Dream Stream: Men Behaving Badly, Ozark, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Searching for a top telly fix? Check out these gems currently available to stream:
Men Behaving Badly
Series 1-6 – ITVX
Two blokes, one flat. To us, that spells D-A-N-G-E-R.
One of the greatest British sitcoms of the latter 20th century, it was a tale of pals who were up to no good, and navigating their 30s with a road map drawn on the back of a beer mat.
Written and created by Simon Nye, Men Behaving Badly tells the story of Gary (Martin Clunes), the manager of a London security sales office, and his journey through inresponsibility – first with hopeless flatmate Dermot (Harry Enfield) and then with dopey lodger Tony (Neil Morrissey).
Along for the ride is Gary’s on-again-off-again girlfriend Dorothy (Caroline Quentin) – a despairing nurse, forever tethered to filling a maternal role in the lives of the lads. However, she is not alone in her bewilderment at the hand life has dealt her, and is often joined in her disbelief by the attractive Deborah (Leslie Ash) – resident of the flat upstairs, and the eternal object of both of Gary’s housemates’ unrequited affections.
Even now, Men Behaving Badly has the ability to make us giggle in a very special way. Everything a good sitcom should be, it balanced real life situations with elements of slapstick, was consistently cheeky without ever being overly offensive, and captured the spirit of the eternal battle of the sexes in a way that men and women could belly laugh at together.
Over the course of six series, our hapless heroes treated us to many highlights, but the belle of the ball was without a doubt the shining series four episode, simply titled ‘Drunk’. Those who have seen it have never listened to Rod Stewart’s ‘Sailing’ the same way again.
A triumph of daft laughs made truly special by the lager-chugging chemistry of Clunes and Morrissey, Men Behaving Badly is a treat that proves you can get involved in as much fun and mischief behind your own door as you can down your local.
We expect every bloke watching to wear a cushion on their head. It’s in the rules.
Ozark
Seasons 1-4 – Netflix
‘Family first’ – it’s a difficult motto to uphold in the money laundering trade...
Created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams, Ozark is a favourite among fans of crime drama, and one of Netflix’s most delicious offerings to date.
After a money laundering scheme for a Mexican drug cartel goes wrong, financial advisor Martin ‘Marty’ Byrde (Jason Bateman – also directing) proposes to make amends by offering to set up a bigger laundering operation in the Lake of the Ozarks region of central Missouri.
Marty suddenly relocates his family from the Chicago suburb of Naperville to the remote summer resort community of Osage Beach.
When the Byrdes arrive in Missouri, they become entangled with local criminals, including the Langmore and Snell families, and later the Kansas City Mafia.
Having received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for its tone, directing, and acting, Ozark garnered 45 Primetime Emmy Award nominations during its run, with Bateman in fact winning the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in 2019.
Thanks to his work on Ozark, Bateman also received two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actor – Television Series Drama. With an equally fantastic performance from Laura Linney as Marty’s wife, Wendy, along with Sofia Hublitz and Skylar Gaertner as their children, Ozark is a somewhat dark but entertaining treat that will keep you hooked from the word go.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Limited series – Disney+
When stumped for a streaming choice, there's never any harm in turning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) back catalogue.
Created by Malcolm Spellman, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier follows the characters of Sam Wilson / Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) as they move on with life after the events of Avengers: Endgame, and into a world without Captain America... or so they think...
Though Wilson was chosen by the man himself to succeed the good captain, he refuses the legendary shield, believing himself unworthy.
As he moves on with normal life however, he is stunned to discover that the US Government has in fact decided to pass the mantle of Captain America to soldier John Walker (Wyatt Russell) – but is the shield safe in this man’s hands?
Meanwhile, a fresh threat is looming that will bring Barnes back into Wilson’s world, and force the MCU’s favourite odd couple to team up and face down the bad guys once again.
Without Cap however, will the dynamic duo be able to pull it off?
With great performances from Mackie and Stan, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is an action-packed yarn that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, and is a sure-fire delight for any fans of the Captain America movies.
