Riot Women (SBS, 6 episodes)

Written by Huddersfield-born Sally Wainwright, the show follows five menopausal women who have come together to form a punk rock band to take part in a local talent contest.
The band consists of five main characters played by Joanna Scanlan (Beth Thornton - keyboards), Rosalie Craig (Kitty Eckersley - stunning as the singer), Lorraine Ashbourne (Jess Burchill - drums), Tamsin Greig (Holly Gaskell - bass), and Amelia Bullmore (Yvonne Vaux - lead guitar). Their is also an impressive supporting cast in this moving drama.

Bait (Prime, 6 episodes)

The story focuses on Shah Latif, a rapper-turned-actor based in West London (played by Riz Ahmed) who is on the cusp of his big break. While he is initially seen as an underdog with a "moderate" first audition, he lands the chance for a second screen test thanks to his determined agent.
Over four crazy days, Shah’s professional pursuit causes his private life to implode. The scrutiny leads to racist harassment as the series explores themes of identity, fame, and tokenism in the film industry. A unique character is a pig's head, which becomes a hallucinated "conscience" or "tough-love therapist" for Shah, voiced by Patrick Stewart.

Andrew also talks about new seasons of Heartbreak High and Paradise.

Then we review the best of the year so far. AS a reminder, our previous 2026 Shows of the Week are:

Goolagong (ABC)
Steal (Prime)
Mel Brooks (HBO Max)
Dog Park (ABC)
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO Max)
Love Story (Disney+)
Under Salt Marsh (Binge)
The Lady (Binge)
DTF St Louis (HBO Max)
Vladimir (Netflix)
Gone (Stan)
Homebodies (SBS)
The Other Bennett Sister (Binge)

Riot Women (SBS, 6 episodes)
Written by Huddersfield-born Sally Wainwright, the show follows five menopausal women who have come together to form a punk rock band to take part in a local talent contest. The band consists of five main characters played by Joanna Scanlan (Beth Thornton - keyboards), Rosalie Craig (Kitty Eckersley - stunning as the singer), Lorraine Ashbourne (Jess Burchill - drums), Tamsin Greig (Holly Gaskell - bass), and Amelia Bullmore (Yvonne Vaux - lead guitar). Their is also an impressive supporting cast in this moving drama.
Bait (Prime, 6 episodes)
The story focuses on Shah Latif, a rapper-turned-actor based in West London (played by Riz Ahmed) who is on the cusp of his big break. While he is initially seen as an underdog with a "moderate" first audition, he lands the chance for a second screen test thanks to his determined agent. Over four crazy days, Shah&rsquo;s professional pursuit causes his private life to implode. The scrutiny leads to racist harassment as the series explores themes of identity, fame, and tokenism in the film industry. A unique character is a pig's head, which becomes a hallucinated "conscience" or "tough-love therapist" for Shah, voiced by Patrick Stewart.
Andrew also talks about new seasons of Heartbreak High and Paradise.
Then we review the best of the year so far. AS a reminder, our previous 2026 Shows of the Week are:
Goolagong (ABC) Steal (Prime) Mel Brooks (HBO Max) Dog Park (ABC) Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO Max) Love Story (Disney+) Under Salt Marsh (Binge) The Lady (Binge) DTF St Louis (HBO Max) Vladimir (Netflix) Gone (Stan) Homebodies (SBS) The Other Bennett Sister (Binge)

Welcome to the TV Gold podcast from Andrew Mercado and James Manning. A podcast for people who love great television.

Hear the latest from the world of TV, radio, entertainment publishing and more in the Mediaweek podcast. This series features regular interviews with the stars, movers and shakers of Australian media industry.