On this episode of TV Gold, Andrew Mercado and James Manning review:

Two Years Later (Paramount+, 8 episodes)
Two Years Later is an Australian romantic dramedy created by Pete Bridges, starring Brenton Thwaites and Phoebe Tonkin. The show tracks thirty-somethings Ryan and Emily, who exchanged flirty glances on their daily commute prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. When they reconnect years later, Ryan proposes an unconventional experiment: they will go on exactly eight dates to determine if they are truly meant to be together.

Ground Up (ABC iview, 6 episodes)
After years of trying, Tasmania has finally been given the green light to field a team in the AFL - but there's a catch. The locals have to build a new stadium. Given Tasmania has a housing crisis, and a health crisis… and two sizeable stadiums, not everyone thinks the 1.13 billion dollar taxpayer spend is the greatest idea. AFL administrator Hugh Shen (played by Sam Pang) has been sent from Melbourne, tasked with establishing the club. There's a divided public to win over, oppressive deadlines to meet, feisty protesters to handle and inoffensive mascots to employ. Not to mention the coach they employ who’s had an interesting past.

Cape Fear (Apple TV, 10 episodes)
The TV remake of two classic movies follows married attorneys Anna and Tom Bowden, whose lives are upended when Max Cady, a notorious killer they previously defended and prosecuted, is released from prison and begins stalking their family in a twisted quest for vengeance.
Seventeen years ago, Amy Adams‘ Anna was a defense attorney representing Max Cady (Javier Bardem), a Savannah restauranteur accused of murdering his pregnant wife. Tom (Patrick Wilson) was the prosecutor. Soon after the trial ended with Cady pleading guilty and getting life in prison, Anna and Tom got married, which caused some tongues to wag since she was pregnant throughout the proceedings with a different man’s baby.

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A special episode of TV Gold this week with Andrew Mercado and James Manning joined by author Holden Sheppard, whose best-selling debut novel Invisible Boys was turned into a Stan series. All three have watched Tip Toe and talk about the series, the themes explored, the plot devices and how some critics have had problems with the storytelling.

The five-part series on Binge and Foxtel follows Leo and Clive who have lived next door to each other in Manchester for almost 15 years. But just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe. Alan Cumming plays Manchester bar owner Leo and David Morrissey is his tradie neighbour Clive. They are supported by a great cast playing lovers, friends, family members and work colleagues. Creator Russell T Davies has the viewer riveted from the chilling opening scene.

Picking Show of the Week was easy this week with just one program reviewed. The panel’s unanimous choice – Tip Toe.

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Shows reviewed by Andrew Mercado and James Manning this week on the TV Gold podcast:

A Woman of Substance (Binge, 8 episodes)
Based on the best-selling novel by Barbara Taylor Bradford, A Woman of Substance is a drama spanning six decades, charting the rise of Emma Harte (Brenda Blethyn) from penniless Yorkshire maid in the early 1900s to apparently a powerful 1970s business mogul. Brenda Blethyn plays the grown up successful businesswoman Emma Harte, while Young Emma Harte – is played by Jessica Reynolds.

Dear England (Binge, 4 episodes)
Dear England was an acclaimed stage play, and now a television drama, by James Graham that chronicles Gareth Southgate’s tenure as the manager of the England men's football team. It explores the psychological toll of elite sports, leadership, and the quest to cure "years of hurt". Joseph Fiennes is wonderful in the lead role as Gareth Southgate. Jodie Whittaker however doesn’t have much to do and is wasted as Pippa Grange, Southgate’s sports psychologist Pippa Grange)

Deli Boys (Disney+, S1 10 eps, S2 6 eps)
After their father ("Baba") dies unexpectedly, brothers Mir and Raj Dar lose their trust funds and learn that their family fortune actually comes from cocaine smuggling. Plunged headfirst into the criminal underworld, they rely on their fierce and unfiltered aunt, Lucky, to help them learn the ropes, evade the authorities, and navigate rival gangs—all while attempting to wash the money and secure a normal future.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (Stan, S1 6 Eos, S2 6 eps)
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has returned for Season 2 with new episodes in the YA mystery series. Emma Myers is back as Pip, alongside Zain Iqbal as Ravi Singh, with the six-episode season picking up in the aftermath of the pair solving what happened to missing student Andie Bell (India Lillie Davies).

Life Is Short (Netflix, documentary)
The acclaimed documentary about comedy legend Martin Short. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan, the doco explores Short’s life, comedic resilience, and enduring friendships with intimate home movies and celebrity interviews. Wonderful interviews featured include Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, Paul Shaffer, Catherine O’Hara, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Steven Spielberg, plus archive footage featuring many including Mel Brooks, Johnny Carson, Goldie Hawn, David Letterman, and Conan O’Brien.

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