THE WORLD CUP kicks off today and if you’re not a big fan of football, that’s not exactly music to your ears. Fear not though because we’re here to provide alternatives to the constant stream of football that will be blaring out of many TV stations.
While Love Island is a good go-to, we know that not EVERYONE actually enjoys Love Island so we will recommend more than just that. Here are 13 Netflix programmes that you should turn your attention to instead of caring about if England lose on penalties.
1. Maze
Tom Vaughn Lawlor stars in this true story about the escape of 38 IRA prisoners from Maze Prison 35 years ago. Tom plays Larry Marley who decides to try and use his prison warden Gordon to help him escape without Gordon realising. The tension lies in the fact that Gordon and Larry are on different sides of Northern Ireland’s political divide which adds intrigue to the whole thing.
It was nominated for 4 IFTAs and it’s got Tom Vaughan Lawlor in it so you know you’re onto a winner.
2. The Foreigner
Pierce Brosnan playing a man who looks extremely like Gerry Adams being followed around by Jackie Chan whose daughter was murdered by an IRA bomb. The story is wild and there’s a great fight scene set in a 2 floor B&B that somehow magically contains enough floors and staircases for a 6 floor B&B. Just watch it, I promise you you won’t regret it.
3. Evil Genius
If you love true crime then this bizarre 4 part documentary is for you. Brian Wells was a pizza delivery man who was murdered in rather odd circumstances in 2003. He went to rob a bank but had a neck brace strapped to him with a bomb.
He had to rob the bank and follow a series of clues to save his life. Ultimately he died trying to do it but the mystery went unsolved until 2007. Who came up for the idea for the bomb? Could Brian have saved his own life? Was he in on the whole thing? It’s a fascinating documentary into a complex crime that gripped America.
4. Money Heist (La Case De Papel)
A gang of thieves break into the Royal Spanish Mint in a bid to steal A LOT of money and take a lot of hostages while they’re at it. Each thief has their own special skill and a code name after a city such as Berlin. They’re led by a mysterious man called the Professor and must follow his plan to the letter as the Spanish police attempt to foil the plan and rescue the hostages but things get complicated when their intricate plan doesn’t come off.
The programme is in Spanish but you do have the option to watch it dubbed in English or with subtitles but it’s absolutely gripping. How and why did the Professor come up with the plan? Is everyone going to survive? Why is Berlin such a creep and will Tokyo and Rio’s relationship blossom or falter?
5. James Acaster: Repertoire
For those of you that are big Mock the Week fans, you’ll be pretty familiar with James Acaster. The eccentric comedian is known for his slightly odder but also hilarious takes on the world including his struggles to buy a Christmas tree.
Repertoire is a 4 part collection of some of his stand up and is well worth watching over an evening or two should you need a laugh.
6. Mindhunter
Ever wondered how serial killer became a term? Mindhunter is based on a book of the same name which documented the creation of the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit. Holden Ford and Bill Trench start up the first Behavioural Science Unit by going to interview serial killers which they believe will help them solve crimes.
There is no doubt that Holden Ford is probably one of the most annoying main characters ever created but if you’re into crime, this show is absolutely incredible. Even to understand how psychology and behavioural science were formed and then treated by people in their infancy is very interesting.
7. Dirty Money
This 6 part series looks at very levels of corporate corruption from Donald Trump’s failed casinos to the Volkswagen emission scandal. While that outline doesn’t sound interesting, each episode takes on a different angle of corporate corruption and goes through the story in intricate detail.
For example, did you know that there was a big maple syrup heist in Canada? Do you know how maple syrup is collected in Canada? You learn a hell of a lot with this show.
8. Queer Eye
If you haven’t watched this then now is the perfect time to do so as the new season is out June 15th! The rebooted Fab 5 travel around the place transforming the lives of 8 different men in different aspects. Antoni is there for food and wine, Jonathan for grooming, Bobby for design, Tan for fashion and Karamo for culture.
It’s more than a makeover show though because the Fab 5 care about each person they’re helping and are trying to impart self love and self confidence onto each person. It’s heartfelt, it’s emotional and there’s 16 episodes which should keep you occupied for at least the group stages?
9. The Staircase
Another one for the true crime fans, this is a follow up to a series that was made in 2005. The Staircase is a 13 part documentary series revolving around the mysterious death of Kathleen Peterson who appeared to fall down the stairs of her home in 2003. Her husband Michael was suspected to have murdered her and the series follows Peterson throughout the trial.
It twists and turns so much that you’ll end up looking like the girl from the Exorcist but it’s definitely worth watching if you want to continually question whether or not Peterson murdered his wife.
10. John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous & The Comeback Kid
John Mulaney’s 2 Netflix specials are very, very funny and should be on any list if you’re looking for something to watch in general. The former Saturday Night Live writer does some excellent impressions of Keith Richards which is worth watching the show for alone.
If you don’t believe me, here he is in one of the best sketches of Ice T in Law and Order: SVU that has ever existed.
11. Orphan Black
Orphan Black follows the trials and tribulations of Sarah Manning as she discovers she is in fact a clone. She does this by watching one of the clones take her own life and then assumes her identity trying to figure out what the hell is going on. As she discovers that she’s part of an illegal cloning experiment, she has to figure out who designed the experiment, why and what they’re planning to do.
Our very own Maria Doyle Kennedy stars in this and it’s worth watching just to marvel at how Tatiana Maslany plays all the clones from Beth to Sarah and how she’s willing to do anything to protect her daughter Kira, the only known offspring of a clone.
12. The Rachel Divide
In June of 2015, Rachel Dolezal resigned as President of her chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) after it was revealed by her estranged biological parents that she was Caucasian and was falsely claiming to be African American.
This documentary looks at the fallout from that and how it has affected Dolezal’s life and family. It’s controversial as some critics have said that the documentary is glossing over the damage Dolezal did rather than analyse the damage she’s done. Did she make up the hate crimes she said she was a victim of?
13. Icarus
What starts as a documentary series profiling how easy it would be to dope in cycling quickly descends into following the fallout as it’s revealed that Russia has had a state sponsored doping scheme in place for years.
The doctor behind it all turns out to be the doctor who was going to help us dope in the first place and as he becomes a key witness, the stakes get higher as his life is put in danger. It won an Oscar for best documentary and I promise you even if you don’t like sport, it’s well worth watching.
Notable TV Series
- Brooklyn Nine Nine: The first 4 seasons are on Netflix and you will not regret it.
- The Great British Bake Off: 7 seasons of pure cake goodness.
- Nailed It: The literal opposite of Bake Off.
- The Good Place: A comedy about heaven where all is not as it seems.
- Manhunt:Unabomber: Drama based on how they caught the Unabomber.
- RuPaul’s Drag Race: 3 seasons should keep you more than entertained.
- Friends: You can absolutely do another rewatch.
- Ultimate Beastmaster: Think Gladiator from the 90s but on steroids.
- Coach Snoop: Snoop Dogg has an American football league and it’s great.
