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Foxtel: upcoming drama highlights

With GoT now over, Foxtel is pushing subscribers to its other dramas now screening or coming soon.

With Game of Thrones now over, Foxtel is pushing subscribers to its other dramas now screening or coming soon on FOX Showcase, BBC First, FOX8 and National Geographic.

Note that this trailer includes additional titles, including some in 2020.

Foxtel is reportedly offering Foxtel Now subscribers a three-month free pass to use its Movie Pack (normally $20 a month) to avoid them cancelling after the end of GoT.

Now On: MotherFatherSon
Richard Gere stars as media mogul Max, a US-born man who finds himself at the heart of British politics, and able to wield considerable power as the owner of various television stations and newspapers. Max’s aristocratic ex-wife Kathryn (Helen McCrory) works at a homeless shelter having been exiled from the family, while their struggling son Caden (Billy Howle) begins to crack under pressure as an editor for one of his father’s newspapers. Catastrophic events force the family back together, and they begin to work through their issues. Stream on Foxtel or watch on BBC First.

Now On: Gentleman Jack
Gentleman Jack is the new eight-episode drama series from BAFTA-winning writer Sally Wainwright. Set in 1832 West Yorkshire, England, the series is inspired by the true-story of Anne Lister (Suranne Jones, Doctor Foster), a well-off Yorkshire landowner famous for her four-million-word diary that documented her lesbian relationship, travels and efforts to transform the fate of her faded ancestral home Shibden Hall. The series explores Anne Lister’s relationships at home with her family, her servants, her tenants and her industrial rivals, who will use any dirty tricks they can to bring her down. Gentleman Jack features a stellar cast including Sophie Rundle (Peaky Blinders); Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones), Timothy West (Last Tango in Halifax, Bleak House) and Gemma Jones (God’s Own Country, Bridget Jones’s Diary). Stream on Foxtel or watch on FOX Showcase.

Now On: Chernobyl
Starring Emily Watson, Jared Harris, and Stellan Skarsgård, this powerful five-part mini-series is based on the real-life events of the catastrophic nuclear accident of 1986 that shocked the world. Co-produced by HBO and Sky, the drama focuses on the stories of the people who sacrificed to save Europe from disaster. Harris (Mad Men, The Crown) stars as Valery Legasov, the Soviet scientist chosen by the Kremlin to investigate the accident, while Skarsgård (Melancholia, Good Will Hunting) plays Boris Shcherbina, the man responsible for leading the USSR government commission in the wake of the disaster. Watson (Genius, The Theory of Everything) portrays scientist Ulana Khomyuk, who was tasked with getting to the bottom of the deadly accident. Stream on Foxtel.

May 26: Fosse / Verdon
Spanning five decades, Fosse/Verdon explores the singular romantic and creative partnership between Bob Fosse (Sam Rockwell) and Gwen Verdon (Michelle Williams). Bob is a visionary filmmaker and one of the theater’s most influential choreographers and directors, and Gwen is the greatest Broadway dancer of all time. Only Bob can create the ground-breaking musicals that allow Gwen to showcase her greatness. Only Gwen can realize the unique vision in Bob’s head. Together, they will change the face of American entertainment – at a perilous cost. Featuring Fosse’s choreography, the series explores the hidden corners of show business, the price of pursuing greatness and the suffering inflicted in the name of art. Based on Sam Wasson’s biography Fosse and produced by FX, the eight-episode limited series also stars Norbert Leo Butz, Margaret Qualley, Evan Handler, Aya Cash and Nate Corddry. Stream on Foxtel or watch on FOX Showcase from May 26.

May 26: Magnum PI
Magnum P.I. is a modern take on the classic series centring on Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez), a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator. A charming rogue, an American hero, and a die-hard Detroit Tigers fan, Magnum lives in a guest cottage on Robin’s Nest, the luxurious estate where he works as a security consultant to supplement his P.I. business. The “majordomo” of the property is Juliet Higgins (Perdita Weeks), a beautiful and commanding disavowed MI6 agent whose second job is to keep Magnum in line, with the help of her two Dobermans. When Magnum needs backup on a job, he turns to his trusted buddies and fellow POW survivors, Theodore “TC” Calvin (Stephen Hill), a former Marine chopper pilot who runs Island Hoppers, a helicopter tour business, and Orville “Rick” Wright (Zachary Knighton), a former Marine door-gunner-turned-impresario of Oahu’s coolest nightclub and the most connected man on the island. With keys to a vintage Ferrari in one hand, aviator sunglasses in the other, and an Old Düsseldorf longneck chilling in the fridge, Thomas Magnum is back on the case. Stream on Foxtel or watch on FOX8 from May 26.

May 28: Wentworth S7
Season 7 of the multi award-winning drama Wentworth returns with the prison on the brink of imploding as the fiery confrontation between the two emerging titans, Rita and Marie, is imminent after series 6’s bloody finale. With the case of Joan Ferguson presumably closed, a significantly pregnant Vera and her co-conspirators in the Freak’s demise, Will and Jake, are off the hook, at least for now. Meanwhile, Wentworth’s eclectic mix of misfits are fracturing as the powers of love, deception and revenge threaten to break them apart for good. Protection is the overarching theme of this latest instalment, with even our noblest heroes becoming morally compromised in their mission to defend the people they love, even if it has deadly consequences. The on-set of dementia finds Liz clutching at any semblance of hope while Boomer has to deal with the residual of her broken family. Stream on Foxtel or watch on FOX Showcase from May 28

June 3: Fear The Walking Dead S5
In season 5, the group’s mission is clear: locate survivors and help make what’s left of the world a slightly better place. With dogged determination, Morgan (Lennie James) leads the group with a philosophy rooted in benevolence, community and hope. Each character believes that helping others will allow them to make up for the wrongs of their pasts. But trust won’t be easily earned. Their mission of helping others will be put to the ultimate test when our group finds themselves in uncharted territory, one which will force them to face not just their pasts but also their fears. It is only through facing those fears that the group will discover an entirely new way to live, one that will leave them forever changed. Stream on Foxtel or watch on FOX Showcase from June 3.

June 7: The Hot Zone
The Hot Zone, starring Golden Globe and Emmy award winner Julianna Margulies as Dr. Nancy Jaax, is based on the eponymous international best-seller by Richard Preston. It is inspired by a true story about the origins of Ebola, a highly infectious and deadly virus from the central African rainforest and its arrival on US soil in 1989. When this killer suddenly appeared in monkeys in a scientific research lab in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., there was no known cure. A heroic US Army scientist (Dr. Nancy Jaax) working with a secret military specialised team put her life on the line to head off the outbreak before it spread to the human population. The Hot Zone is a dramatic, high-stakes scientific thriller with a courageous, brilliant and determined heroine at its centre. Stream on Foxtel from June 7 or watch on Nat Geo from June 10.

June 10: Big Little Lies S2
Based on Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel, and starring Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley, and Zoe Kravitz, the breakout hit HBO drama series returns for a second seven-episode season and continues exploring the intriguing lives of the Monterey, California families. The brand-new season, again conceived by Moriarty, also sees iconic Oscar winning actress Meryl Streep join the stellar cast as the mother-in-law of Celeste (played by Kidman). Big Little Lies became one of the most talked about shows on television when it premiered and won eight primetime Emmy awards. Stream on Foxtel or watch on FOX Showcase, same time as the US, from June 10.

June 12: Warrior
Inspired by an idea from martial-arts legend Bruce Lee, and created and executive produced by Jonathan Tropper (Banshee), Warrior is a gritty, action-packed crime drama set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century. Filming in Cape Town, South Africa, the series follows Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy who emigrates from China to San Francisco under mysterious circumstances, and becomes a hatchet man for one of Chinatown’s most powerful organised crime families. Stream on Foxtel or watch on FOX8 from June 12.

June 12: The Inbetween
Cassie Bishop was born with a gift – though she may call it a curse. She can see and communicate with the dead, helping them with their unresolved problems… whether she likes it or not. When her long time friend Detective Tom Hackett and his new partner, former FBI Agent Damien Asante, need help solving a puzzling murder, Cassie agrees to use her abilities. Despite her reluctance, she may have found a way to keep her demons at bay, all while solving some of the city’s most challenging cases. Created by Moira Kirland, The InBetween stars Australian actress Harriet Dyer and Chad Buchanan. Stream on Foxtel or watch on Universal from June 12.

June 13: Shetland
Acclaimed murder-mystery Shetland returns for a new thrilling six-part tale, starring Douglas Henshall as Detective Jimmy Perez and based on the best-selling novels by Ann Cleeves. Perez and the team are shocked by the discovery of a severed hand on the beach. Soon after a holdall containing other body parts including a head is washed up and a forensic investigation reveals they belong to the same person. The subsequent murder enquiry uncovers a complex and unsettling network of organised crime. Stream on Foxtel or watch on BBC First from June 13.

June 16: Pose S2
Season two of the show inspired by the ballroom culture of 80s New York will leap forward to 1990 – more specifically, the day Madonna’s single “Vogue” was released, a song that will be crucial to the plot of the season. The House of Evangelista is also forced to reevaluate its goals as the ballroom community begins to go mainstream. The show will also follow activism surrounding the AIDS crisis as it continues to worsen. The second season will again feature the most transgender actors cast as series regulars ever in a scripted series. Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Hailie Sahar, Angelica Ross, Billy Porter, Charlayne Woodard, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Dyllón Burnside and Angel Bismark Curiel make up the cast, with Broadway legend Patti LuPone set to join the sophomore season. Stream on Foxtel or watch on FOX Showcase from June 16.

June 17: Euphoria
Executive produced by Drake, Euphoria follows a group of high school students as they navigate love and friendships in a world of drugs, sex, trauma and social media. The ensemble cast includes actor and singer Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney (Sharp Objects), Maude Apatow (Girls), Jacob Elordi, Algee Smith, Alexa Demi, Barbie Ferreira, Hunter Schafer and Storm Reid. Euphoria is an American adaptation of an Israeli show of the same name, and all episodes are written by Sam Levinson (Assassination Nation), who also serves as executive producer. The series will be produced in partnership with A24 (Lady Bird, Random Acts of Flyness, 2 Dope Queens, Pod Save America) and includes executive producers Ravi Nandan, Kevin Turen, Hadas Mozes Lichtenstein, Tmira Yardeni, Mirit Toovi, Yoram Mokadi and Gary Lennon. Ron Leshem and Daphna Levin, who created the Israeli series, are also set to executive produce. Stream on Foxtel or watch on FOX Showcase from June 17.

June 18: The Act
The Act is a seasonal anthology series that tells startling, stranger-than-fiction true crime stories. Season one follows Gypsy Blanchard (Joey King), a girl trying to escape the toxic relationship she has with her overprotective mother, Dee Dee (Oscar winner Patricia Arquette). Her quest for independence opens a Pandora’s box of secrets, one that ultimately leads to murder. Also stars Oscar nominee Chloe Sevigny. Stream on Foxtel or watch on FOX Showcase from June 18.

July: Lambs Of God
On a remote island, three Catholic nuns are the last remaining members of the enclosed order of St. Agnes. Forgotten by the rest of the world, they live in a dilapidated monastery, where wild vegetation grows out of stone angels and sheep wander freely through the chapel. Based on the captivating Australian novel by Marele Day, Lambs of God features an international all-star cast, led by Emmy Award-winning actress Ann Dowd (The Handmaids Tale, The Leftovers), fresh off her groundbreaking slate of five films at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Dowd is joined by Australian stage and screen star Essie Davies (The Babadook), and UK actress, Jessica Barden (The End Of The F*****World, The Lobster) who, as the three Sisters of St Agnes, must defend their lives, existence, and beliefs when the handsome priest, played by actor Sam Reid (The Railway Main, Belle, Anonymous) attempts to sell their dilapidated monastery. What unfolds is an epic and fantastical tale of faith, love, and redemption. Stream on Foxtel or watch on FOX Showcase in July.

6 Responses

  1. There’s there problem. I would like to watch Chernobyl (but they haven’t scheduled it) and Shetland (but it will be on the ABC in 12 months time).

  2. Have just searched for Chernobyl as I’d ike to watch it and can’t find it listed in the Foxtel TV guide. Has it definitely started?

    1. If you look in the on demand section /showcase/critics choice, you will find it…it is quite confronting for those of us who lived through this period but well worth watching.

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