Best new shows & films this week:
Netflix: best new shows
The Ultimatum: Queer Love Season 2 (25 June)
Series. Six couples put their love to the test by moving in with other partners. Are they ready for marriage — or is the one actually someone else?
Squid Game Season 3 (27 June)
Series. Devastated after losing his friend, Player 456 presses on – challenging the Front Man’s scheme in the final season of the globally most-watched series.
Starring Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Yim Si-wan and Kang Ha-neul. Watch the trailer.
Stan: best new shows
Hal & Harper (26 June)
Series. Hal and Harper are two codependent siblings living in LA, and are doing their best to navigate long-term relationships, friendships, and situationships. When their dad makes a big announcement, the two are forced to consider the current state of their lives and their complicated childhood.
Starring Mark Ruffalo, Lili Reinhart and Cooper Raiff.
AMC+, Acorn TV, Shudder: best new shows
Inside – Acorn TV & AMC+ (23 June)
Series. A gritty series set within the harsh confines of a contemporary UK prison. Based on testimonies from real-life prisoners and prison guards, the series explores the complex interplay between four central characters on both side of the law:
Kit, a ruthless gangster whose arrival will shake the already fragile balance of the unit; Barry a small-time drug dealer; Elin, a dedicated female prison officer; and George, a privileged young man with an addiction.
Apple TV: best new shows
Smoke (27 June)
Series. A new crime drama that stars and is executive produced by Taron Egerton, created by Dennis Lehane. Reuniting the creative team behind Apple’s acclaimed hit limited drama Black Bird, Smoke stars Egerton, Jurnee Smollett, Rafe Spall, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Hannah Emily Anderson, Anna Chlumsky, Adina Porter, Greg Kinnear, and John Leguizamo.
Inspired by true events, the series follows a troubled detective and an enigmatic arson investigator as they pursue the trails of two serial arsonists. Watch the trailer.
Max: best new shows
The Cleaning Lady Season 4 (23 June)
Series. After arriving in the US for urgent medical treatment to save her son, a Cambodian-Filipino doctor realises she has to rely on herself, not the system, to save her son.
Starring Elodie Yung, Martha Millan and Sean Lew. Watch the trailer.
Enigma (25 June)
Documentary. Exploring transgender identity and legacy and chronicling the divergent paths of iconic pioneers April Ashley, Amanda Lear, and others, acclaimed filmmaker Zackary Drucker explores questions of identity and survival, revealing the disparate but intertwined stories of women whose lives helped shape trans culture and history.
My Mom Jayne (28 June)
Documentary. Mariska Hargitay was three years old when her mother, Jayne Mansfield, tragically died in a car accident at the age of 34. The film follows Mariska as she seeks to know, understand, and embrace her mother for the first time.
ABC iview: best new shows
Break It Down: The Raygun Phenomenon (23 June)
Australian Story. When Australian academic and B-girl Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn crashed out of the Paris Olympics in the first round of the breaking event she became a cultural flashpoint, inspiring countless memes, heated debate and a torrent of online abuse. And in the months that followed, she continued to confound public opinion.
Nearly a year since her infamous routine, with its questionable athleticism and imitations of kangaroos and sprinklers, Australian Story examines the Raygun phenomenon to try to understand why it created such a storm and why Gunn remains such a polarising figure.
There was criticism of Raygun’s routine from the outset, both at home and abroad. Some Australians were embarrassed that the nation’s record medal haul at the Olympics was overshadowed by Raygun’s performance while those in the country where breaking originated thought her performance was insulting amateurish and culturally insensitive.
Australian Story spoke to a range of commentators and sporting figures to make sense of this confounding cultural moment and ask what it says about us as Australians. (Rachael Gunn declined an invitation to be involved.)
23 June, 8pm on ABC TV and ABC iview
Four Corners: Diddy: In Plain Sight
For years, serious abuse allegations followed Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, so how did his empire continue to grow?
With the music mogul now on trial for alleged sex trafficking, Diddy: In Plain Sight pulls back the curtain on the world he built, and the people who helped protect it.
Directed by Gussy Sakula-Barry for broadcaster Channel 4, this is a compelling and unflinching documentary about power, protection and the cost of looking the other way.
23 June at 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.
The Next Step Season 10 (27 June)
Series. The Next Step’s ‘A-Troupe’ have proven their worth as champions, but when a new competition puts their reputation on the line, the dancers must give everything they’ve got to defend their legacy and save their studio.
Grantchester Season 10 (28 June)
Series. Alphy’s really found a home in Grantchester. In Geordie too, he’s found a best friend and his intellectual equal. Love proves more elusive, until a case throws him in the path of a romance. But before he can let anyone else in, he must confront truths about himself.
Starring James Norton, Robson Green and Morven Christie. Watch the trailer.
SBS On Demand: best new shows
Hunt For Truth: Tasmanian Tiger Verdict (25 June)
Documentary. Tim Noonan leads viewers on a wild and emotional journey into the mystery of the thylacine, the legendary Tasmanian tiger. Since Season 1 (two episodes) premiered in June 2024, Tim has received a flood of viewer emails – fresh sightings, whistleblower accounts, and sensitive documents.
One such tip led him to a trove of official records never before made public. Inside were explosive responses from wildlife rangers, revealing what authorities may have believed – and have kept hidden – for decades.
Harrods: The Rise & Fall Of A British Institution (25 June)
Documentary. For over 100 years, Harrods was an international symbol of luxury, wealth and British prestige. With over one million feet of sales floor and 5,000 employees, it lived by the motto ‘everything for everybody, everywhere’.
Now the store has become a tacky tourist attraction, and its reputation tarnished by the allegations of sexual abuse against its former chairman, Mohamed Al-Fayed.
Warm Props (26 June)
Series. Warm Props, by Jub Clerc, takes audiences behind the scenes with Charlie (Tehya Makani), who returns to a chaotic film shoot in her hometown in Western Australia and must then face her past as her narcissistic boss threatens the stability of her career and personal life.
Starring Rarriwuy Hick and Jillian Nguyen. Part of the SBS NITV Digital Originals initiative.
ScreenHub: SBS NITV Digital Originals review: don’t let these gems pass you by
Hunt For Truth: Tasmanian Tiger Verdict (26 June)
Documentary. The hit SBS documentary series Hunt for Truth: Tasmanian Tiger returns for a final, gripping instalment, chasing fresh clues, investigating compelling new evidence, and delivering a long-awaited verdict on one of the world’s greatest wildlife mysteries.
Tim Noonan leads viewers on a wild and emotional journey into the mystery of the thylacine, the legendary Tasmanian tiger.
Black Daisies (26 June)
Series. Amid the echoes of a small town’s past, geologist Lena faces her worst fear when her estranged teenage daughter Ada vanishes alongside kindergarten children in her care.
Returning to her hometown, Lena partners with Rafal, a childhood friend, now a policeman. Together, they uncover a chilling link to a local businesswoman with a dark facade of philanthropy and a connection with an eccentric scientist.
Starring Karolina Kominek and Alicja Wieniawa-Narkiewicz.
Iris (26 June)
Series. I this French comedy from Doria Tillier, a teacher called Iris disagrees about everything all the time and with everyone. Under these kinds of conditions, how can she meet a man who understands her?
From The Ashes of World War II (28 June)
Documentary series. From the Ashes of World War II is an evocative exploration of seven nations emerging from the rubble of war, showcasing how devastation shaped the identity, culture, and resilience of these societies.
This six-part series explores the extraordinary recovery of Japan, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, Poland, Italy, and France through the prism of architecture, urban planning and social transformation.
Prime Video: best new shows
Beyond After (24 June)
Documentary. Exploring the social and cultural impact of the After franchise and how Anna Todd’s novels became a cinematic phenomenon through interviews with Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Josephine Langford, and Anna Todd.
The film features heartfelt testimonials from fans, showcasing their profound emotional connections. Narrated by Louise Lombard.
Countdown Season 1 (25 June)
Series. In this drama thriller, after an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum is recruited to a secret task force with undercover agents from all branches of law enforcement to investigate.
But the hunt for the killer soon uncovers a plot far more sinister than anyone could have imagined, kicking off a race against time to save a city of millions.
Starring Jensen Ackles, Eric Dane and Jessica Camacho. Watch the trailer.
Marry My Husband (JP) (27 June)
Series. Marry My Husband (JP) tells the story of Misa, a woman who has always lived in service of others. When betrayal by her husband and best friend leads to her death, she is mysteriously granted a second chance, traveling back in time by ten years.
Determined to rewrite her fate, she sheds her former ‘nice person’ persona to pursue revenge. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she meets Section Chief Wataru Suzuki, a man absent from her previous life, who begins to change her vengeful heart.
Starring Fuka Koshiba, Takeru Satoh, Sei Shiraishi and Yû Yokoyama.
Binge: best new shows
Love It or List It Season 1 (25 June)
Series. In the New Zealand version of the show, home-owners facing the decision of renovating or moving are presented with two options: either love their existing home with a renovation, or list it and find a new one.
Phil Spencer, the show’s host, takes on the role of convincing homeowners to list their current home and find a new one, while interior designer Kirstie Allsopp helps them love their current home through renovation.
Wicked (26 June)
Film (2024). Set in the Land of Oz before and after Dorothy Gale arrives from Kansas, the plot follows Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship being put to the test as they embrace their new respective identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, and how the consequences of their actions will change all of Oz forever.
Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Watch the trailer.
From ScreenHub’s review of Wicked:
The sets are gorgeous, the costumes are divinely detailed, and the camera work looks a helluva lot better than what you see in the trailers. The bigger the screen, the better. The Emerald City deserves to be seen in as many pixels as possible. Read more …
Eva Longoria Searching For Mexico (27 June)
Series. A travel and food show where actress Eva Longoria explores the rich culinary and cultural tapestry of Mexico. The series follows her journey across different regions, discovering how Mexican history and culture influence its globally loved cuisine.
