What we're watching

In our weekly newsletter we often mention a show that we've loved. Rather than trying to search back through newsletters to find a one that we recommended, we thought we should put them all in one place. Pop back when you need a new series and have a browse! And let us know if there's a show, movie or series that you love too.

A group of podcasters set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in a quiet Irish seaside town. But when they start to pull the strings, they find a story much bigger and stranger than they could have imagined. So what, exactly, did happen two decades ago in Bodkin? And how in the world are yoga-teaching nuns, Interpol, smugglers, a sunken car, and a whole lot of eels involved? 

If you're a foodie who loves a bit of armchair travel, then you'll also love Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. There are two seasons of this delightful series in which Stanley travels the length and breadth of Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the country's regional cuisines. You can find it on SBS on Demand.

Greg and I binged the early US series of Alone a couple of years ago and we've just got the kids watching them too - we're currently in the middle of Season 9 and still waiting for the polar bears to make an appearance! We tried the first episode of Alone Australia and didn't like it quite so much - you really can't get too scared of a possum in the tree above. Not like a black bear or temperatures down to -20C and lower! But people tell me to keep going as it gets better. If you haven't watched any of them yet, each series they drop 10 people into the wilderness by themselves, each in a different isolated location. They have to survive as long as they can, not knowing how many people have given up. The last one still there wins. I love to see how resourceful people can be in such intense situations and what people really need to survive. 

Okay it's all bursting bodices, dashing gents and smoldering looks... but I'm here for it! Bridgerton is back! and Series 3 has us following the fortunes of the Ton with our favourite wallflower (and secret scribe) Penelope and her longtime crush Colin stepping into the spotlight. Will he finally notice her?? Who can resist?!

Bodies is one of the best shows I've watched this year. A mix of sci-fi, time travel and murder mystery, it's right up my alley. With four timelines and the same body which appears in them all, you'll be riveted.

I started watching The Veil last weekend. Starring Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men and The Handmaid's Tale), this story follows the relationship between two women playing a deadly game of truth and lies. One woman has a secret, and the other has a mission to reveal it before thousand of lives are lost. One not to be missed.

It's time to go back to Diddly Squat Farm in the beautiful English Cotswolds for Season 3 of Clarkson's Farm (and this time there's Diddly Pigglys!) Of course if you've watched the previous two seasons you'll know nothing ever goes to plan on this 1000 acre farm. Jeremy Clakson is a journalist, a broadcaster and Britain's most unlikely farmer. The series follows the intense, arduous and frequently hilarious day-to-day life on the farm including unhelpful weather, disobedient animals, unresponsive crops and unexpected challenges. All of which makes for compelling viewing. Interestingly it also shines a light on the difficult and demanding life of the modern farmer.

Of late I've been enjoying a mixture of offerings from streaming platforms.

I read the book 'All the Light You Cannot See' when I was crocheting the d'Histoire Naturelle blanket CAL back in 2020 and found the book to be intensely moving. The drama miniseries released by Netflix is an adaptation of the book set in France during World War II. The story follows Maria, a blind French girl and Werner, a young German soldier as their worlds collide in the final days of the war. This is an emotional story filled with both tragedy and inspiration.

I know I'm coming late to the party with Grey's Anatomy but I confess I must have been one of the few to have never watched an episode of this long-running and award-winning series. Disney+ has recently released the entire 21 seasons and of course I had to start from the beginning! So far I'm enjoying getting to know the new surgical interns at Seattle's Grace Hospital. This medical drama is infused with enough humour and characters to add a touch of lightness to life in a hospital, making it an enjoyable backdrop to sweater knitting! And of course there's always Dr McDreamy...