Pick of the week: Killer magic
SVT1, Tue 22:30
If sleight of hand is your thing, Killer Magic is the show for you. This British series features a group of five young magicians who compete for glory by having each other rate their best tricks. The loser then faces the daunting task of having to successfully complete a ‘killer trick’ – the kind that’s actually killed magicians dead in the past.
The killer trick is the show’s main pull – but it’s no joke. “It was genuinely terrifying. That’s the most scared I’ve ever been,” said one of the contestants.
However, it’s had mixed reviews and has just 5.7 on IMDB. The main criticism is that there’s no real danger of any of the magicians actually dying, negating the ‘killer’ aspect of the show.
Still, if you’re fond of asking ‘how did he do that?” whilst not being too keen on watching a snuff series, you should tune in.
Also New
Of the three new series this week, two are dramas that work better as comedies, and the other is an Australian comedy with poignancy and honesty that most dramas can only dream of.
The mid-20s protagonist in Please Like Me has just split up with his girlfriend and realises he is gay. Writer and main star Josh Thomas, along with his team, were not willing to compromise on their vision on their four-year journey to bring the series to our TV screens, and it really pays off.
Gory viral epidemic thriller The Strain (3+, Fri 23:00) also has a strong visionary on board in the shape of Guillermo del Toro, but vampires! Really? Well, 72 on Metacritic suggests it’s not all bad.
Unlike Minority Report (3+, Fri 21:00), which could only be saved if Philip K Dick turned up on set as a vampire.
Elsewhere, we’ve got S2 of Jeg er ambassadøren fra Amerika (DR3, ep1: Sat 12:20, ep2: Tue 22:15), S2 of sci-fi series Extant (3+, Fri 22:00), S6 of The Walking Dead (DR3, Wed 22:30), S3 of British sitcom Miranda (SVT1, Sat 22:20) and S9 (they rebooted in 2005) of Dr Who (DR3, Fri 20:00 or Sat 18:30); Verdi’s Requiem (DRK, Tue 22:30) is performed at Milan’s La Scala; and the new docs include Peru the new king of cocaine (DR3, Sat 17:00) and Frontline Fighting: Battling ISIS (DR3, Mon 20:45). (BH)
Coming Soon: Casual
Not everything on TV this autumn is crap. Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) proves he’s as good on the ground, bringing us a hilarious comedy about casual sex that has notched up a 77 on Metacritic.
Valerie (Michaela Watkins), a recent divorcee, and her sexually active teenage daughter are living at her younger brother’s place. Loneliness or ‘peer pressure’ drive her back onto the dating scene, where every new encounter is more ridiculous than the last.
You may find it a little depressing, sad or even cynical. But whether you’ve been in the same shoes before or not, it’s guaranteed you’ll laugh your socks off. (EN)
Sport of the week
It keeps on getting better for US sports fans. This week there are seven early-hours NHL games (TV3 Sport 1: Mon, Wed and Thu and TV3 Sport 2: Fri, Sat, Mon and Tue), three NBA games (Zulu, Tue-Thu 01:00) and an eleven-hour NFL marathon (3+, Sun 18:00). And don’t forget F1’s US Grand Prix. Elsewhere, the Rugby World Cup continues at the Globe (Sat-Sun Rugby World Cup semi-finals). (BH)
Film of the week
Even when Quentin Tarantino lets his standards slip, and Django Unchained is 20 minutes too long, it’s way better than most Hollywood dross. A standout Jennifer Lawrence performance in Winter’s Bone (SVT1, Sat 00:40), James McAvoy in psychological thriller Trance and Jamie Bell in quirky headscratcher The Chumscrubber complete a strong week. (BH)
