Shropshire Star

Dream Stream: Pam & Tommy, Broadchurch, The Expanse

Stuck for something to watch this weekend? Here are three top picks from our locker, available for you to stream.

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Pam & Tommy

Pam & Tommy

Limited series – Disney+

The greatest love story ever sold...

Pam & Tommy is a biographical drama miniseries that chronicles the marriage between Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee during the time that their famous unauthorised sex tape was made public.

Based on the 2014 Rolling Stone article ‘Pam and Tommy: The Untold Story of the World’s Most Infamous Sex Tape’ by Amanda Chicago Lewis, the series was created by Robert Siegel, and stars Downton Abbey’s Lily James and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Sebastian Stan as the couple themselves.

The series development was in fact announced in 2018, with James Franco attached to direct the miniseries and play Tommy Lee.

Franco was however destined to depart the project, paving the way for Stan to put in an incredible performance as the Mötley Crüe wildman.

It’s fair to say that this show drew a bit of criticism and sparked some controversy, though what cannot be denied are the captivating turns from core cast members Stan, James, and Seth Rogan (playing Rand Gauthier, the chap who stole the tape in the first place).

Once you start watching, you will certainly be hooked.

Though don’t let the traditional brand of its streaming provider fool you – with highly explicit scenes, this one is definitely not for the kids.

Broadchurch

Series 1-3 – ITVX

Broadchurch

It was one of the most popular crime dramas of the previous decade, and it’s certainly been long enough now to give a re-run a go.

Created by Chris Chibnall, the first series of Broadchurch told the harrowing story of the murder of an 11-year-old boy from a sleepy town on the Dorset coast, and the struggle of the local community to come to terms with the horrific crime.

Starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman as the detectives assigned to the case, this one kept ITV viewers hooked for an eight-week whodunnit stint to what was the definitive water-cooler show of 2013.

When the body of Broadchurch child Danny Latimer is found on a local beach, his heartbroken mother Beth (Jodie Whitaker) and father Mark (Andrew Buchan) are at a loss as to how and why anybody could have hurt him.

When troubled detective Alec Hardy (Tennant) takes a job in the area, he is fraught with demons following a failure during his last case, and is committed to delivering justice for Danny at any cost. Though she is bitter about Hardy taking the job she believes should have been hers, DS Ellie Miller (Colman) works with him to find the killer, and in the process is forced to investigate everyone in the town, including her friends and family.

With secrets and skeletons in the closet of the Broadchurch residents, the two detectives are forced to walk down a disturbing road that will lead to horrific truths being revealed.

With outstanding performances from Colman and Tennant, Broadchurch is quite simply one of the greatest dramas that has ever graced ITV. And with two following series also available, there are a total of 24 episodes to enjoy.

The Expanse

Seasons 1-6 – Amazon Prime

The Expanse

Based on the series of novels of the same name by James S. A. Corey, The Expanse is an American sci-fi treat of no mistaking.

Developed by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, the series is set in a future where humanity has colonised the Solar System, and follows a disparate band of protagonists as they unwittingly unravel and place themselves at the centre of a conspiracy that threatens the system’s fragile state of cold war.

Hundreds of years into the future, Earth has colonized Mars but Mars is now independent, and the two planets are in a constant state of distrust and unease. Caught between these two are the people of the asteroid belt and outer planets.

All is well for James Holden (Steven Strait), the executive officer of a freighter, until however he witnesses his craft being destroyed by what appears to be a Martian warship.

This heightens the tensions between Earth and Mars and sets Holden and his remaining crew on a quest across the solar system to find the truth behind the incident.

Meanwhile, on Ceres in the Asteroid Belt, police detective Josephus Miller (Thomas Jane) is searching for the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the system. It isn’t long before a conspiracy tying together the fates of all begins to reveal itself.

With fantastic performances from Jane, Strait and a brilliant supporting cast, The Expanse will keep fans of interstellar drama hooked for hours on end.

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