TV and Culture Guide: What to Watch, Read and Listen to in May

BLACK MIRROR

If you haven’t been binge watching the new series of Black Mirror, what have you been doing? Submerge yourself into Charlie Brooker’s dystopian future for the seventh season of this disturbing series. We loved Hotel Reverie, Common People and Plaything – but we won’t give away any spoilers.
Streaming on Netflix

THE HONESTY BOX

Two reality TV icons have teamed up to host this new dating show with a difference. Geordie Vicky Pattison and Aussie Lucinda Light present this high-tech dating experiment with a prize of £100,000, providing the daters always tell the truth.
E4 and Streaming on Channel 4

GENIUS GAME

In this new reality game show, David Tennant is inviting the country's most brilliant minds to take part in the ultimate challenge. Contestants are participating in never before seen games but they’ll have to use the art of manipulation to outfox their opponents and win.
ITV and streaming on ITVX

THE HANDMAID'S TALE

Finally the sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale is here! This is the final season of the award-winning series, but even when you've finished bingeing that, we're promised the world of Gilead will return in a sequel, The Testaments, which is currently in production at Hulu.
Streaming on Channel 4 from 3rd May

TASKMASTER

Rosie Ramsey has joined the cast of the new series of Taskmaster but will she be victorious? This silly series never fails to make us laugh out loud.
Streaming on Channel 4

ANORA

The ultimate award-season darling this year, the highly-decorated Anora is absolutely worth the hype. A whirlwind movie, we follow dancer Anora as she dives headfirst into the dizzying world of billionaires and excess after marrying the wealthy son of a Russian oligarch.
Streaming on Apple TV

CONCLAVE

Picking up four BAFTAs and an Oscar, Conclave conceals a nail-biting mystery behind a slow-moving facade. Beginning with the sudden death of the Pope, we follow Ralph Fiennes as he prepares the cardinals to select a successor– but all is not as it seems.
Streaming on Amazon Prime

A REAL PAIN

A career-best performance from veteran actor Kieran Culkin (earning him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), we follow two wildly mismatched cousins reconnecting on a tour through Poland to honour their grandmother. Hilarious and heartbreaking, this film has been an unexpected hit.
Streaming on Apple TV

We Loved

WICKED: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST

Gregory Maguire
What better way to fill the gap between Wicked and Wicked: For Good than to go back to where it all started? Granted, as a first time reader, despite warnings, I wasn’t expecting it to be so graphic (it’s certainly not a child-friendly read) but it was interesting to see how the musical adapted Elphaba, Glinda, Bock, Fiyreo and Nessarose’s characters. You learn a lot more about the backstories in the novel, and there’s plenty that didn’t make its way into the catchy songs… and for good reason. Essentially a fan-fiction tale of the Wicked Witch of the West, this book made for uncomfortable reading at times, but it’s certainly a page-turner – just keep it away from the kids!
Faye Dixon, Arts Editor

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Cormac McCarthy
I picked this book up right after watching the film and was not disappointed. Cormac writes with a molasses-thick accent which can be difficult to get into at first but brings the hazy, tumbleweed world of West Texas to life. When a shady deal in the desert goes wrong, a wily local finds himself in the right place at the right time to collect an abandoned case containing $2.4 million. Things quickly spiral out of control as both the law and a coldblooded hit man are hot on his heels. Despite the high stakes, there’s plenty of time given over to introspection in this book, and we’re introduced to a villain that could give Hannibal Lecter a run for his money.
Neave Herridge, Food Editor