Screen Queen TV Reviews: Too Much, Jaws @ 50, Dexter: Resurrection, Hunting The 7/7 Bombers & Ballard

Too Much

Thursday, streaming on Netflix

Ever had an itch to light your life on fire, quit your job and relocate to the other side of the world to start all over again?

Yep, me too. And I did it 17 years ago, aged 29. Single, unable to afford rent on my depressing Sydney flat, with nothing left to lose and no job to go to, I packed my bags and hotfooted it across the world to London with dreams of starring in my own rom-com fantasy life.

I know — not very original. It’s a well-worn path, trod by countless others, but I didn’t care: I just wanted to start afresh, much like the central protagonist in this Netflix series from Lena Dunham.

Hacks’ Megan Stalter plays Jessica, a recently single, workaholic 30-something who heads to the British capital to reinvent herself. The series is actually a fictionalised version of Dunham’s own experiences (she moved to the UK in 2021), and she created and wrote the show with her now-husband, British musician Luis Felber, whom she met after her move.

The White Lotus’ Will Sharpe plays a version of Felber, with Stalter standing in for Dunham, who opted not to appear in this series.

“When I first started coming to the UK for work . . . I thought to myself, ‘I want to write something about the experience of being a foreigner here, and the fantasies we have (of London) versus the realities,” Dunham recently explained.

“Then when I met my husband, Luis, I felt like I was experiencing all of that, but in the context of a relationship.”

If you’ve seen the promo, you’ll already know this series, which sports a great guest cast including Andrew Scott, Kit Harington, Jessica Alba, Rita Ora and Jennifer Saunders, is likely to hit hard for those of us who’ve ever fled overseas to shake up our lives.

If you’re still yet to press that detonator switch, highly recommend — you’ll never look back.

Dexter: Resurrection

Friday, streaming on Paramount Plus

It’s been nearly 20 years since Michael C. Hall first slipped into the skin of his serial killer alter ego, Dexter Morgan. Imagine playing a character for that long! But there’s clearly still an appetite for his nuanced portrayal, as witnessed by the decision to resurrect the franchise — and Hall’s character — for yet another iteration.

This series picks up after the Dexter: New Blood finale, which saw the killer shot by his own son, Harrison. He was a goner for sure, so viewers will want to tune in to see how he wriggles his way back to consciousness and into the next phase of his storied life.

I can’t tell you more yet, but mark my words: if you’re a Dexter fan, you won’t want to miss this.

Attack On London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers

Streaming now on Netflix

Netflix continues its spate of great doco releases with this detailed examination of the 2005 London bombings and the three weeks of panic that followed. Exclusive interviews and first-person accounts make this a powerful watch.

Ballard

Wednesday, streaming on Prime Video

This Bosch: Legacy spin-off sees Maggie Q playing Detective Renee Ballard, who leads LAPD’s cold case division. Over the course of the series, she’s set to uncover a dangerous conspiracy that goes to the very heart of the force she works for.

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story

Friday, streaming on Disney Plus

Just when I’d FINALLY ventured back into the water, along comes this authorised doco. Featuring an exclusive new interview with director Steven Spielberg and never-before-seen footage from his archives, it’s sure to delight film buffs — and scare the pants off me.