NOW TV may be uncharted territory for some, but Sky’s on-demand service undoubtedly holds the streaming goods. Wary of branching out from Netflix and Amazon Prime? Don’t fear: consider Empire your guide to the best TV shows, films and documentaries on offer each month, and swiftly pop the below dates into your streaming diaries.
The best TV shows on NOW TV
Penny Dreadful: Season 3 – August 4
John Logan’s supernatural opus took its final bow last month, and now all three seasons are available to watch as part of Sky’s box sets. Eva Green is the tortured soul at the show’s core, aided by an ensemble including Rory Kinnear (Frankenstein’s Monster), Billie Piper (Frankenstein’s Monster the third), Harry Treadaway (Dr. Frankenstein), Reeve Carney (Dorian Gray) and Timothy Dalton as explorer Sir Malcolm. Oh, and did we mention Josh Hartnett plays a werewolf? You’ve never seen Victorian London quite like this.
Marvel’s Agent Carter: Season 1 – August 1
Poor Peggy. First Steve Rogers goes to staggering lengths to avoid that dance, and then ABC go and cancel her show. But thankfully, television episodes exist forever, with NOW TV popping the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent back onto our screens this month. Joined by Howard ‘Tony Senior’ Stark (Dominic Cooper) and his butler Jarvis (James D’Arcy), Peg (Hayley Atwell) and the boys take on the bad guys with lashings of '40s style and enough Easter eggs to appease the Marvel die-hards.
Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Seasons 1-3 – August 1
Apparently one S.H.I.E.L.D. agent isn’t enough for NOW TV this month, with Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and crew also assembling for the streaming service. The modern-day setting of Joss Whedon’s show allows more cameos and film tie-ins than Agent Carter, but the seasons are never weighed down by the MCU’s obvious presence. With Season 4 airing in September, there’s no better time to catch up with the escapades of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement And Logistics Division.
Oz: Seasons 1-6 – August 8
J.K. Simmons, Ernie Hudson, Edie Falco and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje all appeared in this long-running series, created by Tom Fontana, the man behind Borgia and Copper. Set in the Oswald State Correctional Facility, Oz follows the inmates within the Emerald City wing where the prisoners are at the mercy of those ‘looking after’ them. Drugs, money, power, gang warfare: it’s just another day within a maximum security unit.
The best movies on NOW TV
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – August 26
Nearly 40 years after the infamous opening crawl first rolled up our screens, J.J. Abrams brought it all full circle with an instalment that delivered nostalgia and awesome new characters in spades. Episode VII saw Brits John Boyega and Daisy Ridley take on Adam Driver’s crossguard lightsaber-wielding Kylo Ren, droid BB-8 become an instant fan favourite, and Oscar Isaac make a strong case for most charming X-Wing pilot in the galaxy. The old gang are even there too. ‘May the force’, etc, etc.
The Martian – August 19
Trust Matt Damon to get stuck on Mars with only plants and potatoes for company… After a storm sees Mark Watney (Damon) left behind on the red planet, the astronaut quickly realises he’s not getting home anytime soon. As NASA swiftly work on a plan to bring their man back to Earth, Watney gets elbow-deep in dirt to boost his chances of survival. Thank heavens the man’s a botanist. What follows is a funny and at times incredibly desperate tale of survival, punctuated with a healthy dose of disco music. Has Damon ever been better?
The Good Dinosaur – August 6
What if the dinosaurs were never wiped out by a giant asteroid 65 million years ago? Well, Pixar would certainly look a lot different, that’s for sure. One of their most beautifully-animated outings to date, The Good Dinosaur follows the adventures of young, lost apatosaurus Arlo and caveboy Spot. As the pair attempt to track down the dino’s family, Arlo soon learns that he is much more than your average herbivore. Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Anna Paquin and Sam Elliott are amongst the stellar voice cast.
Suffragette – August 14
If your knowledge of Suffragettes extends only as far as Mary Poppins{
Find out what you should be watching during August on Netflix.
Find out what you should be watching on Amazon Prime in August.