Miss Austen

Streaming now on Netflix

This four-part series, based on Gill Hornby’s 2020 novel of the same name, came out in the UK last year to great acclaim — it’s now found an array of new fans here via Netflix, who acquired the title locally.

The series is a fictionalised account of why Jane Austen’s sister Cassandra (who was a real person, and is played beautifully here by Keeley Hawes as older Cassie, and Synnove Karlsen as her younger iteration) burned nearly all of her famous sister’s letters after Jane’s death in 1817.

This is seen as one of literature’s great crimes (think of all the information we could have gleaned about Austen’s life), but by inviting us to fill in the blanks and imagine the reasons for Cassandra’s desperate act, it gives a new depth to the mystery.

And it makes for compelling viewing.

The story is told via flashbacks as we hear about the Austen family’s fortunes through Jane’s letters, focusing on Cassandra’s plight. Through the letters, we can piece together why the surviving Austen sister was so eager to preserve a sense of mystery when it came to her famous sibling’s legacy.

The casting is terrific, and the series does a great job of subverting Regency romance tropes, by squaring the story in sisterhood and the search for female autonomy rather than focusing on Bridgerton-inspired simpering love stories.

This is a fabulous way to while away a few hours — no wonder it’s been hovering in Netflix’s top 10 for some time now.

Seek this out.

Lego Star Wars: The Mandalorian

Streaming now on Disney

If you’ve got little people at home who may be too small for the live-action adventure (also streaming this week), this Lego reimagining of the story of bounty hunter Din Djarin and his small green friend Grogu will tick the right boxes. Gavin Hammon steps into the role made famous by Pedro Pascal — expect a much more lighthearted, family-friendly take on the adventures. Heaps of fun.

The Grand Tour

Streaming now on Prime Video

Train enthusiast Francis Bourgeois, plus Throttle House co-hosts Thomas Holland and James Engelsman are taking over from James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond. They have big shoes to fill, but this is off to a promising start and it’s a delight to spend time with these enthusiastic car lovers as they live their dream, racing around the world in some truly spectacular cars.

Last Seen

Wednesday, streaming on Apple TV Plus

Patrick Brammall and Brendan Cowell star in this big-budget drama, all about an ex-detective, now triple zero operator, grieving his lost daughter abducted 11 years prior. While on duty one night he receives a call from someone claiming to be the missing child — is it a hoax, or is she still alive? This propulsive series, shot in Victoria, is getting lots of early buzz — mark your diaries.

Call My Agent: The Movie

Thursday, streaming on Netflix

If you loved this French comedy, you won’t want to miss its movie spin-off, which picks up five years down the track. The ASK team are all off doing different things — Andrea is on the cusp of directing her first feature film. Things go wildly off course when her lead actor quits and she comes to blows with her producer — can her former colleagues sweep in and save the day? J’adore this show.