From documentaries to teen dramas, here’s what the Irish Country Magazine team is watching and loving right now
It’s one of the great ironies in daily life that, despite the amount of content produced on a huge range of channels and streaming services, you can still sit down to watch something and spend the entire time wading through your options.
So, if you’re sick of scrolling, here are a few top picks from our team:
The Bear – Disney+
Unless you’ve been living offline for the last six months, you’ve probably heard of this highly-acclaimed show that looks set to dominate the Emmy awards thanks to a swathe of acting nominations for its talented cast. And that’s before you consider the, frankly, unbelievable cast of guest stars that have casually popped up throughout its two seasons. (Olivia Colman, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson and Jamie Lee Curtis, to name just a few.) The series follows a young, fine-dining chef who returns to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop.
“The Bear is wonderfully chaotic. I love how passionate each of the characters are, it makes every episode so intense and just when you think things couldn’t get more hectic, they often do. Season 1 was incredible but Season 2 really blew me away.” – Megan, Editorial Assistant
Five Bedrooms – RTÉ Player
Five Bedrooms is an Australian comedy-drama that debuted in 2019 and is still going. Love, laughter and life ensues across four seasons of this TV show that touches on various moderns themes including sexuality, throuples, platonic parenting, age gap love and much more in a comedic but emotional manner. It’s available to watch on the BBC player and RTÉ player right now as fans await confirmation for a renewal and release date of Season 5.
“Five Bedrooms was recommended to me by my sister living in Brisbane so I was delighted to find it on the RTÉ Player recently. This Australian series chronicles five strangers who meet at a singles table at a wedding and decide to get on the elusive property ladder by combining their buying power to purchase a home together. I have binged all four seasons and can’t wait for season 5.” – Ariana, Sales Manager
Heartstopper – Netflix
Heartstopper is a British coming-of-age series about an LGBTQ teen romance, adapted from the young adult graphic-novel series by Alice Oseman. It charts the story of Charlie and Nick who discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love with their friends. The show has received critical acclaim for its sweet and wholesome portrayal of queer adolescence and the second season is now available to watch on Netflix.
“I’m aware that I’m likely a bit older than Heartstopper’s target audience, but I can’t get enough of this feel-good romance story. It makes me so happy to think that teenagers watching it have such kind, safe, healthy relationship representation on screen (as opposed to the quite often toxic stuff we were glued to as young ones – I’m looking at you Dawson’s Creek). The easy 30-minute episodes are a perfect salve for days of overwhelm.” – Klara, Editor
Shrinking – Apple TV+
If you liked Scrubs and Ted Lasso (Season 1), there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this feel-good show about mental health, therapists and family life from creator Bill Lawrence. Starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, the series follows a grieving therapist, Jimmy (Segel), as he starts to tell his clients exactly what he thinks, to the dismay of his boss, Paul (Ford). Ignoring his training and ethics, Jimmy finds himself making huge changes to people’s lives – including his own.
“I binged this series over the course of a week, and it was exactly what I needed! Funny, moving and very entertaining, it manages to tackle incredibly serious issues like grief and long-term illness with the lightest touch so that, instead of feeling sad for the characters, you empathise but feel hopeful for their future.” – Claire, Digital Journalist
The Deepest Breath – Netflix
Irish documentary maker Laura McGann has struck a chord with audiences around the world thanks to this remarkable piece of work. The thrilling film takes a look inside free diving – one of the most dangerous sports in the world. It uses everything from raw underwater dive footage to childhood home movies to chronicle the lives and careers of champion freediver Alessia Zecchini and Irish adventurer turned expert safety diver Stephen Keenan.
“I finished The Deepest Breath on Netflix last night, which had been on my ‘yet another suggestion I’ll eventually get around to’ list for the past few weeks. I’m here to tell you not to put it off any longer. It is the most profoundly moving documentary I think I’ve ever seen; my heart – which had been pounding for so many scenes leading up to the end – was sore by the final scene. It’s a film that is about so much more than free diving; it’s about finding meaning in life and chasing your purpose, and it’s a celebration of an otherwise unheard-of Irish hero: Stephen Keenan.” – Niamh, Deputy Editor
