📺 Brilliant Minds, Great British Bake Off, Last Days of the Space Age...

Rescue HI-Surf, plus 6 streaming movies & 4 new series to watch this week

Happy first Thursday in October! Aka the best month, because when the weather starts to turn it means it’s time to watch our favorite spooky season movies (if you’re Jess) and autumnal cozy fare (if you’re Jenni). There’s no shortage of new content now that fall is in full swing, so keep an eye on our watchlists for the most up-to-date streaming releases.

In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
Great British Bake Off - S14 (Netflix)
Last Days of the Space Age (Hulu)
Brilliant Minds (NBC/Peacock)
Rescue HI-Surf (FOX/Hulu)

— Jess Spoll and Jenni Cullen

First time reading? Subscribe to receive Double Take weekly.

---

Below is an abridged selection of new shows and movies premiering this week. Our full list of October releases, including theatrical releases and streaming debuts, is available here and published monthly for our premium subscribers.

• Heartstopper (Season 3) — Nick and Charlie’s love story returns for more episodes, this time exploring heavier topics.
  Watch on Netflix: October 3 (all 8 episodes)

• Hold Your Breath (Movie) — Sarah Paulson stars in this psychological horror film set in the 1930s in Oklahoma during the dust bowl.
  Watch on Hulu: October 3

• House of Spoils (Movie) — In this Blumhouse horror flick, a chef (Ariana DeBose) is haunted by the spirit of her restaurant’s previous owner who threatens to sabotage her at every turn.
  Watch on Prime Video: October 3

• Salem’s Lot (Movie) — Stephen King’s novel gets adapted for a third time in the form of this straight-to-streaming movie starring Lewis Pullman.
  Watch on Max: October 3

• It’s What’s Inside (Movie) — A pre-wedding reunion descends into a psychological nightmare for a group of college friends when a surprise guest arrives with a mysterious suitcase.
  Watch on Netflix: October 4

• Dìdi* (Movie) — Sean Wang, in his feature directorial debut following his Oscar nominated short documentary film, brings us this coming-of-age dramedy about a 13-year-old Taiwanese-American boy.
  Watch on Peacock: October 4 (*Streaming Premiere)

• The Franchise (Season 1) — This satirical comedy from executive producer Armando Ianucci (Veep) shines a light on the chaos inside the world of superhero movie-making.
  Watch on HBO/Max: October 6 (1 of 8 episodes, weekly)

• Bad Boys: Ride or Die* (Movie) — Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprise their roles as Miami police officers in this buddy cop action-comedy, the fourth in the Bad Boys franchise.
  Watch on Netflix: October 8 (*Streaming Premiere)

• Accused (Season 2) — This crime anthology series features a different defendant in every episode, opening in a courtroom with the accused without knowing their crime or how they ended up on trial.
  Watch on Fox/Hulu: October 8 (1 episode, then weekly)

• Abbott Elementary (Season 4) — Return to Abbott with Janine and her fellow teachers in the new season of this mockumentary sitcom.
  Watch on ABC/Hulu: October 9 (1 of 22 episodes, weekly)

---

These popular shows came back with new episodes. Here’s what we thought and where you can watch them.

The Great British Baking Show

Photo: Netflix

Keywords: feel-good, baking, competition-reality

This is less of a review and more of a PSA that the latest season of The Great British Bake Off (GBBO) has finally arrived! “Cake Week”, the first episode of this competition-style show that seeks to determine the best amateur baker in Britain, is available for streaming on Netflix right now.

I’m absolutely recycling my own words from last season, but it’s still true: GBBO is somehow the least stressful, least aggressively competitive competition reality show you will ever consume. Contestants regularly help each other out when there’s a crunch for time, and the focus is much more on the food itself and the joy in creating (and eating) something both beautiful and delicious than on any rivalry.

With Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond back this year as the comedian sidekicks to judges Paul and Prue, it’s sure to be a delightful time. Even when I’m using it as a background show, I have only ever felt better after watching The Great British Bake Off.

— Jenni

Length: 60-min runtime, 14 seasons / 140 episodes, new episodes of season 14 every Friday
Watch on: Netflix

---

Our thoughts on brand new streaming content, and where you can watch.

Last Days of the Space Age

Photo: Disney+

Keywords: Australian, period drama, late 70s
Watch if you like: Northern Exposure, Boy Swallows Universe, Lessons in Chemistry
Jenni’s Rating: C-

Set in 1979, this period drama looks back on a rocky time in Western Australia with oddly rose-colored glasses. Against the backdrop of a local power company strike, a Miss Universe competition, and the impending crash of the U.S. space station, Skylab, the series follows the lives of interconnected families in Perth as they navigate societal changes and their own personal challenges.

I have never met an Australian comedy I didn’t like, but Australian dramas may be another story. Unfortunately, Last Days of the Space Age fails both to deliver a compelling narrative arc and to live up to any nostalgic promise. While the characters are diverse, there are simply too many of them to develop properly, and this crowded ensemble cast paired with an over-glossy production design create a sense of superficiality and emptiness in the episodes.

The series would probably be more enjoyable when viewed with a focus on the interpersonal dramas rather than the historical context, but the plot still meanders, often feeling haphazard and shapeless. For those seeking an immersive or thought-provoking period piece, Last Days of the Space Age will likely fall short of expectations — and for those seeking a new family or community drama to sink their teeth into, this show is…fine.

— Jenni

Length: 48-min runtime, 1 season / 8 episodes
Watch on: Hulu (or Disney+ in Australia, NZ, UK)

---

Brilliant Minds

Photo: NBC

Keywords: medical procedural, melodrama, hospital
Watch if you like: House, The Resident, The Good Doctor