Five of the best…
TV: Breeders (Sky One)
Created by The Thick of It alumni Chris Addison and starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard, Breeders is a poignant dramedy that leans more into the comedy side of things while still finding time to have moments of drama and emotional resonance. Freeman and Haggard are great together, and the foul mouthed script is closer to Catastrophe than the saccharine family humour of something like Outnumbered. Sky One is a mixed bag when it comes to comedy, but Breeders is undoubtedly one of their better efforts. Nice, easy watching.
Song: Run the Jewels – Ohh La La
It’s been an eventful week in the world of music. The Streets combined with Tame Impala to release a song that seemed to be hated by everyone (I quite liked it), Gerry Cinnamon unleashed his accomplished but uninspiring second album to much fanfare, and Lady Gaga hosted a kind of Live Aid in the age of coronavirus event that I didn’t see, but I imagine was terrible. T
he musical highlight of the week for me though came from El-P and Killer Mike, better known as hip hop supergroup Run the Jewels. Ooh LA LA is a summer anthem that harks back to ’90s hip hop whilst still sounding fresh. Lovely.
Podcast: You’re Dead To Me – Neanderthals
You’re Dead To Me is a history podcast from Greg Jenner (Horrible Histories) that sees a comedian and a historian pour over a specific subject from history. This episode was released back in February and features Tim Minchin combining with Jenner to take a hilarious and informative look at early man. As always with You’re Dead To Me, this episode is educational as well as hilarious, so you can pretend you’re learning as you’re listening.
Article: My Month of Extreme Immersion in Disney+
The Guardian Long Read has been a godsend for me during these long days with not much to do. You can only watch so many football documentaries after all. This effort from Sophie Elmhirst charts her month of isolation with only her children and a cartoon mouse for company. It’s funny, informative and insightful in equal measure, and also acts as an introductory guide for anyone thinking of joining the Disney+ revolution.
Film: Fleabag – National Theatre Live
The TV adaptation of Fleabag is obviously a revelation, but it started out as a one woman show from the ubiquitous Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Available to download for the first time, this live taping of her run at the Soho Theatre is funny, poignant and shocking. Waller-Bridge wallows in her flaws and her faults in a way that recalls Charles Bukowski at his most decadent. Nothing here is done for shock value though, it is all in service of the story. Well worth 80 minutes of your time.