Every month BBC iPlayer offers a plethora of new films and TV shows to watch. Critic Lillian Crawford picks six of the best.
Top Picks: TV
…Sings Bond, Shirley Bassey at the BBC, and Diamonds Are Forever: the Don Black Songbook (BBC Four, October 1)
With No Time to Die finally landing in British cinemas, BBC4 is dedicating an entire evening to some vintage Bond-themed music documentaries. The night kicks off with a show-stopping collection of performances of some of the most iconic Bond themes, from Adele’s Skyfall and Tom Jones’s Thunderball to Lulu, Garbage, and a-ha. Perfect viewing to prepare for the latest opening number from Billie Eilish.
The rest of the night is dedicated to the queen of Bond music: Dame Shirley Bassey. A double bill of documentary specials brings out clips from across Bassey’s career at the BBC first shown in 2013 to celebrate her 76th birthday. To finish things off, another vintage documentary examines the great lyricist Don Black, whose hits include Born Free and Love Changes Everything, as well as Bassey’s second Bond theme, Diamonds Are Forever. Perfect excuse to pour yourself a vodka martini or seven.
Ridley Road (BBC One, October 3)
Based on the book by Jo Bloom, Ridley Road is the latest drama series from director Lisa Mulcahy following Blood and Years and Years. Set in London in 1962, the show follows Vivien (newcomer Agnes O’Casey) as she travels from Manchester to London in search of her former partner Jack (Tom Varey). What follows is an attempt to rescue him by infiltrating a neo-Nazi movement with the assistance of Jewish coalition, the 62 Group.
Also starring British acting regulars Rory Kinnear, Eddie Marsan and Tracy Ann Oberman, the four-episode drama series promises to be a tense look at the power of the far right in Britain, with some chilling similarities to the present day.
28 Up: Millennial Generation (BBC One, October 6)
Michael Apted’s groundbreaking 7 Up series, launched in 1964, needed a fresh start with the new millennium. This latest installment following subjects aged 28. Directed by Julian Farino, the series of documentaries has shown the gulf of difference not only between the millennials and the baby-boomers of the original version, but also between the current cohort.
It will be particularly interesting to see how the different young adults have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of lockdown in Britain. The latest installment will be broadcast in two parts, both of which will then become available on BBC iPlayer.
Top Picks: Movies
The Truth (BBC Four, October 2)
Following his Palme d’Or win at the Cannes Film Festival with Shoplifters in 2018, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda went in a rather different direction with 2019’s The Truth. The film stars French superstar Catherine Deneuve as a veiled version of herself, an aging actress struggling with a part in a schlocky sci-fi movie which feels far from the heyday of the Nouvelle Vague. She’s joined by acting heavyweights Juliette Binoche and Ethan Hawke, navigating between French and English dialogue in this refreshingly international feature.
It’s a similar narrative to Ingmar Bergman’s masterpiece Autumn Sonata, the story of an artist who put her career over being a mother. Released in the UK during the COVID-19 lockdown, this is the first opportunity to watch The Truth for free—so make sure you check it out.
If Beale Street Could Talk (BBC Two, October 3)
Barry Jenkins’s second feature, following his Oscar-winning Moonlight, is an even more dazzling and heart-wrenching drama than his debut. KiKi Layne exquisitely plays Tish, a young woman who tries desperately to prove the innocence of her partner Fonny (Stephan James) while carrying their child. Both actors put in pitch-perfect performances, alongside Oscar-winner Regina King, blended together with luscious music and cinematography.
The film is followed by the documentary I Am Not Your Negro about author James Baldwin, upon whose novella If Beale Street Could Talk is based. Both films will be available on iPlayer for the next thirty days, making for an emotional but fascinating double feature.
Selma (BBC Two, October 6)
Another vital film making its way onto BBC iPlayer this month is Ava DuVernay’s Martin Luther King Jr biopic, Selma. It focuses on three months in 1965 when Dr King led the campaign for equal voting rights for black people in America, culminating in the historic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama which forced Lyndon B. Johnson’s hand.
With an all-star cast led by David Oyelowo as Dr King, the film is a rousing depiction of the Civil Rights Movement from one of the best directors working today. Selma also features an incredible soundtrack of music from the time, including Otis Redding, The Impressions, and Odetta, plus the original song Glory by Common and John Legend.
