This week, nothing stops Kevin Bacon from coming into work in The Bondsman, including his own death. Elsewhere, Love on the Spectrum star Michael Theo makes his acting debut in comedy-drama Austin, and a seriously ill woman is Dying for Sex.
The Bondsman
Thursday
Prime Video
In the last century or so, bounty hunters have largely disappeared, except in America. One of them, Hub Halloran (Kevin Bacon, X-Men: First Class), nearly disappeared himself, until he was brought back to life to hunt demons for Satan.
Work-life balance is tricky when you don’t technically have a life. On top of that, Halloran has to find time for his family and, in a show evidently fond of left turns, to moonlight as a country singer.
Austin
Friday
BBC One, 9.30pm
Michael Theo (Love on the Spectrum) makes his acting debut in this Australian series as the eponymous Austin.
Children’s author Julian Hartswood (Ben Miller, Death in Paradise) has been cancelled, putting not just his career at risk, but also that of his wife, Ingrid (Sally Phillips, Miranda). To make things even more complicated, it turns out Austin is the result of an affair Julian had years prior. Austin wants to get to know his dad, and Julian suspects a little father-son bonding time (in public, filmed) would be just the thing to improve his image.
Dying for Sex
Friday
Disney+
When Molly Kochan was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer, she left her husband to explore sex and herself. The story was later told beautifully by her friend Nikki Boyer in a podcast series, which shares the name with its new TV adaptation.
Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) plays Molly, while Jenny Slate (Parks and Recreation) appears as Nikki. The two embark on a mission to get Molly to orgasm with a partner for the first time. Rounding out the cast are Rob Delaney (Catastrophe) and Jay Duplass (Industry).
Karma
Friday
Netflix
“In life, have you ever hated someone?”
In this K-drama, six people’s lives become deeply, and dangerously, intertwined. Contract killings, vehicular manslaughter and chance encounters link them together, putting them all on a dark path.
Park Hae-soo (Squid Game) is amongst the cast in this story of fate, betrayal and desperation.
Grace
Sunday
ITV1, 8.00pm
John Simm (Human Traffic) returns as Roy Grace for a fifth series of the detective drama. This time, a body stuffed in a barrel washes up on a beach, and a packed football stadium is in danger.
This series also opens with the news that Roy and his partner Cleo Moray (Zoë Tapper, The Musketeers) have lost the baby they were expecting. Cleo is on bereavement leave, whereas Roy is back working, separating the two when they need each other most.
