Television critics for the Daily Mail have identified 19 shows and films they say are among the best to stream on demand this week, highlighting new series, returning favourites and documentaries across a range of genres.
The round-up, drawn from hundreds of programmes screened or released in recent months, includes dramas, true‑crime investigations, comedies and feature films available on major UK platforms including Prime Video, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, Sky and Disney+.
Among the critics' top picks is The Girlfriend, a six‑part thriller available on Prime Video (2025). The series stars Robin Wright as a mother increasingly suspicious of her son's new partner, played by Olivia Cooke, and splits each episode between the perspectives of the two women. Wright directed the first three episodes, and the drama centres on shifting viewpoints and escalating tensions within a family dynamic.
The Rumour, a five‑part mystery set in the fictional English town of Flinstead, is noted for its small‑town premise in which an estate agent's gossip about a long‑ago child killer reverberates through a school‑gate community. Starring Rachel Shenton and Emily Atack, the 2025 drama is on Channel 5 and uses generational tension among local women to complicate the identity of the alleged perpetrator.
Netflix's two‑part documentary mini‑series about Charlie Sheen (2025) presents an extensive interview with the actor and contributions from friends, former partners and colleagues. The programme revisits Sheen's rise in Hollywood and his tabloid‑dominated controversies, and includes testimony from public figures who worked with or knew him.
Taskmaster, the BAFTA‑winning comedy panel show created by Alex Horne and fronted by Greg Davies, returns for a 20th series on Channel 4 and streaming services. The format pits comedians against each other in surreal and inventive challenges; the latest line‑up includes Ania Magliano, Maisie Adam, Phil Ellis, Reece Shearsmith and Sanjeev Bhaskar, and episodes continue to appear first on Channel 4.
The Newsreader, an Australian newsroom drama set in the 1980s, is available on BBC iPlayer and has returned for a third series. Starring Anna Torv and Sam Reid, the series dramatizes the pressures of television news production while weaving in major 1980s events as background to the newsroom's storylines.
Robert Eggers' 2024 film Nosferatu, distributed on Sky, reinterprets Bram Stoker's material with Lily‑Rose Depp in a central role opposite Bill Skarsgård and Nicholas Hoult. The period horror film received several production nominations at the BAFTAs and drew attention for its visual style and box‑office performance.
The Haggis Hunters — a 29‑minute entry in the BBC's Our Lives series — follows competitors at the World Haggis Championship in Perth and profiles family businesses and local traditions connected to the event. Stacey & Joe, a returning reality series on BBC iPlayer, documents the domestic life of Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash and the couple's parenting and work‑life balance.
Only Murders in the Building returns for a fifth season on Disney+ (2025), with Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez continuing their amateur sleuthing after the discovery of a doorman's body. The series' new episodes feature an array of guest stars and extend the long‑running mystery centred on the Arconia apartment building.
Task, a seven‑part HBO drama created by Brad Ingelsby and available on NOW and Sky, stars Mark Ruffalo as an emotionally affected FBI agent who leads a task force into a string of violent robberies. Critics note the series as a character‑driven crime drama that examines parallels between investigator and suspect.
Catching The Tinder Predator, an 88‑minute Prime Video documentary (2025), charts the case of Christopher Harkins and the campaign by women who used social and legal channels to secure his conviction. The film focuses on online grooming and the challenges legal systems face when investigating dating‑app crimes.
Death Of A Showjumper, a three‑part documentary on NOW and Sky, revisits the death of Northern Irish rider Katie Simpson in 2020. The series traces investigative reporting, police re‑examination of the case and the subsequent arrest and trial of a suspect, exploring themes of domestic abuse and coercive control in a sporting community.
Laura Whitmore On Britain's Killer Teens (Sky, 2025) is a six‑part series that examines a rise in teenage killings in the UK, with each episode profiling a different case. The series includes detailed reporting on individual incidents, victims' families and the social factors explored by the presenter.
Channel 4's The Speedway Murders (2023) revisits a 1978 quadruple homicide at a Burger Chef restaurant in Speedway, Indiana. The feature documentary examines investigative missteps and longstanding theories more than four decades after the crime.
Thailand: The Dark Side Of Paradise, a three‑part BBC iPlayer series presented by Zara McDermott, explores why young Britons travel to Thailand for nightlife and work, and considers associated risks including scams, exploitation and legal consequences for foreign visitors.
Jimmy McGovern's Accused (2010–2012), streaming on Netflix and Prime Video, is included among the critics' recommendations as a two‑series drama of standalone stories that probe moral ambiguity and the strain of ordinary lives pushed to extremes. The anthology featured performances from actors including Christopher Eccleston and Sean Bean.
For viewers seeking older cult cinema, Slade In Flame (1975) is noted as a kitchen‑sink style rock drama available on BFI Player that charts the commercial pressures and internal tensions behind a fictional band's rise and fall.
Playing Gracie Darling (2025), a six‑part Australian thriller on Paramount+, follows a child psychologist who returns to her small town after the disappearance of a girl, reconnecting to a past seance that marked a generation of young women. The series features Harriet Walter among its cast.
Finally, Call My Agent! Berlin (Disney+, 2025) adapts the original French comedy‑drama format for a German setting, following staff at an acting agency after the death of its founder and featuring actors playing fictionalised versions of themselves.
The critics' list aims to offer a wide cross‑section of recent and classic titles across genre and geography, with availability and certification varying by programme and platform. Readers are invited to consult their chosen streaming services for regional access and scheduling updates.