NewsBank (Signal)

As Euphoria returns with vapid and dull storylines, The Observer’s Barbara Ellen wonders how Sam Levinson’s magnificent show about waster teenagers became such a waste of major talent.

As the fifth and final season of The Boys ramps up, Karl Urban — one of its two Kiwi leads — tells RNZ the stakes have never been higher.

Bruce Miller’s latest Margaret Atwood adaptation, The Testaments, is less a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale and more a watered-down young adult companion piece, Barbara Ellen, of The Observer, writes.

In Jack Thorne’s thrilling recent adaptation of Lord of the Flies, the hardening faces of boys acting as men feel drawn from the present day. Plus, Lisa McGee recaptures wasted youth in How to Get To Heaven from Belfast, writes The Observer’s Olivia Ovenden.

In a landscape crowded with breeches, bonnets and bodices, The Other Bennet Sister feels like Bridgerton without the budget, The Observer’s Barbara Ellen writes.

Jack Whitehall: a ‘‘nepo baby’’ who spawned ‘‘nepo parents’’. ‘‘They became famous off the back of me, so it’s kind of evened it out,’’ the British comedian tells RNZ.

KarlPuschmann takes a look at how the fight between Netflix and Paramount for ownership of Warner Bros will affect Kiwis.

A couple of compelling documentaries, a local show starring TomSainsbury and the return of an old favourite are TV highlights this month, writes Karl Puschmann.

Ryan Murphy is back on familiar territory in the beyond-camp satire of beauty standards — The Beauty, starring exploding supermodels, The Observer’s Barbara Eden reports.

The astonishing financial drama Industry, back for a fourth season, gives you more bang for your buck than almost any other show on television, reckons The Observer’s Barbara Eden.

We will get fresh seasons of favourites and see classics make a comeback, but there are shows in 2026 you might not have even heard of yet that you will want to watch, Karl Puschmann writes.

Is The Night Manager still the best of the television spy genre? Ten years after its acclaimed initial outing, the series returns after Slow Horses revolutionised the format — but the BBC show remains sharp, writes The Observer’s Barbara Eden.

RNZ’s Dan Slevin talks to James Cameron ahead of this week’s release of his latest chapter in the Avatar saga, Avatar: Fire and Ash.

BBC show Prisoner 951, powered by fury and resilience, takes viewers on a British charity worker’s harrowing journey, writes The Observer’s Barbara Ellen.

Rotorua’s own Jordi Webber talks to RNZ about his role as the arrogant but loving Tarchon in the NZ-filmed series Spartacus: House of Ashur.

As Jenny-May Clarkson signs off from TVNZ, she talks to RNZ about the cost of those pre-dawn years and the strength she felt from her late father as she prepared to step away.

Temuera Morrison talks travelling the world to check out different cultural food traditions for documentary series Earth Oven.

The Observer’s Barbara Ellen checks out Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan’s much-anticipated new show Pluribus and finds high-concept, low-speed science fiction.

New Zealand contestants will be facing The Governess and The Supernerd on The Chase New Zealand, hosted by Paul Henry, which premiered last night on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+.

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham gets candid about an eating disorder, being a Wag and her fashion career, MaliaMendez of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Boots is a timely, if predictable, series depicting the struggles of gay Marines in the ’90s, Robert Lloyd, of the Los Angeles Times, writes.

New Zealand comedian Guy Williams talks to RNZ about finding success with his unusual approach and tough times for journalism.

Adam Gerace looks at why it can be so hard to say goodbye at the conclusion of our favourite shows.

House of Guinness is loose on historical facts, but like a pint, you may cosy up to it, Robert Lloyd writes.

Jason Bateman and Jude Law star as a screwed-up Cain and Abel in Black Rabbit, a sluggish, bloated crime drama that can’t seem to quite cohere into anything, writes Barbara Ellen.

Mark Ruffalo carries Task, a laboured follow-up to Mare of Easttown, writes The Observer’s Barbara Ellen.

The United States mockumentary series about a local newspaper has echoes of The Office, writes Barbara Ellen.

The BBC’s Battle of Hastings drama King & Conqueror is more 1970s than 11th century, writes Barbara Ellen.

Alien: Earth is a prequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic that delves into complex themes of AI ethics, technocapitalism and the consequences of immortality, writes Barbara Ellen.

Forever Auckland FC — a new Sky Open show about the new A-League team’s epic first season — will appeal to fans of Ted Lasso, says producer Dame Julie Christie.