Pick of the week
The Pitt
The anticipation around The Pitt has been feverish. And finally, as HBO Max launches, British viewers can dive in, with season one available to binge. But does it live up to the hype? Absolutely. On the face of it, The Pitt is a standard medical drama whose real-time format suggests ER meets 24. But the show’s energy makes it irresistible. As Noah Wyle’s laconic doctor Michael Robinavitch begins a shift, he and his team encounter everything from an elderly man whose children refuse to let him die peacefully to a kid who has swallowed cannabis gummies. Longer story arcs (including lingering Covid trauma) loom in the background but the moment-by-moment action grips instantly and never lets up.
HBO Max, from Thursday 26 March
BaitShaken, not stirred … Guz Khan and Riz Ahmed in Bait. Photograph: Amazon MGM Studios
Shah Latif (Riz Ahmed, the star and creator) is a struggling actor who has secured – and then blown – an audition to become the next James Bond. But just as everything has fallen apart, he’s mistaken for Dev Patel on the street, the incident goes viral and a second chance beckons. What unfolds is a darkly comic farce exploring family loyalty, culture war hysteria and British Muslim identity. Not every point lands but it’s an ambitious attempt to examine the internalised effects of racism. The cast includes Guz Khan and Patrick Stewart voicing an (imaginary) podcast host living rent-free in Shah’s fevered brain.
Prime Video, from Wednesday 25 March
BTS: The Comeback LiveAll singing … BTS performing in Seoul in 2022. Photograph: Yonhap Handout/EPA
Briefly, everything went quiet in the world of gigantic Korean boyband BTS. The group went on hiatus in 2022 to pursue solo projects and complete their compulsory military service. Now, creative wings stretched and patriotic duty done, they’re back. This performance will be broadcast live from Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul and will see the lads launch their hotly anticipated new album Arirang (the title is a reference to a famous Korean folk song) and play a few old hits into the bargain. There’s also a behind-the-scenes documentary on Friday.
Netflix, out now
Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary SpecialEarly days … Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana: The Movie. Photograph: Alamy
For many viewers, this mildly bizarre, identity-blurring tweenage staple was an era-defining show. And now, Hannah Montana – which starred Miley Cyrus as Miley Stewart, a teen girl living a double life as a pop singer – returns, after a fashion, for a 20th-anniversary special. Don’t expect a narrative continuation but, instead, a celebration of the show’s world, taking place before an excitable live studio audience and featuring a recreation of Hannah Montana’s original set, a selection of unseen clips and an interview with Cyrus by podcaster Alex Cooper.
Disney+, from Tuesday 24 March
Heartbreak HighMeans pranks … Asher Yasbincek and Ayesha Madon in Heartbreak High. Photograph: Netflix
It’s Muck Up day at Hartley High which, as any Australian child knows, means pranks, hijinks and, as is the case here, behaviour straddling the line between unruliness and criminality. It also means the kids are nearly at the end of their time at school; this third series of the teen comedy drama is the last. Still, there’s plenty of time for things to go wrong – big, agonising decisions are on the horizon. As ever, Heartbreak High is admirably unapologetic in its approach to issues around gender and sexuality so expect a satisfying extended climax.
Netflix, from Wednesday 25 March
Something Very Bad Is Going to HappenCamila Morrone as Rachel Harkin in Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. Photograph: Netflix
Planning an intimate wedding in a cabin in the woods – what could possibly go wrong? Think Meet the Parents reimagined as a gothic nightmare in this eight-part horror executive produced by the Duffer brothers. Nicky (Adam DiMarco) and Rachel (Camila Morrone) travel into the wilderness to meet Nicky’s family. But nothing can prepare Rachel for the in-laws who haunt an odd, expansive yet claustrophobic house in which nothing is quite as it seems. Soon, Nicky is having second thoughts about everything. Expect to feel every bit as disorientated as her.
Netflix, from Thursday 26 March
For All MankindSean Kaufman in For All Mankind. Photograph: Apple
This counterfactual sci-fi which imagines a world in which the space race never ended is a slow-burn triumph, even if its view of human nature feels increasingly bleak. As season five begins, the Happy Valley colony is now thriving but, sadly, that only means one thing: conflict. In this case, with the leaders of Earth who are threatening to withhold practical support from the Red Planet unless loyalty is established. This poses an existential question for the long-term Mars dwellers: where, at this point, do they truly belong? Smart and compelling.
Apple TV, from Friday 27 March