galaxy – Luke Skywalker.
The Problem with Jon Stewart
From Friday, March 3rd, Apple TV+
Jon Stewart, the US talkshow host, is not lacking in ambition, and his Apple TV+ series sees him tackling some big topics with help from experts, stakeholders and activists. The second season ramps up the analysis and investigation as Stewart looks at American defence spending, the United States’ gun fetish, prison conditions, inflation, global warming and the rise of fascism. Stewart promises to dig deep to uncover some uncomfortable truths – but he’ll also be coming up with some comedic nuggets along the way. The companion podcast continues the conversation started in each episode.
Daisy Jones & the Six
From Friday, March 3rd, Prime Video
The 1970s was the golden age of rock’n’roll excess, when private jets, fashionable drug problems and complicated relationships were all part of the entourage. This new musical drama series, based on the best-selling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid (and featuring original tunes), tells the story of the fictional band and the friction that follows as they top the charts and hit the stratosphere. It’s a little bit Almost Famous, a smidgen A Star Is Born and a big dollop of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. Riley Keough plays the lead singer, Daisy, with Sam Clafin as her cosinger, Billy Dunne, whose relationship is more highly charged than the Hollywood Bowl’s PA system.
[ Daisy Jones & the Six: ‘It felt good, yeah. I mean, not as good as cocaine’Opens in new window ]
Real Madrid: Until the End
From Friday, March 10th, Apple TV+
“This is no ordinary club, this is Real Madrid,” David Beckham declares in the trailer for this new documentary following the club through their redemptive 2021-22 season, when they defied the odds to revive the magic on the pitch, snatch surprise victories and, ultimately, win their 14th Champions League title. Becks, who played for Real from 2003 to 2007, introduces this three-part series, which promises drama, tension and, of course, world-class soccer.
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Ted Lasso
From Wednesday, March 15th, Apple TV+
Jason Sudeikis has turned Ted Lasso into one of TV’s most iconic characters – up there with Walter White and Don Draper – and he’s back for a third season as the hapless American football coach taking on the task of leading an ailing English soccer squad out of the relegation zone. Season three sees AFC Richmond facing up to some heavy losses, but Lasso has a solution: write the word “believe” on a piece of paper and stick it up in the dressingroom. That oughta do it. Meanwhile, Nate (Nick Mohammad) is not settling in to his new coaching role at West Ham. There are hints that this could be the final whistle for Ted Lasso, but don’t bet on it.
Shadow & Bone
From Thursday, March 16th, Netflix
Are you ready to return to the Grishaverse? Better have all your wits about you, because things are getting pretty weird in this second series of the Netflix fantasy drama. Season two finds Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) on the run from General Krigan and his barmy army of shadow monsters. What Alina needs now is to locate two mythical creatures that will give her the power to resist the onslaught of the Shadow Fold – but where do you go to find mythical creatures? It’s not as if there’s a mythical-creature pet shop on the high street. We’re promised new romances, bigger battles, epic battles and a shocking secret revealed.
Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with David Letterman
From Friday, March 17th, Disney+
To celebrate St Patrick’s Day, Bono and the Edge, from U2, invite the beardy TV presenter David Letterman on his first visit to their hometown of Dublin for a bit of ceol and craic, but no paddywhackery, in this Disney special made by the award-winning director Morgan Neville. Who better than the Youies to show Letterman a good time in the capital? The pair will be taking their guest through the making of Songs of Surrender, their new LP of reworked U2 classics, and it will all end in a musical lock-in featuring Glen Hansard, Imelda May, Dermot Kennedy, Loah, Saint Sister, Markéta Irglová and, from Fontaines DC, Grian Chatten.
Class of ’07
From Friday, March 17th, Prime Video
High-school reunions can be fraught affairs: you have to convince your former classmates you’re not a loser and be nice to the bitchy prom queen while avoiding the class geek who still thinks he’s in with a chance of a snog. This Australian apocalyptic comedy takes the high-school-reunion fear to a new level: at a 10-year reunion for Ridge Heights girls’ school, a tidal wave turns the entire school into a desert island, and the girls must stop being horrid to each other in order to survive. Good luck with that.
The Big Door Prize
From Wednesday, March 29th, Apple TV+
Chris O’Dowd stars in this new sci-fi-ish comedy series, based on the best-selling novel by MO Walsh, about a mysterious slot machine named Morpho that suddenly appears in the local store of a small town in Louisiana. Insert your coin and put your hand on the touchscreen, and Morpho will cough out an envelope revealing your true life potential. O’Dowd plays Dusty, a dad going through a midlife crisis, so he’s tempted to give the machine a go – and it’s not long before every caterpillar in town is queuing up to become a butterfly. Could there be a downside to all this instant wish fulfilment?
The Power
From Friday, March 31st, Amazon Prime
Toni Collette and John Leguizamo are among the starry cast in this new series about young women’s empowerment. That’s a good thing, isn’t it? Not necessarily. When teenage girls around the globe start displaying strange electrical powers, the balance of power in the world is quickly upended. As their power grows, these teens realise they can destroy anyone and anything with a bolt of electricity. Soon, parents, teachers, shop assistants and other authority figures are trembling before their kilowatt power, and toxic males everywhere are bolting for cover. It might be a bit of a clunky metaphor, but it makes for a supercharged comedy drama.
