‘The best thing I've seen in my life' – your top TV of 2025 so far
(Paramount+) I love MobLand. It's Tom Hardy doing what Tom Hardy does best: playing the quiet and measured yet still highly intimidating and pretty scary fixer for an Irish mob family. The pacing is sharp and succinct without being breakneck; very on-brand Guy Ritchie, in the best way. Clare Kleinedler, Sierra Madre, California
(Channel 4) The animated series Common Side Effects is not merely the best thing I've seen on TV this year but one of the best shows I've seen in my life. Why? The writing. The plot is superb: opposite to The Last of Us, it's about the discovery of a fungus that appears to heal all illnesses – but everything else about the show is grounded in the real world. The characters are nuanced and compelling. To sum up its virtues in a single sentence, it respects its audience. The fact that the show even managed to get made at all in today's political environment boggles the mind. Jude Kirkham, Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada
(Apple TV+) I'm always years behind everyone else these days and I only found Severance after I'd run out of Slow Horses episodes. Severance offers a chilling theme of corporate control taken to the max, and features some brilliantly understated performances. There are echoes of The Matrix, of course, and – unexpectedly – Franz Kafka, but its originality shines through. A very good series indeed! Malcolm Armstrong, Gateshead
(Netflix) Dept. Q is an English language adaptation of the first in a series of Danish crime novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen with labyrinthine plots and characters straight out of noir central casting. This adaptation moves the setting to Scotland, but loses none of the bleakness and despair with a small group of investigators trying to solve cold cases. Bring on season two! Niall, Dublin
(Channel 4) It's bonkers. It's weird. It's a really mind-boggling mirror that Alex Horne has held up to himself and what may, or may not be, his own insecurities. Why does he write himself to be this pathetic? Why does his real life best friend play both himself and an evil hypnotherapist-cum-estate agent who can't stand to look at him? How are a bunch of middle aged men mucking around with instruments in a shed, taking dad jokes to the next level, this charming? It makes no sense on any of the many levels it operates on. Amanda Jeffrey, Birmingham
(Prime Video) The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a brilliant adaptation of a brilliant Booker prize winning novel by Richard Flanagan. It's beautifully paced, deeply emotional, and marvellously acted. It moved me to tears, as did the book. Mark Smithers, Melbourne
(BBC One/iPlayer) This was Liverpool's answer to The Godfather. The drama, the acting and the writing are magnificent. The web of crime and how it infiltrates the lives of ordinary people is portrayed brilliantly. I'm so pleased there is another series to follow. Teresa Curtis, Stockport
(Netflix) It's wonderful to see this graphic novel classic by Héctor Germán Oesterheld brought to life. I did not know much about Argentinian cultural works, outside Ariel Ramírez's composition Misa Criolla (part of which is used here with electrifying effect) and this series made me want to know more about the country, its people and their struggles in the last century. They say that science fiction is an examination of the time it is written and this story, originally published in the 1950s, has been brought into the 21st century in a thought-provoking way. Viv Blagden, Somerset
(Prime Video) Criminally unwatched by the masses, finally, this show has come of age, and the flashback episode (Rand's journey through Rhuidean) is hands down one of the best fantasy episodes ever. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled last month, just as it was finding its footing. At least we will always have the Rhuidean episode to comfort ourselves with. Stephen, Dublin
(Apple TV+) Shrinking features an incredible ensemble cast and a stellar performance by Harrison Ford who plays a grieving therapist who decides to tell his clients what he really thinks. It provides a brilliant treatment of a difficult range of topics, and it's hilarious to boot. Penny, Lancashire
(Netflix) Black Mirror season seven has been far and away the best ever – not a dud episode. In Bête Noire, Charlie Brooker takes the 'is the main character going mad?' genre and gives it a technological twist. The ending is preposterous but fun, and Rosy McEwen as Verity is quite the revelation. Des Brown, Newcastle upon Tyne
(BBC Two/iPlayer) My Brain: After the Rupture is a documentary about the crisis faced by the writer and broadcaster Clemency Burton-Hill after she suffered a brain haemorrhage at 38 years old. Alongside The Last Musician of Auschwitz, it's one of the most extraordinary, deeply moving documentaries so far this year. Kate, Scottish Borders
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Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Sean 'Diddy' Combs jury to resume deliberations after partial verdict
NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - The jury in Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial will continue deliberations on Wednesday, a day after reaching a verdict on four of the five counts the music mogul faces in his sex trafficking case but failing to agree on a racketeering conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said on Tuesday the jury had reached a verdict on the two counts of sex trafficking and two of transportation to engage in prostitution faced by Combs, a former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture. The judge did not reveal the verdict on those counts. Subramanian instructed the 12-member jury to keep deliberating about the racketeering count after the panel sent him a note indicating jurors had "unpersuadable opinions on both sides." Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to all five felony counts. He faces a mandatory 15-year prison sentence if convicted of sex trafficking. A guilty verdict on either that charge or the racketeering conspiracy count could result in up to a life sentence. Jurors must be unanimous to reach a verdict on any count. After reading the note the jury sent Subramanian, Combs appeared emotional, rubbing his eyes and resting his face against his palm while seated at the defense table with his lawyers huddled around him. Over the course of a seven-week trial in Manhattan federal court, prosecutors sought to persuade jurors that Combs for two decades used his business empire to force two of his romantic partners to take part in drug-fueled, days-long sexual performances sometimes known as "Freak Offs" with male sex workers in hotel rooms while Combs watched, masturbated and occasionally filmed. Two of Combs' former romantic partners, the rhythm and blues singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane, testified that he beat them and threatened to cut off financial support or leak sex tapes if they stopped taking part in the performances. Combs' lawyers acknowledged that the Bad Boy Records founder, once famed for hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in luxurious locales like the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, was at times violent in his domestic relationships. But they said the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual. The apparent discord among the jurors had echoes of the sometimes fractious deliberations in movie producer Harvey Weinstein's trial in June on sex crime charges in New York state court in Manhattan, just across the street from where Diddy is on trial. Jurors spent five days deliberating Weinstein's fate, with some acrimony directed toward the foreman. They eventually convicted Weinstein of one felony sex crime but deadlocked on a rape charge, leading to a mistrial on that count. To convict Combs of racketeering conspiracy, prosecutors would need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was part of a criminal enterprise consisting of his employees and other associates whose aim was in part to facilitate his sexual abuse and keep evidence of wrongdoing under wraps. Jurors heard testimony from Combs' former personal assistants who said their jobs included setting up hotel rooms for "Freak Offs" and buying their boss drugs. An InterContinental security guard testified that Combs, in the presence of his chief of staff, paid him $100,000 to hand over what he thought was the only copy of the surveillance tape of his attack on Ventura. And Scott Mescudi, the rapper known as Kid Cudi, told jurors Combs was likely involved in an arson on his car after Combs found out he was romantically involved with Ventura. The defense argued Combs was a successful entrepreneur who used drugs recreationally, but kept his professional and personal lives separate. Combs has been held in federal lockup in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Angelina Jolie's daughter Shiloh pictured with rumored love interest
Shiloh Jolie enjoyed an outing with her rumored partner Keoni Rose after they first sparked romance rumors over a month ago. On Tuesday, the 19-year-old daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt got close with her dance partner as they enjoyed a meal together after being at the studio together. She appeared to be in high spirits and was seen sharing a laugh with her pal as they were snapped walking from a car and into a local sushi joint in Los Angeles. Shiloh and Keoni have been rumored to be dating ever since they enjoyed a PDA-filled outing together to celebrate the nepo baby 's birthday in May. The teenager looked relaxed and laidback in a casual outfit during their outing. She bundled up in a bright red hoodie and had the hood pulled over her head to cover her hair. She paired the sweater with gray workout shorts and dark gray Crocs for their outing. Meanwhile, her dance partner and rumored girlfriend sported a similarly casual look,in coral shorts and a black hoodie. The nepo baby has recently been at the center of online debate as fans have debated whether she looks more like her mother or her father. In addition to Shiloh, the former couple have five children: Maddox, 23; Pax, 21; Zahara, 20; and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16. In new photos of her on an outing in LA last month, Shiloh certainly resembled her dad. This comes just as a source told People that the children are doing fine after the finalization of the Pitt/Jolie divorce. The insider said: 'The kids are amazing and thriving.' The notoriously private young adult, who is the eldest biological daughter of the former Hollywood power couple, attended an intimate dinner held at the Oliver House last month in a rare public appearance to celebrate Isabel Marant's new capsule collection with Net-A-Porter. During the event, it was revealed that Shiloh had choreographed a dance routine by professional dancers Keoni and Tako Suzuki, who accompanied singer-songwriter Luella's live performance of her new single Naive. But according to reports, Shiloh used a new name to choreograph the performance. She is now reportedly going by just Shi, although it's unclear whether this is solely for the stage. The new nickname comes one year after Shiloh dropped Pitt from her last name, having officially filed the petition on her 18th birthday. Her name went from Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
This Friends actor is set to star in I'm Glad My Mom Died – read the book behind the series
Adults of a certain generation will instantly recognise Jennette McCurdy. The child star played Cat in the Nickelodeon show iCarly and appeared alongside Ariana Grande in Sam & Cat. But it was her 2022 memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, which revealed a darker side to her fame. In the boldly titled book, she recounts her dysfunctional childhood of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her narcissistic mother. Expertly balancing humour and heartache, the memoir lasted more than 80 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and garnered critical acclaim. Unsurprisingly, the rights to the book were snapped up by Apple TV. Now, it's been announced that Jennifer Aniston is set to star in the 10-episode series inspired by McCurdy's memoir. While other details are thin on the ground, Apple TV describes the upcoming show as a 'heartbreaking and hilarious recounting of Jennette McCurdy's struggles as a former child actor while dealing with her overbearing, domineering mother. 'The dramedy will centre on the codependent relationship between an 18-year-old actress in a hit kids' show, and her narcissistic mother who relishes in her identity as 'a starlet's mother.'' The adaptation will likely stay true to its source material, with McCurdy signed on as co-writer, executive producer and showrunner alongside Ari Katcher. Excitingly, Aniston and Bad Sisters' Sharon Horgan are also listed as executive producers. With the rest of the cast yet to be announced, it could be years until the TV adaptation arrives on our screens. In the meantime, here's everything you need to know about McCurdy's memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died. Part exposé on the perils of child fame and part reckoning with the relationship with her mother, I'm Glad My Mom Died secured a spot in my review of the best memoirs and autobiographies. The provocative opening of the book sees McCurdy at her mother Debra's hospital bedside. She's got cancer and is in a coma - in a bid to wake her, McCurdy whispers, 'Mommy, I am... so skinny right now.' What follows is the Nickelodeon star recounting her dysfunctional childhood with her cruel and narcissistic mother, who failed at her own acting career. Despite her comic roles on screen, behind the scenes, McCurdy was depressed and anxious, suffering from disordered eating and alcohol abuse in her teens. In the book, McCurdy reveals how her mother forced her to diet and wouldn't let her shower alone until she was 18 years old. It wasn't until her mother died in 2013 that she understood the abuse she had suffered. This could be a depressingly sad memoir in anyone else's hands, but McCurdy's skill for storytelling and dark humour balances the bleakness of her story. Ultimately, it's about abuse masquerading as love. McCurdy's narration of the audiobook adds further depth to her story – it's well worth a listen.
