8 binge-worthy cult TV series at SBS On Demand

From sinister small towns to Irish criminal gangs to the last man on earth, these quirky shows at SBS On Demand will get under your skin.

(L–R): ‘Being Human’, ‘Bad Education’, ‘Dramaworld’, ‘The Trixie & Katya Show’. Source: SBS

Being Human

Rather than the fear and gore some stories dive into when supernatural species interact, this English-language dramedy from the UK is more interested in exploring the human interactions between three distinctly inhuman flatmates: vampire John (Aidan Turner), werewolf George (Russell Tovey) and ghost Annie (Lenora Crichlow).

The three friends work, order pizzas, drink copious amounts of tea, deal with surprise visits from their landlord and clean up after George goes on a lycanthropic rampage in the flat. It’s all very mundane until the supernatural world interferes with their attempts at normalcy. John is visited by several undead colleagues hinting at a vampire conspiracy that could forever change the world. Meanwhile, George worries about killing people after losing his usual secure spot for his monthly transformations due to construction work. And Annie’s investigation into her death takes a very dark turn.

Seasons 1–5 of Being Human are now streaming at SBS On Demand.

Love/Hate

When talking about this sometimes confrontingly violent 2010–14 crime drama, what’s often mentioned is how very popular the series was in its home country of Ireland. Or how it received great critical acclaim, won multiple awards and was favourably compared to both The Wire and The Sopranos. Or that the English-language series – although you may sometimes need to turn on subtitles to understand the thick Dublin accents – was the launching pad for the careers of future stars like Robert Sheehan and Ruth Negga, who appeared alongside other strong talent including Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and Aiden Gillen.

But possibly the most interesting lesser known thing about Love/Hate was how an undercover cop, Detective Kieran O’Reilly, was busted by his superiors in 2013 moonlighting as an actor on the show, playing… you guessed it, a policeman. He was cleared of any wrongdoing and has gone on to a respectable acting career. It’s just one of many things to enjoy about this gripping series.

Seasons 1–5 of Love/Hate are now streaming at SBS On Demand.

 

The Shelter

Director Pablo Fendrik describes The Shelter – a six-part Spanish-language series about a Mexican family coping with a possible alien invasion – as “sci-fi meets Latino culture”.

“It doesn’t ignore the history of the genre,” he tells Variety, “but it sets out to establish its own identity, not only as a genre-blender but a cross[ing] of cultures.”

An estranged couple, Victoria (Ana Claudia Talancón) and Damián (Alberto Guerra) – still reeling from the death of one of their daughters – must work together to protect their family after weird events occur at Damián’s ranch one night. These include strange lights in the sky and the bizarre deaths of several farm animals. They soon learn that similar events are happening around the world, causing panic, rioting and anarchy in towns and cities. In the end, the bigger threat to the family may not be the aliens, but other people.

The Shelter is now streaming at SBS On Demand.

 

The Last Man On Earth

Keeping on the theme of cataclysmic global events, we have this English-language sitcom about a deadly virus that’s wiped out everyone on the planet… except one man, Phil (played by the show’s creator Will Forte). After spending a year travelling around the US – swiping priceless paintings and Hugh Hefner’s silk pyjamas along the way – he sets up base in Tucson, Arizona and proceeds to get very drunk and go quite mad… until he stumbles across the last woman on earth, Carol (Kristen Schaal).

But Phil’s initial joy at not being alone anymore ends abruptly when he realises that Carol is annoying as hell. Watching Last Man On Earth is a bit unsettling as it screened from 2015–18, but is set in 2020 and has a plot that involves a deadly pandemic. It makes you wonder if Forte is psychic.

Seasons 1–4 of The Last Man On Earth are now streaming at SBS On Demand.

 

Bad Education

Jack Whitehall once tried out for the role of Harry Potter. “I could have been a really good Harry Potter, but they gave it to Daniel Radcliffe. I’m not bitter,” he tells The Guardian. But it’s a good thing Whitehall didn’t become the boy magician because, otherwise, he wouldn’t have created and written the bawdy British sitcom Bad Education. He also stars in the English-language series as posh, lazy and irresponsible secondary school teacher Alfie Wickers, who’s in charge of a mob of delinquent students in a support class. When he’s not sleeping off hangovers or being harassed by the school bully, Alfie’s trying to hook up with fellow teacher Rosie (Sarah Solemani).

Bad Education ran for three seasons from 2012–14, spawned a spin-off movie in 2015 and was revived in 2022. If you enjoy the series and are a fan of school-based comedies in general, check out the UK’s Teachers and NZ’s Educators at SBS On Demand.

Seasons 1–4 of Bad Education arrive at SBS On Demand on Thursday 27 July. A reunion special will also be available to stream.

Jack Whitehall as Alfie Wickers and some of his students in ‘Bad Education’. Source: SBS

 

The Trixie & Katya Show

For comedy of a different kind, try this hilariously rude English-language series where no subject is too taboo for drag queen hosts Trixie Mattel and Katya (and third host Bob – Katya went into rehab partway through the series and was replaced as co-host by Bob the Drag Queen. Don’t worry, Katya’s fine now.) In each episode, the outrageous duo – who rose to fame after appearing in RuPaul’s Drag Race and, later, their own YouTube series, UNHhhh – examine a different topic, from hooking up to breakups, from pornography to fear. You may learn something new and, even if you don’t, you’ll get a few laughs from Trixie and Katya’s unfiltered views.

The Trixie & Katya Show is now streaming at SBS On Demand.

Wayward Pines

When we first meet US secret service agent Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon), he is lying in a forest – bruised and concussed – near the small town of Wayward Pines, Idaho. He has no idea how he got there, although it’s connected to his task of finding two missing agents.

Ethan tries to piece together how he came to be in Wayward Pines while dealing with the odd locals, including sinister Nurse Pam (Melissa Leo), helpful bartender Beverly (Juliette Lewis) and Sheriff Arnold Pope (Terrence Howard), who knows far more than he’s letting on.

Based on a series of novels by Blake Crouch, the series starts out as a mash-up of Twin Peaks and Patrick McGoohan’s The Prisoner, but evolves into something even more bizarre as it progresses. Which is what you’d expect from a show produced by M. Night Shyamalan, who also directed the first episode.

Seasons 1 and 2 of Wayward Pines are now streaming at SBS On Demand.

Dramaworld

Years before they became a star in TV series like Santa Clarita Diet and Yellowjackets, Aussie actor Liv Hewson cut their teeth on this quirky fantasy show from 2016.

Hewson plays Claire, an obsessed fan of Korean dramas who gets transported via her mobile phone into Dramaworld, a magical place that’s home to many of her favourite shows, including restaurant-based romance “Taste Of Love”. She becomes embroiled in the preposterous storylines while trying not to fall madly in love with lead actor Joon Park (Sean Dulake).

As silly as the plot sounds, the English- and Korean-language Dramaworld somehow works, mainly due to Hewson’s geeky, enthusiastic performance as Claire, who’s both bewildered and ecstatic to be meeting her k-drama idols.

Dramaworld is now streaming at SBS On Demand.