Space Force, Netflix review - fails to launch

★★ SPACE FORCE, NETFLIX Fails to launch

Steve Carell's new sitcom is short on laughs

Since Donald Trump's election as US President in 2016, I imagine satirists have slowly lost the will to live – as nothing they can write can outdo his buffoonery. But when Greg Daniels (creator of the American version of The Office) and Steve Carell (its star) announced they were inspired to write Space Force from one of his ideas, it augured well.

Have a Good Trip, Netflix review - a breezy journey into the mind

★★★ HAVE A GOOD TRIP, NETFLIX A breezy journey into the mind

Netflix doc focuses on the lighter side of psychedelics

Don’t do drugs, kids. For the past 50 years, that’s been the consistent message. But how much of what we know about psychedelics is just fearmongering? Do you really want to jump out of a window? Will you permanently lose your mind?

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs The Reverend, Netflix review - bold, but only a partial success

★★★ UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT: KIMMY VS. THE REVEREND, NETFLIX Bold, but only a partial success

Interactive one-off episode works best in nugget-sized portions

Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s hit comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix) ended its fourth series in January last year, but this belated interactive special suggested there could be new life in it yet.

Jerry Seinfeld, Netflix review - not bad for a swansong

★★★ JERRY SEINFELD, NETFLIX US comic says this may be his last stand-up show

US comic says this may be his last stand-up show

Jerry Seinfeld said in a recent interview that this Netflix special – 23 Hours to Kill – may be his last stand-up show. That's a shame, as there's much to enjoy here, even if he is retreading some old ground.

Much of this material he performed during UK dates last year (and some of it he had also performed when he previously visited the UK, in 2011), but that's OK as far as it goes – he's still a very funny man, and his grouchy, world-weary shtick can bear some repetition.

The Last Kingdom, Season 4, Netflix review - blood, guts and dirty politics

★★★★ THE LAST KINGDOM, SEASON 4, NETFLIX There's no rest for Uhtred in post-King Alfred England

There's no rest for Uhtred in post-King Alfred England

Meanwhile back in the Dark Ages, Uhtred (son of Uhtred) is still seeking to reclaim his ancestral seat of Bebbanburg and manoeuvre through the treacherous currents of Saxon politics. The big question was, how would this fourth season manage in the aftermath of the death of King Alfred?

Dangerous Lies, Netflix review - slick silliness

★★ DANGEROUS LIES, NETFLIX Hoary inheritance hokum is Dickensian in worst way

Hoary hokum about a dodgy inheritance is Dickensian in the worst way

When not dipping into its bottomless debts to write Scorsese blank cheques, Netflix tends to favour old-school TV movie potboilers such as this slick, silly thriller, in which young couple Katie (Camila Mendes) and Adam (Jessie T Usher) have their moral flaws picked apart by financial temptation.

After Life series 2, Netflix review - Ricky Gervais's study of bereavement continues

★★★ AFTER LIFE, SERIES 2, NETFLIX Ricky Gervais's study of bereavement continues

Second series opens slowly

It's interesting to note that this Netflix series – the second of Ricky Gervais's study of bereavement, which he writes, directs and stars in – is broadcast during lockdown. We've quickly become used to a different pace of life – slower, less rooted in strict timeframes of work or family routines – so we should, in theory, be able to ease ourselves into the slowness.

Ozark, Series 3 review, Netflix - money-laundering saga hits new heights

A superb cast and powerful writing are making this show a classic

While not the most headline-catching show on Netflix, Ozark has been steadily accruing critical accolades (including a couple of Emmys) and a devoted audience. Perhaps this superb third series will mark the tipping point where Ozark crosses over from cliqueishness to mass adulation.

Michelle Wolf: Joke Show, Netflix review - edgy and original material

US comic takes no prisoners

Michelle Wolf, best known to UK audiences as the comic who upset Donald Trump with some smart barbs aimed at his staff at the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner, has done some occasional dates this side of the pond (plus a run at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe), so her fans will be grateful for Joke Show, a Netflix speci