{"id":98648,"date":"2025-10-24T13:07:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T13:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/98648\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T13:07:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T13:07:09","slug":"the-5-best-tv-shows-and-films-to-watch-this-weekend-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/98648\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 best TV shows and films to watch this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The nights are drawing in and the clocks go back this weekend, so we all get an extra hour in bed \u2014 or if you think about it a different way, we all get an extra hour to watch TV on the sofa. But what should we watch? <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">This week we have a veritable on-screen smorgasbord from which to choose, including a moody psychological New Zealand-set drama, a heart-warming comedy narrated by Julia Roberts, an apocalyptic political thriller with Idris Elba as the US president, and a Harlen Coben supernatural horror that will keep us guessing. <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u2022 Looking for more recommendations from our critics? Visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/culture\/tv-radio\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">television homepage<\/a> for the latest reviews, features and interviews, and read our comprehensive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/culture\/tv-radio\/article\/tv-guide-uk-g2wrw85r3\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">TV listings guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Here\u2019s your curated watchlist \u2026<\/p>\n<p>A House of Dynamite<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Netflix<br \/>Just a few weeks after Kathryn Bigelow\u2019s apocalyptic political thriller was in cinemas, the feel-bad film arrives on the small screen. Its ensemble cast includes Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Jared Harris and Greta Lee and it follows Elba\u2019s US president and his officials as they scramble to react to a nuclear missile of \u201cindeterminate origin\u201d heading for Chicago with 19 minutes to impact. The film builds tension cleverly, as viewers see this terrifying countdown three times from three different perspectives. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/culture\/film\/article\/a-house-of-dynamite-review-kathryn-bigelow-zmx5g0g3x\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read our full review here<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>The Ridge<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">BBC iPlayer<br \/>Lauren Lyle stars as Mia, a troubled Scottish doctor who travels across the world to New Zealand to attend her estranged sister\u2019s wedding, only to find that her sister is dead. Thrown into a small community where everyone is interconnected, Mia must fight grief and loss while attempting to work out what happened to her sister. Set against the moody backdrop of the beautiful New Zealand countryside, this is a new take on noir that will draw you into a tantalising mystery. <\/p>\n<p>Harlen Coben\u2019s Lazarus<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Prime Video<br \/>If you\u2019re looking for an engaging and entertaining drama which treads a fine line between gothic and melodramatic, this latest show from Harlen Coben may be just the weekend binge you seek. Starring Bill Nighy as Dr Jonathan Lazarus, an eminent psychiatrist who is found dead by suicide, and Sam Claflin as his son, Joel, who believes there is more to his father\u2019s demise, this horror unfolds with all the twists, turns and elaborate plot devices needed to provide a classic Coben rollercoaster ride.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody Wants This<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Netflix<br \/>A rabbi and an agnostic sex podcaster walk into a bar. No, not the start of a bad joke, but the premise of a great comedy which returns this week with Adam Brody and Kristen Bell\u2019s electric chemistry at the forefront. If you missed the first season of this quirky rom-com, catch up first before you find out what happens when their relationship moves to the next level, and their lives intersect even further. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Leonard and Hungry Paul looking at their phones.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\/fc35ba48-30b4-45a6-92cf-bb2a2df14bef.jpg\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Alex Lawther and Laurie Kynaston in Leonard and Hungry Paul<\/p>\n<p>BBC \/ SUBOTICA<\/p>\n<p>Leonard and Hungry Paul<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">BBC iPlayer<br \/>A gentle and heart-warming comedy based on the Irish writer R\u00f3n\u00e1n Hession\u2019s book of the same name, this unassuming show has one glitzy element you may not be expecting: it\u2019s narrated by Julia Roberts. Yes, that Julia Roberts. It\u2019s a quiet study of two lives, concentrating not on the flashy things and disasters that most shows address, but the nuanced and uncelebrated moments that make us human. It\u2019s a world you\u2019ll want to discover. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/culture\/tv-radio\/article\/leonard-and-hungry-paul-review-julia-roberts-lqz3hwzpb\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read our full review here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"last-paragraph\" class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Love TV? Discover the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/best-netflix-tv-bqp8b5v03\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">best shows on Netflix<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/best-amazon-prime-video-tv-28pxmgnp3\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">best Prime Video TV shows<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/best-disney-plus-shows-ccmfzhqp9\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">best Disney+ shows<\/a> , the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/best-apple-tv-shows-sq6kh3hc3\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">best Apple TV+ shows<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/best-iplayer-tv-shows-jtn2x9k2v\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">best shows on BBC iPlayer<\/a> , the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/best-sky-now-tv-kjzpw629q\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">best shows on Sky and Now<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/best-free-shows-itvx-3f99gh9fk\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">best shows on ITVX<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/best-shows-channel-4-ncz8gsscz\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">best shows on Channel 4<\/a> streaming, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/the-20-best-shows-on-paramount-0l36q6n8w\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">best shows on Paramount+<\/a> and our favourite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/the-best-hidden-gem-tv-shows-on-netflix-prime-disney-appletv-and-beyond-trh2frqcb\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">hidden gem TV shows<\/a>. Don\u2019t forget to check our comprehensive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/tv-guide-uk-g2wrw85r3\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">TV guide<\/a> for the latest listings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The nights are drawing in and the clocks go back this weekend, so we all get an extra&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":98649,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[156,111,139,69,437],"class_list":{"0":"post-98648","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-newzealand","11":"tag-nz","12":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}