What we're watching on TV

Imagine you’re 10. You’re minding your own business playing in the woods with your My Little Pony, and suddenly a tree starts talking to you.

Weird right? Well, not to little Clare Abshire. When a voice, proclaiming to be ‘Henry’ asks her to grab some clothes for him, she barely protests...telling the housekeeper she’s got an imaginary friend.

So begins a 14-year relationship of sorts with the odd man, who tells Clare they’re married – in the future.

Flash forward to Clare’s ‘now’. Henry is working as a librarian, puzzling fellow workers by leaving piles of clothes here, there and everywhere. She is studying art. Heading to the library for ‘porn books’ she bumps into the man she’s been told is her future everything. They’re finally on the same timeline. The right age, time and place.

Clare can hardly contain herself, doing a little skip for joy after the meet cute. Henry...not so much. He’s a bit of a player by his own admission. And his body’s propensity to disappear at the drop of a pin leaves little to be desired when it comes to relationships.

I’ve only seen one episode so far (Now TV and Sky Atlantic are dropping new episodes weekly) but already know I’ll be back for the second showing of HBO’s major new TV moment.

Based on the 2003 novel by Audrey Niffenegger and the 2009 film starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana that followed, Steven Moffat’s adaptation is charming easy watching, with undeniable chemistry between leads Theo James and Rose Leslie.

Serialising the book for telly has given Moffat some licence to dig further into the couple’s life, relationship and back story – which will either be highly gratifying or deeply annoying for Niffenegger purists.

I’m looking forward to seeing how this one develops.

Conversations with Friends, All episodes streaming now on BBC iPlayer

The enduringly sweet and emotional Normal People was a huge hit for the Beeb in 2020 – especially amongst the Millennial audience the broadcaster is trying so hard to entice.

It was practically a full-blown conclusion the BBC would also take on production of Sally Rooney’s equally successful novel, Conversations with Friends.

Naysayers have been quick to point out similarities in the two series. The romantic thread, the intimate, close-up love scenes, long, sweeping views of Dublin.

But let’s not forget this is an adaptation...of a romance book...set in Dublin. It has Rooney’s finger marks all over it, as it should.

Conversations With Friends is reeled off in half hour episodes, revolving around students and former lovers Frances (Alison Oliver) and Bobbi (Sasha Lane). The pair navigate the ups and downs of young adulthood as they contemplate their lives outside of university. Frances has an eye for writing, but finds the construct of physical sold books uncomfortable, much preferring the transience of the spoken word.

Social butterfly and free spirit Bobbi is the yang to Frances’ yin. The one of the pair who seems to wear the trousers...Frances following wherever she will lead.

And that’s into the lives of successful writer Melissa (Jemima Kirke) and actor husband Nick (Joe Alwyn).

Impressed by the duo’s talent during an open mic session, Melissa welcomes the girls into her inner circle, which kind of seems unrealistic, but go with it.

She quickly takes a shine to Bobbi, who laps up the attention from an attractive older womanwhile Frances awkwardly hangs in the sidelines...though not unnoticed by Nick.

I think Sir Walter Scott best sums up the plot: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave.”

The Lincoln Lawyer, streaming now on Netflix

Netflix is under pressure right now to deliver. With subscriber numbers dipping (although a lot of that is to do with the combined crises in Ukraine and the cost-of-living) investors are getting itchy feet. The fight is on for the broadcaster and producer to show what it’s made of. To up the ante. Next week will be interesting, with the return of runaway hit Strangers Things. Will that have unsubscribers coming back in droves? Only time will tell.

But for now, the streaming service is resting its laurels on what it hopes will be two big hitters: Senior Year (with Rebel Wilson, which has already been panned by critics), and The Lincoln Lawyer.

The series, from powerhouse David E Kelley (Ally McBeal, The Practice) adapts Michael Connelly’s bestselling books for the small screen, with extremely likeable Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as titular character, defence lawyer Mickey.

Also starring are Neve Campbell as Mickey’s ex-wife and prosecutor Maggie, Becki Newton as second ex-wife and assistant Lorna, and Angus Sampson as investigator Angus.

Reviewers have been quick to judge, calling the series out as predictable, filled with the usual tired crime/courtroom tropes. But I think the storyline carries along at a pace, and it’s actually quite enjoyable. If you like buddy cop movies (which my husband and I do) this is the show for you.

Since he saw his dad in action in court as a child, Mickey long harboured a dream to follow in his footsteps.

Today, the smart-suited, sharp-as-a-pin lawyer is able to work the courtroom effortlessly, transforming the outcome in favour of his clients...even when the odds seem impossible. He has a gift and a reputation. Both sullied by a stint in rehab following a spell of addiction following a surfing accident.

While working a case from his preferred ‘office’ (a Lincoln), Mickey is called into the district judge’s office, only to be told a fellow lawyer he respected and once worked with has been killed, assassination-style. His practice? Left to Mickey without explanation.

This is just the big break he needs to get back on the horse – although it’s not without challenges. Who killed his friend, and why?

And can he win the biggest case of his career, which has just been handed to him on a silver platter? While helping the ‘little guys’ with pro bono and small-fee jobs, the case of the state vs Trevor Elliott is a gamechanger for Mickey.

High-flying tech bod Trevor (Christopher Gorham) stands accused of shooting his wife and her lover dead. It's down to Mickey to prove otherwise, all with an X on his back. And he feels sure there’s something his newest client isn’t telling him.