Pick of the week
The Muppet Show<\/p>\n
The Muppet Show is top-tier nostalgia: it\u2019s likely that the parents of this one-off revival\u2019s target audience will be more excited about it than the kids of 2026. So there\u2019s a fine balance to be located and the question of exactly who this is aimed at is never quite resolved. Still, the anarchic energy of the gang<\/a> should transcend generational barriers. There\u2019s simmering beef between Miss Piggy and guest Sabrina Carpenter, cameos from Seth Rogen and Maya Rudolph, self-aware musical spoofs, snark from Statler and Waldorf and much more besides. If anything, the special tries to squeeze too much in, which is perhaps a hint that a new series might be the next logical and welcome step? Phil Harrison The Investigation of Lucy LetbyTroubling \u2026 The Investigation of Lucy Letby. Photograph: Netflix<\/p>\n Given the horror of the crimes for which she was convicted and the questions around the safety of that sentence, it\u2019s unlikely that we\u2019ll be short of documentaries about the Lucy Letby<\/a> case in the coming years. This film includes previously unseen footage of her arrest and questioning, but doesn\u2019t add a great deal to anyone\u2019s understanding of the charges against her. There\u2019s also a brisk summary of the uncertainties surrounding the case, including the lack of motive, the procedural issues at the hospital in question and the troubling question: if Lucy Letby didn\u2019t kill seven babies, why did they die? PH Mo Gilligan: In the MovementBrit in America \u2026 Mo Gilligan: In the Movement. Photograph: Matt Frost<\/p>\n Popular London comic Mo Gilligan<\/a> has decamped to the United States \u2013 and has been rewarded with his first Netflix standup special. As ever, it\u2019s solid if gentle observational comedy from Gilligan, honed during years of nicely judged red carpet and award ceremony banter. Over the course of the set, he makes the most of his new outsider status to ponder the experience of being a Brit in America, talks about the effect of fame on his family and explores the many manifestations of \u201cthe ick\u201d (gentlemen: never ever put on your T-shirt before your boxers). PH Is It Cake? ValentinesIrresistible \u2026 Mikey Day hosts Is It Cake? Valentines. Photograph: Netflix<\/p>\n In possibly the pinkest TV special ever made, the Is It Cake?<\/a> gang convene for a typically hysterical Valentine\u2019s Day celebration. As ever, the irrepressible Mikey Day presides over the whole absurd confection. The items rendered (or not?) in flour, eggs and icing (by a selection of real-life couples) include gigantic red lips, candles, chocolate boxes, romantic novels, bottles of wine and, inevitably, many cakey-breaky hearts. Like the treat at the show\u2019s centre, it\u2019s entirely without nutritional value but as part of a balanced diet extremely hard to resist. Queen of ChessGripping \u2026 Judit Polg\u00e1r, Susan Polg\u00e1r and Sofia Polg\u00e1r in Queen of Chess. Photograph: Netflix<\/p>\n This gripping documentary lands like a real-life version of The Queen\u2019s Gambit<\/a>, exploring the story of Judit Polg\u00e1r<\/a>, a Hungarian girl who dreamed of conquering the world of elite chess. The sexism she faced is remarkable \u2013 according to one interviewee, women lack both the logical reasoning and emotional restraint to excel. Polg\u00e1r\u2019s journey towards proving him wrong began when she broke into the world top 100 at the age of 12 and culminated in a 15-year battle against Garry Kasparov, which contained both game-playing innovation and huge controversy. Arctic CircleA taste for the bizarre \u2026 Kari Ketonen and Iina Kuustonen in Arctic Circle. Photograph: Channel 4<\/p>\n This Finnish show distinguishes itself from comparable crime dramas via its taste for the bizarre. The fourth season is a case in point: nothing as mundane as a serial killer here \u2013 instead, a mysterious series of deaths at a retirement home is eventually linked to an astronomical event that occurred two millennia previously. Once again, police chief Nina Kautsalo is charged with unravelling a baffling situation which expands to include space exploration, international terrorism, the revival of a religious sect and a visiting astrophysicist sticking his nose in. Finding Harmony:A King\u2019s VisionMaverick? \u2026 King Charles in the Arboretum at Highgrove House. Photograph: Millie Pilkington\/Buckingham Palace<\/p>\n
Disney+, from Wednesday 4 February<\/p>\n
Netflix, from Wednesday 4 February<\/p>\n
Netflix, from Tuesday 3 February<\/p>\n
Netflix, from Wednesday 4 February<\/p>\n
Netflix, from Friday 6 February<\/p>\n
Channel 4, from Friday 6 February<\/p>\n