tv
Friday, 7 November 2025
Pluribus is high-concept, low-speed science fiction
Plus: Ryan Murphy’s All’s Fair gives camp a bad name, while Game of Wool: Britain’s Best Knitter is simple, silly and lovely
Michael Shannon in Death by Lightning
Death by Lightning
(Netflix)
Period drama boasting a strong cast. Michael Shannon portrays US president James A Garfield, who is assassinated by Charles J Guiteau, played by Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen.
Squid Game: The Challenge
(Netflix)
Return of the real-life gameshow version of the South Korean dystopian drama in which 456 contestants compete to win $4.56m. Roll up for plastic pigs full of loot, childlike games and existential despair.
Empire with David Olusoga
(BBC Two)
Historian David Olusoga, recently seen in The Celebrity Traitors, presents his latest docuseries: an in-depth exploration of the British Empire, going back to the 16th century.
Photographs by Apple TV/Disney/Larry Horricks/Netflix