Vienna Blood
New Year’s Day kicks off with three new shows arriving at SBS On Demand. First up, glossy period crime drama Vienna Blood.
We’re in 1900s Vienna, then a hot-bed of philosophy, science and art, when cultures and ideas collided in the grand cafés and opera houses. Our dynamic duo are brilliant young English doctor and student of one Sigmund Freud, Max Liebermann (Matthew Beard, The Imitation Game) and detective inspector Oskar Rheinhardt (Jürgen Maurer, Anatomy of Evil). Combining Max’s extraordinary skills of perception and psychology and Oskar’s forceful tenacity, the pair join forces to investigate and solve some of Vienna’s most mysterious murder cases.
Based on Frank Tallis’ novels, and from the writer of Sherlock, this series also stars Australia’s Jessica De Gouw ().
Atlanta
Actor and Grammy-nominated artist Donald Glover (Community) is the executive producer and star of coming-of-age comedy/drama, Atlanta. Glover plays Earnest ‘Earn’ Marks, a loner who drops out of Princeton. When he returns home, he discovers his cousin Alfred ‘Paper Boi’ Miles (Brian Tyree Henry) has become Atlanta’s hottest new rap act. This authentic, subversive and sometimes surreal series follows the cousins on their way up through Atlanta’s rap scene. Their opposing views on art, commerce, success and race make their quest anything but smooth-sailing. It’s hard to take your eyes off Glover; no wonder he’s a star.
Versailles
Vikings’ George Blagden (with not a little magnetism; those eyes!) plays Louis XIV in the three-season box set of Versailles, the third of our shows landing at SBS On Demand on 1 January.
When we first meet him, Louis is 28 and commissioning the construction of Versailles, his ploy to keep the nobles out of Paris and permanently impose his absolute power. Haunted by a traumatic childhood, he’s nevertheless an outstanding political strategist, manipulator and Machiavellian. We watch his transformation into the Sun King and meet a range of figures from history along the way, from the most well-known courtier to the most humble villager, all guiding us through this world of betrayal and intimate secrets, political manoeuvres and declarations of war, revealing Versailles in all its glory and brutality.
Untold Australia
Season 5 of this popular documentary series brings three new standalone programs:
Stutter School uncovers the hidden challenges of having a stutter. We follow four people’s journeys through a course to help them find their voice as they’re supported by family.
Birdsville or Bust tells the colourful story of the famous outback Queensland town. With a usual population of around 100 people, the Birdsville Races attract over 10,000 partygoers each year. With four of its main businesses for sale and temperatures climbing to a staggering 49.5 degrees Celsius in summer, this episode captures a tumultuous year in the life of this unique town.
Bowled Over centres on Taboo, a group of drag performers who’ve found an unlikely following in their hometown of Ipswich, Queensland. They’ve helped keep the local lawn bowls club afloat, with their live shows there packing out for nine years running. But with one member of the group set to retire, the future of the club again looks uncertain.
New episodes of Untold Australia air weekly on SBS, on Tuesdays 5, 12 and 19 January at 8.30pm. Episodes also stream at SBS On Demand from the same day they go to air. Season 1, 3 and 4 are now streaming . Start watching the new season with Stutter School:
Vikings – final season
Vikings fans, the wait is finally over! The conclusion to the epic Vikings saga premieres with a double episode on SBS and SBS On Demand at 8.30pm, Wednesday 6 January. The final instalment begins as Ubbe learns the truth about Kjetill. Meanwhile, back in Norway, the battle against the Rus has had grave consequences. Reinforcements are on the horizon and Bjorn has an idea that may yet turn the tide.
With each episode only available to stream at SBS On Demand for 35 days after it goes to air, switch on all your alerts and alarms, and tell your friends to remind you too! You will not want to miss this.
Season 6B, the final season of Vikings, airs exclusively on SBS and from Wednesday 6 January. Each episode leaves SBS On Demand 35 days after it goes to air.
World On Fire
World On Fire unusually tells the story of the outbreak of WWII from the perspective of everyday people from all sides of the conflict – Britain, Poland, France, Germany and the USA. Multi-award-winning writer Peter Bowker () traces the intertwining fates of his relatable and vividly drawn characters in this heart-stopping drama that explores the human stories hidden within some of the most seismic moments in our recent history. The outstanding ensemble cast includes Helen Hunt, Sean Bean (Game of Thrones), Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread, Harlots), Jonah Hauer-King (Howards End), Julia Brown (MI High), Zofia Wichłacz (Warsaw ’44, Spoor) and Tomasz Kot (Cold War).
World On Fire begins with a double episode on SBS Thursday 7 January at 8:30pm. Single episodes then air weekly at 9:30pm on Thursdays. Episodes are streaming . Start here with episode 1:
Medici
In the third and final season of Medici, we re-enter Florence after the Pazzi Conspiracy has wrought havoc with the Medicis. Giuliano has been brutally murdered and Lorenzo is out for revenge. The citizens’ discontent is mounting, as they look to religious leader Girolamo Savonarola, a real figure from history who took power in 1494, for inspiration. Savonarola proclaims a ‘popular’ republic in opposition to the tyrannies of the rich. It’s a wild ride to the finish.
Season 3 of Medici premieres exclusively from Thursday 7 January. for catch-up or start season 3 here:
Cry Wolf
When 14-year-old Holly (Flora Ofelia Hofman Lindahl) submits an essay at school detailing domestic violence, her family is torn apart. Social worker Lars (Bjarne Henriksen) is assigned to the case, and is convinced Holly’s story depicts her real life, promptly placing Holly and her younger brother Theo in foster care. Holly’s stepfather insists it’s an act of teenage rebellion, not what’s actually happening in the home. They quickly turn on Lars, who faces a barrage of negative publicity himself when a video of his past heavy-handedness is leaked to social media. Holly’s parents also go after Holly herself. This compelling drama from Denmark will have you glued to the screen. Brilliant performances abound, from children and adults alike.
We Got This
In this adept mix of comedy and drama, We Got This follows George English (Schiaffino Musarra), an American living in Sweden who, in an attempt to turn around his financial woes, sets about to solve the (real-life) case of murdered former Prime Minister, Olof Palme 30 years ago, and thereby collect the cool 50-million Swedish Crown reward. George’s team comprises his best mate, a journalist who wants nothing to do with the case, a conspiracy theorist and a former police officer. With his wife and daughter left in the dark about his pursuit, George goes from being a laughing stock to being closely watched by a variety of stakeholders, stretching far beyond the nation’s borders, most of whom would prefer the case to remain unsolved.
Not only did this murder really happen, Sweden also did offer a reward for its being solved.
La Unidad
An exciting espionage thriller from Spain, we move to Madrid for La Unidad. Based on the real experiences of counterterrorism professionals, Commissioner Carla Torres (Nathalie Poza) leads the Spanish unit in an international anti-jihadist strike. But when the most wanted terrorist leader is captured in Spain, the country becomes a target for looming retaliation. As well as preventing further attacks, Torres has conflict in her personal life to tend to, namely, in her relationship with first officer, Marcos, and the everyday needs of their 8-year-old daughter, Lua.
For Life
From Norway, procedural crime drama For Life focuses on hardened National Crime Service investigator, Victoria Woll (Tone Mostraum). We follow Victoria across two different timelines: in the present, where she’s busy solving cases and putting away criminals, and 20 years into the future, where she herself is imprisoned. Each episode presents a present-day standalone case and intermittently reveals pieces of the puzzle to make sense of her future.
Less dark than most Nordic Noir, this script from Emmy Award-winning writer Gjermund S. Eriken (Mammon) sparkles with wit and quick retorts.
State of Happiness
Staying in Norway, we have relationship drama, State of Happiness that follows four young people forging their futures amid the transformation of Norway from being a small fishing outpost to a leading oil nation when in 1969, the largest subsea oil basin in history is discovered.
White Wall
A suspenseful mystery drama, White Wall from Sweden is about a wall found deep underground at the site of the world’s largest nuclear waste depository. Project director Lars Rapp (Aksel Hennie) wants the wall to be kept secret, but rumours run rife through the small mining town. Rapp’s life’s work is to complete this facility, yet nuclear waste is piling up and the project is years behind schedule. Even so, he has no intention of postponing the upcoming opening ceremony, but a spanner is thrown into the works when it’s discovered the wall is made of a material unknown to humankind. Should they leave it alone, or dig deeper to see what lies behind it? Sci-fi fans will also enjoy this unusual, thrilling tale.
No Man’s Land
Also from France comes this fast-paced thriller about ordinary people going to extraordinary lengths to save their loved ones. Antoine (Félix Moati) abandons his life to track down his sister Anna (Mélanie Thierry), long presumed dead, and ends up in Syria at the height of the tensions. When she is unexpectedly found, the siblings get caught up in a political plot, their lives forever changed.
With a diverse range of characters, from female Kurdish fighters and Mossad agents to international idealists and adrenaline junkies, this emotional story of the bond of family also delivers intriguing alliances, conflicts and romance. (It is French, after all.) No Man’s Land is a compelling watch that’ll have you on the edge of your seat.
Inner Circle
Sweden delivers this brilliant thriller, adapted from well-known political strategist Per Schlingmann’s novel. For a few days in summer, the country’s political elite has gathered at a forum. Rumours are running wild about the Prime Minister standing down and who will succeed her. Minister for Enterprise David Ehrling fancies himself a shoo-in, but Lena, his spin doctor, has her work cut out for her, keeping a lid on his past scandals. How can she ensure people working against him don’t stand in his way? Fans of political documentaries will also love this compelling series.
Miss S
Miss S is the exciting new adaptation of Australia’s Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Miss Su Wen Li returns to Shanghai to honour an invitation to a dinner party hosted by her boss. However, when the boss’s husband goes missing and winds up dead, Miss S launches her investigation. Just like our homegrown series, this Mandarin-language version is full of jaunty fun and fabulous fashions.
Australian Made Collection, 6–21 January
(L–R) ‘The Family Law’, ‘Little J & Big Cuz’, ‘Untold Australia’ and Sydney Festival Artistic Director, Wesley Enoch. Source: SBS
Perfect for the school holidays, the Australian Made collection streams at SBS On Demand from 6–21 January.
30 Years of Flickerfest collection, from 1 January
(L–R) Aaron Pedersen in ‘Mimi’, Josh Lawson in ‘The Eleven O’Clock’, Hunter Page-Lochard in ‘The Djarn Djarns’, Jacki Weaver in ‘Florence Has Left The Building’ Source: SBS
Films to stream include Academy Award nominees Butter Lamp and The Eleven O’Clock starring Josh Lawson, and Ralph, written and directed by Deborah Mailman. The 30 Years of Flickerfest collection streams at SBS On Demand from 1 January. If you’re in Bondi, Sydney, catch 2021’s Flickerfest in real life from 22–31 January.
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