TV: Evolution Crowns Chris Packham as Attenborough's Successor
Chris Packham's new docuseries Evolution on BBC iPlayer has been hailed as a coronation, effectively crowning him as the successor to David Attenborough. The five-part nature documentary explores our evolutionary journey in awe-inspiring fashion, making viewers feel like children again. Guardian reviewer Lucy Mangan writes: “Evolution is a coronation. With this new, five-part BBC nature documentary, the presenter Chris Packham is effectively crowned the successor to David Attenborough. And a worthy one, I think most would agree.”
TV: Ride Or Die and Ann Droid Also Shine
Prime Video's Ride Or Die stars Hannah Waddingham as a 50-year-old assassin going rogue, described by Lucy Mangan as “the perimenopausal comedy thriller caper of your dreams, but one that everyone can enjoy.” Meanwhile, Diane Morgan's Ann Droid on BBC iPlayer offers a fresh comedy about a robot carer. Hannah J Davies notes: “Seeing a robot parse the minutiae of human emotion like this is poignant. Not that things are sad for long.”
TV: Jesy Nelson Documentary and Believe Me
Prime Video's Jesy Nelson: Life Changing captures the Little Mix singer's worst moment—her babies' diagnosis with a life-threatening muscle-wasting condition. Frances Ryan says: “At times, it feels as if we are intruding on an experience few would choose to have in front of the world.” On ITVX, Believe Me sensitively dramatises the survivors of black-cab rapist John Worboys. Lucy Mangan calls it “a compelling as well as nonexploitative drama that others would do well to learn from.”
Books: The Brexit Effect and More
In The Brexit Effect 2016-2026, edited by Anthony Seldon, Fintan O'Toole writes: “The nature of Brexit was that it was doomed to become an instant lost cause – a mirage that dissipated as soon as it was approached.” Other notable books include Avni Doshi's The First House, Sheila Armstrong's The Red Mouth, Imogen Willetts' Up All Night, and Dino Martins' Hidden Creatures. Rebecca Perry's May We Feed the King won the Waterstones debut fiction prize; Melissa Harrison notes: “To read this novel is to be richly entertained but forced to sit with frustration.”
Film: Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey amasses an epic cast for his Homer adaptation. Peter Bradshaw describes it as “a gigantic, shimmering mirage, a mysterious three-hour vision of crazy episodes that does not yield up wisdom or contentment, but only a grim resolution to continue with the fight.” Other films include Hong Sang-soo's The Days She Returns, a Wallace and Gromit double bill, and Renny Harlin's Deep Water. Netflix's Heartstopper Forever concludes the teen LGBTQ+ show; Owen Myers says: “Criticising Heartstopper for being too wholesome is like complaining that your hot chocolate is too rich.”
Music: Loathe's Bold Metalcore and More
Metalcore band Loathe's album A Stranger to You offers stylistic swerves. Dave Simpson writes: “The band's bold vision is so masterfully executed it makes for a thrilling ride.” Nia Archives' Emotional Junglist combines breakbeats and heartbreak; Aimee Cliff calls it “an ambitiously expansive and quintessentially gen Z project.” Norma Winstone's A Timeless Place and Robert Laidlow's Reality Eaters also receive praise. Bon Jovi's tour, following JBJ's vocal cord surgery, hits Madison Square Garden on 26 July and the UK and Ireland from 28 August to 9 September.
