TV Reviews: My Brilliant Career, Ricky Gervais’ Alley Cats, Two Weeks In August & MasterChef finale

My Brilliant Career

Thursday, streaming on Netflix

It’s always a tricky proposition, bringing a beloved novel to the small screen. There will always be viewers who take umbrage with the way their favourite book has been adapted. The characters may not look the way they should, key elements may have been left out: the hero or heroine might appear too modern, have too much hair; be not quite pretty enough — there’s always something.

With all this in mind, it will be interesting to see what audiences make of this adaptation of Miles Franklin’s beloved novel of the same name from 1901.

The text has long been studied in classrooms, but most will probably remember it from Gillian Armstrong’s much-loved 1979 film, which starred Judy Davis and a very smouldering Sam Neill.

For many, Netflix’s far more modern imagining of the book will simply not stack up. But for a whole new audience, a younger cohort who may be interacting with Franklin’s work for the first time, it will likely strike a chord — and Netflix is very clearly aiming this at them.

Philippa Northeast is sensational as feisty Sybylla, the young woman at the centre of the story who goes to stay with her grandmother in 1900 to be gussied up and readied for the marriage market. It’s against her will — she harbours big ambitions of a “brilliant career”.

This is all about the push-pull of her burning ambition butting up against societal expectations — it’s a tale that still resonates.

“Sybylla doesn’t know if her career is going to be brilliant or not. She just knows that she has this fire inside of her that has to be answered,” creator and showrunner Liz Doran recently said, and it’s a sentiment sure to resonate with younger on-the-cusp-of-their-life viewers — I love that they are about to discover this for the first time

Well adapted and fantastically acted (especially by Northeast, who is terrific) this is definitely worth your time — seek it out.

Ricky Gervais’ Alley Cats

Saturday, streaming on Netflix

An adult cartoon series about cats, written and starring Ricky Gervais and Dianne Morgan? Say less! If you’ve seen the hilarious trailer, you’ll know this is shaping up to be heaps of fun. It’s all about a group of feral cats up to no good, who riff about the meaning of life and fight for survival “in a brutal human world”. No previews given — here’s hoping it lives up to the hype.

MasterChef Australia

Sunday, 7pm, Ten

There’s steep competition for eyeballs on free-to-air TV these days. MasterChef continues to draw a crowd, and deservedly so — it’s still a fantastically watchable program. This Sunday, the winner is crowned, and all three contenders, Petro, Aaron and Vinnie, have earned their berths in the final. They’ll be overseen by Cherish Finden, who is setting an epic grand finale challenge for them. One for fans.

Two Weeks In August

Wednesday, streaming on Binge

A group of old uni friends take a much-needed holiday on a remote Greek island, only for it to devolve into the holiday from hell. Yes please! This got rave reviews when it launched in the UK earlier this year. One reviewer described it as “perfect escapist television”, and real talk: the world being what it is right now, I can’t think of a better way to while away eight episodes. Mark your diaries.

Reacher

Wednesday, streaming on Prime Video

Lee Child has really pumped out the books, and this fourth instalment of the action-packed series is based on the 13th novel in his bestselling series, Gone Tomorrow. It sees Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) pitted against a foe “from the highest echelons of power”. Things get more introspective this season as Reacher grapples with the part he’s played in a woman’s death on the subway. Expect lots of fights and lots of action.