Published Nov 02
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The 13 best international series to enjoy Showmax this November
P-VALLEY S1 | Tuesdays from 24 November at 22:30, same day as 1Magic
P-Valley is the 12th highest rated new TV show of 2020 so far, according to Rotten Tomatoes, and set a new record on the Starz App for the most viewed series premiere ever.
As Rotten Tomatoes’ 100% critics consensus says, “A stunning, lyrical piece of neon noir, P-Valley explores the unseen lives of strippers in Mississippi through Katori Hall's singular gaze, celebrating the beauty of the craft without sugarcoating the challenges.”
Indiewire hailed it as “unlike anything ever seen on TV… the series knows exactly what it wants to be: a sexy, fast-paced drama that sets out to de-stigmatize the world of stripping and shatter misconceptions.”
Welcome to the Dirty South.
THE UNDOING S1 | Mondays at 22:30 from 30 November, same day as M-Net
This six-part mini-series stars Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies, Moulin Rouge) as therapist Grace Fraser, whose idyllic existence is shattered by a violent death and a very public scandal. With her husband Jonathan (Golden Globe winner Hugh Grant from A Very English Scandal) missing, Grace must face a chain of terrible revelations and try to build a new life for herself and her son (Critics’ Choice nominee Noah Jupe from Honey Boy, Ford v Ferrari, and A Quiet Place).
HIS DARK MATERIALS S2 | Tuesdays from 17 November, first on Showmax
In this adaptation of Philip Pullman’s classic fantasy novels, Lyra’s search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and sets off a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust.
Season two begins after Lord Asriel has opened a bridge to a new world. There, in a strange and mysterious abandoned city, Lyra meets Will, a boy from our world who is also running from a troubled past. Lyra and Will learn their destinies are tied to reuniting Will with his father but find their path is constantly thwarted as a war begins to brew around them. Meanwhile, Mrs Coulter searches for Lyra, determined to bring her home by any means necessary.
DAS BOOT S2 | Binge now, first on Showmax
A reboot of Wolfgang Petersen’s Oscar-nominated classic 1981 movie, this German World War II drama has an 85% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics consensus says, “Das Boot possesses the atmospheric pressure of its cinematic forebear while adding new depth to its compelling ensemble, making for a riveting international production.” Or as The New Statesman puts it, “Each episode is like a shot of something very illegal to my arm.”
HILLARY | Binge now
Nominated for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series at the 2020 Emmys, this in-depth docu-series shines a spotlight on one of the most polarising political figures of our time, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The four-part series, directed by Oscar nominee Nanette Burstein (On The Ropes, American Teen), tracks Hillary’s life from childhood to the 2016 presidential campaign and beyond, drawing on thousands of hours of footage and extensive interviews with Clinton herself, as well as her family, friends, journalists and even former US President Barack Obama.
THE LOUDEST VOICE | Binge now
Oscar winner Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind, Gladiator) won a 2020 Golden Globe for his unrecognisable performance as disgraced Fox News head Roger Ailes in this biographical mini-series, which was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Television Limited Series.
Based on Gabriel Sherman’s bestselling book The Loudest Voice In The Room, the series charts the former CNBC president’s meteoric rise as he’s hired by Rupert Murdoch to establish a new cable channel aimed specifically at conservatives. As Fox News grows from strength to strength, Ailes sets about capitalising on 9/11 to push the network to the top of the ratings race, pit the might of his news empire against the Obama administration, and eventually, throw his weight behind the Trump campaign. In the process he becomes known as the “de-facto leader of the Republican Party” – until his fall from grace after years of sexually harassing his female co-workers.
FAMALAM S3 | Binge now, first on Showmax
The BBC’s hilarious sketch comedy Famalam is back for its third season. Learn how to make White People Chicken, see our favourite aunties handle their nephew coming out, and discover Nollywood's 'finest'. We’ll also get to check out Idris Elba’s skill set (Idris Elba can do anything!), and watch the rudest Midsomer Murders ever.
The Independent (UK) calls it "a sublime achievement of satire," saying, “Like all the best sketch shows, Famalam is a mix of comforting recurring characters and scenes, but tweaked with a delightful and clever wit on every outing.”
NEW AMSTERDAM S2 | Binge now
Based on Eric Manheimeris’ book Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital, this moreish medical drama centres on Dr Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold from 90210 and The Blacklist), the new director at America's oldest public hospital, New Amsterdam, who sets out to put saving lives above the bottom line, and breathe new life into this underfunded and underappreciated hospital.
But Max has had his own demons to battle, with a cancer diagnosis putting early strain on both his professional and personal life. Then tragedy struck at the end of Season 1, with a horrific accident just moments after the birth of Max and Georgia’s daughter. We know not everyone survived, and it’s been a hard wait to find out who made it and who didn’t. The three most important women in Max’s life were in that ambulance, and this season, a devastated Max will have to pick up the pieces, because New Amsterdam needs him more than ever.
PRIMAL S1B | Binge now, first on Showmax
Adult Swim’s Primal has just won three Outstanding Achievement In Animation Awards at the 2020 Emmys, for storyboard artist Genndy Tartakovsky, art director Scott Wills, and character designer Stephen DeStefano.
From Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack, Hotel Transylvania), Primal follows a caveman at the dawn of evolution and a dinosaur on the brink of extinction. The two creatures, one on the way out and one on the way in, become each other's only hope of survival in a treacherous world.
WORLD ON FIRE S1 | Binge from 5 November
Set in 1939, on the eve of the German invasion of Poland, World on Fire follows the interwoven stories of ordinary people caught up in catastrophic global events beyond their control.
The critically acclaimed World War II drama has an 84% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has already been renewed for a second season.
The impressive cast includes BAFTA winner Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings), Oscar winner Helen Hunt (As Good As It Gets, Mad About You), Oscar and BAFTA nominee Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread, Harlots), and Jonah Hauer-King (Little Women) who’s set to star as Prince Eric in the upcoming Disney live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
I MAY DESTROY YOU S1 | Binge from 11 November
I May Destroy You centres on Arabella (BAFTA winner Michaela Coel from Chewing Gum), a carefree, self-assured Londoner with a group of great friends, a boyfriend in Italy, and a burgeoning writing career. But when her drink is spiked with a date-rape drug, she must question and rebuild every element of her life.
I May Destroy You is #21 on Rotten Tomatoes Best TV of 2020 (So Far), with a 97% critics rating and a critics’ consensus that reads, “I May Destroy You is at once brave and delicate, untangling the trauma of sexual assault with dark humour and moments of deep discomfort, all held together on the strength of Michaela Coel's undeniable talent”.
ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER? S1 | Binge from 16 November
Round up the family and fire up your brain cells! There’s $1million up for grabs in this hit game show. All you have to do to win is be smarter than a 5th grader.
But if the past 13 years since the show first aired have taught us anything, it’s that 5th graders are pretty damn smart. And even the most confident of grown-up boffins are often … not.
The latest US edition of the show sees host John Cena (Bumblebee) step into the ring with the hopefuls, who’ll be racking their brains for those elusive ‘elementary’ answers. Fortunately, they’ll have a little help from a classmate of their choosing from the panel of ‘experts’ – kids themselves.
ENSLAVED | New episodes every Wednesday, same day as M-Net. Binge from 25 November
Enslaved is a six-episode docuseries that explores 400 years of human trafficking from Africa to the New World by following the efforts of Diving with a Purpose, as they search for and locate six slave ships that went down with their human cargo.
Executive produced and featuring Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Avengers), Enslaved tracks the efforts of divers as they utilise new methods of underwater archaeology to identify and locate these sunken slave ships for the first time in history. These modern-day adventures serve as a springboard to tell the stories of the ideology, economics and politics of slavery, while also celebrating stories of resistance, the cultures left behind and the culture that we live in.
EVERYTHING ON SHOWMAX IN NOVEMBER
Other international series you can binge now include:
• Beecham House S1, a Delhi-set period drama, directed by BAFTA nominee Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) and nominated for best costumes at the 2020 BAFTAs
• Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector S1, with Black Reel nominee Russell Hornsby (The Hate U Give, Fences, Seven Seconds) as one of bestselling author Jeffrey Deaver’s most memorable characters, quadriplegic forensic expert Lincoln Rhyme.
To see everything on Showmax in November, from hit international movies likes Elisabeth Moss in The Invisible Man and Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers to local favourites like Chasing The Sun, Inconceivable, Die Verhaal Van Racheltjie De Beer and Akin Omotoso’s The Ghost and the House of Truth, click here. Please note this release schedule is subject to change.