THE WEEKEND IS kicking off – but what should you watch?

We’ve taken a look through what’s on offer and picked out series and movies to check out over the next three days on streaming and the telly. 

 The Shards 

Graham Campbell as Thom, Kaia Gerber as Susan, Igby Rigney as Bret,

It was probably inevitable that screen maximalist Ryan Murphy would end up adapting a Bret Easton Ellis novel. So here comes The Shards, a glossy series set in 1980s Los Angeles, about a group of privileged high school seniors at an elite prep school. In a metafictional twist, at the centre of the group is aspiring writer Bret (Igby Rigney), whose world is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious new student, Robert Mallory (Homer Gere). Robert’s appearance coincides with a serial killer called The Trawler killing teenagers across the city. Bret’s pals include Susan Reynolds (Kaia Gerber), Debbie Schaffer (Hayes Warner) and Thom Wright (Graham Campbell), and it’s not long before their world merges with speculation about the identity of The Trawler.

Streaming on Disney+ now.

Monsters of God

Missing Tiger King? This might fill the gap. Filmmaker Eric Goode explores the underworld of exotic animal smuggling, digging deep into the billion-dollar criminal enterprise where people regularly break laws and ethical codes. This series unfolds across a number of decades, and Goode was lucky to get access to everyone from traffickers to animal enthusiasts to federal agents. He looks at the behaviour of these people – and the impact of their actions on endangered species. 

Streaming on HBO Max now.

The Last House

Noah Alexander Sosnowski as Graham, Greta Lee as Ann, Riley Chung as Ruth and Wagner Moura as Jason in Hideaway Courtesy Netflix Courtesy Netflix

If you enjoy a dystopian thriller like Leave the World Behind or Knock at the Cabin, give The Last House a spin. It stars the great Greta Lee (Past Lives) and Oscar-nominated Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent), so even if the story ends up being a bit hokey, you’re in good hands acting wise. This is about a family of four who discover they are suddenly sealed inside their home with no way out. Can they discover why, and escape?  

Streaming on Netflix now.

Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso

They thought it was all over… it is now. Yes, Ted Lasso is back for a fourth and (it appears) final season, and this time the cheery American played by Jason Sudeikas is coaching AFC Richmond’s female football team. Expect some familiar faces to pop up, but this will see Lasso on some unfamiliar ground. Read more about it in our Best of the Box guide. 

Streaming on Apple TV now.

One Hundred Years of Solitude

One Hundred Years of Solitude

This Colombian series, based on the Gabriel García Márquez novel, first started airing across eight episodes in 2024. Now comes its second part – with the finale due on 26 August. It’s the fictional story of the Buendía family across multiple generations. The family’s patriarch, José Arcadio Buendía, founded the town of Macondo, where lots of unusual events take place. When we return to the story, an armistice has been signed but peace still does not reach Macondo.  

Streaming on Netflix now.