Worth Watching: ‘Hacks' Is Finally Here!

Oh, and 'Amandaland' is out too.

Hello,

Welcome to Worth Watching.

Hope you’ve had a good week. It’s February but it is Friday again.

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Sorry for the all caps but HACKS IS FINALLY AVAILABLE ON SKY AND NOW TV.

I’ve written about this show in this newsletter for god knows how long, but after a completely bizarre and unnecessary delay, British viewers can finally watch the third series of one of the best comedies of 2024.

The original premise follows the professional collaboration between a famous Joan Rivers-ish comedian, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), and a cancelled and slightly desperate writer, Ava (Hannah Einbinder).

The first two series are great, full of wit and warmth. Yet the third series is where the series lifts and really comes into its own. It is like the team who make the show went “why don’t we make one of the best comedies of the year?” and did just that.

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Elsewhere, Sky News anchor Kay Burley announced earlier this week that she was retiring. Deadline broke the story last month that Burley was expected to stand down from her breakfast show, but then Burley denied that this was true.

Burley joined the news network at its launch in 1989. The era of high profile rolling news anchors feels more and more in the past now, with the next generation of journalists now having to juggle digital responsibilities as much as broadcasting ones.

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In terms of new shows this week, Big Boys returns for its third and final series on Channel 4.

There’s also a fascinating series looking back at the interviews of the late journalist and television host David Frost. It is out on Sky Documentaries later this month.

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SHOWS TO WATCH THIS WEEK

Amandaland (BBC iPlayer, all episodes) – The BBC sitcom Motherland gained a following and critical acclaim for its sharp one-liners and its relatable exploration of parenthood and the politics between parents at the school gates. So when it was announced that there wasn’t going to be a fourth series and that instead there’s going to be a spin-off primarily focusing on just one of them (Amanda, played by Lucy Punch), eyebrows were raised.

Thankfully Amandaland retains so much of what made Motherland so great, with Siobhán McSweeney and Rochenda Sandall making great additions to the cast. Anne (Philippa Dunne) from the original series is still here, but the real star is Joanna Lumley, who plays Amanda’s mother Felicity.

Felicity is essentially Ab Fab’s Patsy as a grandmother, who in the opening episode arrives with items from a local Waitrose as “community outreach,” because she knows her daughter lives near a Tesco Express. The only drawback of the new series is that it makes you miss Motherland, but at least there is this than nothing at all.

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I announced last week that I was increasing the paid tier to £4 a month starting this week, but a few people asked whether the offer could be extended. So, I’ve started a special offer (for this week only) offering just that. Just click on the button below and enter your details.