Following the success of Baby Reindeer, Half Man is the latest gritty drama created by Richard Gadd.
The British six-part series, is a co-production between BBC and HBO.
The series stars Gadd, Jamie Bell, Stuart Campbell, and Mitchell Robertson. Ruben (Campbell) & Niall (Robertson) grew up as brothers despite not being related by blood—one strong and fiercely loyal, the other quiet and gentle.
Thirty years later, they reunite at Niall’s (Bell) wedding, but Ruben (Gadd) seems uneasy and on edge; when a sudden act of violence erupts, it sends the story back through their shared past, revealing how their bond was shaped and how even the closest relationships can ultimately fall apart.
This series was bold, rough and damn terrifying at times. Some scenes were just way too full on. Like honestly, so gruesome.
Toxic masculinity on steroids is Half Man in a nut shell. The series (like Hacks) also is a fail for HBO Max in Australia, as Stan got the streaming rights for this big title.
Meaning two out of three HBO finales this past week, live outside of HBO Max. Why would anyone sign up to that service? Particularly if they are being merged with Paramount one day...
In the grim finale, four years pass, and Ruben is in jail for attacking Benji, but he wants to turn his life around for Mona and their son, Baird, who was born while he was in jail.
Niall's semi-autobiographical novel about his experiences with Ruben becomes a hit, but the public is more interested in Ruben than in him. Ruben's mother Maura dies, and Niall informs Ruben in prison, causing Ruben to lash out at Niall.
Niall's lifestyle of drugs and sex spirals until he reunites with Alby, years after Ruben's assault, and they rekindle their romance. With Alby's encouragement, Niall visits Ruben in prison and finally comes out to him. To his surprise, Ruben is accepting, having always suspected, and criticises him for wasting his life trying to belong. Niall blames Ruben's language for his self-loathing, but Ruben deflects back at Niall for rejecting his own truth.
Ruben also reveals he was a victim of sexual assault from his own father when he was young, resulting in him feeling like a "half man." The two become open and vulnerable to one another, but the mood sours when Niall reveals that he slept with Mona and fathered Baird, infuriating Ruben.
In the present, Ruben attacks Niall in the barn during his wedding for sleeping with Mona, and they have a gruelling fight. Niall manages to stab Ruben's side, mortally wounding Ruben, but Ruben manages to smother Niall to death, telling his brother that he loves him. The dying Ruben sits down on a bale of hay, staring at Niall's corpse.
It was an intense final hour. This show, showed a bleak outlook for angry young men. It was an interesting, yet brutal watch. Viewers be warned, this is full on!
Urzila Carlson's live shows are remarkable. Speaking of, she is touring mid this year, until late August.
So what happens when she mixes her comedy, with sketches, for a show simply titled Urzila?
Over six episodes, now streaming on ABC or ABC iView, we see Carlson tackle a range of issues. Some of the sketches do really well and are laugh out loud funny, some are a little lame.
She also has a full blown sitcom in the works (also at the ABC) with Nazeem Hussain.
Urzila Carlson is of course, a South African-born ,New Zealand comedian and actress, known for her jokes around being a lesbian and being a little larger. Prior to this ABC series, Carlson is a regular panellist on 7 Days & both the Australian and New Zealand version of Have You Been Paying Attention?
She was also a panellist on The Masked Singer Australia for the show's second and third seasons, until it got the axe in Australia. Man channel 10 are broke AF. They just scrapped I'm a Celebrity too! There biggest hit, next to Masterchef.
She was a contestant on the second season of Taskmaster NZ.
So Urzila is well known on our TV screens. A classic sketch show is something they don't make like they used to.
I'm not sure the ABC will invest in a sound round of Hire a Lez, but I sure am excited for a scripted comedy from her and Nazeem Hussain. Next up from the ABC a review of Bad Company, up soon!
Hacks is one of the best 30 minute comedies of all time. The HBO Max, follows Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a stand-up comedian, and her comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), as they navigate the evolving dynamics of their professional partnership and personal lives within the contemporary comedy industry.
Sadly, the series concluded last Friday, after five seasons & 47 episodes. That said, they went out with a bang! The show left on a massive high. Unlike recent concluding series, Heartbreak High, the soon to conclude All American, which will begin it's final season in July, along with The Boys, which kind of left with a whimper.
Hacks has received critical acclaim and won a number of major awards, including four consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, winning that award for its third season. Its first and third seasons won the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Comedy Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, and its third season won the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy.
Smart's performance won her four consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, four Critics' Choice Awards, two Television Critics Association Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. Einbinder received four consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, winning in 2025. Other members of the cast who received Emmy nominations include Downs (one nomination) and Carl Clemons-Hopkins (one nomination).
So how does this exceptional comedy series conclude? Read on below if you got around to watching the finale Friday. Allow with fellow HBO series, Halfman.
Man HBO is having a moment. Also Euphoria really does need to end too. That has defiantly passed its prime.
Ava shoots the pilot for Who's Making Dinner; Deborah and Marcus open the Diva, which now employs Marty, Kiki, Josefina and Damien; Jimmy puts up with humiliation in the Latitude mailroom.
Deborah confesses to Ava she has cancer and refuses to be treated, and that after their Paris vacation they'll head to Zurich for Deborah's assisted suicide.
Ava refuses to participate and confides in Jimmy, who already knows and convinces her to go with Deborah. Jimmy blackmails Michael into giving up Latitude to him and Kayla after discovering via his mailroom work that Michael had been embezzling from the company; half the employees quit but the rest support Jimmy's new vision for Latitude.
Deborah and Ava enjoy Paris, and Ava makes one last attempt to change Deborah's mind because she's scared of losing her but Deborah refuses. Ava relents, and while waiting to board their train to Zurich, she and Deborah riff on jokes about dying.
Inspired, Deborah stops Ava from boarding and asks her to help write one last hour-long comedy special. Ava accepts, and Deborah starts treatment in Las Vegas as they work on jokes together again.
Was a near perfect finale. I honestly thought Deborah was going to die. This was a damn fine series. Every season had laugh out loud moments. It was always like did Jean Smart just say that?
I expect more awards incoming for this show. Great last season. Funnily enough, it steams on Stan, not HBO Max. Which does actually only have The Pitt and upcoming Big Bang Theory spin-off, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe incoming.
I had no idea what to expect when I stepped into the cinema to watch Backrooms, for it's opening weekend.
It's part, science fiction, part psychological horror film, directed and co-scored by Kane Parsons (in his feature-length directorial debut).
Based on Parsons' web series and inspired by the Backrooms creepypasta. The film sees Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a furniture store owner and his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve), discover a dimension of seemingly endless liminal spaces accessed through the basement of the store.
Also featured in the small cast, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, & Shrinking star Lukita Maxwell.
Backrooms has received positive reviews from critics, with most praising Parsons' direction.
It is unsettling, fresh and a new type of horror. It also appears they are looking to expand the Backrooms universe.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is excellent as the lead slightly losing his mind. He brings therapist, Renate Reinsve into this decent into madness.
The random spaces create this eerie parallel universe, which allows the viewer to see how scared they will get, with the absence of jump scares and bumps in the night. Which we have seen a lot of this year. With Scary Movie 6 landing next week, 2026 is not finished with horror, just yet.
I enjoyed this, was a little lost, was a little tired on Friday night. But this again was a popular Friday session with the cinema at 9pm (following the conclusion of my 7pm session) a buzz with youth, rediscovering the magic of cinema.
As we near my network TV posts (Sullivan's Crossing incoming next week), Fire Country (like it's spin-off Sheriff Country) concluded over the weekend.
Back in January, the series was renewed for a shortened fifth season. The rumour is, season five will only feature 13 episodes. Down from 20 over the last two seasons.
Season four kicked off with two major departures from last season. Stephanie Arcila as Gabriela Perez. In the season four premiere, she leaves Edgewater after accepting a job offer from Cal Fire, recruiting new firefighters nationwide.
While Billy Burke as Vincent "Vince" Leone, Bode and Riley's father, Sharon's husband, and Cal Fire Battalion Chief. In the season four premiere, he was revealed to have perished during the season three finale in a building collapse.
That leaves room for Animal Kingdom's Shawn Hatosy to join as Brett Richards, interim Battalion Chief at Station 42 following Vince’s death.
So there are some fresh faces at Edgewater, now the series is heading into season five.
The series streams on Paramount+ and had a decent crossover Sheriff Country this season. Featuring their main characters, Morena Baccarin as Mickey Fox, W. Earl Brown as Wes Fox, who have appeared previously. Whilst Matt Lauria as Nathan Boone joins this seasons crossover.
I'm not sure how many seasons Fire Country has in it. The season finale really felt like it could have been a happily ever, series finale. A wedding, dancing, all the main characters in the same place together, happy. No sign of a cliffhanger.
CBS has a larger than life, full schedule for their 2026-2027 season. If they want new shows in the future, sadly shows like Fire Country might fade away into the sunset.
This wasn't a bad season, it just isn't covering new ground four seasons in.
Let's see if a shorter season next time around, leads to less filler episodes and more action!
OMG the evolution of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments is a dramatic, incredible coming-of-age story set in Gilead.
For the haters who said, more The Handmaid’s Tale, no thanks! Give this a go on Disney+ ASAP! This was five star TV!
The series follows young teens Agnes, dutiful and pious, and Daisy, a new arrival and convert from beyond Gilead’s borders. As they navigate the gilded halls of Aunt Lydia’s elite preparatory school for future wives, a place where obedience is instilled brutally and always with divine justification, their bond becomes the catalyst that will upend their past, their present, and their future.
Based on the 2019 novel The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, it serves as a narrative continuation to The Handmaid's Tale, which concluded last year.
Praise be, the series was renewed for a second season, earlier this month! It was getting to close to the finale. I needed more!
The Handmaid's Tale lead Elisabeth Moss would executive produce the project alongside Miller, Littlefield, Barker, Steve Stark, Shana Stein, Maya Goldsmith, John Weber, Sheila Hockin, Daniel Wilson, and Fran Sears. Priscilla Poriand would serve as co-executive producer.
Chase Infiniti was cast as the lead character Agnes, joining The Handmaid's Tale's Ann Dowd, who was reprises her role as Lydia.
Lucy Halliday is co-lead Daisy, alongside Rowan Blanchard, Mattea Conforti as Shunammite and Becka, respectively.
Aussie Mabel Li, Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Birva Pandya, and Kira Guloien joined the cast as Aunt Vidala, Paula, Garth, Aunt Gabbana, Aunt Estee, Hulda, Jehosheba, Miriam, and Rosa, respectively.
Gosh this cast was good. If you are not up to date on this Disney+ series, caution ahead!
In the aftermath of Becka's arrest, Agnes and Daisy attempt to save her. After a sharp reality check from Agnes, Vidala offers Lydia her help rather than standing against her.
Agnes gets Weston to release Becka to her home, but he breaks off their engagement upon learning that she was assaulted.
A drunk Paula tells Agnes that Gilead had wanted to use her to retaliate for the Handmaid attack, but Commander MacKenzie protected Agnes.
June arrives in Gilead to extract a reluctant Daisy, but relents upon learning that Daisy knows her daughter.
Lydia and Vidala convince Becka's mother to take the fall while Daisy reveals to Agnes her true identity as Hannah.
Mrs. Grove is executed while Garth is promoted to Commander and marries Becka to protect her at Agnes' behest. June receives a message from Daisy vowing to finish what June started by rallying the girls of Gilead to fight back.
God this was good. Finishing with alt-J's, Hunger of the Pine. DAMN! That Miley hook, I'm a female rebel!
SO GOOD! This could be the show of the Public Holiday Fest Streaming 26' series! SO GOOD! I'll say it again!
Marshals (originally Y: Marshals) is yet another spin-off/sequel to Yellowstone (2018–2024), making it the fourth television series in the Yellowstone franchise.
Luke Grimes returns as Special Deputy U.S. Marshal Kayce Dutton, with Brecken Merrill, Mo Brings Plenty, and Gil Birmingham reprising their roles from Yellowstone. New to the hit Paramount+/CBS series, Logan Marshall-Green, Arielle Kebbel, Ash Santos, & Tatanka Means.
Marshals was a big hitting midseason series on CBS starting in March, the same month, the series was renewed for a second season.
This was the final network series to end for the 2025-2026 TV season. My Fire Country post is still to come. CBS had a big finale week last week. So what is Marshals all about? How's it work in the Yellowstone universe? It follows former U.S. Navy SEAL and rancher Kayce Dutton (Grimes) as he joins a specialised group of U.S. Marshals tasked with protecting Montana. We find out early on, he also is suffering a great loss.
So it kinda gives The Madison vibes too. Also Taylor Sheridan's handy work.
For a network show, the budget for this series was a load higher, than now axed DMV. Sheridan known for producing high-budget series, concerns were raised about the series budget and how the show would look and feel on a broadcast network rather than cable.
Creatives responded saying that "we don't do cheap" and that creatively, the show would be similar to Yellowstone, assuring that a proper budget had been allocated.
Early on when the series commended, CBS executives were reportedly confident enough in the success of the series to commission a writers' room for a potential second season in February before the program premiered or was officially renewed, with script work on season two to begin "soon".
Recently CBS announced this series would likely return in October on Sunday nights. I only hope they don't drag out season two for 20 or so episodes.
Honestly this show started well, felt more like a Paramount+ title, than a CBS network procedural.
I feel like the 13 episodes, felt a little bloated. I really do hope they keep season two tight. It started with promised and heart, but by the end did feel just like another cop series. Just with really rogue cops.
I will be interested to see how season two goes.
Fire Country post incoming like a rogue Vivid drone show on a wet Sydney night.
