Best international series on Showmax in June, from The Idol to Mrs. Davis to Warrior S3

8th Jun 2023 | Source: Showmax

<div><strong>THE IDOL S1</strong><strong> </strong><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| First on Showmax | 5 June, express from the US </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Currently at #13 on </span><em>IMDb's</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> Most Popular TV list after its hotly debated world premiere at the 2023 Festival de Cannes, </span><em>The Idol</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> is a new 18LSDN HBO Original co-created and co-written by Emmy-nominated director Sam Levinson (</span><em>Euphoria</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), Oscar nominee and Grammy winner Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye (who also co-stars), and Reza Fahim. </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">After a nervous breakdown derailed her last tour, Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) is determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America. Her passions are reignited by self-help guru and cult leader Tedros (Tesfaye). Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest and darkest depths of her soul? </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Saying the "controversial new show shocks and awes", </span><em>Mashable</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> calls </span><em>The Idol</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> "</span><span style="color:#0a1829; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">an electric charge of a series... a raucous, engrossing ride on an industry nightmare train bound to careen off a cliff... The way it captures the sickness of the fame machine will stay with you long after the credits roll... a surprisingly nuanced, well rounded, and deliciously bold take on the cost of fame and the drive for greatness."</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">South African-born pop star Troye Sivan co-stars. Since his first, SAFTA-nominated lead role as John "Spud" Milton in the </span><em>Spud </em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">trilogy, Sivan's career has exploded, with over 18m listeners a month on Spotify, nearly eight million YouTube subscribers, MTV Europe Music Award and GLAAD Awards, and a Golden Globe nomination. </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Also look out for Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter Moses Sumney, Emmy winners Dan Levy (</span><em>Schitt's Creek</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), and Hank Azaria (multiple voices in </span><em>The Simpsons</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), </span><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Black Reel winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph (</span><em>Only Murders in the Building</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">)</span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, Emmy nominee Jane Adams (</span><em>Hacks</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), 2023 MTV Movie + TV Awards breakthrough performance nominee Rachel Sennott (</span><em>Bodies Bodies Bodies</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and the late Anne Heche, in one of her last onscreen roles. </span></div>

<div><strong>MRS. DAVIS S1</strong><strong> </strong><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| First on Showmax | 2 episodes on 5 June, then weekly</span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Mrs. Davis is the world's most powerful Artificial Intelligence. Simone is the nun devoted to destroying her.</span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Co-created by three-time Emmy winner Damon Lindelof (</span><em>Watchmen</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>The Leftovers</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and writer Tara Hernandez (</span><em>The Big Bang Theory</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Young Sheldon</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), </span><em>Mrs. Davis </em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">stars Critics Choice Super Award winner and three-time Emmy nominee Betty Gilpin (</span><em>Glow</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) opposite the likes of Jake McDorman (</span><em>Limitless</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), Andy McQueen (</span><em>Station Eleven, Outer Banks</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), David Arquette (Dewey Riley in the </span><em>Scream</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> movies), Tom Wlaschiha (</span><em>Stranger Things</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Game of Thrones</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), Elizabeth Marvel (</span><em>Love & Death</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>The Dropout</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and triple-Emmy winner Margo Martindale (</span><em>The Americans</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">). </span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The Peacock Original is at #19 on </span><em>Rotten Tomatoes</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">' Best TV Shows of the Year (So Far), with a 91% critics' rating. </span><em>The Hollywood Reporter</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> calls it "a mind-bending thrill ride... bracingly, deliriously original... </span><em>Mrs. Davis</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> could never be mistaken for something engineered by computers, or even by committee. No, this feels like the work of people determined to show what they can do that algorithms still can't: take all those storytelling tropes we've heard a hundred times before, and find a way to refashion them into something daring, ambitious and entirely new."</span></div>

<div><strong>WITHOUT SIN S1</strong><strong> </strong><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| Binge from 5 June</span></div>

<div><em>Line of Duty</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> star Vicky McClure was nominated for a 2023 BAFTA Award for Best Actress in the psychological thriller </span><em>Without Sin</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, which follows </span><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">the relationship between a grieving mother and the man she believes murdered her daughter.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">In their 4/5-star review, the </span><em>Guardian</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> calls it "a top-notch conspiracy drama," saying, "Vicky McClure is fantastic in this heavyweight thriller." </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Dorothy Atkinson (</span><em>Harlots</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Pennyworth</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and BAFTA nominee Johnny Harris (</span><em>Great Expectations</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) co-star.</span></div>

<div><strong>THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES S3</strong><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> | First on Showmax | 2 episodes on 19 June, then weekly</span></div>

<div><em>The Righteous Gemstones</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work. When the spoiled Gemstone children finally get their wish to take control of the church, they discover leadership is harder than they imagined and that their extravagant lifestyle comes with a heavy price.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Emmy nominee Steve Zahn (</span><em>The White Lotus</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and Emmy winner Kristen Johnston (</span><em>Mom</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>3rd Rock from the Sun</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) join the cast this season. Danny McBride (who also created, wrote and executive produces), MTV Movie Award and Teen Choice Award winner Adam Devine, Edi Patterson, Skyler Gisondo, Emmy winner John Goodman and Emmy nominee Walton Goggins all return to what </span><em>Collider</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> hails as "one of the greatest ensembles in comedic television."</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Nominated for a 2022 Emmy Award for its Stunt Coordination, </span><em>The Righteous Gemstones</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> Season 2 has an 80% critics' rating on </span><em>Rotten Tomatoes</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, where the critics' consensus calls it "uproariously funny." </span><em>Slate</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> proclaims the series "the funniest one currently on air" and</span><em> Indiewire</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> sings the show's praises for "elevating the laughs to heavenly heights."?? </span></div>

<div><strong>WARRIOR S3</strong><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> </span><strong> </strong><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| First on Showmax | Fridays from 30 June, express from the US</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Hailed by </span><em>Inverse</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> as "the most underrated action series of the century," </span><em>Warrior</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> is set in the ruthless world of late 19th-Century San Francisco, where rival Chinatown tongs fight for dominance. In the wake of the race riots that upended Chinatown in Season 2, Mai Ling (Dianne Doan from </span><em>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> and </span><em>Descendants</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) uses her government connections to consolidate power, while Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji from </span><em>Bullet Train</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, in a Critics Choice Super-nominated performance) and the Hop Wei tong must find new ways to survive.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Filmed in Cape Town with Moonlighting, </span><em>Warrior</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> was nominated for two Emmys as well as Best Action Series at the Critics Choice Super Awards. The HBO series is created by Jonathan Tropper (</span><em>Banshee</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and based on the writings of martial arts icon Bruce Lee, with Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee and Justin Lin (director of five </span><em>Fast and Furious</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> films) among its executive producers.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Mark Dacascos (</span><em>John Wick: Chapter 3</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) joins the cast this season as former gang leader Kong Pak, as do a number of South Africans, including former </span><em>Idols </em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">presenter Colin Moss as mayoral candidate Franklin Thayer, Neels Classen (</span><em>Binnelanders</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Kompleks</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as the city's new chief of police, Benjamin Atwood, and Sean-Marco Vorster (</span><em>Alles Malan</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Legacy</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as San Francisco political insider Stewart Gumm. SAFTA nominee Robert Hobbs (</span><em>The Girl from St. Agnes</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>District 9</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and Andre Jacobs (</span><em>Black Sails</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) return in their roles as Stone and Merriweather respectively.</span></div>

<div><em>Warrior </em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">has an 8.4/10 rating on </span><em>IMDb</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> and a 100% critics' rating for Season 2 on </span><em>Rotten Tomatoes</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">. Season 1 was among </span><em>Rolling Stone</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">'s Best New Television Shows of 2019, with </span><em>The Ringer</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> calling it "a supremely kick-ass and criminally underappreciated martial arts Western" and </span><em>Vox </em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">saying, "</span><em>Warrior</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> feels like if </span><em>Peaky Blinders</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> starred Bruce Lee and was set in 1870s Chinatown." </span></div>

<div><strong>SUCCESSION S4</strong><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> | First On Showmax | Binge full now</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Currently the most popular series globally on </span><em>IMDb</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Succession</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">'s fourth and final season may just be its best yet. The 83-minute finale delivered nearly three million viewers across Max and linear telecasts on Sunday night, 28 May 2023, and earned a 9.6/10 rating on </span><em>IMDb</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> from over 14 000 fans. This is a 68% improvement over the Season 3 finale of 1.7 million viewers, and a record for the series, which has won over 100 awards and 13 Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2020 and 2022.  </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The story of four siblings fighting over who will take over a media and entertainment empire, </span><em>Succession</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> has also topped the charts on Showmax in South Africa. Season 4 has a 97% critics' rating on </span><em>Rotten Tomatoes - </em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">the sixth highest this year, and from nearly three times as many reviews as everything above it. </span></div>

<div><em>Succession</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> is currently </span><em>Variety</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">'s favourite to win 2023 Emmys for Drama, Lead Actor (Kieran Culkin as Roman), Lead Actress (Sarah Snook as Shiv) and Supporting Actor (Matthew Macfadyen as Tom). </span><em>Indiewire</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> hails the show as "the end all, be all of TV," while </span><em>Empire</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> calls the series, "</span><span style="color:#161616; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">gut-punchingly emotional, impeccably performed, shot with boundary-pushing excellence, and as hilarious as it is dramatic. It is one of the best ensemble casts in television history, delivering some of the best lines ever written. It's a tale that is the highest of stakes, all the time; both thuddingly relevant and thrillingly escapist. It is, quite simply, one of the best TV shows ever made."</span></div>

<div><strong>LOVE & DEATH</strong><strong> </strong><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| Binge now</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Currently the fifth most popular show on </span><em>IMDb</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> globally, </span><em>Love & Death</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> tells the true story of Candy and Pat Montgomery and Betty and Allan Gore, two churchgoing couples enjoying their small town Texas life ... until an extramarital affair leads somebody to pick up an axe ... </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Written by 11-time Emmy winner David E Kelley (</span><em>Big Little Lies</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and directed by Oscar and Emmy nominee Lesli Linka Glatter (</span><em>Homeland</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), </span><em>Love & Death </em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">co-stars Emmy nominee Elizabeth Olsen (</span><em>Wandavision</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and Oscar and Emmy nominee Jesse Plemons (</span><em>Killers of the Flower Moon</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>The Power of the Dog</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Fargo</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">). </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The seven-part series is currently the number one most-watched Max Original limited series globally.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">"</span><em>Love & Death</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> is David E. Kelley's best show since </span><em>Big Little Lies," </em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">says </span><em>Time Magazin</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">e. "For once, the love resonates as profoundly as the death... As adultery goes, it's all kind of adorable—until it really isn't..."</span></div>

<div><strong>BARRY S4</strong><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| First on Showmax | Binge now</span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Currently the eighth most popular series on IMDb globally, </span><em>Barry </em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">stars Bill Hader as conflicted hitman-turned-actor Barry Berkman - a performance that has already won him two Emmys. </span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">In their five star review of the fourth and final season, </span><em>The Guardian</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> calls</span><em> Barry </em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">"the true best show on television," praising its "highwire ability to mix incredible comedy with the sort of intense drama that leaves your stomach in knots for days.... </span><em>Barry </em><span style="color:#121212; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">deserves to go down as one of the best of all time."</span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">This season, Anthony Carrigan, Sarah Goldberg and Stephen Root all return in their Emmy-nominated roles as Noho Hank, Sally and Fuches, while Henry Winkler is also back in his Emmy-winning role as acting coach Gene Cousineau. </span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The HBO Original has won nine Emmys and 50 awards for its first three seasons. Completely directed by Hader this time, the fourth and final season has a 96% critics' score on </span><em>Rotten Tomatoes</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> - the fourth-highest this year. </span></div>

<div><strong>YELLOWJACKETS S2</strong><strong> </strong><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| First on Showmax | Binge now</span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Currently the ninth most popular series on </span><em>IMDb</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> globally, </span><em>Yellowjackets</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> follows a high school girls' soccer team that survives a plane crash in the 90s. The Yellowjackets barely made it through summer, but now, as winter begins to bite, we'll see if hunger and desperation turn into full-on psychosis. Meanwhile, 25 years later, each survivor must determine if the darkness is coming for them or from them.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Season 2 has a 94% critics' rating on </span><em>Rotten Tomatoes</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> - the 11th highest this year. As </span><em>The Guardian</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> says in their five star review, "Juliette Lewis is sublime, Christina Ricci finds her perfect co-star [Elijah Wood], and you're constantly kept on your toes with parallel timelines and tons of creepy thrills. What a follow-up!... This wonderfully imaginative sequel is even better than last time."</span></div>

<div><em>Yellowjackets' </em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">first season was named Best Horror at the 2022 Critics Choice Super Awards and Best Drama at the 2022 Critics Choice Awards. It was also nominated for seven Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series. </span></div>

<div><strong>C.B. STRIKE: TROUBLED BLOOD</strong><strong> </strong><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> | First on Showmax | 2 episodes each on 2 and 9 June </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Based on the Cormoran Strike book series by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling), </span><em>C.B. Strike</em><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">: </span><em>Troubled Blood</em><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> sees Strike </span><span style="color:#2a2c32; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">visiting family in Cornwall, England when he is approached by a young woman who seeks his help finding her mother, who went missing in 1974.</span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Tom Burke (</span><em>Mank</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) once again leads the four-part crime series as war veteran turned private detective Cormoran Strike, with Critics Choice nominee Holliday Grainger (</span><em>The Capture</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as his trusted partner Robin Ellacott.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">In their five-star review,</span><em> Independent (UK)</em><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> wrote: "This drama should be cherished. It's BBC at its best."</span></div>

<div><strong>THE ROOKIE S4</strong><strong> </strong><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> | Binge from 23 June </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Four-time People's Choice Award winner Nathan Fillion (</span><em>Castle</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Firefly</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) returns as the LAPD's oldest rookie, John Nolan, in </span><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">the new season of </span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">popular police procedural, </span><em>The Rookie.</em></div>

<div><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Season 4's returning cast includes Alyssa Diaz </span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">(</span><em>Ray Donovan</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">'s Teresa) </span><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">as LAPD detective (and expectant mom) Angela Lopez, </span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Black Reel nominee Richard T Jones (</span><em>Santa Clarita Diet</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as Sergeant Wade Grey</span><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, Melissa O'Neil </span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">(</span><em>Dark Matter</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Condor</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as Officer Lucy Chen</span><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, Mekia Cox </span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">(</span><em>Chicago Med's </em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Robin) as Detective Nyla Harper</span><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">MTV Movie Award winner Shawn Ashmore (</span><em>X-Men</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">'s Ice Man) as defence lawyer Wesley Evers</span><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, and </span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Eric Winter (</span><em>The Mentalist</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as Sergeant Tim Bradford.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Award winner Tricia Helfer (</span><em>Battlestar Galactica</em><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">'s Six and </span><em>Lucifer</em><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">'s Charlotte/Shirley Monroe) guest stars in episode 2, and also </span><span style="color:#0f0f0f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">look out for four-time Emmy nominee Niecy Nash-Betts (</span><em>Reno 911!</em><span style="color:#0f0f0f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Claws</em><span style="color:#0f0f0f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>When They See Us</em><span style="color:#0f0f0f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as Simone Clark, the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy, in a two-part special episode which serves as a </span><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">backdoor pilot for the show's spin-off series, </span><em>The Rookie: Feds</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">.</span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Nominated for a 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series,</span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> and boasting a consistent 8/10 score on </span><em>IMDb</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>The Rookie</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> </span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">has already been renewed for a fifth and sixth season.</span></div>

<div><strong>A TOWN CALLED MALICE S1</strong><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> | First on Showmax | 2 episodes on 9 June, then weekly </span></div>

<div><em>A Town Called Malice</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> follows the Lords, a family of South London gangsters. They've fallen to the bottom of the criminal food chain – and they're not happy about it. When they flee to the Costa del Sol in Spain following a gangland battle, the Lords realise this is a golden opportunity to reinvent themselves and recapture their former glory. </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The Lord family is headed up by Emmy winner Martha Plimpton (</span><em>The Good Wife</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as Mint Ma and Critics Choice nominee Jason Flemyng (</span><em>Pennyworth</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as Albert Lord, with BAFTA nominees Jack Rowan (</span><em>Noughts + Crosses</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Born to Kill</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and Tahirah Sharif (</span><em>The Haunting of Bly Manor</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as Gene Lord and his girlfriend, Cindy Carter, not to mention Emmy winner Dougray Scott (</span><em>Mission: Impossible 2</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as Uncle Tony.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">In their four-star review, </span><em>Evening Standard</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> hailed </span><em>A Town Called Malice</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> as "a blast of Eighties-flavoured fun..."</span></div>

<div><strong>100 FOOT WAVE </strong><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| First on Showmax | Binge now</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#0f0f0f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Big-wave surfing pioneer Garrett McNamara, his surfing peers, and some surprising newcomers continue to push the boundaries of their sport and the limits of their minds and bodies in Season 2 of the critically acclaimed HBO documentary series </span><em>100 Foot Wave</em><span style="color:#0f0f0f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">. </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#0f0f0f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Season 1 won </span><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Outstanding Cinematography at the 2022 Emmys, where it was also up for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. It also won a Producers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Sports Program and was nominated for a Cinema Eye Honours Award for its cinematography. </span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The series has a 100% critics' rating on </span><em>Rotten Tomatoes</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, with </span><em>LA Weekly</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> calling the series "a wild ride... both maddening and captivating to watch."</span></div>

<div><strong>VAMPIRE ACADEMY S1 </strong><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| First on Showmax | Binge eps 1-4, with new episodes on Fridays</span></div>

<div><em>Vampire Academy</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> centres on Lissa, a royal vampire, and her protector, Rose, as they navigate romance, ancient magic and their strikingly different social classes at their boarding school, St Vladimir's Academy, all while facing threats like the bloodthirsty, undead strigoi. </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The Peacock Original is based on the bestselling young adult novel series by multi-award-winning author Richelle Mead, and is the second adaptation of the novels following the 2014 film of the same name. </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The cast is led by Australian actress Sisi Stringer (</span><em>Mortal Kombat</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as Rose and Daniela Nieves (</span><em>Every Witch Way</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) as Lissa, with the likes of Emmy nominee J. August Richards (</span><em>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Kevin (Probably) Saves the World</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and André Dae Kim (</span><em>Star Trek: Strange New Worlds</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) also among the cast.</span></div>

<div><strong>ALL AMERICAN: HOMECOMING S2</strong><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> | Binge from 16 June </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The new season of the successful </span><em>All American</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> spin-off series, </span><em>All American: Homecoming</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, continues the journey of a young tennis hopeful and an elite baseball player as they contend with the high stakes of college sports while navigating the highs, lows and sexiness of unsupervised early adulthood at a prestigious historically Black college.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Created by Nigerian-American Nkechi Okoro, the young adult sports drama's debut season landed a 100% critics' rating on </span><em>Rotten Tomatoes</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, with </span><em>Variety</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> calling it a "a big-hearted, worthy spinoff."</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The new season sees Simone Hicks (GeffriMaya, reprising her role from </span><em>All American</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and Damon Sims (Peyton Alex Smith from </span><em>Legacies</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) return for a new semester of freshman challenges – on the court and off. Emmy nominee Kelly Jenrette (</span><em>The Handmaid's Tale</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Manhunt: Unabomber</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) returns as Amara Patterson, while Mitchell Edwards reprises his role as Cam Watkins alongside other familiar faces, including a guest appearance from </span><em>All American</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">'s Spencer James, Daniel Ezra.</span></div>

<div><strong>THE L WORD: GENERATION Q S3</strong><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> </span><strong> </strong><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| Binge from 2 June</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">In the third and final season of </span><em>The L Word: Generation Q, </em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">GLAAD winner and Golden Globe nominee Jennifer Beals returns in the iconic role she reprised from the original series as Bette Porter-Kennard. If you've been wondering about the Tibette endgame, Laurel Holloman (who won a Satellite Award for her role in the original </span><em>L Word</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) </span><em>is</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> back as Bette's ex-wife Tina Kennard, after Bette sabotaged her engagement to Carrie Walsh (Emmy winner Rosie O'Donnell) last season. Then again, Emmy nominee Vanessa Estelle Williams is also back as Pippa, so don't place your bets just yet.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Kate Moennig, who plays Shane, and Leisha Hailey, who plays Alice, both make their directorial debuts this season, helming the penultimate episode and finale respectively. Also look out for guest stars like Golden Globe nominee Joey Lauren Adams (</span><em>Chasing Amy</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), Emmy nominee Margaret Cho (</span><em>The Flight Attendant</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), singer Fletcher, Emmy nominee and Golden Globe winner Joanna Cassidy, and Grammy nominee Kehlani.</span></div>

<div><em>The L Word: Generation Q</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> was up for Best TV Drama at this year's Queerties, having been nominated for Best TV Series and TV Performance (Leo Sheng) in 2020. It was also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the GLAAD Media Awards in both 2020 and 2022.</span></div>

<div><strong>EAST NEW YORK S1</strong><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> | First on Showmax | Binge eps 1-21 now, with new episodes every Thursday</span></div>

<div><em>East New York</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> follows recently promoted police captain Regina Haywood, who leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are hesitant to deploy her creative methods of serving and protecting.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Amanda Warren (</span><em>NCIS: New Orleans</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) stars as Deputy Inspector Haywood, alongside the likes of Emmy winner Jimmy Smits (</span><em>NYPD Blue</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and Emmy nominee Ruben Santiago-Hudson (</span><em>Castle</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), and Screen Actors Guild winners Kevin Rankin (</span><em>Breaking Bad</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and Elizabeth Rodriguez (</span><em>Orange is the New Black</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">). </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Created by Emmy winner William M. Finkelstein (</span><em>The Good Fight</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>NYPD Blue</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Law & Order</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>L.A. Law</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) and Black Reel nominee Mike Flynn (</span><em>Power Book III: Raising Kanan</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Queen Sugar</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), </span><em>East New York</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> has an 88% critics' rating on </span><em>Rotten Tomatoes</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">. As </span><em>Variety</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> says, "??</span><em>East New York</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> sets a new course for the broadcast cop drama."</span></div>

<div><strong>THE FEAR INDEX S1</strong><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> </span><strong> </strong><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| First on Showmax | Fridays from 23 June</span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Multiple Teen Choice and MTV Movie Award nominee Josh Hartnett (</span><em>Wrath of Man</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Pearl Harbour</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) stars as Dr Alex Hoffman, a tech genius who faces the worst 24 hours of his life when he finds himself at the centre of a plot to destroy the world's financial markets in the Sky Original psychological thriller </span><em>The Fear Index</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">.</span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Based on the bestselling novel by Robert Harris, about the 2010 Flash Crash, the four-part miniseries also stars Senegalese actress Aïssa Maïga (</span><em>The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>The African Doctor</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), Arsher Ali (</span><em>Avenue Five</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Four Lions</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), and Leila Farzad (</span><em>I Hate Suzie</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Avenue Five</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">).</span></div>

<div><em>The Guardian</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> says, "It's solid, satisfying stuff... given a remarkable lift by Hartnett, who invests Hoffman with a palpable, credible and increasingly corrosive fearfulness from the off," adding, "Fear of losing your mind, fear of the unknown, fear of the robots taking over our lives, fear of failure and of danger and humanity's fearsomely predictable responses to it all entwine nicely, somewhere around the viewers' throats."</span></div>

<div><strong>WITNESS NUMBER 3 S1</strong><span style="color:#1f1f1f; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> </span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| Binge from 30 June</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">How far are you prepared to go to do the right thing? The claustrophobic British psychological thriller </span><em>Witness Number 3</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> follows Jodie, who is setting up early one morning at her hairdressing salon when she glances out of the window and in a split second witnesses a killer and his victim moments before a murder. Her statement could make all the difference, but at what cost?</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The four-part miniseries stars Nina Toussaint-White (</span><em>Bodyguard</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>The Sister</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), who, </span><em>RadioTimes</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> says in their 4/5-star review, "shines as [the] embattled murder witness," as well as BAFTA nominee Sue Johnston (</span><em>Downton Abbey</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Waking the Dead</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">). </span></div>

<div><em>The Telegraph</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> praises the show's "creative directing ... strong cast and excellent writing," calling </span><em>Witness Number 3</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> "a tense and convincing crime drama."</span></div>

<div><strong>STREAM THE BAFTA-WINNING THIS IS GOING TO HURT</strong></div>

<div><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">At the BAFTA Awards in May, Ben Whishaw took home the Leading Actor BAFTA for </span><em>This Is Going To Hurt</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, a medical drama on Showmax which also won Writer: Drama for former doctor Adam Kay, Scripted Casting, and Editing. </span></div>

<div><em>Game of Thrones </em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">prequel </span><em>House of The Dragon</em><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> also picked up BAFTAs for Special, Visual and Graphic Effects, Sound, and Make-up And Hair Design. </span></div>

<div><strong>EVERYTHING ON SHOWMAX IN JUNE 2023</strong></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">To see everything on Showmax in June 2023, including the Showmax Original true-crime docuseries, </span><em>Rosemary's Hitlist</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, from the creators of </span><em>Devilsdorp</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> and </span><em>Steinheist</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, as well as global box office hits like </span><em>The Woman King</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>Nope</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><em>The Northman</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, and </span><em>The Bad Guys</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, click </span><a href="https://usw2.nyl.as/t1/211/c0m0hmccbey0z4gx5ximxay0h/19/d7517af7b439c646773feac9f084b619e0529bbfa938d9bf261747ebbcbd8fd2" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #1155cc" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">.</span></div>