CULTURE DIGEST 15: post-apocalyptic tv, space docs and why everything really is turning into television.
Monthly recommendations from the team behind the TV Foundation and Edinburgh TV Festival.
It’s time for our final Culture Digest of the year, the curated cultural briefing from The TV Festival and TV Foundation team. If you’re looking for something new to watch, read or do this December, you’ve come to the right place.
TV
Once Upon a Time in Space (BBC): A sweeping look at humanity’s love affair with space exploration.
Pluribus (Apple TV): Creator Vince Gilligan’s return to telly, where a near-future political experiment goes off the rails.
The Beast in Me (Netflix): A journalist digs into a family secret and things get dark fast. Moody, stylish, addictive.
Daddy Issues (BBC iPlayer): The chaotic, heartfelt comedy-drama returns with bigger laughs and even bigger emotional mess.
One Shot with Ed Sheeran (Netflix): A testament to Ed’s creativity and stamina and a tad less depressing than Adolescence!
Film
Die My Love (In Cinemas): A fierce, intimate portrait of unraveling motherhood
Alpha (In Cinemas): A departure from the usual body horror genre of director Julia Ducournau that was the hallmark of her Palme do’or, Titane. But an intimate commentary on how fear spreads and the impact it can have on generations.
Train Dreams (Netflix): An elegiac frontier drama tracing the quiet, wandering life of a railroad worker in early 20th-century America. For the visuals alone, we recommend catching a screening of this in the cinema if you can!
Age of Disclosure (Documentary): A sharp look at our cultural obsession with aliens, conspiracy, and the limits of what we choose to believe. Best paired with this excellent Guardian companion piece for extra context.
Long Reads
Embrace The McAllister Mindset: A case for channeling your inner Home Alone protagonist.
Everything Is Television: How TV logic swallowed the entire culture.
A Theory of Dumb: Why we might actually be getting less sharp - and what tech has to do with it.
The Robots Taking Over Milton Keynes: Delivery bots, AI and the quiet rise of a robot-run town.
David Byrne New Yorker Profile: A delightful deep dive into Byrne’s curious, creative universe.
Out and About
Wes Anderson Archives at The Design Museum
Music & Podcast
And finally, a few podcast and music recommendations to add to your playlists! Enjoy.