ZeroZeroZero, Sky Atlantic and Now TV, February
Italian writer Roberto Saviano’s first book, Gomorrah—detailing the world of the Neapolitan mafia—became a film and television series, but also led to Saviano requiring police protection. He published ZeroZeroZero, a novel about the cocaine business and the role of drug money in international finance, seven years later, in 2013. This eight-part adaptation, filmed over three continents and starring Gabriel Byrne and Andrea Riseborough, digs into the violent but immensely profitable trade that unites Mexican cartels, corrupt US businessmen and Italian crime syndicates.
Bloodlands, BBC One, February
For a decade, Cold Feet star James Nesbitt was one of the most bankable TV actors in Britain, his self-assured presence in dramas such as Murphy’s Law and The Missing almost a guarantee of high ratings. This new drama brings him into conjunction with Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio, whose production company is behind the Northern Ireland-set series. Nesbitt plays a detective, whose investigation into a possible suicide opens up a link to a cold case with personal associations.
The Trump Show: Downfall, BBC Two, January
For anyone still processing the astonishing final chapter of Donald Trump’s term in office, this documentary offers a blow-by-blow account that charts the end of his presidency, and the aftermath of the historic assault on the US Capitol. Friends, advisers and close observers give first-hand narratives on Trump’s failed attempt to win the 2020 election, culminating in the 6th January rally outside the White House in which he told his fervent supporters: “you’ll never take back our country with weakness.”
