We live in a culture that devours true crime documentaries with a hunger that never goes away — but if you ask me, we're doing it all wrong.

In fact, I'd go as far as to say that we consume true crime irresponsibly. In part thanks to how streaming services such as Netflix have chosen to produce them, we often see the unearthed trauma of strangers as entertainment rather than education.

Just look at how shows such as Trust Me: The False Prophet, Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke and Unknown Number: The High School Catfish were quickly commodified for internet and meme culture soon after their release. Revisiting more severe crimes doesn't seem to do much for those involved, either. Only Making A Murderer has so far been able to change an "unjust" active case.

In my eyes, we'd all benefit so much more if education became the primary focus of true crime — and, happily, BBC iPlayer has done exactly that. Now streaming for free on the service is season 3 of Murder 24/7, which should be the gold standard for any true crime docuseries that comes after.

Murder 24/7 proves that investigations are frustrating, time-consuming, and far from glamorous

But why is it so good? In a nutshell, we're following different regional UK detectives and police forces to work through a variety of murder cases in real-time.

In stark contrast to what we usually see, there are no sit-down VT interviews with the people involved, no narration, and very little in the way of additional comments. Everything we see is through bodycam footage, interview archives and camera crews on site as events unfold.

There's a beautiful British undertone to everything that happens — where else can you see murder suspects being handled as politely as if they were at a tea party? — but Murder 24/7 finally sheds light on a gruelling reality that's a world away from the high-gloss sheen of US production.

From door-to-door enquiries and crime scene sweeps to information processing and sentencing, we're taken every step of the way through an investigation. Instead of something that resembles a bingeable crime drama, the reality is far more painstaking, time-consuming and frustrating than we've been conditioned to believe.

Suspects don't cooperate, hours are poured into reviewing evidence, team briefings and typing up endless word documents, which often leads to a less-than satisfying punishment for whoever is convicted. This format allows you to ask more questions of not just the system, but yourself, with each case challenging our ability to think critically.

Murder 24/7 isn't just a refreshing format, but it's a timely one too. For the last 30 minutes of the season 3 finale, we're taken through a variety of cases that document the explosion of violence against women. In one such instance, Lee Sargent, who is convicted to 18 years and 10 months in prison for attempted murder, bludgeoned his partner in their bedroom with a meat cleaver.

As he's taken away by an ambulance after a 999 call, we hear neighbours shouting out of the window that they've had to put up with "years" of assaults against her. Sure enough, the internal police system pulls up a list of repeated offences that range in volatility, and he is far from the only case.

This is exactly the sort of things that true crime documentaries should be doing: capitalizing on a social issue that needs more awareness and holding a mirror up to the horrifying reality.

We really can find the perfect balance between binge-worthy content and something more substantial than re-telling traumatic events that should probably be left in the past... it's this easy.

August was lacking in new horror releases, but I still found three interesting titles to dive into — two of which will no doubt be familiar to you, as we have some returning franchises in the lineup.

The other is an indie game that popped up on my Steam Discovery Queue, and was indeed perfectly suited to what I enjoy best. This one was a free demo ahead of its release, but I played enough of it to come to a conclusion.

Without further delay, here's what horror media I tried out throughout August and what I thought of them. As always, I'm keen to hear your thoughts!

Movie: The X-Files: I Want to Believe — Vrach Frankenshteyn

Where to watch: Hulu (US); Disney+ (internationally)
Lucy's verdict: Scream

OK, yes, The X-Files is not strictly horror and is billed as a sci-fi series. But hear me out, the director's cut of The X-Files: I Want to Believe features all the body horror scenes that were removed to give it a PG-13 rating, meaning it's a worthwhile watch for horror fans this month.

Now, considering The X-Files: I Want to Believe performed poorly when it was released, don't expect Vrach Frankenshteyn to miraculously make you love it. If you weren't a fan of the original 2008 cut, you probably won't like this either. I, however, really enjoyed the movie and got a lot out of this version of it too.

Vrach Frankenshteyn tells the story how Chris Carter wanted, blood and gore included. It certainly packs a punch, adding a lot to the movie if you already happen to like the story. This one will likely be the most divisive of my three picks this month.

TV show: The Walking Dead: Dead City

Where to watch: AMC+ (US); Sky / NOW TV (UK); Stan (AU)
Lucy's verdict: Skip

I think I'm suffering from The Walking Dead fatigue, because I just can't get on with this show. I was hopeful it might get me back on board with the franchise because Negan is one of my favorite characters, but I was left feeling underwhelmed.

At the time of writing we're three episodes into season 3, with the season set to conclude on September 13. Seth Hoffman is the new showrunner after Eli Jorné, and we've started relying on recycled plotlines and the same tired dynamic between Negan and Maggie. It's started feeling a bit stale, and for me, this is one of the weaker Walking Dead spin-offs.

I recommend trying out The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live instead, as it has better pacing and stories.

Game: Something Strange Tonight — The Lurker

Where to play: PC
Lucy's verdict: Scream

Thank you to my Steam Discovery Queue for suggesting the demo of Something Strange Tonight — The Lurker, because I am now very excited to play the full game when it releases. We don't have a confirmed date for that yet, but I've got it wishlisted for when it does.

I love creepy, low-poly games (as evidenced by my Mouthwashing review), so the trailer for Something Strange Tonight — The Lurker immediately freaked me out. The game follows that stereotypical slasher movie trope of a babysitter who is terrorized at night, but it's full of creepy twists.

Your goal is to survive the night and keep both yourself and the kid you're looking after alive. You'll be approached by numerous visitors, but can any of them be trusted? It's up to you to figure that one out.

If you're a seasoned anime fan, you'll understand the unique sense of excitement that comes with binging a brand-new show — and it's exactly how I feel about Crunchyroll's breakout series, BLACK TORCH.

As of writing, we're now six episodes into the epic adventure, following high-schooler Jiro, who just also happens to be a ninja descendant who can talk to animals. He's rescued an injured black cat named Rago, who is actually a powerful mononoke, or demon spirit.

I'll let Crunchyroll explain the next part: "After Jiro is mortally wounded protecting Rago from hostile spirits, Rago fuses with him, creating a human-spirit hybrid. Jiro is then recruited by Japan's covert Bureau of Espionage into a special unit called 'Black Torch' to fight rogue mononoke."

It's a classic anime storytelling format with a new twist, and so far, its six episodes have successfully blended high-intensity action with a strong emotional core. Even the intro song feels a cut above the rest, and I'm not surprised that anime fans are lapping it up.

With six episodes left to go, what can we expect from the second half of BLACK TORCH? According to English dub cast AJ Beckles (Jiro) and Ryan Colt Levy (Ryosuke Shiba), you're best off expecting the unexpected.

'It's more of what we've had... but bigger'

"Expect the unexpected," Beckles tells me. "It's more of what you've got, but bigger. As we reach the end of the season and these episodes start to come out, there more high-octane, serious moments. There's a lot to look forward to, for sure."

It's a vague response, but this doesn't surprise me. Even the above trailer showed almost no signs of what was to come in the actual series, which was a refreshing decision. Of course, we can expect the drama to follow the original manga, but this can't be assured as a given.

But has there been any pressure for either actor knowing that these episodes are airing to a pre-existing fanbase?

"I don't know if it's necessarily like a pressure... I like to think of it as a responsibility," Levy says. "No matter what, there are people out there that you are making this for, and where we may never get to have that face-to-face feedback, we have access. People will put so much passion into that.

"We approach this no matter what with the intention to make sure that people who love it feel seen, and feel like they are spending time with the characters that they want."

"We've been cast and It's a ginormous responsibility, because it could have gone to anybody," Beckles agrees. "So the fact that it went to us means that we have a duty to do a good job. We're not necessarily thinking about the end result. The focus should be on, 'Am I thinking as Jiro is thinking? Am I serving this character?' Because if I do so to the best of my ability, someone will resonate with that."

I've got no idea how I'm going to feel about the upcoming second half of BLACK TORCH, but hearing the sheer passion that the voice cast has for its craft fills me with hope — and the joy that my initial burst of anime excitement seems set to continue.

Light spoilers follow for Lanterns episodes 1 to 7.

DC Studios probably didn't expect to have so much riding on Lanterns prior to its debut. But with Supergirl flopping at the box office and fans openly worrying about how much green they'd see in its Green Lantern TV show, DC and HBO executives have likely been sweating ahead of launch.

James Gunn, Peter Safran, Casey Bloys, and company can breathe a collective sigh of relief. While it stops short of being a TV masterpiece, Lanterns is the strongest DC Universe (DCU) entry yet — and, if future DC Studios movies and shows are this good, the cinematic franchise's brightest days may still lie ahead.

In brightest day, in blackest night...

Spanning storylines in 2016 and 2026, Lanterns introduces us to Aaron Pierre's John Stewart and Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan. As of 2016, Jordan has spent 30 years keeping vigil as Earth's first Green Lantern.

But his tenure is nearing its end. That's because Stewart is selected to be Jordan's replacement by the Guardians of the Universe, a group of omnipresent superpowered extraterrestrials that founded the intergalactic space cop agency known as the Green Lanterns Corps. The group asks a reluctant Jordan to take the new recruit under his wing.

Two months into Stewart's training, a mysterious high school murder draws the pair to Rushville, Nebraska. What starts out as a local investigation, though, soon unspools into a far-reaching, mass cosmic conspiracy that impacts both plotlines.

Naturally, the 2016 narrative directly influences events in 2026, with the latter particularly focusing on the consequences and repercussions of the duo's actions 10 years prior.

I'm not allowed to reveal how these dual timelines interact, or how the wider seasonal structure and time jump operate. What I can say, though, is that I was surprised by how the episodic format frames its dual storylines.

In fact, the 2026 storyline, which takes place in the DCU's present, occasionally feels like Lanterns season 1.5 — and that's my biggest critique. I haven't seen this season's eighth and final episode yet, so I still hold out hope that the finale will tie everything together seamlessly. Right now, though, the present-day plot feels like an overly drawn-out epilogue to the 2016 events and a foundational layer to the DC comic book show's already in-development second season.

None of this means Lanterns is predictable. Sure, given its source material, its superhero flair and 'new weird' sci-fi sensibilities are expected. At its core, though, it's a grounded, rural crime drama — albeit with cosmic stakes — that unapologetically wears its True Detective influences on its sleeve.

Narrative curveballs, then, are par for the course, even if they're hurled with varying degrees of success. Indeed, while I decoded one of the 2016 storyline's biggest mysteries early on, I was completely blindsided by a game-changing plot twist that redefines its dual timeline structure. No spoilers, but it's a bold storytelling pivot guaranteed to upset Green Lantern fanatics and ignite debate among DC purists.

Given the deliberately slow-burn nature of its unfolding story threads, the DCU Chapter One show's action largely takes a backseat to character work and its police procedural tendencies. Small-scale skirmishes and chase sequences, rather than constant spectacle, are largely the name of the game.

When Lanterns decides to go full throttle, though, it does so with aplomb. Again, I'm not at liberty to talk extensively about specific episodic events, but one entry completely usurps the space cop murder-mystery vibes for emotionally heavy, big-budget set-pieces — and the show is all the better for it.

Passing of the torch

Ultimately, Lanterns wouldn't be as blindingly brilliant without its talented co-leads — and Pierre and Chandler are certainly a match made in heaven.

Barely five minutes into episode 1, their utterly absorbing buddy cop relationship bears fruit, too.

Balancing humor and gravity in equal measure, Stewart and Jordan are unmistakeably two sides of the same courageous coin from their very first interaction. It's an opening exchange that instantly validates their perfect casting, and highlights the pair's natural, magnetic rapport that only deepens as the series progresses.

Their bond is only strengthened by their individual and collective complexities. Between Hal's unconventional mentorship, backstories that unexpectedly tie their pasts together, and a deep-seated yet unspoken mutual respect, the veiled hostility that punctuates their dynamic has an electrifying push-and-pull that you can't take your eyes off.

Green Lantern traditionalists might balk at certain character tweaks, such as the obsessive drive imbued in the DCU's Stewart.

For the most part, though, both actors capture the true essence of their characters — Pierre embodying the stoic, disciplined, and measured Stewart to a tee, while Chandler delivers a flawless portrayal of Jordan's brash, reckless, intentionally aggravating, and stubborn persona.

With these polar opposites both believing themselves uniquely worthy of wielding Earth's sole Green Lantern ring, their powder-keg rivalry heightens with every episode, which eventually erupts into a conflict that leaves their already fragile relationship irrevocably scarred. Suffice it to say, Lanterns' buddy cop bond is the best I've seen in a long, long time.

Are you afraid?

Beyond its leads, Lanterns boasts an exceptionally strong ensemble. Kelly Macdonald is terrific as the HBO Max show's primary supporting character, Kerry Kane, Rushville's no-nonsense sheriff with a mysterious history of her own, who dovetails with Stewart and Chandler as part of a captivating triumvirate.

Macdonald is far from the only standout. Garret Dillahunt is the subtle, creeping menace and intriguing ranch owner, Will Macon, whose wider antagonistic role isn't exactly subtle with regard to Lanterns' thematic exploration of white privilege, racial discrimination, and injustice.

Elsewhere, Poorna Jagannathan imbues the enigmatic Zoe with charm and complexity, and Laura Linney commands the screen as Lianna, aka one of the Guardians of the Universe.

Furthermore, J. Alphonse Nicholson and Jasmine Cephas Jonas shine as Stewart's parents — primarily during a flashback-heavy, Stewart family-focused episode, but also now and then during the 2026 plot. Special credit to Nathan Fillion's guest-starring role as the wonderfully obnoxious Guy Gardner, too, whose fiery interactions with Stewart are, like the latter's fraught dynamic with Jordan, worth the entry fee.

If there's a downside, it's that a few talents are disappointingly underused — namely, Jason Ritter's Billy Macon and, given his weight in Green Lantern mythology, Ulrich Thomsen's Sinestro. With the latter, though, the trajectory heading into this season's finale suggests the show might still set things right.

Beyond the characters, Lanterns leans heavily into its source material's lore, thereby honoring DC's rich history rather than just skimming the best bits off the surface.

Refreshingly, its deep-cut fan-service doesn't come at the expense of accessibility. Indeed, with Stewart serving as the audience's entry point to the Green Lantern Corps and wider mythos surrounding this fictional institution, newcomers can easily grasp the cosmic mechanics without feeling lost.

Meanwhile, long-time fans have a treasure trove of Green Lantern Easter eggs and wider comic book references — a couple made it into Lanterns' initial teaser and Lanterns' first official trailer — to pore over. But regardless of your familiarity with this particular corner of the DC comic book universe, seeing Stewart and Jordan flex their creative muscles with the latter's power ring is pure joy, especially when they use it for the most basic tasks.

My verdict

Recency bias aside, Lanterns is unequivocally the finest DC Studios production so far. Driven by an absorbing, twist-filled narrative, anchored by heavyweight performances, and extremely faithful to its literary roots, this is prestige television nearly firing on all cylinders.

And I say "nearly" because a few minor missteps, which I've already covered, mean it falls just shy of absolute perfection. Even so, Lanterns is a shining example of a comic book adaptation done right — and a much-needed beacon of hope for the DCU at the end of what's been its most challenging period to date.

Lanterns launches with a one-episode premiere on August 16/17, with new episodes airing weekly. Ahead of launch, find out everything we know so far about Lanterns.

Does anybody think August is going way too fast? It feels like I've blinked and somehow it's already the middle of the month.

Well, at least it's the weekend again, which means it's time to enjoy one or more of the new movies and shows that have debuted on the world's best streaming services over the last few days — or, in the case of one show, will debut very shortly.

As always, we couldn't include every new release, but I'm confident you'll find something to enjoy from the seven we've highlighted below. — Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

Lanterns (HBO Max)

With Supergirl giving DC Studios its first major flop in late June, all eyes are on Lanterns — i.e., the DC Universe's (DCU) next TV show — to see if that was a mere blip or the beginning of something more foreboding.

So, which is it? You'll have to read my Lanterns review for a definitive answer. I'll give you a clue, though: co-leads Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre are absolutely fantastic in this DCU Chapter One project, which sees their characters — aka iconic Green Lantern pair Hal Jordan and John Stewart — investigate a small-town murder in rural America.

Saying much more will spoil your viewing experience, so I advise you to a) find out what we know so far about Lanterns, and b) check out this sci-fi crime drama on HBO Max as soon as you can. Depending on where you live, Lanterns episode 1 debuts on August 16/17, with new episodes airing weekly until October 4. — TP

• Watch Lanterns on HBO Max

Reacher season 4 (Prime Video)

He's big! He punches! You'll love him regardless! Alan Ritchson's version of Jack Reacher is back on Prime Video — and in season 4, things are getting political.

Adapting the Lee Child novel Gone Tomorrow, the Amazon TV original's latest chapter sees Reacher become embroiled in a CIA conspiracy after suspecting a woman on a New York City subway train is actually a suicide bomber. It's drama that makes you think, for the first time ever in this franchise.

For easy comfort viewing, season 4 is ticking every box you'd expect after its last three seasons, and that makes for some satisfying weekly viewing. That said, it isn't as strong as previous entries, and you'll have to read my review of Reacher season 4 to find out why. — Jasmine Valentine, entertainment reporter

• Watch Reacher season 4 on Prime Video

Don't Say Good Luck (Netflix)

Any theater kid will know that saying "good luck" before a performance is forbidden. You don't want to tempt fate, after all. But, in Netflix's new movie, events going on in a young actress' life are far more dramatic than anything under the spotlight.

In Don't Say Good Luck, Sunny Sandler plays Sophie, who is preparing for her high school musical of Waitress. However, she ends up with more emotional turmoil than expected when she learns that her mother's (Melanie Lynskey) cancer has returned.

The movie explores how a teenager processes family illness while trying to channel her feelings through art, so you might need tissues for this one. — Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Don't Say Good Luck on Netflix

Michael (Starz)

Your Spotify Wrapped is about to change thanks to all of the Michael Jackson songs you're bound to replay after watching his highly acclaimed biopic, Michael, which is now available on Starz.

Starring his real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson in the titular role, we follow the singer's career from his days in The Jackson 5 up until the 1987 release of the album Bad. In between, there's a lot of focus on how Thriller — which is still the best-selling album of all time — was created, which is satisfying regardless of whether you're a fan.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this is that Michael 2 is supposedly in the works, given we know what happened in the singer's life in the 1990s onwards. For now, the vibes are very much 'hee hee!'. — JV

• Watch Michael on Starz

The X-Files: I Want to Believe — Vrach Frankenshteyn (Hulu/Disney+)

20 years after The X-Files: I Want to Believe was released, we're finally getting Chris Carter's director's cut.

If you haven't seen the original film, it follows Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Doctor Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) as they're pulled back into a case years after leaving the FBI when a federal agent vanishes without a trace. As ever, the truth is out there.

Carter's cut intensifies the horror elements that were removed from the theatrically released edition in order to give it a PG-13 rating. So if, like me, you loved the darker side of The X-Files series, this is well worth watching on Hulu or Disney+ this weekend. — LB

• Watch The X-Files: I Want to Believe — Vrach Frankenshteyn on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally)

Camp Rock 3 (Disney+)

Fellow Millennials, did you ever think that you'd see the day that Camp Rock was resurrected? Perhaps you're tuning in because you've seen that song doing the rounds on social media, or because you've heard about a certain Disney legend cameo... but you're in for a wild ride regardless.

Thankfully, the Jonas Brothers are back as Connect 3. They return to Camp Rock after losing their opening act for a major reunion tour, and host a high-stakes musical competition and discover fresh new talent.

In Camp Rock 3, expect more traveling choreography as performers move through the woods, more original music, and youthful romantic drama in abundance. It's truly as if I'm a teenager again. — JV

• Watch Camp Rock 3 on Disney+

Conversations With a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes (Netflix)

Netflix's final installment of the Conversations With a Killer series centers around Charles Manson, one of the world's most notorious cult leaders.

Manson has provided inspiration for countless stories over the years, be it Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story: Cult. Indeed, Conversations With a Killer's director Joe Berlinger says Manson “ushered in the modern era of America’s fascination with true crime", making him the ideal subject to focus on as this series comes to a close.

Expect archival audio footage and tapes, and featuring exclusive interviews with key figures involved, journalists, and investigators in this shocking three-part finale. — LB

• Watch Conversations With a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes on Netflix

Lanterns will aim to bring back brighter days for DC Studios after the DC Universe's (DCU) darkest period. Indeed, with Supergirl being the first major flop of the comic giant's rebooted cinematic universe, all eyes are on its forthcoming Green Lantern TV show to see if that was a minor blip or not.

Thinking of tuning in to see the new comic book-inspired sci-fi crime drama? You'll want to know when and where its first episode, titled 'Pilot', will arrive. Read on to learn more.

When can I watch Lanterns episode 1? And what is its runtime?

Lanterns will premiere in the US and Canada on Sunday, August 16 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.

The DCU Chapter One TV series' first episode, which clocks in at 57 minutes including its end credits, will also be available to watch in other nations, but it won't air until Monday, August 17. Here are the launch times you need to know about if you live in the following countries:

• US — Sunday, August 16 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada — Sunday, August 16 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK — Monday, August 17 at 2am BST
• India — Monday, August 17 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Monday, August 17 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Monday, August 17 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Monday, August 17 at 1pm NZST

Where can I watch Lanterns episode 1?

HBO Max is the primary streaming home for all DC Studios projects, so you'll need to sign up to one of the best streaming services if you don't have an account to watch Lanterns.

That said, HBO Max hasn't launched in every territory yet, so some of you will find it on another streaming platform or TV network. Luckily for you, I've compiled a list of the places it'll be available to watch below, so scroll on to see where it'll drop in your neighborhood:

• US — HBO and HBO Max
• Canada — Crave
• UK — HBO Max, Sky Atlantic, and Now TV
• India — JioHotstar
• Singapore — HBO Max
• Australia — HBO Max
• New Zealand — HBO Max

Lanterns full release schedule

Like most other HBO TV Originals, new episodes of DC Studios' Green Lantern TV show will be released weekly once its first chapter has dropped. That means viewers in North and South America will need to check back in every Sunday evening for new entries, while the rest of the world can watch them every Monday.

Here's a rundown of the all-important launch dates to be aware of:

• Lanterns episode 1 — August 16/17
• Lanterns episode 2 — August 23/24
• Lanterns episode 3 — August 30/31
• Lanterns episode 4 — September 6/7
• Lanterns episode 5 — September 13/14
• Lanterns episode 6 — September 20/21
• Lanterns episode 7 — September 27/28
• Lanterns episode 8 — October 4/5

What is Lanterns about? And who's involved?

Here's the series' official logline: "Lanterns follows new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery with cosmic ties as they investigate a murder in the American heartland."

As the above synopsis notes, Pierre and Chandler will play Lanterns' co-leads in Stewart and Jordan. The Rebel Ridge and Friday Night Lights alums are joined on the official cast roster by Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Laura Linney, Jason Ritter, Ulrich Thomsen, Nathan Fillion, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones.

TV veterans Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen) and Chris Mundy (Ozark), plus comic book writer Tom King (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow) are its creators and some of its executive producers. Mundy also holds the position as its lead showrunner.

For more ahead of the show's debut, find out everything else we know so far about Lanterns. Then, check out my near-full season review of Lanterns.

Mild spoilers for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 4 ahead.

Four episodes into Stuart Fails to Save the Universe on HBO Max and we've seen four surprise Big Bang Theory characters return: Raj (Kunal Nayyar), Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) and Amy (Mayim Bialik).

With one new face per episode, you might be wondering whether the remaining six episodes in the series will continue the trend.

Most notably, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Jonny Galecki) have yet to make an appearance — and considering they built the machine that Stuart (Kevin Sussman) broke that got him into this mess, it feels fitting that they should reappear. Howard (Simon Helberg) has also yet to reappear.

However, a return isn't necessarily guaranteed, especially if the creators want Stuart Fails to Save the Universe to be picked up for a second season (which they definitely do). Why give us what we want now if they can drag it out?

But after speaking to Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and Zak Penn, it turns out the reason for the season 1 cameos is actually boringly straightforward: it all came down to who was available to film.

'It was what was necessary for the storytelling'

"It was availability and what was necessary for the storytelling" Lorre responds when I ask him about this season's cameos. "It was wonderful to have Melissa play a demonic character, for example. That just made sense."

Penn adds "Who we had something good to write for," with Prady agreeing "I also loved finding out that Amy is married to Golden Age Flash. That made me very happy."

Perhaps we should be focusing on these Easter egg details, rather than what cameos may or may not appear. Why was Golden Age Flash such a good choice? Because he's Sheldon's favorite DC superhero, and the reason why, nearly every time we see him, he's sporting the iconic T-shirt with the Flash logo.

I don't want to brag, but I called this the moment that a Stuart Fails to Save the Universe DC crossover was revealed. But as for continued cameos, I'm not as confident.

It's probably more likely that we'd see every variant of Flash known to man before Sheldon shows up, because TBBT feels like something that's resolutely a part of Parsons' past.

However, adult Sheldon did show up for the Young Sheldon season 7 finale, so anything is possible. But if we're going there, I need George Cooper to be resurrected more than I need to see adult Sheldon again.

In fact, now that we've had Christine Baranski appear as herself, let's get Laurie Metcalf (who played Mary Cooper) back on the scene instead. HBO Max... call me.

Dear oh dear... things aren't going well for Dutton Ranch season 2, are they?

After that explosive Ed Harris interview, we know that filming for new episodes isn't supposed to start until February 2027, but the writers room appears to be fully underway as of August 2026.

Thanks to a new report from the Daily Mail, a slew of new dramatic allegations are supposedly threatening the "mess of a show" behind the scenes, with an insider claiming "there is high drama on that one, so much tension.

"I believe it's the actors that are a huge part of the problem," they add. "Too many people think they are in control over there and that's causing a lot of issues."

Alongside Harris feeling "p*ssed off" with his lack of screen time, Annette Bening's "star power" has also allegedly caused friction behind-the-scenes.

But none of this is what I'm most interested in. Since before Dutton Ranch even premiered, I've been publicly campaigning for Taylor Sheridan to shift his role from executive producer to showrunner (much like what we saw with Yellowstone).

While there's been a confirmed positive step in a similar direction, the newly announced showrunner, Benjamin Cavell, opens up an entirely new can of worms.

Benjamin Cavell as Dutton Ranch season 2 showrunner could turn it from Yellowstone to Lioness

According to this same report, Sheridan is set to have a "bigger presence" in the Dutton Ranch season 2 writers room, which is music to my ears. In order for Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip's (Cole Hauser) new start in Texas to be the best it can be, it needs the biggest amount of Sheridan input possible, so this can only be a good thing.

However, the announcement of Benjamin Cavell as the season 2 showrunner might be a cause for concern. Whereas previous showrunner Chad Feehan had Western experience after leading Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Cavell comes from a more military TV background.

With Homeland, SEAL Team, and Justified all under his belt, I wonder if Cavell would be better suited to the Lioness and Tulsa King branch of Sheridan's work. There's no question that he has an exceptional handle on action, and thanks to the miniseries The Stand, we also know that he understands the Paramount+ audience.

But with the Yellowstone world comes such a specific feel and almost a decade of lore attached, and introducing a total newbie at this stage in the game could be a make-or-break moment for Dutton Ranch's future.

As someone who fell head over heels for the spinoff, I'm willing things to work. But even while we have no idea how much truth there really is to these alleged reports, the fact that they exist at all doesn't fill me with confidence.

• Crunchyroll is coming to compatible BMW and Mini vehicles
• It comes as part of a new partnership with automotive app distrubition platform Appning
• More than 40 car brands are expected to follow

Popular anime streaming service Crunchyroll is coming to a range of vehicles in a new collaboration with automation app distribution platform Appning.

Soon, owners of compatible BMW and Mini vehicles in the US, UK, and Australia will be able to access Crunchyroll directly through their car's infotainment systems, giving subscribers a new way to catch up with hit shows like Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, My Hero Academia, Haikyu!!, and more.

As a Mini owner and Crunchyroll subscriber I can't wait, and I can already see myself diving into the latest season of Oshi no Ko while parked up waiting at the car wash.

BMW Group cars are just the start, however, with the app expected to steadily roll out to more than 40 automotive brands. Mercedez-Benz, Volkswagen, Leapmotor, and Lotus are just some of the brands that make Appning-enabled vehicles.

Appning owner Forvia estimates that the platform reaches more than 20% of the accessible market share, so if you recently bought a new car there's a decent chance that it will be compatible.

On the announcement, Crunchyroll SVP of global distribution and business development said that "Today’s consumers expect their entertainment to be available wherever they are, including in their vehicle.

"With Crunchyroll coming soon to global automotive partners, the anime experience will be even more accessible on every journey. Through this collaboration with Appning, we’re glad to provide another way for this passionate, global fan community to enjoy their favorite anime.”

Crunchyroll is already available on a wide variety of platforms. You can download the app on your iOS or Android phone, visit the website on your laptop or PC, or access it from a range of games consoles and smart TV devices.

It offers more than 1,000 titles globally, focusing exclusively on Japanese cartoon animation, or anime as it's known. Prices start at $9.99 / £5.99 / AU$11.99 a month for the most basic tier of membership.

• Twitch has revealed that user streams are training Amazon’s AI
• You have to actively opt out to prevent this from happening
• The community has reacted with fury over the move

If there’s one thing a sizeable proportion of the population hates more than artificial intelligence (AI), it’s being opted in to having their data automatically fed into an AI for training. Yet that’s exactly what’s going to happen to your Twitch streams unless you specifically opt out.

The issue came to light when the official @TwitchSupport posted on X to explain that “We’ve added a setting that lets you opt out of having your channel content used to train generative AI content models across Amazon.”

According to an FAQ on Twitch’s account settings support page, data used for training AI includes “Your stream and the stream’s chat, your VODs, your Clips, Highlights, and any text or images on your Channel.”

Notably, neither the @TwitchSupport post nor Twitch’s FAQ provided steps on how you can opt out. If you want to do that, you’ll need to click on your Twitch profile picture and go to Settings > Security and Privacy, then untick the toggle next to Training for Generative AI near the bottom of the page.

It’s worth being aware that opting out of AI training does not mean you won’t see any AI features on Twitch. The website says that it “may also still use your data to run AI-supported features,” including captioning, while other AI tools like AutoMod will still function for safety and security reasons. However, the difference is that these AI features do not retain and use your streams to generate new content.

As well as that, Twitch warns that “If you chat on someone else’s stream, their opt-out preferences govern if that chat can be used for training.” So even opting your own stream out doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be spared from feeding Amazon’s AI when you visit another user’s page.

A highly divisive move

It’s safe to say that this move has not gone down well with Twitch users. One Redditor branded it “absolutely disgusting,” adding that there are “over 13,000 votes on their uservoice thread saying no to this, and they still made it on by default.”

Other people speculated that this might have been a move forced on Twitch by its owner Amazon. Popular Twitch streamer AnEternalEnigma commented on Reddit to say that the AI training move was made “because it was Daddy Amazon’s decision. Not Twitch’s. I know for a fact multiple people at Twitch internally fought against this and fought for the opt-out button.”

A recent recording of a discussion between Mike Minton, Twitch’s Chief Product Officer, and Twitch’s Head of Community Mary Kish lent some weight to this argument. In explaining why AI training is not opt in, Minton said bluntly that “if it was opt in, nobody would opt in.”

In a revealing comment, Minton then added: “I know this is not a fan favorite. I know it’s very upsetting to the community. But this is where we are.” That doesn’t exactly sound like a ringing endorsement of a feature that Minton is excited about, and the “but this is where we are” admission seems to imply that the decision was out of his hands.

Kish later commented to say: “The opt out numbers will help us continue to reiterate that our community is not receptive of AI in any form. I’m sorry but I am reading your comments and do hear you.”

If you watch the video and read Kish’s words, it seems clear that neither Minton nor Kish were keen on the decision to make AI training opt out instead of opt in. As Kish said during the livestream discussion, “We don’t expect you to be happy or excited about this. I don’t expect anyone to react to this favorably.”

If you don’t want your Twitch streams to be vacuumed up and fed into Amazon’s AI algorithm, make sure you opt out in your Twitch settings as soon as you can. And while you’re at it, it would be a good idea to check any accounts you have at other AI companies to ensure your data is not being treated in a similar way.

• Apple TV has added third-party movies to its library of original titles for free
• So far the offer is only available in the US, UK, and Canada
• It's not certain whether it's a limited promotion

Apple TV is one of the best streaming services to sign up for if you’re looking for original and high-production movies and shows — but now the streaming behemoth is switching things up.

As spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple has added a handful of classic movies to its library of Apple TV originals, and they’re all included in your subscription plan with no additional fees. The outlet says it’s available in the US, UK, and Canada, although we have spotted a few films appearing for users in Australia, albeit a much shorter list. We can't yet confirm if other international markets have also received a selection of free movies.

We also don’t know if this is a limited-time offering, but you can find the collection of non-Apple TV movies under the ‘Great Movies Available Now on Apple TV’ carousel. Titles are subject to vary depending on region, but the following movies are available to stream on Apple TV in the US now:

• The Martian
• Arrival
• The Bourne Identity
• Looper
• E.T.
• The Proposal (also in AU)
• I, Robot
• Forgetting Sarah Marshall
• 21 Jump Street
• The Sixth Sense
• Gone Girl
• Zoolander
• Zodiac
• Charlie’s Angels
• Titanic
• Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
• A Beautiful Mind
• The Aviator
• The Rookie
• Rocketman (AU)
• Little Miss Sunshine (AU)
• Ford v Ferrari (AU)
• Catch Me If You Can (AU)
• Jurassic Park (AU)

It’s quite an out-of-pocket move for Apple TV, given that it prides itself on housing only original entertainment, and not titles that it doesn’t produce itself.

Subscribers have always had the option to buy or rent third-party titles through the streaming service — similar to Prime Video — but that’s pretty much it. That said, this isn’t the first time Apple TV+ has experimented with a promotion like this.

The streaming platform pulled a similar stunt back in 2024, when it added 50 licensed movies to its library, but it came with two unfortunate caveats. Firstly, the offer was available to US subscribers only, leaving the rest of the world out of the excitement, and secondly it didn’t last very long, as all 50 movies were removed after just one month.

Whether it’s the same situation this time around is unclear. So far, Apple hasn’t explicitly stated if this is another limited offer so that gives us a little bit of hope, but we’re keeping our eyes peeled for more information just in case.

It’s been a busy time for Apple TV+ right now. The fourth season of one its best shows, Ted Lasso, is finally out, which our Senior Entertainment Reporter Tom Power gave a generous four stars in his review — not to mention the new miniseries Cape Fear has really taken off. However, it’s not the only streamer that’s shaking things up with its movie library.

Just this week, Google added over 10,000 movies and TV shows to Google TV Freeplay, a FAST streaming platform baked into supported smart TVs. Additionally, the company expanded its live TV programming, which now includes over 300 free channels across a multitude of genres.

It’s great to see Apple TV has considered bulking out its library of original movies and shows with third-party titles, but I don’t think platforms like Netflix and Disney+ should worry just yet. As mentioned, this might be another limited offer, but if Apple TV decides to get the ball rolling with introducing non-Apple TV titles to its library, then its rivals should consider sleeping with one eye open.

Out of all the platforms, Apple TV is the most dedicated to its original productions by a landslide, while Netflix churns out shows and cancels them shortly after. If Apple TV continues to add third-party movies, viewers will have the best of both: quality original programming and classic, feel-good movies. That's when its rivals should start to rethink things.

I’ve had the Sky Glass Gen 2 TV setup in my living room since April of last year. To begin with, I wasn’t quite sure whether I was going to get on with Sky’s flagship TV. It was quite different from a lot of TVs in its price range, boasting a relatively chunky build, a unique OS, and I'd be swapping my trusty soundbar for its built-in Dolby Atmos sound system.

For the uninitiated, Sky Glass models provide a captivating proposition for Sky customers. It acts as an all-in-one TV hub, with access to live channels over your network connection (rather than a satellite or aerial), various streaming and smart apps, and more.

So would I recommend buying the Sky Glass Gen 2 instead of one of the best OLED TVs or best mini LED TVs in its price range? I’ll take you through my experience as a user, break down its picture and audio performance, and tell you whether I think it's truly worth the asking price.

The user experience: how does the Sky Glass Gen 2 stack up after a year?

Let’s start by talking about the user experience you get with the Sky Glass Gen 2.

As I said, it aims to serve as an all-in-one hub for Sky customers, and in my view, it pulls this off with ease. The user interface is laid out in a simple and practical way, making it seamless to scroll through each channel, access a comprehensive TV guide, tap into apps like Netflix and HBO Max, and switch between various sources.

The crowning achievement of the Sky Glass Gen 2’s experience, though, is its voice control. I’m not usually a big fan of these — I’ve never really got on with Alexa for controlling devices, or Bixby on Samsung phones, for instance.

But Sky nails it on its Glass TVs. You can either say ‘hello Sky’ or press the mic button on the remote control, and ask for specific apps or channels, or even issue a more general command such as ‘show me movies with cats’. I always find that I get accurate, helpful results, and I rarely experience accidental triggers of voice controls or irrelevant answers.

The interface also looks really clean, and accessing settings is quick and seamless. Just press the ‘…’ button, and you can swiftly alter picture mode, sound settings, toggle speech enhancement, and more.

More generally, I just find Sky's OS to be a lot more user-friendly than a lot of its rivals, such as VIDAA OS on my Hisense TV or even Google TV on TCL models I've tested. Sky's OS just feels sleeker, more organised, and its pin-point voice controls make everyday viewing feel much more seamless.

Other than the occasional plug for a Sky exclusive, there's also little in the way of ads — something the aforementioned rivals push onto the home screen more than I'd like.

One issue I’d previously had was that advanced settings were buried deep within the main menu, but Sky has updated this, making them accessible via the ‘…’ button as well. This means I can easily change network settings, alter viewing preferences, and make advanced picture adjustments (such as changing Dolby Vision or HDR picture modes).

I’ve also found that having TV channels available through my home network is a big plus. The quality of broadcasts is excellent (more on that later), and I’ve experienced very few network issues during my time with the TV — you need 25Mbps download speeds to get 4K streaming, which is no problem in a city. But if you ever do encounter issues, there’s an option to fall back on an aerial connection, which is always handy.

This isn’t to say I’ve experienced no hiccups whatsoever. On occasion, some channels have failed to load, and apps haven’t displayed on the main menu. But this has been a very rare thing, and has always been fixable by unplugging the TV to restart it.

Something else that I love about the Sky Glass Gen 2, is that you get bundled subscriptions to select streaming apps, such as Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and Hayu — so long as you have a Sky Ultimate TV subscription, which is £24 per month.

That’s an exceptional deal, and has opened up a lot of shows and movies that I’d previously missed out on. Sure, it's the standard (with ads) subscription for these services, but as someone who typically buys 4K Blu-ray if I want the best viewing experiences for things I really cherish, that’s fine by me for everything else.

Finally, I have to say that the Sky Glass Gen 2 is extremely easy to set up and get started with. It comes with plastic feet that slot into the TV without needing to mess around with screws or fiddly stands.

Picture & audio quality: a solid all-round performer

Right, so the user experience is great on the Sky Glass Gen 2, but how does it perform when it comes to picture and audio?

First things first, it's important to understand the tech inside this model. It's a QLED TV that harnesses the power of local dimming to create a vibrant picture with solid black levels to match. The Glass Gen 2 added more dimming zones, greatly boosts brightness, and provides wider viewing angles than its predecessor, and the results are pretty good overall.

Are you going to get the inky blacks and eye-popping colors that a TV like the LG B6 can deliver? No, but as a QLED model, the Sky Glass Gen 2 still really impressed me, and it's brighter than LG's model, making it good for well-lit living rooms.

I'd consider its picture to be competitive against similarly priced mini-LED options from the likes of Hisense and TCL most of the year around — though in the sales or on Black Friday, you might be able to get a more premium TV from those models for a similar price, which might edge the Glass 2 out.

The Glass Gen 2 supplies good contrast and color accuracy, decent black levels, and impressive motion-handling, making it a versatile option for all kinds of content. Whether I’m watching a blockbuster Premier League match, indulging in the quality of the best 4K Blu-ray players, or just watching a YouTube video, the Sky Glass Gen 2 is able to give me the vibrant colors and detailed picture that I need.

You get Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG support, meaning you can enjoy most video content at its best, although it's worth noting that there’s no HDR10+.

My main gripe with the Sky Glass Gen 2, performance wise, is its restrictive 60Hz refresh rate. As a keen gamer, this means I’m unable to play titles that offer 120fps gameplay at the peak of their powers.

Don’t get me wrong, 4K 60fps is good enough for the vast majority of my favorite PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 titles, but if you want advanced gaming settings and buttery 120Hz refresh rates, you may want to look elsewhere.

On the audio side, things get really interesting, though. The TV has a Dolby Atmos soundbar system built-in, which uses a 3.1.2 channel configuration. This means you get: three outward-firing speakers; a pair of woofers for bass output; and a pair of upward-firing speakers for more vertical, immersive sound.

If you’ve not got room for a standalone soundbar, or you don’t want to spend more on one, then it’s a practical solution without question. It offers much deeper bass and clearer dialogue than you’d expect from most TVs' built-in speakers. The system also whips up relatively expansive sound, ideal for movies with striking Dolby Atmos effects.

But in honesty, the built-in sound system can’t compete with a top-class soundbar. If you want rippling bass, crystal clear mids, and expressive highs — and if you want fantastic music playback to boot — I’d still recommend investing in one of the best soundbars, such as the Samsung HW-Q800F, or a larger surround sound option like the JBL Bar 1300MK2.

One unintentional benefit of the built-in system is that it provides some height below the screen to easily slot in your own soundbar, if you do want an upgrade. For example, I have the spectacular Marshall Heston 120 sitting in front of it, with plenty of space between the bottom of the screen and the soundbar.

Wrapping up: is the Glass worth the cash?

So, is the Sky Glass Gen 2 worth picking over rivals from the likes of LG, Samsung, and Sony? For me, the answer is yes — it offers reliable performance, intuitive functionality, and serves as a great hub for Sky TV and streaming services.

OK, if your number one concern is getting the best picture quality possible, and you’re happy with a Sky box (including the Sky Stream, which has the same core software as the Glass 2, though isn't quite as snappy), then there are some cheaper OLEDs and mini-LED TVs that outperform the Glass Gen 2.

But if you want an accomplished entertainment hub that still performs well across the board, and even comes with a built-in sound system, then the Sky Glass Gen 2 is well worth the outlay. Sky's trick here is that it says this is an all-in-one system, needing just one cable to get started, and I think it achieves that.

The Sky Glass Gen 2 costs £699 for the 43-inch version, £949 for the 55-inch, and £1,199 for the 65-inch model. For reference, I own the latter, and I think it certainly earns its price, all things considered.

It's also worth noting that the Sky TVs have flexible purchase structures — you can buy them outright or pay for them via monthly installments, which in itself can be a big plus.

However, one thing to consider is that purchasing the TV on its own will result in a fairly restrictive user experience. You’ll have to pay a subscription fee for a number of Sky TV products — such as Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, UHD & Dolby Atmos, and Ad Skipping — to get the best out of your Sky Glass, and these costs can really add up.

But if you’re all in on the Sky experience, or if you’re an existing customer, I think the Glass Gen 2 is a great TV all things considered, and after more than a year with it, I have no intention of substituting it out.

In the mid 2000s, I was fascinated with the reality TV show Aussie Ladette to Lady. It branded a "new breed" of Australian woman as loud, vulgar, and unfit for any self-respecting society, thrusting them into weeks-long sophistication training that, of course, never lasted. In a nutshell, this is also the premise for the new Netflix series My Brilliant Career.

In hindsight, the former TV show was nothing but an excuse to vilify a new kind of 'modern woman' for the sake of viewing figures, purposefully engineering mistakes to be captured on camera through the magic of reality TV production. If these producers were around in the early 1900s, Sybylla (Philippa Northeast) would be ripe for the picking.

My Brilliant Career introduces us to the voracious, outspoken, and self-assured eldest daughter from Possum Gully (what an incredible name) as she's forced to move into her Grandma's (Anna Chancellor) house to be conditioned for her entry to high society. Convinced that she doesn't want a husband but instead wants to live life to the fullest — and become a published writer in the process — Sybylla is a woman before her time. For us in 2026, that also means she's timeless.

How? Her refusal to back down, concede to a patriarchal society that is built for her to fail, and an impeccable ability to see the godforsaken truth from a mile away. Sybylla is the type of woman most of us aspire to be now, let alone over 100 years ago.

So framing her plight in early 20th-century Australia only makes her triumphs all the more delicious. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the six-episode binge doesn't even feel like a typical period drama.

As a renowned hater of the genre, watching My Brilliant Career is the most unexpected pleasure I've had so far this year — and I'll happily vouch for it being the strongest and most authentic show that Netflix has released across 2026 to date. And what if I said that I even prefer it to Bridgerton?

My Brilliant Career is the joyous binge I need in my life right now

If you know a thing or two about Australian New Wave Cinema, you might recognize this story already. Based on the novel of the same name by Miles Franklin (who, if you haven't guessed, is a woman using her middle name as a pseudonym), My Brilliant Career was first adapted for film in 1979.

But as incredible as Judy Davis and Sam Neill were, Netflix's typically frustrating and overused style actually works to unlock something even more playful in Franklin's story. Every decision, from production design to soundtrack, is one that doesn't take itself seriously, and allows Sybylla to simultaneously run wild and challenge authority in one fell swoop.

If you are a woman who grew up believing that by being a "good girl," you were able to get ahead in life, My Brilliant Career is the metaphoric kick in the nuts you've always wanted to give the world.

Throughout its six episodes, there are so many instances where I feel as though Sybylla is living my dream. Telling people what she truly thinks regardless of consequence? Bliss. Having the time and space to think and create freely? I could only imagine. Being so self-assured at such a young age? Hell, I'm not even sure if I'm at her level as a 31-year-old.

All of this makes My Brilliant Career one of those beautiful moments where you are so immersed in what you are watching that time, as you know it, is suspended. Throughout those six episodes, the only truth that exists in your life is the one that's playing out on screen. And that, my friends, is the sign of a job done well.

Anna Chancellor as a grandma? That can't be right

My Brilliant Career is scandalous for its time, but don't think that equates to the bonkbusting boundaries of Bridgerton. Personally, I think that this element is a little oversold, especially as it doesn't need outright sex scenes to feel like a rampant, virginal teen. Less certainly is more... as is the use of words, not actions.

But these effects are only possible thanks to the phenomenal casting. Northeast's Sybylla at once embodies every decade of life that she'll ever live, and her wisdom and wit are frankly spellbinding. The same can be said for Kate Mulvany's intoxicating Aunt Augusta, whose moral quandary between a man's world and a woman's needs is more thoughtful than most think pieces on the subject I've ever read.

A particular shoutout must go to the woman I've parasocially loved since her appearance in the 2002 adaptation of Tipping the Velvet: Anna Chancellor. Though I still cannot get my head around the idea of her playing someone's grandmother, she's exactly the calibre of actor you want when a period drama takes a more bohemian turn. She manages to make absolutely everything feel like the first time you've ever seen it, and her delicious delivery never fails to delight me.

Netflix, I have to give it to you. Just when I think I've experienced everything you have to offer, a treat for the eye and mind like My Brilliant Career comes along and blows me away. Maybe you never lost your touch after all.

My Brilliant Career is on Netflix from August 13.

• Channel 300 brings you Fairground AI, 24/7 AI video
• Critics have been harsh, calling the channel "slop"
• Could this be a lawsuit waiting to happen?

Roku has added four new channels to its Roku Channel collection: Mad TV, Retro Black Laughs, Whose Line Is It Anyway, and Fairground AI. That last one is a world first: it's the first free, ad-supported streaming TV channel dedicated exclusively to AI-generated content. Or as Futurism calls it, "an unending conveyor belt of AI slop."

Fairground Entertainment says it's "a landmark moment in the distribution of AI Cinema, a groundbreaking new form of storytelling that merges cinematic production values with the creative possibilities of artificial intelligence."

According to CEO Colin Petrie-Norris, it's a genuinely groundbreaking moment for AI Cinema.

According to The Verge, it's "like eating from a trough."

What are people saying about Fairground AI?

That very much depends on which people you're reading. On X, AI fans and boosters are very excited, not least because you can upload your own GenAI videos in the hope of being featured on the channel. Fairground AI says it'll pay for that video.

However, more cynical sorts aren't impressed. "That new Fairground AI channel on Roku is so bad, it makes North Korean propaganda shows look good," says PSYMAGE on X. "It's kind of must watch for a little while, if only to see the cutting edge of AI slop."

Futurism isn't pulling any punches. "It broadcasts AI-generated abominations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The only interruption to this slop flow state are intermittent ads — which are also AI-generated. It sounds more like a concept for a sci-fi torture device than it does a source of genuine entertainment, but it is, unfortunately, real."

While there are some interesting things being done by some of Fairground's creators, the AI videos being shared on X are attracting criticisms familiar to anyone who's seen much genAI video: dialog is bad and poorly delivered, cuts are incoherent, weird things happen on-screen, and the visuals are derivative. It's fair to say that if you're not a fan of genAI content, this channel isn't going to change your mind.

But I think there's a more serious issue. We've just seen the AI music platform Suno lose a lawsuit over unauthorized and unpaid use of copyrighted content in its AI models' training data. By monetizing generative AI video that's likely to be from models trained on commercially released content, Fairground AI may find itself attracting attention from something more terrifying than any AI-generated monster: movie studios' lawyers.

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• Google is adding over 10,000 on-demand movies and shows for free
• It's also expanding its library of free live TV channels
• The expansion could thrust Google TV Freeplay into the circle of best free streaming platforms

Google TV is getting its biggest upgrade yet, and it’s bound to get the best free streaming services quaking in their boots.

The company shared the announcement on its news blog yesterday (August 11), revealing it’s started adding over a staggering 10,000 free video-on-demand titles to Google TV Freeplay — a service that’s baked into Google TVs across brands such as Sony, TCL, and Hisense.

It seriously ups the ante on its already wide selection of FAST (free and ad-supported TV) movies and shows, and the best part is that there’s no subscription needed.

Understandably, Google hasn't released a full list of its new titles, but thanks to its partnerships with entertainment giants A24 and Lionsgate, you can expect to see a fair amount of movies from each distributor and beyond. This includes Oscar winners like Lady Bird (2019), to ‘00s favorites like Seventeen Again (2009).

In addition to its new FAST content, Google is also expanding its TV titles, which now include over 300 live channels spanning news, sports, true crime, reality TV, and more. Some of its new live TV channels include World of Love Island, Bloomberg TV+, Yahoo! Sports Network, and The Martha Stewart Channel.

It’s clear Google wants to solidify itself among the big dogs of FAST streaming channels. In December 2025, Google added more free live channels, taking its total catalog to over 250, so its latest upgrade marks a significant jump.

Watch your back, Netflix

There’s been an exponential rise in the number of users flocking to FAST services over the years, because what’s better than dedicating an evening to watching nothing but your favorite movies? Streaming them for free, of course.

For a long time, Google TV Freeplay offered live TV channels to viewers just like its competitors Tubi, The Roku TV Channel, and Pluto TV. It’s convenient and cost-free, but though it sparks joy to see one of your favorite movies or shows playing live, it’s annoying when you tune in halfway through the broadcast.

Google’s new on-demand library changes that. Not only does it give you more control, but it inserts itself as a serious rival to subscription-based services, not just free ones.

And sure, Tubi and Pluto TV have been challenging the likes of Netflix and Prime Video for some time, but Google TV Freeplay’s library appears to offer a higher number of contemporary titles. While Tubi and Pluto TV are considered the gold standards of free streaming, their respective libraries are filled with predominantly older and low-budget content, which arguably doesn’t have as much appeal — at least to me, it doesn’t.

Spoilers for Lioness season 3 episode 2 ahead.

Two things can be true at once, and I believe both that Lioness is the weakest TV show in Taylor Sheridan's Paramount+ roster, and that season 3 is its strongest outing yet.

Perhaps it's subjective, but Sheridan seems to thrive much more boldly and openly when he's working with cowboys, a land dispute, and the Wild West. But regardless of what I've been watching, I've been continuously in awe of just how well Sheridan writes his female characters.

From Stacy (Michelle Pfeiffer) in The Madison and Beth (Kelly Reilly) in Yellowstone and Dutton Ranch to Joe (Zoe Saldaña) in Lioness, Sheridan's women are armed with shrewd, fulfilling dialogue, substantial storylines and well-reasoned next steps.

Until now, that is. For the first time ever, I've been left disappointed by Sheridan's treatment of his female characters — though this time, it's women who identify as LGBTQ+.

After Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira) is called away to retrieve a potential hostage in Ukraine, she finally reunites with new love interest Josephina (Genesis Rodriguez) in Lioness season 3 episode 2.

But it's a reunion that left me with a sour taste and a simple question on my lips: why are LGBTQ+ women never allowed to enjoy a single moment of pleasure?

Lioness season 3 episode 2 highlights a fictional pleasure problem with TV's LGBTQ+ women

Cruz arrives home to Josephina wearing nothing but a bow wrapped around her midriff. So far, so hot. The pair soon enjoy a bath together, but just as things take a more passionate turn, Cruz's phone rings, calling her back to work with the FBI after undercover Russian operatives raid Joe's house.

The pair are visibly frustrated by the interruption, and have clearly not shared any quality time for some time prior to season 3 beginning. To the untrained eye, you can chalk all of this up to the ebbs and flows of unpredictable military life — but I think the way that this scene is presented stems from a much bigger problem.

There's no doubting that this is a problem for real military soldiers, but I'd bet any money that an emergency work call wouldn't have happened so quickly (the Lionesses are an extra special team, after all). Instead, Sheridan is apparently choosing the time-honored TV tradition of purposefully ensuring that an LGBTQ+ relationship is disrupted.

This doesn't happen quite so often with men, as most Russell T Davies dramas will tell you, but LGBTQ+ women are a much more frequent casualty. Typically, the separation is more overt, killing off one partner in the blink of an eye (much like in The 100 or Last Tango in Halifax).

Here, we're presented with an unusual grey spot. Our two lovebirds can be together ideologically, yet are being denied the pleasure of romance itself by being kept at arm's length. There's something really cruel about this, and I can't help but wonder if Sheridan was aware of his unconscious bias while writing.

If Cruz and Josephina's relationship unravels over the course of Lioness season 3, I won't be surprised. With Joe's life so fatally on the line, the well-being of everyone else is always going to come in second place, and what's a more vulnerable place than flying under the radar?

X-Men '97 season 2 episode 9 has finally made its Disney+ debut and, while it packs way too much into its 25-minute runtime to deliver a satisfying end to the Marvel TV show's latest season, some big questions remain unanswered after its final end credits roll.

So, what happens to the titular team? Is there an end credits scene to stick around for? And how does this season's finale, titled 'Survival of the Fittest', set up the Disney+ show's next installment? I'll provide — or, at the very least, try to provide — answers to those queries below.

Be advised, full spoilers immediately follow for X-Men '97 season 2. Do not proceed past this point until you've watched it.

Does Eson the Searcher kill Nightcrawler in X-Men '97 season 2 episode 9?

It would appear so, but we don't actually see him perish on-screen, so there's every chance that he's still alive.

But, let's back up a bit first to explain how we got to this point. In a bid to stop Apocalypse from fully taking over the mind and body of the resurrect Gambit, Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Beast travel to the deep ocean to track down Ship. That's the sentient, Celestial-built vessel that created Apocalypse in the first place.

Anyway, after the trio make their way inside, Rogue enters the Celestial Shrine and meets the Celestial known as Eson the Searcher. After a tense back and forth, Rogue convinces Eson that Gambit's life is worth saving. Accepting her argument that life can advance through love, and not just struggle as Eson claims, the latter imbues Rogue with Celestial power to battle Apocalypse one final time.

There is a caveat, though: if Rogue succeeds in her attempt to remove Apocalypse from Gambit's mind and, by proxy, saves her lover, she'll have to sacrifice her life for Gambit's, which Rogue agrees to.

Fast-forward to the finale's third act, and Apocalypse ends up taking full control of Gambit. Using the revived mutant's brainwashing powers, he brings the combined forces of the X-Men and X-Force — everyone except Professor X, anyway — under his spell.

Just as all hope seems lost, Rogue shows up. Using her gifted abilities, she cleanses her fellow mutants before tackling Apoc-Gambit, who she defeats by using her famous involuntary superpower — i.e., her skin-to-skin contact ability — to wrest Apocalypse from Gambit's mind and seal him in a Celestrial crystal, which she hands to Cable.

With the day saved, and Gambit alive and well, Rogue kisses Gambit in what she expects to be a final goodbye. However, as her temporary Celestial powers dissipate, she soon realizes something's wrong because, as per her deal with Eson, she hasn't lost her life.

As it happens, as soon as Rogue left Beast and Nightcrawler on Ship to save Gambit, Nightcrawler enters the Celestial Shrine. There, he makes a new deal with Eson: spare Rogue's life and take Nightcrawler's instead, which Eson agrees to do.

Is this the last we've seen of the teleporting mutant in X-Men '97? I doubt it. After all, if Gambit's resurrection proved anything, it's that popular characters don't stay dead in this universe for long. Furthermore, we didn't actually see Eson take Nightcrawler's life so, if we take the 'no body, no death' trope into account, there's no reason to believe that the Marvel Phase 6 TV show won't reunite us with Nightcrawler at some point.

Is there a mid-credits scene or post-credits scene in the X-Men '97 season 2 finale?

Yes, there's a mid-credits scene that lays the foundations for the X-Men animated series' third season.

In it, we're reunited with who we think is United Nations official and X-Force founder Valerie Cooper. As she thumbs through a top-secret file, we see a news bulletin state that prominent anti-mutant politician Greydon Creed has won the race to be the next US President. It's a moment that makes Nightcrawler's sacrifice all the more hurtful, to, because Creed is Nightcrawler's half-brother.

But, I digress. As Cooper tuts, she opens the aforementioned file, which contains information on the shapeshifting mutant called Mystique. It also shows her known associates, including Blob, Toad, and Pyro — all of whom are members of the Brotherhood of Mutants, of which Mystique is also a part of.

Then, the door of Cooper's office opens — and in walks the real Valerie Cooper. Startled, she asks who the impersonator is. Before the real Cooper can finish her question, though, she's shot in the stomach.

Falling to the floor, Cooper watches in horror as the fake Cooper reveals her true identity: it's none other than Mystique. Smiling, she says she's "just catching up on some light reading" and then reveals that her files says Mystique wants to attack the United States. Transforming back into Cooper, Mystique adds "I'll say" before she fires again at the real Cooper as the screen cuts to black.

How does X-Men '97's season 2 finale set up its third season? And will it feature Onslaught?

There's no official plot brief to speak of, but that doesn't mean we can't predict what'll happen in season 3 following the events of 'Survival of the Fittest'.

For one, it seems Mystique and the Brotherhood of Mutants will commit to terrorizing the United States with a guerrilla warfare campaign, especially with Creed now at the helm of the western world's most powerful nation. It'll be interesting, then, to see how the X-Men approach tackling the Brotherhood and, by proxy, defending democracy and a staunch anti-mutant US President.

Speaking of the X-Men, it'll be similarly intriguing to see how they now operate. Will they continue to exist under their X-Corp rebrand, or return to being known as the X-Men? Additionally, will they learn to live alongside other mutant groups like the government-funded X-Factor and Cable-led X-Force, or can we expect to see these three teams butt heads again over how to handle threats against their kind and/or humanity as a whole?

Then there's the small matter of Onslaught. In the comics, Onslaught is a giant, sentient psionic being born from the combined subconsciouses of Professor X and Magneto, who also goes on to be one of not only the X-Men's most challenging foes, but the Marvel universe's entire hero roster.

Onslaught's debut has been tentatively teased throughout this Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) adjacent TV show's first two seasons, so it's possible that it'll finally make its bow in X-Men '97 season 3. That said, I'd expect more teasers before Onslaught is formally introduced as the series' Big Bad further down the line. I guess we'll have to see what Marvel's got up its sleeve for next season first.

Does X-Men '97 season 3 have an official release date yet?

No, but it'll arrive sometime in 2027. Brad Winderbaum, who oversees Marvel's TV, animation, streaming, and comic book divisions, separately told Collider and comicbook.com that season 3 will premiere next year.

So, when is it likely to air? Currently, Daredevil: Born Again season 3 is the only other Marvel TV show slated to drop next year. The live-action series is reportedly eyeing a March 2027 launch, too, so it's incredibly unlikely that we'll see X-Men '97 season 3 before mid-2027.

My best guess? It'll follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and come out next July. MCU fans will need something to tide them over until Avengers: Secret Wars wraps up the Marvel Multiverse Saga when it hits theaters next December, so releasing X-Men '97 season 3 between Daredevil: Born Again's next chapter and the aforementioned film would cover that base.

For more Marvel coverage, find out what we know so far about Daredevil: Born Again season 3 and get the full lowdown on Avengers: Secret Wars. While you're here, learn all there is to know about Avengers: Doomsday and everything that's been revealed about VisionQuest, too.

Things have already taken a near-fatal turn in Lioness season 3, which is something I didn't expect to happen so soon. Indeed, last week, we saw two unnamed Russian agents posing as police officers turn up at Joe's door and demand to enter her home, only for them to be killed in the process.

The entire team is called out to investigate, but when a group of "watchers" are spotted on a nearby roof, the Lionesses wonder if it's a trap... if they're here, they're not looking elsewhere.

For now, the answer hangs in the balance. So, when does season 3 episode 3 arrive on Paramount+?

What time can I watch Lioness season 3 episode 3 on Paramount+?

Lioness season 3 episode 3 will drop on one of the world's best streaming services in the US and Canada on Sunday, August 16 at 12am PT / 3am ET.

Here's when it will be released in other nations globally:

• US – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK – 8am BST
• India – 12:30pm IST
• Singapore – 3pm SGT
• Australia – 5pm AEST
• New Zealand – 7pm NZST

When do new episodes of Lioness season 3 come out?

Lioness season 3 will have a total of eight episodes, with new entries airing weekly. That gives us the following schedule:

• Episode 1: out now
• Episode 2: out now
• Episode 3: August 16
• Episode 4: August 23
• Episode 5: August 30
• Episode 6: September 6
• Episode 7: September 13
• Episode 8: September 20

The Shards is now streaming on Hulu for US viewers and Disney+ internationally, as it adapts Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name.

In my The Shards review, I was pleased to note that it was a welcome return to form for Ryan Murphy. I was also impressed by how well he adapts the source material into a sexy, glamorous yet dangerous TV series.

If you're here, you're wondering when the next episodes will stream. Much like the two episode premiere, we also get two episodes this week.

Here's what you need to know about the release of The Shards episodes 3 and 4.

What time can I watch The Shards episodes 3 and 4 on Hulu?

For US viewers, both The Shards episodes 3 and 4 will drop on Wednesday, August 12 at 6pm PT/ 9pm ET.

Here's when you can stream the new episodes in other countries.

• US – Thursday, August 13 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada – Thursday, August 13 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK – Friday, August 14 at 2am BST
• India – Friday, August 14 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore – Friday, August 14 at 9am SGT
• Australia – Friday, August 14 at 11am AEDT
• New Zealand – Friday, August 14 at 12pm NZDT

When do new episodes of The Shards come out?

After this week's double bill, episodes of The Shards will premiere on a weekly basis until the finale on Wednesday, September 9. We do have another double bill coming up too, which is good news for those who don't like to wait.

For dates as well as the episode titles for the upcoming The Shards releases, take a look below.

• The Shards Episode 1 “Pilot”: Out now
• The Shards Episode 2 “Don’t You Want Me”: Out now
• The Shards Episode 3 “Help Me! Rhonda!”: Wednesday, August 12
• The Shards Episode 4 “Robert’s Party”: Wednesday, August 12
• The Shards Episode 5 “Murder on the Dancefloor”: Wednesday, August 19
• The Shards Episode 6 “Homecoming Part One”: Wednesday, August 26
• The Shards Episode 7 “Homecoming Part Two”: Wednesday, August 26
• The Shards Episode 8 “Hamlet”: Wednesday, September 2
• The Shards Episode 9 “Stairway to Heaven”: Wednesday, September 9

"I big, I punch," is probably the most effective and concise way of summing up the last three seasons of Reacher on Prime Video. Alan Ritchson's titular hero has slammed, drop-kicked, and battered his way through three separate stories to date, but Reacher season 4 has something new to offer.

Instead of honing in on Reacher's past or personal vendettas, our eight new episodes are ones of political espionage. Adapting the Lee Child novel Gone Tomorrow, he instead becomes embroiled in a CIA conspiracy after suspecting a woman on a New York City subway train is actually a suicide bomber. It's drama that makes you think, for the first time ever in this franchise.

It's a big tonal swing, and probably a risk that the crime drama needed to take four seasons in — but that doesn't mean it's completely paid off. In a nutshell, getting to the bottom of a big city political scandal has never made me yearn for the small-town days of seasons gone by more.

Clearly, this is part of Reacher's big-picture thinking. Seasons 1 and 3 were based in more rural locations, with seasons 2 and 4 respectively based in New York and Philadelphia. We already know that Reacher season 5 will be set in Oklahoma (like the novel Make Me), and I'm desperate to get there.

Does Reacher really have the chops to dig deeper into its punchy action? Probably not. I doubt we'll see the show stray back into these waters again, and there's good reason why.

Jack Reacher isn't the right action hero to lead a political espionage investigation

If the line "Oh no, I got it wrong!" is your signal to the audience that a dramatic twist is about to take place, then you're likely in over your head. This dialogue passes Reacher's lips halfway through season 4, with our bullish hero a fish out of water, scrambling through a plot that's much bigger than he could ever properly cope with.

On the one hand, I like that this level of insecurity humanizes Reacher more. There's always been more to him than just being muscle and meat hooks in a T-shirt, but now he's able to put his money where his mouth is. Selflessness, understanding, and the ability to be vulnerable flow out of Reacher abundantly in a way it never could have before, and I appreciate that.

However, let's not do this kind of storyline again. Our overarching threat is simultaneously too complicated to fully sink your teeth into and too mundane to actually bother caring about it. The armchair detectives among us will work out who is the 'villain' underpinning Reacher's latest disaster in a matter of seconds, and between season 4's beginning and end, you'll need a notepad and pen to keep up.

I think that an obstacle hidden in plain sight is the fact that Reacher himself doesn't have the same gravitas in a city as he does in a town. Plop him in the centre of Georgia, and he'll obviously scare the crap out of everyone around him. But in New York and Washington, D.C., he's a mere fly in the ointment. Add in a subpar storyline, and Reacher season 4 isn't exactly making its mark in an already oversaturated genre.

However, this might be Reacher's best supporting cast to date

But let's stop being a Debbie Downer... It's clobbering time! For surface-level viewing, Reacher season 4 is ticking every box you'd expect after its last three seasons, and that makes for some satisfying weekly viewing.

The secret weapon, however, is its supporting cast, which may just be my favorite of all we've had to date. New additions Tamara Green (Sydelle Noel), Jacob Merrick (Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette), and Russell Plum (Kevin Weisman) are Reacher's unlikely gang of allies, and the uneasy friendships that develop between them are the relationships that you're really rooting for.

Together, the awesome foursome drive the excitement of the piece, and help us paper over anything that isn't really gelling together in the story itself. We're desperate for them to break the rules and stick two metaphorical fingers up at authority, and they routinely indulge us. Best of all, our trio of newcomers pulls out all of Reacher's caring traits that we're desperate to see, even if they all make a few bad decisions along the way.

Without giving anything away, there are definitely some distasteful tones bubbling underneath the surface, particularly around how the story approaches sex work and, well, women in general. But hey, who cares when Reacher is going to punch something and take his shirt off, huh?

Reacher season 4 begins airing on Prime Video from August 12.

The Big Bang Theory's Bernadette as a demon is something I didn't think I'd ever see in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe — but, now that I have, it somehow makes complete sense.

Last week's episode saw us meet her in a wizarding world but, in this week's entry we're swapping the magical action for something a little more One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest-coded.

But who, if anyone, really is crazy? And when does Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 4 arrive on HBO Max?

What time can I watch Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 4 on HBO Max?

For US viewers, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 4 will drop on Thursday, August 13 at 6pm PT/ 9pm ET.

Internationally, you're looking out for these timings:

• US – Thursday, August 13 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada – Thursday, August 13 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK – Friday, August 14 at 2am BST
• India – Friday, August 14 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore – Friday, August 14 at 9am SGT
• Australia – Friday, August 14 at 11am AEDT
• New Zealand – Friday, August 14 at 12pm NZDT

When do new episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe come out?

New episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will make landfall every Thursday in the US and on Fridays everywhere else. Here are the all-important dates you need to know about:

• Episode 1: out now
• Episode 2: out now
• Episode 3: out now
• Episode 4: August 13
• Episode 5: August 20
• Episode 6: August 27
• Episode 7: September 3
• Episode 8: September 10
• Episode 9: September 17
• Episode 10: September 24

House of the Dragon season 4 has plenty riding on it. With the high-fantasy show's next chapter set to be its final installment, it'll have to deliver a fittingly fiery conclusion to the Targaryen Civil War, and wrap numerous other subplots and character arcs before its final credits sequence rolls.

All of that, and the final season's 2028 launch, feel a long way off at this stage — but that doesn't mean we can't look forward to its eventual release. So, if you want to know more about its possible cast, expected storylines, and more besides, this guide to the Game of Thrones prequel's next chapter is geared towards you.

Hop on, dragonrider, and let's take flight together.

House of the Dragon season 4 release date: what we know

HBO hasn't revealed next season's official launch date yet. However, as part of a multi-show renewal announcement that confirmed House of the Dragon season 4 was in development, the US TV network's boss Casey Bloys said it would premiere sometime in 2028.

Of course, plans can change, but word is that the cameras will start rolling in early 2027. Should that be the case, I'll be more confident that House of the Dragon season 4 will make its HBO Max debut in 2028.

House of the Dragon season 4 trailer: is there one?

Unsurprisingly, no — and we won't see one for a long time yet. Once a trailer for House of the Dragon season 4 is unveiled, I'll update this section.

House of the Dragon season 4 likely cast

Full spoilers follow for House of the Dragon season 3, and Fire and Blood, aka the book the show is based on.

Here's who I expect to see in House of the Dragon season 4:

• Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
• Matt Damon as Daemon Targaryen
• Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon
• Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen
• Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
• Bethany Antonio as Baela Targaryen
• Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen
• Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull
• Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull
• Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria
• Kieran Bew as Hugh Hammer
• Tom Bennett as Ulf the White
• Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Daeron Targaryen
• Freddie Fox as Gwayne Hightower
• Jefferson Hall as Tyland Lannister
• Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers
• Joplin Sibtain as Jon Roxton
• Kyrt Egyiawan as Orwyle
• Archie Barnes as Oscar Tully
• Annie Shapero as Alysanne Blackwood
• Dan Fogler as Torrhen Manderly
• Amanda Collin as Jeyne Arryn

Three big names were taken off the proverbial chess board in last season's finale, meaning they won't return for chapter 4.

James Norton's Ormund Hightower and Tommy Flanagan's Roderick Dustin were both gravely injured as part of their Tumbleton duel. The pair were then burned alive by Ulf and his dragon Silverwing in the final throes of said conflict.

Meanwhile, Phia Saban's Helaena committed suicide by throwing herself from a window in Maegar's Holdfast as a way out of being Rhaenyra's perennial prisoner. This trio, then, won't be back for another round.

There are bound to be a few returning faces, including Jamie Kenna's Ser Alfred Broome, while individuals like Ser Marston Waters and an unhinged, so-called prophet known simply as The Shepherd, who are yet to appear in House of the Dragon, might also show up.

In Fire and Blood, Broome and Waters play integral roles in the Fall of Dragonstone and/or other late-game events. Meanwhile, The Shepherd is responsible for instigating the Storming of the Dragonpit, a hugely significant event that was teased as part of Helaena's dream sequence in season 3 episode 7. I have a wild theory about the identity of The Shepherd, though, which you can read more about in my season 3 ending explained article in this guide's plot section.

That all said, House of the Dragon has taken some creative liberties with its source material, so there's no guarantee that this triumvirate will be part of proceedings. Hopefully, it won't be too long until HBO confirms season 4's full cast roster, and we can say with certainty that they, plus other returnees and newcomers, will take part.

House of the Dragon season 4 story speculation

Full spoilers follow for House of the Dragon season 3. Fire and Blood spoilers are also discussed.

Season 4's story synopsis hasn't been revealed yet, but we've got a good idea of what'll happen next

My House of the Dragon season 3 ending explained piece contains some clues about where things will go from here. Meanwhile, those who've read Fire and Blood will definitely know what's in store for Rhaenyra, Aegon II, and everyone else moving forward.

I'm about to dig into some aspects of the latter, so this is your one and only warning: potentially big spoilers immediately follow for House of the Dragon season 4. Skip to the next section if you don't want any major story beats ruined ahead of time.

Still here? You'll already know — or want to know — that there are many more deadly events yet to be played out in the Dance of the Dragons.

Indeed, the Fall of Dragonstone and Storming of the Dragonpit notwithstanding, we should also see live-action depictions of the Battle Above the Gods Eye, the Second Battle of Tumbleton, and the final showdown between Rhaenyra and Aegon II.

Other moments, such as the Moon of the Three Kings, Battle of the Kingsroad, the False Dawn, and Hour of the Wolf could also be adapted. However, House of the Dragon season 4 already has plenty of destructive and life-threatening ground to cover, so I'd be surprised if the latter pair are shown in any great capacity, if at all.

That said, the series could end on an unexpected note. Asked by Business Insider about how he planned on concluding things, Condal replied: "We've talked about this being kind of a World War II movie: There are plenty of World War II movies that exist where you tell the story within this greater war, but the curtain drops at some point in the story, and it's not necessarily with Japan's surrender or Hitler dying in the bunker — these big kind of endpoints where you could say World War II truly ended. You're telling the story within the story.

"So, in no way to comment at all on how we're planning on ending this, but I think that was the trick," he continued. "Because Fire & Blood is a decades-spanning history, the question is really more 'Where do you drop the curtain on this particular story?. We're telling the story of the Dance of the Dragons... at what point do you drop the curtain on this, [in a way] that feels satisfying and like you've told a complete story, but also that leaves certain things open-ended? [By] telling the audience, intentionally, that history marches on."

Before things come to an end, there are many subplots and character arcs to tie up. Those include — but aren't limited to — Rhaenyra potentially losing more allies in Baela, Addam, and Corlys; Aegon and Aemond teaming up to tackle Daeron and Rhaenyra; Alyn having to deal with taking the life of the High Septon under Rhaenyra's orders; and Hugh reckoning with Cat's death, and how that'll impact his loyalty to Rhaenyra.

Furthermore, there will be Alicent learning of Helaena's death and Aegon II's return, Mysaria's possible role in instigating a rebellion against Rhanyera, and Ulf being a dragon-wielding wildcard whose no longer loyal to Team Black or Team Green — and that's just dealing with some of the show's expansive ensemble.

Of course, the biggest question of all is: will House of the Dragon be able to give closure to everyone in the eight, 60-minute-long episodes that remain before its final curtain call? That remains to be seen. But, with other popular shows recently failing to stick the landing from a finale standpoint, Condal and company will hope House of the Dragon doesn't become the latest one to under-deliver for its fanbase.

Will there be a fifth season of House of the Dragon?

Right now, no. Speaking to Deadline in January, HBO boss Casey Bloys replied "yes, that is the idea" when asked if the show will end with season 4. In a separate chat with Deadline this June, showrunner Ryan Condal also said "I think I have said what I have to say about Westeros" — the implication being that, once House of the Dragon's fourth season has ended, it won't return for another outing.

There's always the prospect of HBO replacing Condal with someone else if it felt that a fifth season was necessary, but it would be bizarre to see another individual helm a single season of it. It would be even weirder if House of the Dragon's story continued after season 4, because the show was only intended to cover the Targaryen Civil War as it's outlined in Fire and Blood.

There's plenty more ground to cover with House Targaryen and Westeros more generally post-The Dance of the Dragons. Those stories are arguably best told in separate Thrones spin-offs, though, rather than being the foundations on which to build a fifth season. In short: don't expect to see House of the Dragon season 5 once the show reaches what's expected to be its natural end with its fourth and final installment.

X-Men '97 season 2 is almost over. Indeed, with just one episode remaining of the popular Marvel TV show's latest season, we'll soon be saying goodbye to the titular super-team until their animated series returns for its third instalment.

There's a great deal for this season's finale to wrap up, too. Will the comatose Remy win his battle of wills with Apocalypse? Does X-Force teaming up with X-Factor mean we should prepare ourselves for an almighty showdown between their combined forces and the X-Men? And how will this season's last chapter ultimately set the stage for X-Men '97 season 3?

I can't answer any of those questions yet — but, I can tell you when season 2 episode 9, titled 'Survival of the Fittest', will be released. So, read on to find out when it'll come out!

What is the launch time for X-Men '97 season 2 episode 9?

The finale of X-Men '97's second season will make its Disney+ debut on Wednesday, August 12 at 12am PT / 3am ET.

That's the time it'll air in the US and Canada, anyway — for fans in the nations listed below, here's when it'll premiere on one of the world's best streaming services in your neck of the woods:

• US — Wednesday, August 12 at 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada — Wednesday, August 12 at 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK — Wednesday, August 12 at 8am BST
• India — Wednesday, August 12 at 12:30pm IST
• Singapore — Wednesday, August 12 at 3pm SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, August 12 at 5pm AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, August 12 at 7pm NZST

Does X-Men '97 season 3 have a release date yet?

No. However, Marvel's Head of TV, Animation, Streaming, and Comics Brad Winderbaum recently confirmed that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) adjacent TV show's third season will drop sometime in 2027. That follows Winderbaum previously stating that new seasons of the highly-rated cartoon will start to arrive every year from here on out.

Even so, I believe it'll be a long time before an official launch date is announced. There'll be plenty of opportunities for Marvel to reveal one before the end of 2026, with D23 Expo (14-16 August) and New York Comic-Con (8-11 October) traditionally being prime candidates for the comic giant to tease new details about upcoming seasons.

That said, Marvel usually doesn't unveil release dates for its TV shows until much closer to their actual launches, so I'd be amazed if we find out when the Marvel Phase 6 show's third season will premiere in the near future.

It's officially time to believe in Ted Lasso again. Indeed, with season 4's debut episode being something of an overly-long prologue to the main event, this week's chapter will see the titular soccer coach finally get to grips with managing AFC Richmond's newly-formed women's team.

As I mentioned in my Ted Lasso season 4 review, you'll have to wait for episode 3 to meet most of the team. Nonetheless, you'll be introduced to at least one new character in Tanya Reynolds' Alice Chilton, and be reunited with a host of other familiar faces, including Brett Goldstein's Roy Kent and Brendan Hunt's Coach Beard.

In short: there's a lot to look forward to ahead of this week's entry — so, when will it be released?

What is the launch time for Ted Lasso season 4 episode 2?

Titled 'Curioser and curioser!', the second episode of Ted Lasso season 4 should premiere at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Tuesday, August 11 in the US and Canada.

As I noted in my Ted Lasso season 4 episode 1 release guide, the show was expected to return at 12am PT / 3am ET on Wednesday, August 5. However, this season's first installment actually dropped at 6pm PT / 9pm ET the evening before (i.e., Tuesday, August 4). As such, we can expect future episodes to drop every Tuesday night in North America at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.

As for other nations, here's when you should be able to catch season 4 episode 2 on Apple TV:

• US — Tuesday, August 11 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada — Tuesday, August 11 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK — Wednesday, August 12 at 2am BST
• India — Wednesday, August 12 at 6:30am ISY
• Singapore — Wednesday, August 12 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, August 12 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, August 12 at 1pm NZST

When do new episodes of Ted Lasso season 4 come out?

As I mentioned above, based on when last week's episode actually aired, new installments of the Apple TV Original should launch on one of the world's best streaming services every Tuesday in the Americas and every Wednesday in other territories.

If every subsequent episode follows suit, here's when this season's other chapters will be released:

• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 1 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 2 — August 11/12
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 3 — August 18/19
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 4 — August 25/26
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 5 — September 1/2
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 6 — September 8/9
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 7 — September 15/16
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 8 — September 22/23
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 9 — September 29/30
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 10 — October 6/7

• The Witcher season 5 might not arrive until 2027, according to reports
• What's on Netflix noted that "the release has shifted to next year", after being "quietly scrubbed from Netflix’s public-facing promotional websites"
• However, Netflix has not publicly confirmed this news at the time of writing

Fans of The Witcher have been waiting for news of season 5 of the high-fantasy series since The Witcher season 4 concluded last year — and now it looks like we may be waiting a little longer than expected to be reunited with Geralt and co.

Season 5 of the Netflix show had been pencilled in for release some time this year — but according to a report from What's on Netflix, it appears that it's been pushed back to 2027.

The website said that "a few eagle-eyed fans may have noticed that the upcoming season has recently been quietly scrubbed from Netflix’s public-facing promotional websites and media center for 2026".

It added: "We’ve done a little digging and can confirm that the release has indeed shifted to next year, though Netflix has neither confirmed this publicly nor is thought to have locked in a specific 2027 release window just yet."

Season 5 is set to be the final installment of The Witcher's adaptation, focusing on Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri's fight to survive a continent-wide war. But I'm worried it's going to fall flat, especially since there doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency around its release on the part of one of the best streaming services.

We've been burned before — specifically by a disappointing fourth season, with my colleague Jasmine Valentine noting that the events of season three were recapped terribly in her The Witcher season 4 review.

On top of this, season 4 has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score across the show's run, with a 59% critic score and a truly awful 19% audience one, with fans divided over the casting of Liam Hemsworth as Geralt following Henry Cavill's departure, and frustrated by confusing lore at times.

It's disappointing, then, to learn that we may be waiting longer than expected to see if season 5 can put the show back on track, and deliver a satisfying conclusion.

Sometimes good things come to those who wait; however, The Witcher season 5 arguably has its work cut out for it if the show is going to go out on a high.

I'm hoping the delay means the director and showrunners will use the extra time to make sure they get it right. But if we end up waiting two years or more for what turns out to be a disappointing finale, it's going to leave a bad taste in our mouths.

We're still waiting on official word from Netflix, but as it stands, it's looking unlikely that we'll see The Witcher season 5 this year.

House of the Dragon season 3 episode 8 is out now on HBO Max — and it's an incendiary conclusion to the high-fantasy show's penultimate chapter.

As the dust settles on the Game of Thrones spin-off's latest season, I suspect you've got many burning questions about its finale and how events that transpired will impact House of the Dragon season 4. Worry not, because I'm going to answer — or, at the very least, do my best to answer — your biggest queries about season 3's last entry.

It goes without saying, but full spoilers immediately follow for House of the Dragon season 3's final episode. Turn back now if you haven't watched it yet.

Who dies during the Battle of Tumbleton?

Countless men, women and children. Indeed, whether caught in the Targaryen and Hightower armies' crossfire, or burned alive by Ulf the White and his dragon Silverwing, season 3's final battle is anything but trivial.

There are a couple of hugely important character deaths in this season's finale, too — the most significant of which is Ormund Hightower.

In a duel with Roderick Dustin, aka leader of the Winter Wolves, during the conflict's final throes, Ormund is stabbed up the, well, anus by his adversary, before he's one of many whose lives are ended by Ulf and Silverwing.

Why does Ulf kill him? Because, after Ulf gets drunk and passes out before the battle, he's eventually found by Ormund and his men, and Ormund beats him for his actions. After suffering a similar beatdown at Daemon's hands earlier this season, Ulf's clearly had enough of being humiliated by other lords.

Roderick suffers a similarly fiery demise, set ablaze alongside Ormund on one of Tumbleton's parapets by Silverwing. Moments before, Ormund had stabbed him in the gut and then taken his right forearm. Unlike Ormund, though, Roderick has been chasing death throughout season 3, so he meets his end with a cackle and a cheer, which is further heightened by the impending death of his enemy.

What happens to Daemon, Gwayne, and Daeron in House of the Dragon's season 3 finale?

They all survive — well, we know at least two of them do, anyway.

Where Daemon is concerned, he makes it out alive after almost losing a one-on-one bout with Ormund's right-hand man, Jon Roxton. Before Roxton can deliver a telling blow, however, falling debris caused by one of Silverwing's fiery trench runs separates the pair, allowing them to escape to fight another day. Daemon soon reunites with Corlys Velaryon, who's escaped captivity in the chaos, and the duo flees with the remaining Targaryen forces as Tumbleton burns.

As for Gwayne and Daeron, they manage to evade one of Silverwing's devastating attacks. However, before this season's finale ends, we're only reunited with a dirt-and-blood-covered Gwayne, who appears to be the only survivor of the pair.

Does this mean Daeron is dead? I won't spoil his fate as it's outlined in Fire and Blood, aka the Thrones book House of the Dragon is inspired by. But if we use the old film/TV show trope "no body, no death", we can assume that Daeron the Daring and his dragon Tessarion will be seen again next season.

Does Helaena kill herself in the House of the Dragon season 3 finale?

Yep. You don't fall from a window that high — especially one with giant spikes at the bottom — and live to tell the tale.

Frankly, Helaena's death doesn't come as a surprise. For one, in Fire and Blood, she commits suicide by similarly throwing herself from a window. And, while her death occurs much earlier in House of the Dragon than in the literature, she's not only become a political prisoner of her half-sister Rhaenyra, but has also had her Godswood privileges severely restricted due to Alicent's botched escape plan in this season's fifth episode. It's no shock, then, that we see her become more depressed across season 3's final three chapters.

Of course, when Rhaenyra finds out, she's not overly bothered. Helaena was pregnant and, if she'd birthed a son, he could've challenged Rhaenyra's right to laud it over the Seven Kingdoms (NB: this was a possibility before Rhaenyra learns that half-brother Aegon II is still alive). With Helaena and her unborn child gone, Rhaenyra needs only to focus on eradicating Aegon II, and her rule will be absolute.

The big question now is: what will Alicent do when she finds out that her only daughter committed suicide after Rhaenyra promised to keep her safe? Truthfully, we don't know. Alicent still has a key role to play in the HBO Max fantasy show, but House of the Dragon has played loose and fast with its source material over the past two seasons. I wouldn't be shocked if she tries to cosy up with Aegon II and Aemond in their plan to take back the throne — although, after Alicent tried to kill Aemond at Rhaenyra's behest, I suspect her second-born won't take too kindly to seeing her again. Speaking of Alicent's remaining children...

What happens to Aemond and Aegon II in House of the Dragon's season 3 finale?

The estranged brothers are reunited at Harrenhal and, as I mentioned, concoct a plan — albeit one formulated by Aegon II that Aemond is roped into helping with — to wrest back the Iron Throne.

After Alys saves Aemond's life following his poisoning at Alicent's hands, a sleeping Aemond wakes to the sound of a dragon. Believing it to be the returning Vhagar, he gets up and follows the noise, only to find that his brother and his dragon Sunfyre have seemingly returned from the dead.

After an incredibly tense back-and-forth that also soon involved Alys, Aegon informs his younger sibling that he plans to overthrow Rhaenyra and reclaim the throne. Only once they've found Vhagar — who's integral to the plan — and successfully carried it out will Aegon consider forgiving Aemond for almost killing him and Sunfyre in season 2. An uneasy alliance, this most certainly is.

Does Rhaenyra get officially coronated in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 8?

No. For the second time this season, Rhaenyra's request to be officially ordained by the High Septon is declined.

This time, though, Rhaenyra doesn't take no for an answer. After instructing Alyn of Hull to kill the High Septon in a show of force — a deed Alyn carries out but appears to instantly regret — Rhaenyra leaves the High Sept to address the assembled crowd outside its front doors. There, she tells them about Aegon's Dream, aka The Song of Fire and Ice, aka the prophecy that foretells the coming of the Long Night and the White Walkers, which only a Targaryen and a collective of dragons have the power to oppose. Oh, and that Viserys chose her, not Aegon II, as his true heir, so the commonfolk should follow her over him.

Those who've read Fire and Blood, and/or know their Westerosi history, will be well aware of where things go from here for Rhaenyra. I won't spoil what lies in store for her, but I do want to briefly touch on a new theory I have about her former Mistress of Whispers, Mysaria...

Is Mysaria being positioned as The Shepherd in House of the Dragon?

Amid everything else that happens in House of the Dragon's season 3 finale, it would be easy to forget that Mysaria is surprisingly relieved of her duties by Rhaenyra. Clearly, the latter no longer trusts the former after what happened this season.

That firing could prove to be Rhaenyra's downfall, though. Without getting into the finer details of Fire and Blood, her reign is destabilized by a mysterious figure known simply as The Shepherd, who eventually incites an uprising against Rhaenyra.

In Fire and Blood, The Shepherd is depicted as a one-handed, religious fanatic who preaches that dragons are demons and Rhaenyra is a false queen. And, while I expect House of the Dragon's version of The Shepherd to play a similarly vital role in season 4 (more on this shortly), I think this character will be retroactively fitted to be Mysaria in disguise.

Think about it. Mysaria was not only known as the White Worm but also the leader of a spy/informant network before being hired as Rhaenyra's Mistress of Whispers. If anyone can incite a riot against Rhaenyra, especially as someone who's been betrayed by, and has an ax to grind with, the current monarch, it's Mysaria. I wouldn't be amazed, then, if Mysaria becomes The Shepherd in all but name next season.

When will House of the Dragon season 4 be released?

House of the Dragon season 4 doesn't have a confirmed launch date yet. However, as long as principal photography begins in early 2027, it's widely expected to premiere at some point in 2028. That much was made clear when House of the Dragon was renewed for a fourth and final season last November.

Oh, didn't you know? House of the Dragon will end with season 4. HBO boss Casey Bloys (per Deadline) and showrunner Ryan Condal (again, via Deadline) have confirmed that'll be the case, so don't expect a fifth season to materialize once the series' fourth installment is over.

Letterboxd might just be my favorite app — I love tracking the media I consume and making lists, and Letterboxd is basically a perfect take on that for movies. And while I don’t love Goodreads quite as much, I find that it serves a similar purpose for books. But I’ve struggled to find an app like this for shows.

That’s not to say no such apps exist — of course they do. But for one reason or another, I’ve always bounced off them. Until, perhaps, now.

It’s early days, but so far, Bingers — a new app from the co-founder of TV Time — seems like it might mostly fit the bill, though it doesn’t quite address all of my issues with other TV show tracking apps.

Beautiful and customizable

One of the things I love about Letterboxd is just how much of a joy it is to interact with, and part of that comes down to it being aesthetically pleasing, with the same being true of Bingers.

Here you get big posters and backdrops for each show, along with the ability to swap them out for other options, and the interface beyond that feels polished and — for the most part — well laid out.

Adding shows to your watchlist can be done with a single tap, and marking episodes or whole seasons as watched is similarly speedy, so there’s minimal friction.

Switching over from another app is potentially easy too, as you can import your data from TV Time, TV Time Liberator, or Refract.

It’s not perfect; for example, while you can search through the filmography of cast and crew members, there’s no way that I can see to sort or filter those lists. But the core parts of the app at least are largely well laid out. And Bingers has only just launched, so it’s sure to improve over time.

Impressively full-featured

There’s also a lot here. You can add shows to your watch list and then get alerts when new episodes or seasons are out, so you never miss them. You can also rate and review shows and episodes, and even attach an emoji for how they made you feel.

There’s even an option to select your favorite character in an episode, and then see what percentage of people picked each option. I’d love to see more stats, which is something Letterboxd still has over Bingers, but that — along with a total watched time and number of episodes watched — is at least gesturing towards an interest in this sort of data.

Plus, you can mark shows as favorites, create lists, and follow other users — with that last point giving this app the community feel that things like Letterboxd and Goodreads also have.

You can also explore trending shows and genres if you’re looking for something new to watch, and you can log rewatches, so you can see how many times you’ve viewed something.

There are movies here too if you want all of your visual media in one place, though for now, at least, I’ll mostly be sticking with Letterboxd for those.

Keeps me coming back

Still, while I’ve only been using Bingers for a few days so far, that’s longer than I managed with most apps like this. I think all of the above contributes to that — the beautiful design, the lack of friction in logging, and the reminders and alerts for new episodes, plus a handy timeline view that shows what you haven’t yet watched, and what episodes are landing in the coming days.

I do wish there were a Bingers website, as sometimes I’d rather interact with these services from my computer, and it could still do with a few more features within the app — more stats, an overall average rating for each show, and the inclusion of trailers, for example.

But for a new release, Bingers is off to a very promising start, and as long as the app keeps evolving — and continues to find an audience — this could become the Letterboxd for TV.

Reacher season is my favorite time of year, and season 4 will account for much of my screen time over the next few months.

If you remember, the end of season 3 saw Reacher (Alan Ritchson) finally kill Quinn (Brian Tee) point-blank with a shotgun after reminding him of how he murdered Kohl (Mariah Robinson).

Reacher then, as is is way, leaves town... but does that mean that the drama stops? Of course not — it's just a new beginning (especially as season 5 has already been confirmed).

I haven't even seen any previews yet, but my advice is to strap in for what could be the wildest ride yet. But when do Reacher season 4 episodes 1-3 arrive on Prime Video?

What time can I watch Reacher season 4 episodes 1-3 on Prime Video?

We're expecting episodes 1-3 of Reacher season 4 to be available on Prime Video on August 12 at 12am PT / 3am ET in the US.

Internationally, look out for the below times:

• US – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK – 8am BST
• India – 12:30pm IST
• Singapore – 3pm SGT
• Australia – 6pm AEST
• New Zealand – 8pm NZDT

When do new episodes of Reacher season 4 come out?

After its three-episode premiere, Reacher season 4 episodes will be airing on a weekly basis. This gives us the following season schedule:

• Episode 1: August 12
• Episode 2: August 12
• Episode 3: August 12
• Episode 4: August 19
• Episode 5: August 26
• Episode 6: September 2
• Episode 7: September 9
• Episode 8: September 16

Interestingly, the Reacher season 4 finale coincides with the day that all episodes of spinoff Neagley will arrive on Prime Video.

I’ve always been a fan of premium formats at the cinema, and thanks to the combination of a large screen, rich visuals, and sound that really packs a punch, Dolby Cinema has long been my go-to choice — even over IMAX.

This week, I ventured to a local AMC in New Jersey for Spider-Man: Brand New Day in Dolby Cinema. The theater featured stadium-style seating and was practically sold out, with only a handful of seats remaining in the front row. Considering the film has grossed more than a billion dollars globally, including over half a billion dollars in the US alone, it’s no surprise that tickets for Dolby Cinema and theaters in general have been hard to come by.

So, while my screening came a few days after opening, it was well worth the wait and ended up being one of my favorite Dolby Cinema experiences in a while.

For starters, the dual 4K laser projectors that power Dolby Cinema did a fantastic job with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Colors were rich and vibrant, while the finer details in darker scenes remained visible without losing that cinematic contrast. Yes, a Dolby Cinema screen is typically smaller than a true IMAX screen, but that didn’t bother me here. Between the picture quality and the audio, I still felt completely immersed in the world of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

I was pulled into the action almost immediately, and the combination of the screen, seating, and sound made the theater itself almost disappear.

You could, of course, opt for ScreenX, which wraps the image around you across the side walls, or catch Brand New Day on select IMAX screens in the US for a limited time. Just remember that those screenings aren’t necessarily the same as seeing a film presented in true 70mm IMAX — an important distinction when talking about premium cinema formats.

But for me, the real highlight was the Dolby Atmos sound.

Dolby Cinema’s audio setup is an expansive, full-range system designed to deliver sound throughout the theater, and Brand New Day makes particularly good use of it. It can pack a serious punch when the action kicks in, but what impressed me most was the low end. The bass wasn’t simply loud; it had weight and presence, adding another physical dimension to explosions, movement, and the film’s bigger action sequences.

Spoilers lie ahead

Spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day ahead

As noted above, the real highlight for me was the sound. While the entire mix was well done and made excellent use of Dolby Cinema’s audio capabilities, there is one scene in particular that stands out — hence the spoiler warning, as it revolves around a pretty major plot point.

As Peter Parker begins to deal with the rise of arachnid traits in his genes — see a taste in the image above — he starts experiencing heightened senses. When he heads onto a rooftop, the sequence becomes a fantastic showcase for what a well-designed cinema sound system can actually do.

You hear the rush and bustle of New York City around Peter. Footsteps take on a heightened presence. An empty bag of chips scraping and tumbling along the ground suddenly becomes an important part of the soundscape. Instead of simply hearing these sounds as background noise, you’re placed inside Peter’s heightened perception of them.

And this is where Dolby Atmos really shines, especially when it all rushes together.

From a spatial perspective, the mix does a tremendous job of pinpointing where sounds are coming from and matching them to what’s happening on screen. Sounds move around the theater in a way that feels deliberate rather than gimmicky, helping put you directly into Peter’s headspace. The result is a sequence that feels less like you’re watching someone experience heightened senses and more like you’re experiencing them alongside him.

It’s a real tour de force for the sound team — and arguably one of the better demonstrations I’ve experienced of what premium cinema audio can add to a movie beyond simply making things louder.

When I head in for my second viewing of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it’ll most certainly be in Dolby Cinema again. The picture is excellent, the seating and presentation are fantastic, and the overall experience is incredibly immersive.

But ultimately, it’ll be for the sound.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day reminded me that when Dolby Cinema is firing on all cylinders, the audio can be just as important to the cinematic experience as what’s happening on the screen.

After falling in love with Disneyland Handcrafted, I was excited to dive into the studio's latest documentary movie, Disney Worldbuilders. Directed by Leslie Iwerks, the new movie has a tiny runtime of 58 minutes and call me greedy, but I really wanted more.

Disney Worldbuilders gets up-close-and-personal with some of Disney's most influential voices, where we learn about creative processes and their lasting impact on both cinema and the Disney Parks around the world.

Even though I loved what I saw, I did feel as though Worldbuilders tries to squeeze too much into its runtime. Unlike Handcrafted, which solely focuses on Walt's vision for Disneyland in Anaheim, this jumps around between subjects, and I wish we'd had an episode for each person interviewed so we could've taken a deeper dive.

The stacked line-up is made up of Bob Iger, James Cameron, Jon Favreau, Kevin Feige, Jennifer Lee, Pete Docter, Dave Filoni, Jared Bush, and Josh D’Amaro. That's a lot of people to talk to in under an hour, so I really wish we'd had more time with all of them!

Bob Iger in particular deserves a documentary of his own, and I hope we get one so we can properly examine the huge impact he's had on the Walt Disney Company, because it's not to be sniffed at. His segments didn't seem to fit with the rest of the interviews.

Still, that doesn't mean Worldbuilders is not worth your time. Far from it, in fact; I think it gives some really valuable and inspiring insights from some of the biggest names across Disney properties like Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel, and it's hard not to smile when you're greeted with this footage.

The scale of the Disney Parks really is fascinating, and I liked how we were able to see the early days of areas such as Hollywood Studios' Galaxy's Edge and Animal Kingdom’s Pandora, especially how the directors of those movies responded to seeing their creations come to life. Now, fans get to walk through the worlds we see on screen, and the constant innovation going on across the global parks is jaw-dropping.

I found myself getting emotional during certain parts, particularly Jennifer Lee's reaction to World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris. Seeing her wandering around with Olaf and reflecting on her relationship with her sister is incredibly touching, given how Anna and Elsa are such inspirational figures to a lot of people out there.

Even though the interviews with each subject are short, we do get a lot of heartfelt anecdotes which I found to be very interesting. As someone who has been enamored with filmmaking from a young age, it's inspiring to see how these amazing creatives can help shape future attractions for all ages. In Worldbuilders, they reflect on their own childhoods and how they ended up working for one of the biggest media companies in the world.

Ultimately, this would have worked so much better in an episodic format because I could have happily watched eight hours of this, as opposed to the one hour we did get. I am hopeful that Disney will do more long-form Parks-focused documentaries like this, especially ones that talk to the creatives responsible for writing these worlds we know and love.

Disney Worldbuilders comes to Disney+ on August 20. While you wait, why not check out the best Disney+ movies and best Disney+ TV shows to stream right now.

• A Google user has had the LOTR movies pulled from their account
• Licensing changes are the most likely reason
• It's another argument for physical media — or for piracy

We've seen multiple incidents over the years where users have had movies and shows in their digital libraries unceremoniously yanked due to changes in licensing rules, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow when it happens again.

This time a user posting to Reddit (via Neowin) has had their Lord of the Rings Extended Editions removed, after paying good money for them four years ago. As per a Google support representative, these films are "no longer available in our catalog".

The unlucky user doesn't say how much they paid for the three movies, but they're unlikely to have come cheap — and now they're left with nothing. It's a galling turn of events, even if it's not that surprising any more.

Buried in the small print of pretty much all the digital content services you use will be warnings about changes in catalog availability, and unfortunately that applies to purchases as well as libraries rented month to month (as on Netflix).

Physical media and

The affected user didn't even get a refund or a gift card for their troubles, as the purchase falls outside the standard 120-day window when these offers are available. They're just going to have to find it and watch it somewhere else.

As you might expect, the general Reddit reaction is one of dismay. "This is why physical media matters," says one commenter, while another says "you will own nothing and be happy" (while pointing out that they own the Blu-rays).

It's certainly strong evidence that physical media is the way forward at this stage. As convenient and simple as digital purchases might be, they're always vulnerable to changes in the policies and agreements of online stories and the production studios.

Many of the Redditors responding to the case argue that these kinds of actions essentially legitimize piracy too. You also have the option of putting together a Plex library, which works like your own personal Netflix — and is yours to keep.

I still haven't got my head around the new Sky TV thriller Possession, with all five episodes now available to stream.

We follow Claudia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), an ambitious biracial lawyer who travels to Jamaica to challenge an inheritance claim made by a local man against a wealthy white aristocrat.

However, she arrives to find the disputed estate is a former plantation that has long haunted her dreams. Cue a terrifying slew of 1800s flashbacks, curses, and misunderstood spiritual connection.

It's colonial horror with a fresh 2020s take, and the supernatural tone might remind you of one of the biggest box office hits of the last five years.

In fact, it's the cast's immediate answer when I ask for their opinion on what would be best to double bill with Possession, but there's one connection that I didn't see coming.

Stream Sinners on HBO Max after binging Possession on Sky TV

"It was being made at the same time we were making this show, so we didn't realise that there was a connection, but Sinners keeps getting brought up," director Storm Saulter tells me when I put the double bill question to him and Mbatha-Raw.

"It's different, but it's also speaking about certain histories: about Afro-spiritualists, voodoo, magic, connection to Obeah (a monster from West African folklore).

"So I think those are two pieces in two different worlds, but they speak to the history, tradition, forward-thinking, and that the past is present."

Once Saulter says this, I don't know why I didn't make the same connection sooner. Though Sinners is more concerned with vampires in a more traditional sense, director Ryan Coogler's vision was so uniquely steeped in cultural history that's usually not done justice in mainstream media — and Possession fits that same criteria.

In fact, I think that Sinners is a much better fit than Belle, Mbatha-Raw's 2013 film critics have already compared to Possession.

She plays the titular character Dido Elizabeth Belle, who was a mixed-race illegitimate daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral raised in 18th Century England.

But does Mbatha-Raw see the connection that everybody else has?

"Obviously, to me, they're very separate projects, but I can see that there's some common themes," she responds. "Belle was a period drama that, was about one of the fewer known biracial aristocrats in England whose uncle was the Lord Chief Justice of England. In Possession, I'm playing the lawyer, so I definitely see, some of the comparisons there.

"It's a privilege to have a canon of work behind me where occasionally you have the privilege to really confront some of these issues in your work. It's not lost on me."

And if watching Possession, Sinners and potentially Belle is too much for some? "Get outside... go for a walk," Mbatha-Raw jokes.

House of the Dragon season 3 has reached its endpoint. Indeed, with its final episode due to air on numerous TV networks and streaming platforms shortly, we'll be bidding farewell to the Game of Thrones spin-off until its fourth and final season arrives in 2028.

But, let's deal with the here and now. Last week's chapter was full of explosive moments, including the revelation that Sunfyre is alive, Rhaenyra learning that Rhaena was responsible for Jace's death, and Ulf the White all but defecting to the Greens ahead of the long-awaited Battle of Tumbleton, among many other plot points. In short: this season's finale has got plenty of storylines to tackle and/or wrap up.

Thankfully, we don't have long to wait to see if it'll cap off the series' fieriest season yet. So, when will season 3 episode 8 premiere?

What is the launch time for House of the Dragon season 3 episode 8?

Unless the HBO TV Original's release is unexpectedly brought forward, the final episode of House of the Dragon's third season will come out on Sunday, August 9 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.

Well, that'll be the case in the US and Canada. Viewers in other nations will need to tune into their platform of choice on Monday, August 10 at the following times instead:

• US — Sunday, August 9 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada — Sunday, August 9 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK — Monday, August 10 at 2am BST
• India — Monday, August 10 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Monday, August 10 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Monday, August 10 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Monday, August 10 at 1pm NZST

Where can I watch House of the Dragon season 3 episode 8?

Just like every other entry, House of the Dragon season 3's next installment will premiere on HBO Max, aka one of the world's best streaming services, wherever it's available.

Admittedly, the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) platform hasn't launched in every country yet. Nevertheless, there are other channels and streamers that it'll drop on across the globe.

Unsure of where you'll be able to find season 3 episode 8? Check out the list below:

• US — HBO and HBO Max
• Canada — Crave
• UK — HBO Max, Sky Atlantic, and Now TV
• India — JioHotstar
• Singapore — HBO Max
• Australia — HBO Max
• New Zealand — HBO Max

Will there be a fourth season of House of the Dragon?

Yes. As I mentioned up top, House of the Dragon season 4 is not only already in development, but will also be the program's last hurrah.

Last November, House of the Dragon was one of many HBO TV shows that were renewed for another season. As part of that announcement, it was revealed that the Thrones prequel's final season will be ready to go at some point in 2028, too. Whether that's still the case remains to be seen but, if filming gets underway on House of the Dragon season 4 in early 2027 as expected, a 2028 launch will be more likely than not.

August 2026 has arrived, and we're starting the new month off strong with a whole heap of new movies and TV shows to enjoy on the world's best streaming services.

So, which seven projects have we highlighted for this weekend? For one, fans of cosy comfort TV will be delighted that Ted Lasso is back on Apple TV. Don't worry if you don't care for the sports comedy-drama series, because there's plenty more genre fare to peruse below. So, happy scrolling and streaming! — Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

Ted Lasso season 4 (Apple TV)

It's time to believe in the popular Apple TV Original once more. That's right, Ted Lasso has returned for its fourth season — and, this time, the titular soccer coach is being tasked with managing AFC Richmond's newly-founded women's team. Fans will not only be reunited with established characters in Ted Lasso season 4, then, but also introduced to a whole new line-up of fresh faces.

Want to know how it compares to the hit show's first three seasons? Read my Ted Lasso season 4 review before you make use of that free Apple TV trial you've been holding onto. Ted Lasso season 4 episode 1 is out now, by the way — and, with new episodes dropping weekly for the foreseeable future, there's lots more to look forward to in the weeks ahead. — TP

• Watch Ted Lasso season 4 on Apple TV

The Last House (Netflix)

Louis Leterrier's creepy new sci-fi thriller follows an ordinary family who become trapped in their home after torrential rain mysteriously seals every window, door, and exit point.

Their optimism begins to dwindle when days turn into months and then, frighteningly, years. I do wish the above trailer hadn't spoiled that reveal, but hey ho.

With limited supplies and an unknown threat looming outside, Riley, Jason, and their two children must fight to stay alive. They soon learn that they aren't the only ones affected, but can the other victims be trusted? You'll have to watch The Last House on Netflix to find out. — Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch The Last House on Netflix

Star Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth Jedi (Disney+)

What if I said that The Ninth Jedi looks like Star Wars meets Studio Ghibli?

More anime than animation, this Visions spin-off follows Kara and her ragtag Jedi crew as they seek out to find worthy Jedi to fight against an increasingly powerful warlord. She's literally Spirited Away's Chihiro armed with a lightsabre, and I'm all for the flavors of nostalgia we're getting on Disney+.

It's been tipped as a new and exciting "animated triumph," and I'm inclined to agree. If nothing else, The Ninth Jedi proves that Stars Wars is literally unstoppable, and can be easily reinvented until the end of time. — Jasmine Valentine, entertainment reporter

• Watch Star Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth Jedi on Disney+

Sterling Point (Prime Video)

Prime Video is back on its young adult drama game, baby. This time it's with Sterling Point, coming straight to us from the minds behind Gossip Girl (and that's how you immediately know that it's going to be worthwhile).

17-year-old Annie Jacobson (was raised in New York City with her twin brother and loving adoptive father, until her life takes a turn when she inherits her mysterious grandfather's island in Canada.

We've got some brilliant escapist TV across its eight episodes, feeling a lot more authentic in its delivery than the mundane repetition we've been seeing in other teen dramas of late (naming no names, of course). If you're going to commit to a book-to-Amazon TV adaptation, make it this one. — JV

• Watch Sterling Point on Prime Video

Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Paramount+)

Have I still got FOMO over not being invited to interview Billie Eilish and James Cameron during the bonkers London premiere for Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour earlier this year? Yes, I have, but that doesn't mean I won't vouch for the epic concert experience that's out now on Paramount+.

Initially captured in 3D, we follow Eilish's sold-out 2025 arena tour through a blend of stripped-down live performances from Manchester with backstage access. Whatever we're watching, Eilish's connection with her fans remains the central focus.

If you didn't get tickets or had some towards the back of the stadium, now's your chance to be front row. Personally, I'm just glad she left the Charli XCX Guess remix in the setlist. — JV

• Watch Billie Eilish: Hit Me Soft and Hard: The Tour on Paramount+

Alley Cats (Netflix)

Ricky Gervais returns to Netflix with six-part adult animated series, Alley Cats, which follows a group of strays who take in a lost kitten, helping her to navigate the brutal human world and find her way back home.

Gervais voices Gus, and he's joined by some great British talent like Diane Morgan, Kerry Godliman, Jo Hartley, and Tony Way. If you're expecting anything like his previous Netflix series After Life, you may be disappointed as Alley Cats has already received several poor reviews. But, if you like crude adult animation and Gervais' controversial brand of humor, then this could be right up your, ahem, alley. — LB

• Watch Alley Cats on Netflix

The Shards (Hulu/Disney+)

Ryan Murphy's back on top form with The Shards, where he collaborates with thriller novelist Bret Easton Ellis to bring the latter's semi-autobiographical story to life on Hulu and Disney+.

The Shards follows a group of privileged teenagers in their final year at an elite prep school, with a fictionalized version of Ellis among them. Their lives are turned upside down by the arrival of Robert Mallory, whose unsettling yet charming presence coincides with the activities of a serial killer known as The Trawler.

The first two episodes are now, but you'll want to read my review of The Shards first to see if it's worth watching. — LB

• Watch The Shards on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally)

As of writing, Spider-Man: Brand New Day has become the highest-grossing movie of 2026 by bringing in $1.155 billion worldwide during its first week in theaters.

I knew that people were excited to get their cinematic Spidey senses back, but I didn't predict just how well the new Marvel movie would perform. I certainly don't think it's the strongest superhero movie we've seen in the last few years (more on that later), but Brand New Day's different format choices are certainly helping its appeal.

It's understandable that we're lapping up cinema being a more immersive experience when we're paying out for it — just look at how well Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey performed in both its original IMAX 70mm format and in 4DX. But surprisingly, Brand New Day is the first feature-length movie to be shot purposefully for another format: ScreenX.

But before we dig deeper into that what actually means, I come bearing a warning. Unless you're specifically trying to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day in every possible format as a personal challenge, ScreenX is one to be avoided.

In fact, I'd urge to to pay out quite a lot extra to experience flying through New York's skyscrapers in 4DX 3D instead.

How many formats can you watch Spider-Man: Brand New Day in?

The full list of Spider-Man: Brand New Day cinema formats look something like this:

• Standard DCP (Digital Cinema Package), 2D and 3D
• IMAX
• RPX (Regal Premium Experience) or Superscreen
• 4DX and 4DX 3D
• Dolby Cinema
• ScreenX

Not all of these formats are going to be available to everyone, so let's use a local example. I'm based in the UK, and my beloved Cineworld membership means that I have access to DCP 2D and 3D within a 20-minute drive of my house.

If I'm happy to pay the travel fares for a trip into Central London, this also means that I can see Brand New Day in Superscreen (which is the British equivalent of RPX) and ScreenX if I pay an "uplift" fee on top of my membership's monthly direct debit.

Annoyingly, I've got to wait for IMAX as The Odyssey is still selling out most venues across the South of the UK.

Cost-wise, this is what non-members are looking at:

• Standard: £16.99
• Superscreen: £20.99
• ScreenX: £21.99
• 4DX 3D: £30.99 (with an extra £1.25 for 3D glasses)

With my membership and "uplift" fee, my costs are this:

• Standard: no uplift fee
• Superscreen: no uplift fee
• ScreenX: £4
• 4DX 3D: £6

In the US, these costs will roughly look like the following:

• Standard: $16-$20
• RPX: $23-27
• IMAX: approx. $27
• ScreenX: approx. $29
• 4DX 3D: approx. $33

ScreenX: the basics

So what is ScreenX? Essentially, it's a multi-projection cinematic technology that expands movies onto the left and right side walls of a theater (like you see in the above video).

This creates a 270-degree panoramic viewing experience using extra ceiling-mounted projectors — I counted two for each side during my Brand New Day screening.

Unlike 4DX, you're not actually moving. Depending on which cinema you choose to go to, you'll have the choice of regular or luxe recliner seating. As I was treating myself for the purpose of this piece, you can guess which one I decided on (and it was genuinely incredibly comfortable).

Currently, there are There are over 430 ScreenX auditoriums operating across 40 countries worldwide, which means, like me, you might have to pay extra travel fares to get to your closest theatre.

Up until now, ScreenX has typically been used for "key action or landscape scenes." But surely this would change for the first feature film shot in the format... right?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day in ScreenX is an underwhelming experience — I'm not sure why Marvel bothered

In a word, no. Despite being filmed specifically for the format, Brand New Day still only uses its ScreenX capabilities in certain scenes — and I've got to wonder why Marvel bothered.

For context, this was my first time ever watching a movie in ScreenX, and I was fully expecting to be blown away. The novelty of watching scenes in 270-degrees lasted for all of a few minutes before I failed to understand what the impact of including my peripheral vision was intended to be.

Simply put, it felt as though ScreenX would hugely benefit from the inclusion of 4DX technology. Much like The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride at Universal Studios Florida, I wanted to be clinging onto my seat for dear life while being so visually immersed in flying through the air. The effect of ScreenX on its own left me unmoving, only wishing that I'd chosen a 4DX 3D screening across town instead.

The added insult to injury is that the 270-degree immersion didn't last for the duration for the film as I'd hoped for. The constant format changing between 270 to standard was incredibly jarring, and took me out away from the magic of the viewing experience itself, and even what was narratively happening throughout the movie.

For the travel sick among us, I interestingly found that ScreenX made me feel a lot more nauseous than 4DX ever has. Where I had worried about leaving my Kwells tablets at home before Odysseus (Matt Damon) got battered at sea in The Odyssey's 4DX screening, I hadn't even thought about it here — which was a mistake.

It's difficult to know how much of my ScreenX judgement is clouded by the fact that I thought Spider-Man: Brand New Day was merely... fine. Instead of watching the new movie in a standard format first before heading to a specialist format for a rewatch, I took the plunge with ScreenX first time around.

The CGI is often ropey at points, and I found the pacing of Peter Parker's (Tom Holland) re-reveal to MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) to be tortuously slow. However, judging by my TechRadar colleagues' feedback, this was the overwhelming sentiment regardless of which format you watched the film in.

If studios want to film movies in ScreenX in the future, my advice is this: either use the 270-degree projection for the entire duration, or don't bother at all. It feels incredibly non-committal to wheel the technology out as a novelty showpiece for a few minutes before neglecting it, and it doesn't do overall artistry or the immersive experience any favors.

Instead, pour your efforts and resources into making 4DX screenings sing, or do a full Nolan and shoot entirely in IMAX (something which can be sustained for a film's full runtime).

A half-hearted gimmick is one that never works, but maybe that's a marketing ploy in itself — now I only ever want to see action-adventure movies in 4DX, meaning cinemas have secured the highest level of ticket costing possible from me.

• The Legend of Zelda Movie has reportedly found its Ganondorf and Impa
• Uli Latukefu and Dichen Lachmann are set to play the aforementioned pair
• The film also expected to feature Yvonna Strahovski and the late Sam Neill

The Legend of Zelda Movie just got a big cast update — and now we know who'll play the franchise's primary villain in Ganondorf.

Per Deadline, relative newcomer and Australian actor Uli Latukefu (Young Rock, Marco Polo) will play the imposing Big Bad in Sony's live-action film adaptation of Nintendo's beloved videogame franchise.

Deadline's report also claims that Latukefu has inked a multi-picture deal — a crucial detail that implies that, should the Zelda film be a critical and commercial success, Latukefu will return as the power-hungry Gerudo warlock in at least one sequel.

Latukefu isn't the only actor who's all but confirmed to appear in The Legend of Zelda's big-screen reimagining.

In a separate article, Deadline reported that Severance star Dichen Lachmann will portray Zelda's bodyguard Impa in the live-action film. This apparent confirmation comes months after Lachmann was supposedly spotted on set with Bo Bragason's Zelda — the latter of whom was announced as the titular character in July 2025. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth was also revealed to be playing Link, aka The Legend of Zelda's male protagonist and hero, at the same time.

Furthermore, Deadline's sources have suggested that Yvonna Strahovski (The Handmaid's Tale) and the late, great actor Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) are also set to feature, though the identities of their characters is unknown.

Who are Sam Neill and Yvonne Strahovski playing in The Legend of Zelda Movie?

According to Deadline's sources, Strahovski will portray an unnamed queen. Immediately, fans' attentions will immediately turn to Princess Zelda's mother, who's never actually showed up in a Legend of Zelda game.

However, there are numerous other female monarchs who Strahovski could portray. That includes Queen Sonia, who — spoiler — is revealed to be Hyrule's co-founder in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This game, which is the latest entry in Nintendo's long-running and universally adored franchise, is the sequel to Breath of the Wild, which, based on The Legend of Zelda Movie's first-look images, many fans think the film is largely inspired by. If that's the case, it's possible that Strahovski could play Queen Sonia in a flashback sequence if the Zelda film incorporates aspect of Tears of the Kingdom's story into its plot.

As for Neill, who passed away from pneumonia in mid-July after a lengthy cancer battle, he might play King Rauru, aka Queen Sonia's husband. Other alternatives — in my mind, anyway — that Neill could embody in one of his final on-screen performances include King Rhoam, aka the last ruler of Hyrule, the 100-year-old Sheikh scientist Doctor Robbie, or a popular member of the Goron tribe, such as Daruk or Bludo.

Who do you think Strahovski and Neill are playing? Let me know in the comments. Once you have, find out everything we know so far about The Legend of Zelda Movie, which is now set to land in theaters worldwide on April 30, 2027.

• Kit Connor has reportedly joined Marvel's new X-Men movie
• The Heartstopper star is said to be playing Scott Summers/ Cyclops
• He joins Sadie Sink and Samara Weaving as part of the hotly-anticipated MCU film

Marvel has reportedly found the star it wants to portray beloved X-Men member Scott Summers/ Cyclops in its cinematic universe.

Per Deadline, Heartstopper actor Kit Connor has been hired to play the mutant group's in-the-field leader. Typically, Marvel hasn't commented on the report, but Deadline is extremely reliable when it comes to casting updates. It stands to reason, then, that Connor is the latest star to land a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

If true, Connor will be the third actor to sign on for the new X-Men movie. Sadie Sink, who was confirmed to be the MCU's version of Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is all but locked in for a role in Marvel's mutant-starring flick. Meanwhile, Samara Weaving was reportedly cast as popular superhuman Emma Frost on July 31, with Deadline again being the first to break the news of her apparent involvement.

Little else is known about Marvel's X-Men film reboot. According to Variety, though, the comic giant has ambitions on releasing it as the first project of Marvel Phase 7. If true, the untitled flick will precede the Ryan Gosling-starring Ghost Rider and David Jonsson-led Black Panther III, both of which are primed to arrive in 2028.

An ever-evolving line-up

Marvel may have locked in Sink, Weaving, and Connor for its forthcoming X-Men film, but fans are desperate to learn who else will feature alongside them.

Speculation has been rife about which other stars could appear, and you can catch up on the biggest rumors by reading my guide on everything we know so far about Marvel's new X-Men movie. Nonetheless, myriad new rumors have circulated online since news of Connor's involvement broke — and I wouldn't be surprised if there's some truth to all of them.

For starters, comic book creator Rob Liefeld took to X/ Twitter to write he'd heard that Inde Navarrette had officially signed on for the project. Liefeld's comments come weeks after the breakout star of Obsession confirmed she'd met with X-Men movie director Jake Schreier and, more recently, threw her hat in the ring to play Mystique.

Elsewhere, trustworthy industry insider Apocalyptic Horseman has walked back on Tom Pelphrey (Task, Iron Fist) playing Charles Xavier/ Professor X, while another leaker in Caleb Williams has claimed that fan-favorite mutant Gambit won't be part of proceedings.

Meanwhile, on the latest edition of The Hot Mic podcast, the less-reliable Jeff Sneider has suggested Charles Melton (Beef season 2) is set to play Beast. Fellow podcast host John Rocha has also heard that Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus, Beef season 2) has been tapped to portray Rogue, although Sneider believes she hasn't been.

Lastly, Sneider has indicated that Bill Skarsgard (It, Nosferatu), Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight, Blue Moon) and Jonathan Groff (Frozen, Wicked) are all in the running to play Professor X. Rocha, though, has heard Skarsgard isn't being looked at for that highly-coveted position.

As the X-Men casting rumor mill continues to capture everyone's attention, it might not be long until Marvel puts a pin in the speculation.

Indeed, with the 2026 edition of D23 Expo, aka the so-called ultimate fan event for Disney diehards that takes place every two years, being held between August 14 and 16, some fans believe Marvel will announce the film's full roster during said event. Let's hope that comes to pass because, I don't know about you, but I can't take many more months' of conjecture.

Want to see how the latest Spider-Man film tentatively sets up the next X-Men movie? Read my Spider-Man: Brand New Day ending explained piece. Once you're done, find out how to watch the X-Men movies in order.

The Shards is guaranteed to have audiences talking, for better or for worse, as Bret Easton Ellis' controversial semi-autobiography comes to the small screen.

But, in my opinion, Ryan Murphy teaming up with Ellis has given him the chance to shine once again. Fans of Murphy's work were left disappointed and baffled in recent months after his abysmal Hulu series All's Fair aired, which has a seriously low Rotten Tomatoes score of just 6%.

Thankfully, The Shards feels closer to what Murphy was doing with the anthology series American Horror Story, and the result is an addictive, bloody and over the top series which shows that Murphy and Ellis are an excellent creative duo.

The Shards is certainly not for everyone, but I'm sure it will find a dedicated audience among Hulu subscribers. Those who can put up with intentionally insufferable protagonists are rewarded with a stylish, tasty peek into life as a privileged student in the 1980s, set in a sunny LA neighborhood.

The nine-part series follows a fictionalized version of Bret Easton Ellis, who is 17 and in his final year at the elite Buckley prep school. Igby Rigney, known for his work on Netflix's Midnight Mass, plays this version of the thriller author.

We open with Bret going to see The Shining, smoking a cigarette and driving a convertible, as he narrates all the luxury clothing he's wearing. Rigney's almost bored-sounding narration would feel out of place anywhere else, but here it fits perfectly as he talks about his life, one that many viewers will never have and might desperately covet. Despite having everything, there's no enthusiasm to his voice at all.

Opposite Rigney, Homer Gere stars as Robert Mallory, a new arrival at Buckley whose unsettling presence coincides with the activities of a serial killer known as The Trawler. Gere is fantastic in The Shards, dominating every scene he's in, and making us feel very uncomfortable from the moment we see him.

The unsettling dynamic between Bret and Robert forms much of The Shards, supported by an equally good cast playing fellow students around them. Susan Reynolds (Kaia Gerber), is a popular girl and cheerleader who soon develops a thing for Robert, much to the annoyance of her long-term boyfriend Thom (Graham Campbell).

Bret's girlfriend, Debbie (Hayes Warner), is a teen rebelling against her movie director father, adding to the already complex layers of this dysfunctional friend group.

The first two episodes were released together, but unfortunately it's a weekly release from then on. I have a feeling some people might be gutted they can't binge-watch it because it's easy to become invested in what's happening. The Shards is a dazzling experience where you feel like a fly on the wall watching these spoiled teens, wondering what's going to happen to them next, even if you probably should look away.

It's a visceral, no-holds-barred look into this 80s society which finds itself rapidly torn apart, sometimes literally. Indeed, those looking for Bret Easton Ellis' brand of gratuitous violence will find it here, making The Shards an interesting blend of teen drama and horror movie, with some grisly results.

Even if you haven't read The Shards, if you know you're a fan of Ellis' other works like American Psycho, I think this will be right up your alley. It ticks all the right boxes for what we'd expect from him, after all.

At the time of writing, The Shards season 2 has not been confirmed, which means the season finale's ending will prove frustrating if we don't get more. Though Ellis' book has a similar ending, I'm hopeful that The Shards will choose to take the story further as it feels like it's been written with a second season in mind.

As a standalone season though, it's entertaining and shocking in equal measure. The Shards is a welcome addition to Ryan Murphy's filmography, and I hope he does more like this because I have certainly missed him when he's at his bloody best.

Who else has been left reeling after that shocking cliffhanger in the My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 ending? Jackie (Nikki Rodriguez) and Cole (Noah LaLonde) feel more off the cards than ever, with the drag racing accident putting a fatal spanner in the works.

On top of that, Alex (Ashby Gentry) has finally admitted that he has feelings for Kiley (Mya Lowe), but her boyfriend Dylan (Kolton Stewart) has driven a manipulative wedge between them. Still, at least George (Marc Blucas) is very much alive and healthy.

Netflix has some huge questions to answer in My Life With the Walter Boys season 4 — but what do we actually know about what's coming?

Luckily, the core cast and release window have already been teased (and I've got good theories about the rest).

My Life with the Walter Boys season 4 release window

Netflix has already confirmed that My Life with the Walter Boys is slated for a 2027 release.

While we don't have an exact date confirmed, the last two seasons have aired in August... and I've got a feeling that the streamer will stick with its tried-and-tested formula.

Filming has been taking place in Calgary since May 2026, which is another key indicator that progress is on track for an August 2027 release.

“I know I speak for the writers, the cast, and the crew when I say that it is beyond exciting to be returning to the world of Silver Falls for a fourth season,” showrunner and executive producer Melanie Halsall said in a press statement. “We are all incredibly grateful and are thrilled to dive in."

My Life with the Walter Boys season 4 trailer: is there one?

Don't be silly. It took us until the middle of July 2026 to get one for season 3, so expect the first full trailer to arrive around four weeks before the fourth season does.

My Life with the Walter Boys season 4 cast

We're expecting the following main cast members to return for My Life with the Walter Boys season 4:

• Nikki Rodriguez as Jackie
• Noah LaLonde as Cole
• Ashby Gentry as Alex
• Sarah Rafferty as Katherine
• Marc Blucas as George
• Connor Stanhope as Danny
• Jaylan Evans as Skylar
• Corey Fogelmanis as Nathan
• Johnny Link as Will
• Isaac Arellanes as Isaac
• Myles Perez as Lee
• Alisha Newton as Erin
• Mya Lowe as Kiley
• Ellie O’Brien as Grace
• Kolton Stewart as Dylan
• Natalie Sharp as Blake
• Alex Quijano as Richard
• Ashley Tavares as Tara
• Dean Petriw as Jordan
• Alix West Lefler as Parker
• Lennix James as Benny
• Gabrielle Jacinto as Olivia
• Chad Rook as Mac
• Naveen Paddock as Eliot
• Erin Karpluk as Hannah

There are question marks around Fogelmanis and Link's return, as both Will and Nathan were set to leave the family home at the end of season 3.

We can also expect new faces to join the cast, so watch this space.

My Life with the Walter Boys season 4 plot predictions

Spoilers for My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 ahead.

“Our story’s about love and romance and love triangles and all those teenage trials and tribulations around those things, and we’re not going to divert from those — so much, much more of that to come in Season 4," Halsall told Netflix.

But what does this actually mean?

Obviously, the first thing we need to find out in season 4 is whether Cole is hurt. His car is flipped enough times for there to be some serious damage, but it's difficult to tell what that is in the season 3 cliffhanger.

Then, of course, there's the question of whether Jackie actually follows through with her kiss with Eliot. I've got a sneaking suspicion that she'll pull away at the last second... but perhaps that's wishful thinking. It's certainly a moment that her future relationship with Cole could hinge on, if he pulls through.

Kiley will hopefully break up with Dylan and finally see that she should have been with Alex all along, but this isn't something that Dylan is likely to take quietly. Expect more overt tension between him and Alex, put it that way.

What is more difficult to tell is whether we'll see how Will and Nathan get on after they fly the nest, but the remaining Walter kids prepping for university is likely to feature heavily.

• A24 dropped the full trailer for Primetime on August 6, ahead of its theatrical release on September 25
• It gives us our first look at Robert Pattinson, who plays To Catch a Predator presenter Chris Hansen
• In addition, the trailer teases roles for The Office star Creed Bratton and singer Phoebe Bridgers

Primetime just got a trailer ahead of its September 25 theater release. It packs a lot into just over 2 minutes, including an appearance from The Office icon Creed Bratton, which has now been confirmed via the actor's Instagram post.

In Primetime, Robert Pattinson stars as Chris Hansen, the host of NBC's To Catch a Predator, which was a hugely popular reality show in the 2000s. But while Pattinson's performance is sublime, there are some other key details to get excited about.

We only see a flash of Creed Bratton's character, and it's not clear who he plays, but it's certainly exciting to see him in a big upcoming movie like this.

Elsewhere, singer Phoebe Bridgers makes her acting debut in Primetime, in another as-yet-unnamed role. Hopefully we'll get more details about both soon.

Take a look at the trailer below and prepare to be blown away.

Primetime is one of my most anticipated new movies of 2026. Directed by Lance Oppenheim, it tells the story of To Catch a Predator's origins as Chris Hansen gets a primetime television slot and makes television history by blending reality TV with vigilante justice.

To Catch a Predator centered around confronting child predators who would arrive at a sting house and typically get arrested as a result of Hansen and his team's intervention, resulting in a show that was as popular as it was controversial.

Primetime feels like a thriller rather than a straight biopic, as even in the short trailer above, there's plenty of tension ahead. I'm hoping it really deep dives into what it was like behind the scenes of this infamous reality program.

For more A24 news, check out my ranking of all the A24 horror movies available on streaming.

The El Capitan Theatre and the Walt Disney Studios lot have long been reserved for some of Disney's biggest moments. Citizen Kane held its Hollywood premiere on that same stage in 1941, and decades later, The Lion King, the Avengers films, and a steady run of Pixar premieres have rolled out the red carpet at the same historic Hollywood venue.

This September, though, Disney is handing the spotlight to a different kind of storyteller… creators. Created in LA is a new two-day creator summit and film festival conceived by creator Jon Youshaei and presented by Disney. The event will bring 350 creators and storytellers together on September 17–18 for a premiere event at the El Capitan Theatre before moving to the Walt Disney Studios lot for a day of conversations.

Arguably, the most exciting part is that the iconic theater will premiere creator originals with the same pomp and circumstance as a studio blockbuster.

After the initial reveal earlier this summer, Disney and Youshaei have now revealed the first wave of speakers: Mindy Kaling, Zach King, AdamW, Jenny Hoyos, Sam Eckholm, and Disney's own Chief Marketing and Brand Officer Asad Ayaz.

On the surface, it's another creator event, but the setting makes it something more interesting.

For decades, the technology required to produce Hollywood-quality content was largely reserved for studios with deep pockets. Today, creators can shoot cinematic footage on flagship smartphones, edit on laptops, and publish directly to audiences. The line between a traditional production studio and a creator-led one has never been thinner, and Disney appears ready to acknowledge that.

Speaking with TechRadar, Youshaei said that shift was the inspiration behind Created in LA.

"We're in this moment right now where the quality of videos from creators is just so good that it's become cinema quality for certain creators," he told me. "How cool would it be if we could premiere videos from creators on the big screen, in one of the most historic screens in the world at the El Capitan Theatre?"

Youshaei is in a unique position to make that observation. Before becoming a full-time creator, he spent years working with creators at some of the world's biggest technology platforms before building his own production studio, giving him perspective from both sides of the rapidly evolving creator landscape.

He believes the biggest reason creators are reaching new heights isn't just because audiences have embraced online video — it's because the tools themselves have become dramatically more accessible.

"The fact that the tech has gotten more accessible to the fact that you could hit upload and have millions of people watch your stuff if it's good," he said, pointing to everything from improved production equipment to publishing platforms that have lowered the barriers to entry.

That accessibility has also fueled a new generation of creators who increasingly operate more like production companies than solo influencers. Asked whether the line between creators and traditional studios will eventually disappear, Youshaei doesn't think so — but he does think it's becoming much harder to define.

"I don't think it'll disappear fully; I think it'll become blurrier," he said. "More creators today have full-on studios... I think there's room for both to coexist."

Created in LA is designed to reflect that evolution. The newly announced speaker lineup blends Hollywood veterans with some of the biggest names in online video. Mindy Kaling will discuss building a career by becoming "your own studio," while Zach King, AdamW and Jenny Hoyos will pull back the curtain on the creative processes that helped them build audiences numbering in the millions.

It's also notable timing: while unrelated, the announcement comes the day after Disney revealed a separate partnership with TikTok that will bring select creator-made vertical videos to Disney+. Taken together, the initiatives suggest Disney is expanding how it works with creators across multiple parts of its business — not simply as influencers promoting a movie, but as storytellers with audiences of their own.

That doesn't mean technology is replacing creativity, however. As AI becomes increasingly capable of generating images, videos and editing assets, Youshaei sees it as another tool in the production pipeline rather than a replacement for the people behind the camera. He doesn't think AI makes it harder for creators to stand out, either — if anything, he says it rewards what he calls a "second-mover advantage."

"I think creators today have what I like to call the 'second-mover advantage,'" he said. "...I think nowadays having a second-mover advantage where you can understand what ideas have taken off, why have they taken off, how are they packaged, and then be able to put your own spin on it, is really powerful."

He told TechRadar that his team already uses AI to brainstorm ideas, generate mockups and accelerate creative workflows, but that taste, perspective and authenticity still come from the creator.

Ultimately, Youshaei hopes Created in LA becomes more than a conference. His ambition is for creators to one day aspire to premiere their best work there in much the same way that filmmakers dream of debuting a movie at a major film festival.

Whether it reaches that point remains to be seen. But opening the doors of the El Capitan Theatre and the Walt Disney Studios lot to creators already says something about where entertainment is headed. As the technology behind high-quality video production has become more accessible, Disney appears to be betting that great storytelling can come from anywhere — and increasingly, anyone.

Creators hoping to attend can still apply through the Created in LA website.

Spoilers for My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 ahead.

If you watched My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 with the hope that Jackie (Nikki Rodriguez) and Cole (Noah LaLonde) would be more loved up than ever before, you were sadly never going to get your wish.

Just before the season finale, Netflix pried the two apart once again, with Cole listening to Jackie's uncle Richard's (Alex Quijano) 'advice,' and believing that he was holding Jackie back from fulfilling her full potential.

Not only did this leave Jackie rightly heartbroken, but it's thrust her into the arms of newcomer Eliot (Naveen Paddock), who is all too happy to back Richard's beliefs up. While Jackie and Eliot move in for their first kiss at the community space launch party, Cole leaves his drag race final to try and win her back.

But before he can, disaster strikes. A mysterious car pulls up while Cole is driving to the party, and we see that it's the drag racing contestant who Cole left behind in the final.

He's clearly annoyed that the race has been cancelled, and is looking to take his revenge. Finally, the two cars clip, sending Cole's car into a nearby field, where it continues to roll.

Heading into the already-renewed My Life with the Walter Boys season 4, Cole has been left for dead. Or has he? I'm convinced that the first details Netflix has revealed about the next season have also confirmed that Cole is still alive.

Noah LaLonde will be returning for My Life with the Walter Boys season 4 — and that's good news

According to Netflix, actor Noah LaLonde will be returning for season 4, with filming having started in Calgary in May 2026. He's seen in a new image of him, Rodriguez, and Ashby Gentry (Alex) on set, with the streamer confirming that the trio is "embarking on the next chapter."

Given that the endgame of the Netflix series is surely to romantically unite Jackie and Cole for good — they just have to go through the worst in order to get there. Frankly, it would be ridiculous for showrunners to kill Cole off completely, especially considering that Alex has finally admitted his feelings for Kiley (Mya Lowe).

Hopefully, Cole's accident is the catalyst for bringing him back to Jackie, and will allow Jackie to fully forgive Cole for so coldly dumping her during season 3. Then, of course, there's the question of whether Jackie actually follows through with her kiss with Eliot at the same time that Cole crashes.

I've got a sneaking suspicion that she'll pull away at the last second... but perhaps that's wishful thinking. It's certainly a moment that her future relationship with Cole could hinge on, if he pulls through.

There is a worst-case scenario, however. LaLonde could simply be returning to film flashback scenes, or to communicate with Jackie through visions from beyond the grave. It's not something we can totally rule out, but it certainly would take My Life with the Walter Boys down a much darker route.

But how likely is this? At the moment, it's far too early to make a call. However, my educated guess is that Cole and Jackie will be just fine in the long run... sometimes, it takes the worst kind of tragedy to realize what you really want.

• Hisense TVs with Google TV or VIDAA OS are getting Dolby Vision 2 first — the first models are 2026 TVs including the UX, UR9, UR8 and U7
• The update will roll out soon to customers in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific
• Peacock is the big initial streamer to support it in the US, with and Chinese giant iQIYI is now also on board

Dolby Vision 2, the next generation of the advanced HDR format, is arriving on multiple TVs today — and it's rolling out to more models in the coming weeks.

Hisense is rolling out a firmware update from today for customers in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific countries — and Chinese streaming giant iQIYI is confirmed to be on board as supporting the format, in addition to US streamer Peacock.

In addition to adding compatibility for features unique to Dolby Vision 2, the upgrade to DV2 means that existing Dolby Vision titles will also look better on these TVs, thanks to upgrades in the core image processing engine.

Dolby says that everything produced for first-generation format "will look more captivating and authentic, offering a significant and immediate improvement".

Which Hisense TVs are getting the Dolby Vision 2 upgrade?

The initial rollout is to 2026 Hisense TVs running either Google TV or VIDAA OS, and the first models will be these, which will all get Dolby Vision 2 Max:

• Hisense UX
• Hisense UR9
• Hisense UR8
• Hisense U7 (US)
• Hisense U7 Pro (Europe and other regions)

Exactly which other TVs will get it remains to be announced. It's a little complicated, because support requires a particular chip (the MediaTek Pentonic 800) in the TV, but Dolby told TechRadar that there are more chips coming that can support it, and that the Pentonic 800 is being rolled out more widely than it was previously.

It's also been confirmed that some TCL and European Philips TVs will get Dolby Vision 2 later this year, but there's no exact schedule for that yet.

Media that fully uses Dolby Vision 2's enhanced tools will be able to take advantage of features including Content Intelligence, which enables creators to embed precise instructions in each scene to dynamically adjust the picture, and an intensity slider to customize the Dolby Vision 2 experience to suit your room and personal preferences.

In addition to the standard improvements, Dolby Vision 2 Max can also leverage the processing power of more premium TVs with two key features: Authentic Motion, which delivers cinematic visuals while reducing unwanted judder and "soap opera" effects, which can result from excessive motion smoothing; and Light Sense 2, which can more intelligently optimize picture quality based on the lighting environment so you can see the dark bits when you're in a brightly lit room.

Dolby Vision 2 will be arriving as a firmware upgrade from Hisense today, with the full rollout taking several weeks.

The announcement and rollout have clearly been planned for some time, which suggests that Samsung's announcement of Prime Video supporting its rival format, HDR10+ Advanced earlier this week was designed to steal Dolby's thunder.

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Spoilers for My Life With the Walter Boys season 3 ahead.

Based on the way that season 2 was left, I knew that My Life With the Walter Boys season 3 was going to be a wild ride — but I still didn't see that ending coming.

The Netflix drama picks up as George (Marc Blucas) survives his season 2 health emergency and recovers at home, with Jackie (Nikki Rodriguez) and Cole (Noah LaLonde) seemingly on the road to a proper romantic relationship.

But just before season 3 draws to a close, their happy ever after once again comes dramatically crashing down. Cole suddenly breaks up with Jackie after telling her that he loves her, and moves in with friend Dylan (Kolton Stewart).

With Jackie left reeling, she throws all her efforts into getting the local community space up and running. But when that runs into trouble, can she really scrub Cole from her mind?

I know the answer to that as well as you do. Here's the full My Life With the Walter Boys season 3 ending explained, and what it will likely mean for the already confirmed season 4.

Dylan kicks Cole out for street racing — and takes back the car

As season 3 episode 10 kicks off, Cole is in his full moody boy era. Drag racer Mac (Chad Rook) finds Cole street racing after being tipped off by Dylan, scolding him for taking to the streets rather than being out of the track after Mac hired him.

Mac tells Cole about an upcoming race that has a big cash prize that he'd "easily win," but Cole rejects the offer. As Mac leaves, Dylan admits that he was the one who told him where to find Cole.

In fact, Dylan is so furious with Cole's street racing antics that he takes back "Myrtle," the car Cole has been racing in. As Dylan is technically the owner, Cole has no sway — and Dylan's conditions are that he can only use it for legitimate drag racing.

On top of that, Dylan kicks him out of the house, forcing his move back home. "You can't keep hiding from Jackie forever," he tells Cole.

Jackie's community space launch party is hit by disaster

If Cole moving back home wasn't enough for Jackie to deal with, she soon runs into a huge problem with her community space launch party. While renovations take place, one of the builders is unable to prevent a pipe leak from one of the radiators, causing the first floor to flood so much that it caves in.

At this point, it seems as if the launch party, which is now only a week away, will have to be called off. The builder estimates that it will take between 4-6 weeks to have the leak and its damage fixed, with manpower on the ground incredibly limited.

Jackie is bereft, with the news of Grace's (Ellie O'Brien) parents divorcing only making her feel more guilty. Cole tries to offer to help, but is immediately shut down by Jackie: she's going to make sure the launch party goes ahead, and she'll achieve it by herself.

Cole secretly saves the day — but Eliot's already made his move

What Jackie doesn't know is that Cole goes to see her uncle Richard (Alex Quijano) to ask for help. Cole tells Richard that he listened to what he said and broke up with Jackie in order for her to have a better future without him "dragging her down."

Cole explains that he's here to ask for Richard's help fixing the community center, but doesn't take the credit for it when Jackie finds out. Grace leads her into the room full of helpers clearing up, which includes the rest of the Walter family.

Alex (Ashby Gentry) encourages Cole to tell Jackie that he's here, but Cole refuses. He knows that Jackie is getting closer to Eliot (Naveen Paddock), who begins to make his romantic feelings for Jackie much clearer.

At first, Jackie shuts Eliot down, but the more she realizes the lengths he's willing to go to for her — which includes getting a flight from London to join her on her trip to Greece — the more she opens up to him.

Will and Nathan prepare to leave home while Danny gets the college news he's been waiting for

We already knew that Will (Johnny Link) was going to be flying the nest, but season 3 confirms that Nathan (Corey Fogelmanis) will be too. He's auditioned to play with a band across Europe and has got the spot, with George and Katherine (Sarah Rafferty) encouraging him to go.

However, he's got reservations. He doesn't want to be yet another Walter kid leaving everyone else behind, especially after how ill George has been. Alex says that it's a no-brainer decision to take the opportunity... everyone wants him to. Skylar (Jaylan Evans) is devastated, but promises to stay in contact.

We also find out that Danny (Connor Stanhope) has been accepted into Carnegie Mellon University, after being rejected from Juilliard. Girlfriend Erin (Alisha Newton) doesn't seem phased by the fact that the pair will need to be long-distance, but it's clearly bothering Danny.

Alex admits his feelings for Kiley, but gets shut down

Alex finally has a chance to talk to Kiley (Mya Lowe) at school after the pair kissed. Kiley has been ignoring all of Alex's calls and messages, despite having a school project that they need to complete together.

She finally agrees to talk in private while at school, and the pair agree to put the kiss behind them and move on as if nothing has happened. However, it's clear that both of them have feelings for each other, which is something Cole picks up on when Alex admits to him what happened.

Cole also shares what Richard and Eliot have told him about being with Jackie, revealing that Eliot agrees that Jackie is too good to be with somebody like Cole. Alex tells him to ignore them both and pursue the feelings that are clearly still there.

At the community space launch party (which is 1920s themed), Alex tells Jackie that Cole was behind the drive to get the space fixed after the leak. Jackie tells him that she doesn't want to hear the reason why, but spirals about Cole's intentions as the party continues.

Meanwhile, Kiley spots Alex across the room and chooses to leave, whispering something to Dylan before she goes. She's clearly uncomfortable, but Dylan takes it upon himself to speak to Alex on her behalf. He tells Alex to give Kiley some space for a while, even though the two of them clearly have a lot in common.

Alex ignores this and leaves the party instead to check on how Kiley is. However, Dylan is also with her, shutting the door in his face while Kiley looks sheepishly on.

Cole's road crash leaves his life hanging in the balance

Cole enters the drag race that Mac recommends and wins a place in the final. While waiting, he tells Katherine and George that he doesn't feel good enough to be Jackie's partner, and doesn't want to show his face at the party because of that.

The pair convinces him that he's more than worth it, and that he should tell Jackie the truth and leave it up to her to make her own decisions. Instead of racing in the final, Cole leaves the track and heads for the party.

We see him driving the empty roads to get back to town, with another car suddenly approaching behind him. The car attempts to bump the back of Cole's car, with Cole swerving in order to avoid the other car's manoeuvres.

When the mysterious car pulls up to the side of Cole's, we see that the driver is the drag racing contestant that Cole left behind in the final. He's clearly annoyed that the race has been cancelled, and is looking to take his revenge. Finally, the two cars clip, flipping Cole's car into a nearby field, where it continues to roll.

At the same time, Jackie and Eliot are on the dance floor at the party, about to lean in for their first kiss... and then the episode comes to an end.

Season 4 predictions

Obviously, the first thing we need to find out in season 4 is whether Cole is hurt. His car is flipped enough times for there to be some serious damage, but it's difficult to tell what that is in the season 3 cliffhanger.

Then, of course, there's the question of whether Jackie actually follows through with her kiss with Eliot. I've got a sneaking suspicion that she'll pull away at the last second... but perhaps that's wishful thinking. It's certainly a moment that her future relationship with Cole could hinge on, if he pulls through.

Kiley will hopefully break up with Dylan and finally see that she should have been with Alex all along, but this isn't something that Dylan is likely to take quietly. Expect more overt tension between him and Alex, put it that way.

What is more difficult to tell is whether we'll see how Will and Nathan get on after they fly the nest, but the remaining Walter kids prepping for university is likely to feature heavily.

If you like the aesthetic vibes of colonial gothic horror stories such as Jamaica Inn and Wide Sargasso Sea, new Sky TV supernatural thriller Possession is definitely for you. However, a word of warning — the story is going to touch a much more modern nerve.

We're set to follow Claudia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), an ambitious bi-racial lawyer who travels to Jamaica to challenge an inheritance claim made by a local man against a wealthy white aristocrat.

However, she arrives to find the disputed estate is a former plantation that has long haunted her dreams. Cue a terrifying slew of 1800s flashbacks, curses, and misunderstood spiritual connection.

On a surface level, you can see why someone might find this frightening. The drama isn't just tense to the level of consistent jump scares, but is often violently disturbing in its commitment to guts and gore (think Evil Dead levels of supernatural horror).

But then there's a secondary layer of discomfort when you consider the role that different countries have played in the history of colonialism and enslaved people. Culturally and historically, we know how abhorrently the Western world behaved during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, but here, we also understand how regularly spirituality and beliefs were misunderstood and chastised.

With such a distinct 2026 twist, Possession left me shaken in the entirely opposite way to what I expected. But according to star Gugu Mbatha-Raw, it's not the cast and crew's job to make the uncomfortable comfortable.

'The power of drama is posing these lofty subjects in an accessible way'

"I don't think it's our job to make the audience comfortable... I think probably it's more our job to take you on a journey," Mbatha-Raw tells me when I ask her if it's possible to make the uncomfortable comfortable.

"Claudia goes on this massive journey and it's a quest to find out about her identity. She's dealing with justice and legacy. But even though there's some weighty themes in the show around the legacy of colonialism and the complexity of reparations, I think that that's the power of drama. Pose these lofty subjects, but in a more accessible way."

"I don't know that 'comfortable' is the word. I think that we celebrate discomfort in this genre, and I think that that's okay. It's okay to have difficult conversations and to not shy away from uncomfortable subject matter. I think there's a place for that in drama and in society."

She continues, "Good stories a place for discovery, and I think we want people to lean in and be like, 'whoa, look at this lush, interesting, rich, vibrant world.' Once they're in, they grapple with some hard truths."

It's certainly an apt way of describing the intense viewing journey that unfolds over just five episodes, each being under an hour long. Simply put, Possession is the kind of TV show that sits with you for days and weeks afterward, leaving you with the kind of internal conversation that unpicks the things that you think you already know.

That's a lot for anybody to take on, particularly when you've simply sat down to unwind with some TV of an evening. But what is art when it doesn't challenge us? If you want my advice: Possession is more than worth a watch — and if you're left feeling disturbed, then that's all the better.

• Disney is exploring a free Disney+ tier to bring more viewers into its streaming ecosystem
• CEO Josh D’Amaro says a free offering could help drive subscriber growth
• The idea is for Disney+ to become a broader digital hub beyond movies and TV shows

Disney’s TikTok partnership wasn’t the only streaming news from the House of Mouse today. During the company’s earnings call, CEO Josh D’Amaro revealed that Disney is exploring a free tier of sorts for Disney+ — a move that could eventually give more viewers a way into the platform without paying for a subscription.

That doesn’t necessarily mean free access to the entire Disney+ catalog. The service currently houses a massive library of owned content spanning Disney Animation, Disney Channel, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, FX, and more. Disney+ already offers an entry tier with ads, including pre-roll and mid-roll placements during TV shows, movies, and documentaries.

Instead, Disney appears to be viewing a free offering as a potential new funnel to introduce more viewers to the platform and eventually convert them into paying subscribers.

On the call, D’Amaro explained that the idea could help Disney reach a more price-sensitive audience, saying: “First, we see it as a way to expand our reach to a customer segment that’s more price sensitive. Expanding our reach is, as we’ve talked about before, one of our strategic priorities.”

He added that a free tier could also support Disney’s growing advertising business: “Second, unlike a lot of our AVOD competitors, we’re fairly well sold, meaning more inventory would actually help us accelerate our ad revenue growth.”

Finally, D’Amaro noted that a free offering could help drive new subscribers into Disney+: “And then finally, as you mentioned in your question, a free offering could help us drive top-of-funnel Disney+ subscriber growth.”

For now, Disney isn’t committing to a launch date or specific structure. “So nothing specific to announce today, but definitely something that we’re considering,” D’Amaro concluded.

While some of the best streaming services, including Disney’s own Hulu, have offered free tiers, the current market for fully free, ad-supported streaming is largely dominated by platforms like Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, and Roku. Disney+ entering that space could be a compelling move, especially if the company uses its massive portfolio of franchises and recognizable brands to attract viewers.

But the bigger picture may not just be about streaming. D’Amaro also underscored the importance of Disney+ as a “global touchpoint” for the company, suggesting the service could become a much larger gateway into the broader Disney ecosystem.

Today, that ecosystem is still fairly fragmented digitally. Disney+ serves as the primary destination for its streaming content, while other major parts of the company operate through separate experiences — including the My Disney Experience app for Walt Disney World, the Disneyland app for guests in California, Disney Cruise Line’s own digital tools, dedicated apps for international parks, and various gaming platforms including a partnership with Fortnite.

While there have been rumors about Disney+ eventually evolving into something closer to a super app, D’Amaro instead described it as a “digital centerpiece” that could eventually encompass shopping, other brand experiences, and even gaming. The timeline for those expansions may be further out, but it’s clear Disney sees Disney+ as more than just a place to watch movies and TV shows.

A free tier could be the first step in lowering the barrier to entry and getting more people connected to that larger Disney ecosystem — even if they aren’t paying a monthly subscription fee right away

• Disney has a new partnership with TikTok
• Select creator-made vertical TikTok videos will appear on Disney+
• The deal marks a shift toward real creators over AI-generated content after Disney's short-lived Sora partnership

Disney+ is soon going to be home to a new content type in the form of vertical videos, and unlike the original deal between Disney and OpenAI that would have had Sora-created videos using famous characters, this one seems a lot better on paper.

In a new deal between Disney and TikTok, select creators on the social platform will have access to the Mouse's IP and can use it to create videos that could land on the Disney+ app within the Verts tab. It will be pretty all-encompassing in terms of topics, featuring characters and stories from across the Disney umbrella, including Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel, and FX.

The idea, it seems, is that Disney is tapping into an already very vocal audience. There are likely hundreds of thousands of Disney creators already on TikTok, sharing thoughts about the Parks or Disney Cruise Line around the world, as well as all the facets of media that Disney creates.

In fact, my feed has been all about theories surrounding Spider-Man: Brand New Day recently, along with Disney World making its switch to Halloween theming — Mickey pumpkins, am I right?

Asad Ayaz, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer of The Walt Disney Company, is quoted in the release as saying, "The best storytellers are fans first; that has always been true at Disney, and today, fans are celebrating our stories in entirely new ways."

"This collaboration creates a new bridge between the stories we tell and the creativity they inspire, giving creators a bigger stage to share what they've made, and audiences more to discover on Disney+ every day."

It also shows a focus on creator-made content for Disney and a deeper embrace of this type of content. We'll see the first results in the coming months, initially in the United States, with selected content appearing on Disney+ afterward.

While Disney hasn't shared the specific characters and franchises creators will have access to, the release states, "TikTok will offer their creators access to assets related to hundreds of films and series from Disney's vast library of enduring franchises and beloved IP."

Seemingly, if there's a new series or addition to Disney+, the Verts platform could serve up TikToks of people reacting, sharing a viral dance, or really any medium that relates back to the show, helping to inspire more conversation.

The notion of vertical videos within Disney+ is not new, but this deal with TikTok seems to be a swap for the Sora alternative. That is, before Disney pulled away from the OpenAI deal and the AI giant shut down Sora. There, many Disney characters would have been used within Sora to create AI-generated videos. As I wrote back when the deal was announced, it felt like magic lost.

This new approach of working with TikTok — and arguably a community of creators who already post and create content about what's on Disney+ — will likely be a much better combination.

Once approved and accepted into the Disney Creator Ambassador Program within the TikTok x Disney partnership, creators can get access to event invites, increased visibility, and special rewards, though specifics on how to apply or join have not yet been released.

I suspect those details will come in the coming weeks or months, similar to when we see these TikTok-created videos appear in Verts on Disney+. The timing also comes as another arm of Disney is partnering with creators, albeit not just for short-form content but long-form as well.

Dubbed Created in LA and led by the Disney Experiences arm of The Walt Disney Company, this will be a two-day event in Los Angeles. Creators can apply to attend, and it will open with a premiere and screening of creator-made videos — think TikTok creators, YouTubers, and Instagram creators — at the El Capitan Theatre, followed by a summit on the second day at The Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank.

Disney is partnering with creator Jon Youshaei on the event, and it shows yet another embrace of and willingness to partner with creators. In this case, it's helping to spotlight creators, big and small, who apply and get approved, giving them a larger stage while also providing access to Disney and insights from the company.

It will be interesting to see if there's any crossover between Created in LA and this new Disney x TikTok partnership, but time will tell. Either way, it's a better direction to have real creators rather than AI-created content in Sora.

Lioness season 3 is only one episode down, but it's already off to a very chaotic start.

We now know that its eight episodes will comprise two simultaneous timelines: one, Joe being kidnapped by unknown Russian operatives and, two, the six months leading up to her capture.

The Lionesses were tasked with extracting a target out of a Ukrainian war space when foreign operatives "offered" him up to the CIA. However, it's now looking like this was a trap for something much bigger.

Will we find out what's actually going on this week? Probably not. Even so, when does Lioness season 3 episode 2 arrive on Paramount+?

What time can I watch Lioness season 3 episode 2 on Paramount+?

Lioness season 3 episode 2 will drop on one of the world's best streaming services in the US and Canada on Sunday, August 9 at 12am PT / 3am ET.

Here's when it will be released in other nations globally:

• US – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK – 8am BST
• India – 1:30pm IST
• Singapore – 4pm SGT
• Australia – 7pm AEDT
• New Zealand – 9pm NZDT

When do new episodes of Lioness season 3 come out?

As mentioned, Lioness season 3 will have a total of eight episodes, with new entries airing weekly. That gives us the following schedule:

• Episode 1: out now
• Episode 2: August 9
• Episode 3: August 16
• Episode 4: August 23
• Episode 5: August 30
• Episode 6: September 6
• Episode 7: September 13
• Episode 8: September 20

Light spoilers follow for Ted Lasso season 4 episodes 1 to 4.

Ted Lasso is back — and so, too, is Apple TV’s hugely popular sports comedy-drama. Three years after the final whistle was seemingly blown on the hit show, it returns not just as a continuation of where its third season left off, but also as a narrative and character-based evolution by way of a squad rebuild.

Even with its new line-up and the multi-year gap between seasons, though, Ted Lasso season 4 is a triumphant return to winning ways for the fan-favorite series — and I say that as someone who didn't dislike its divisive third season as many others did.

Home is where the heart is

Three years have passed since Ted (Jason Sudeikis) ended his AFC Richmond journey with the men's team and returned to Kansas to spend more time with his son Henry (Grant Feely). When season 4 reunites us with the eponymous soccer coach, we learn he's given up on the game entirely and now works as the assistant manager of a local grocery store.

A surprise visit from old friends — Richmond owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), Director of Football Operations Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift), and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple), now serving as chief marketing officer for the club's new women's division — soon has Ted questioning his current lot in life, though.

The reason? They want him to manage Richmond's newly founded women's team, work the same magic that he did with their male counterparts, and establish a similar culture of excellence that'll last well past his tenure in the dugout.

Of course, this being the latest chapter of the beloved Apple TV show, it's not a spoiler to reveal that an at-first reluctant Ted eventually accepts their offer. After all, it would be an incredibly short season if he didn't.

Nevertheless, although this is a significant, life-changing choice for Ted, episode 1 spends far too much time grappling with the proposal laid at his feet — so much so, in fact, that I worried it would derail the series' return before it had really begun.

Indeed, with the bulk of episode 1's runtime spent on exploring Ted's inner struggle before its inevitable resolution, this season's premiere feels like a largely superfluous prologue to the main event of Ted actually becoming a Richmond native once more.

That's not to say this narrative set-up isn't necessary, because it's the biggest decision Ted has faced since he left Richmond in the first place. Showing him wrestle with himself over whether he should take charge of Richmond's women's team, and deal with his loved ones' not-so-subtle nudges to do so, then, is a worthy storytelling exercise.

Nonetheless, an insightful subplot where Higgins learns about the Negro Baseball Leagues and Ted's inner conflict notwithstanding, I couldn't help but feel that season 4 episode 1's story could've been condensed and avoided the extraneous plot filler that drags out his prospective homecoming.

We're not in Kansas anymore

Once season 4 properly gets underway in its second episode, though, it's like the show has never been away, nor missed a beat. Indeed, it effortlessly slips back into the purposeful stride that underpinned its first two electrifying seasons and parts of its third — again, a season I still largely enjoyed.

There's a satisfying air of familiarity as Ted — and, by proxy, the audience — reunites with the pillars of the AFC Richmond community, too. Rebecca, Keeley, and Higgins aside, other well-known faces like Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) welcome us and Ted back in typically eccentric fashion, and further emphasize the continuity between the show's past and its latest chapter.

By virtue of Ted managing Richmond Women, season 4 also represents a new era for the acclaimed series. With that comes a whole line-up of fresh faces — the first of which we're introduced to is diligent but emotionally cold soccer coach Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds).

Initially resentful of Ted for pipping her to the top job and Rebecca for not even considering a woman for said position, Alice starts out as a — and this'll sound harsher than intended — dollar store Roy Kent. Or, rather, the season 1 version of Kent, who was an antagonistic figure whose sole purpose was to rail against Ted's cheery demeanor.

Thankfully, it soon becomes clear that Alice isn't a Kent knock-off, but a fascinatingly complex and likeable individual in her own right. She also not only comes around to respecting Ted, but also quickly embeds herself as an integral cog in a new-look, eccentric triumvirate alongside Ted and Coach Beard, as well as a fully-formed foil to this established intrepid duo.

Clearly, Ted's capacity to thaw even the iciest of exteriors has no limits, and I'm eager to see how Richmond Women's primary coaching team collectively evolves throughout season 4 amid myriad issues that'll come their way.

New team, new problems

And fall their way, those problems most certainly do.

Indeed, season 4 metes out its share of obstacles, starting with a goal-scoring crisis after Richmond Women's main strikers are ruled out for the season. Meanwhile, in a far cry from their time in charge of the men's team, Ted and Beard no longer have free rein to walk into the locker room whenever they please — an obvious boundary that becomes a recurring, comedic point of contention for all concerned. Ted also finds himself in plenty of awkward one-on-one chats with his new squad, most notably with zany, slightly unhinged goalkeeper Katy 'Boots' Quinn (Jude Mack), who's easily the highlight of this season's new additions.

'Boots' is far from the only unique personality in the Richmond Women squad.

We don't get to meet the vast majority of this rambunctious rabble until episode 3 but, in its follow-up, they manage to do the impossible: make Ted lose his cool and lay down the law amid dressing room splits. Ultimately, though, they're an instantly lovable collection of characters with distinct quirks and personal problems that'll inform their individual character journeys, and I get the impression that viewers will be just as captivated by this group — and their various trials and tribulations — as they were by the men’s team.

Off-the-field challenges also permeate many of season 4's early subplots, many of which give major supporting characters in Waddingham's Rebecca and Temple's Keeley a stage on which to shine.

From gender inequality and pregnancy and motherhood to systemic underfunding and the media coverage gap, Ted Lasso tackles these heavy real-world issues head-on. That's to be expected, but it's nevertheless pleasing to see the show do so with warmth, empathy, and the occasional slice of its trademark irreverent humor.

On the whole, Ted Lasso season 4’s opening four episodes handle their secondary storylines reasonably well. However, a few subplots lean into comedy at the expense of substance and subsequently feel a little shallow due to their flippant execution.

Take episode 2, where Rebecca grapples with perceptions that she isn't much of a feminist. It's a subplot that highlights Waddingham's comedic timing and dramatic range, but falters somewhat by prioritizing quick laughs over meaningful narrative resolution, thereby coming across as unbalanced.

The other major misfire in episodes 1 to 4 is Goldstein's Kent.

His presence remains vital to the series, but he feels oddly overused in a season that has moved away from Richmond's men's team. Of more concern is how the show worryingly appears to be turning his character into a caricature of his signature gruffness. Pair that with his recycled 'will they, won't they' subplot with Keeley — an eye-rolling dance that's run its course — and Roy's evolution feels increasingly sidelined in favor of easy gags. Hopefully, a finer balance will be struck between the Kent of old and his new persona in chapters to come.

My verdict

Noteworthy flaws in Ted Lasso season 4's early episodes aside, it's great to see this wonderfully silly, optimistic, cosy comfort show back on the air.

There was understandable scepticism when Ted Lasso season 4 was officially announced, with plenty of 'cash-grab' and 'who asked for this?' murmurings in the wake of what felt like a definitive finale.

As heart-soaring returns go, though, Ted Lasso's comeback delivers a match-winning performance in its first half, rich in both laugh-out-loud moments and striking emotional notes. Keep up this kind of form, and few will argue against another trophy-laden season of television.

Ted Lasso season 4 episode 1 is out now on Apple TV. New chapters air weekly.

• HDR10+ Advanced will be available on 2026 Samsung TVs models from August 2026, with Prime Video as the launch streaming partner
• Designed to make the most of today's best TVs, offering improved HDR reproduction and 'Intelligent Motion Smoothing' that only applies when it's needed
• HDR10+ is a direct rival to Dolby Vision 2, which includes some of the same features and is also scheduled to launch in 2026, but won't work on Samsung TVs

Samsung has announced the launch of HDR10+ Advanced on Prime Video beginning this month, August 2026 — but it hasn't told us exactly which TVs it's coming to, or what you'll be able to watch in the format. We've asked Samsung for details and we'll update this when we hear back.

HDR10+ Advanced is the next generation of HDR10+, and it's designed to take advantage of the huge processing power of today's best TVs to improve HDR recreation and motion handling, among other elements. It's a direct rival to Dolby Vision 2, and it was announced in November 2025.

Samsung says that "HDR10+ Advanced will be integrated into Samsung’s product lineup starting with 2026 TV models, with support planned for future products as the HDR10+ ecosystem continues to grow."

In summary, then: HDR10+ Adaptive is coming at some point this month to some unspecified Prime Video content to watch on some unspecified new Samsung TVs. But while we'd like some more details, the launch is still very interesting.

1, 2, 3, 4, we declare a format war

As predicted, HDR10+ Advanced has reached the market first: Dolby Vision 2 was announced earlier, in September 2025, but while Peacock has promised to be the first streaming service with Dolby Vision 2 in 2026, there's no launch date as yet.

There were six key upgrades announced for HDR10+ Advanced: HDR10+ Bright, HDR10+ Genre, HDR10+ Intelligent FRC, HDR10+ Intelligent Gaming, HDR10+ Local Tone-Mapping and Advanced Color Control.

Bright, which Samsung now calls Enhanced Overall Brightness, is designed to make HDR look richer on today's brighter TVs, as movies tend to be mastered for 1,000 nit TVs for home release — way below what most of today's TVs can deliver. Enhanced Overall Brightness enables creators to deliver a more consistent experience across TVs capable of much higher brightness levels.

Genre offers genre-specific optimization, while Intelligent FRC, now labelled Intelligent Motion Smoothing, is the equivalent to Dolby Vision 2's Authentic Motion. It enables creators to adjust motion smoothing on a shot-by-shot basis, so judder is avoided, but so is any sign of the hated 'soap opera effect'.

Intelligent Gaming is optimized for — yes! — games, with a particular emphasis on cloud-based gaming; we expect GeForce Now to adopt HDR10+ Adaptive at some point.

Last but not least, Local Tone Mapping promises more precise backlight dimming on mini-LED TVs and Advanced Color Control promises more accurate color reproduction — these could be interesting with Samsung's new RGB TVs.

While HDR10+ Advanced and Dolby Vision 2 have some similarities they are two different formats, and initially there could be a lot of division in terms of which manufacturers and streamers support which format.

For example, Philips (in Europe), TCL and Hisense are going with Dolby Vision 2, while Samsung's sticking with HDR10+ Advanced (though TCL told my colleague Matt Bolton that it would support HDR10+ Advanced when it's able to). LG hasn't sided with either, and instead announced its own Creator Original system, in partnership with Samsung's friends at Prime Video.

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