SBS On Demand: quick view
SBS On Demand: new this month
1 October
The Old Man
Series. The Old Man centres on Dan Chase, who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he must reconcile his past. At the same time, the FBI’s Assistant Director for Counterintelligence is called to hunt Chase down because of his complicated past with the rogue fugitive. Can Chase outrun his secrets, or will they catch him first? From the maker of The Handmaid’s Tale, this meaty action thriller stars Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow. Watch the trailer.
2 October
Four Years Later
Series. Can you find your way back to someone you love after being apart for so long? From Easy Tiger, the producers of The Twelve and Colin from Accounts, and created by Mithila Gupta, comes Four Years Later. Set across the two vastly different worlds of India and Australia, this intimate and compelling eight-part series delves into the complex ways love can change over time and distance. Starring Shahana Goswami and Akshay Ajit Singh as Sridevi and Yash, who must endure four years apart right after their wedding when Yash lands a highly coveted medical traineeship in Australia. Supporting cast includes Kate Box, Taj Aldeeb,, Roy Joseph and Luke Arnold. Read more on ScreenHub.
10 October
The Sandhamn Murders – Season 10
Series. It’s now been a few months since Alexander’s accident – he’s started rehab, but is still in pain. He decides to move in with Nora, much to her delight, but in the meantime stays at a rehab clinic. After meeting a disgruntled patient, he agrees to swap rooms with him; the next morning he’s awakened by a scream. In the room Alexander was meant to be staying in, lies the other patient, dead. Did someone mean to kill Alexander instead? So begins a new mystery in this cosy crime series, based on Viveca Sten’s popular novels. Starring Alexandra Rapaport, Jakob Cedergren and Jonas Malmsjö. Swedish with English subtitles.
ScreenHub: SBS On Demand: 5 films to stream right now
11 October
Lost Treasures Of Ancient Rome – Season 2
Follow teams of archaeologists across the world as they embark on a new season of excavations exploring the secrets of life in the Roman Empire. From the ruins of Pompeii to the sands of Petra and the bustling streets of Rome, they’re on a mission to discover the treasures of this ancient civilization.
Castle Secrets
Series. Around the globe, imposing structures stand tall against time. As the world moves forward, they remain silent sentinels, guardians of ancient lives lived. But now, their mysteries and secrets will be silent no more … What if these walls could talk? What secrets could these castles reveal?
15 October
Red Flag: Music’s Failed Revolution
Documentary series. It’s the new millennium and music is facing an existential threat: illegal piracy. Marc Fennell uncovers the bizarre story of the Aussie start up, Guvera, that promised to revolutionise music forever, but instead vanished in a $180 million mystery. Through exclusive interviews, never-before seen footage and photographs, archive and dramatic reenactments, the series charts the spectacular rise and fall of Guvera – once nicknamed the ‘iTunes Killer’ – which once had A-list superstars like Alice Cooper and Mos Def lining up behind it with one mission: to destroy internet piracy. Fennell is joined by the Australian musician Ben Lee. Watch the trailer.
17 October
Fallen
Series. From the makers of The Bridge and starring Sofia Helin. Police inspector Iris had worked at the NOA in Stockholm for over 20 years when her husband Christian was shot dead. Reeling from the tragedy and furious that the case remains unsolved, she leaves Stockholm and becomes the new head of the Cold Case team in Malmö. When a skull is found in the forest and linked to a cold case, Iris is called in to investigate. But with the discovery, ominous questions as to the identity of the killer are raised – what is the truth, and how far will Iris go to find it?
19 October
Bombing Brighton: The Plot To Kill Thatcher
As the 40th anniversary of the Brighton Bomb looms, this feature-length documentary includes
new and exclusive testimony from some of those who were there, and those who were involved in the
atrocity. The Brighton Bomb, which exploded on 12 October 1984, was one of the IRA’s most significant attacks on mainland Britain during the Troubles. Directly targeting Margaret Thatcher, the bomb blew a gaping hole in the Grand Hotel. Although the Prime Minister was physically unharmed, the bomb had
devastating consequences. Five people were killed in the blast and 31 others were seriously injured.
This film includes the testimony of those whose lives were profoundly affected, some of them speaking publicly for the first time.
So Long, Marianne
Series. So Long, Marianne tells the legendary love story of Canadian singer and poet Leonard Cohen and his muse Marianne Ihlen, who inspired the titular song. Their story crosses the world, from Norway to Greece, New York and Montreal, with the majority of the series filmed on the picturesque Greek island of Hydra where they lived during the 1960s. There, they joined legendary Australian novelists Charmian Clift and her husband George Johnston, the matriarch and patriarch of a bohemian group of writers, artists, poets, and outcasts who were exploring a new world of free love, drugs, and artistic freedom, but also experiencing the rivalries and jealousy that accompanied their intense, interwoven lives. Staring Alex Wolff as Leonard, with Thea Sofie Loch Næss playing Marianne. Joining them are Anna Torv, Noah Taylor and Peter Stormare.
23 October
Bosch – Season 3
Series. LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch investigated his mother’s murder for years, but was unable to bring the killer to justice in the end. The ugly truth behind that case has only left him more tense and restless. Now, Bosch’s teenage daughter, Maddie, has come to live with him and ushered into his personal life the everyday responsibilities of being a single father. Meanwhile, Bosch remains a tenacious cop who struggles to attain justice in an imperfect system. Based on Michael Connelly’s bestselling novels. Starring Titus Welliver.
31 October
The Gone
Series. This taut mystery drama follows Dublin-based Theo Richter, an Irish Special Branch detective, as he heads to New Zealand to help search for two young Irish tourists who have vanished without a trace. They’ve gone missing from Mount Affinity, a picturesque rural town with a dark history of disappearance and death that has recently become home to supposedly altruistic tech conglomerate Houkura – dividing the local population. This will be Richter’s last case as he’s just announced his early retirement, surprising his colleagues. Starring Richard Flood, Acushla-Tara Kupe and Carolyn Bracken.
SBS On Demand: added in September
26 September
The Hunt
Dutch period thriller series. Inspired by a true crime that gripped a nation for more than a decade. In the spring of 1999, the body of a 16-year-old girl was found on the outskirts of a small village in The Netherlands, next to an asylum seekers’ centre. The Hunt depicts how the long and frustrating search for the perpetrator confronted the inhabitants and asylum seekers of this little Dutch town with xenophobia, racism, and bizarre and persistent conspiracy theories, fuelled by social media. Starring Aus Greidanus Jr, Hans Kesting and Eefje Paddenburg.
25 September
The Great Killer Smog
Documentary (two parts). In December 1952 one of the deadliest peacetime tragedies in history struck London. Over four days, a stinking, yellow smog smothered the city, so dense people couldn’t see their hands in front of their faces. The capital and all its essential services ground to a halt. But far worse, the smog was loaded with poisonous gases and there would be devastating consequences. Doctor Xand, Van Tulleken and Raksha Dave tell the story of how this catastrophe unfolded, moment by moment, as it took the capital by surprise and left tragedy in its wake. And we’ll reveal the shocking death toll this four-day deadly emergency – a figure far higher than the 4,000 deaths that Churchill’s government admitted at this time.