Choir
Disney+
In a similar vein to recent exceptional Aussie docuseries Dance Life, Choir takes a look at the inner workings of the Detroit Youth Choir as they prepare to make their debut at New York's Carnegie Hall.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Over six episodes we meet a variety of youngsters involved in the choir, from supremely talented 15-year-old singer-songwriter Gwendolyn and sweet, generous and responsible big brother Kaylen, to drama incarnate Eric and extracurricular fan Azaria.
Then of course there's best friends Uchechi and Kayla, who both suffer from a lack of projection but work so very hard both at rehearsals and at home to make an impact and rise up the ranks at DYC.
In the first episode we learn that DYC is more than just a choir, it's a stepping stone for life, with the charitable oragnisation providing the kids who take part with stability, discipline, teamwork skills and memories to last a lifetime.
And the performances are highly impressive; we see footage from members of the choir performing on the America's Got Talent stage before filming for the series began.
That national recognition ignited a fire in the performers' bellies to achieve more and go further.
The choir is led by the hard and unrelenting artistic director Anthony White, who, Azaria tells us, is secretly a softie underneath the kind of mean exterior.
It's impossible not to feel proud of these kids when they reach personal and professional milestones.
Upgraded
Prime Video
If you've been craving something that feels like it was made in the early 2000s, this is the rom-com for you.
Upgraded is delightful, fun and well cast, and draws on the likes of Monte Carlo and The Devil Wears Prada for inspiration.
The film follows Ana (a charming Camila Mendes, Riverdale), a wannabe gallerist who is working several rungs down the ladder at a prestigious art dealing firm, under her tough and uncompromising boss Claire (Marisa Tomei, taking what could be a caricature and turning it into a character with a little bit of depth).
When Ana is called in last minute to join Claire on a work trip to London as her third assistant, she is upgraded to first class on her flight, and accidentally makes her cabin buddy, the handsome, flirty and wealthy William (Shadow and Bone's Archie Renaux), believe she is in fact the New York director of the company, not Claire.
The little lie that should go no further than the inside of a plane spills into London high society, as Ana must contend with snooty assistants, work crises and the city's artistic elite (who just happen to be William's social circle).
People who were raised on rom-coms like 27 Dresses and Maid in Manhattan will love the film's throwback charm.
Feud: Capote vs the Swans
Binge
Prolific TV creator Ryan Murphy (known for the likes of American Horror Story, Glee and the American Crime Story anthology) is back with another entry in his Feud series, following Betty and Joan with Capote vs the Swans.
This series sees Tom Hollander (who is in everything from Pride and Prejudice to The King's Man and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation) play the famed American writer Truman Capote, though he fails to escape the long shadow Oscar-winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman created as the character in 2005.
The stacked casts features Naomi Watts, Demi Moore, Diane Lane, Molly Ringwald, Chloe Sevigny, Calista Flockhart and more as New York society figures.
It's highly camp.