Five star - Latest 5 Star TV Reviews from the Guardian

Wild Isles review – David Attenborough’s last hurrah makes for unmissable TV
The broadcasting legend takes a lovely, unparalleled look at the majestic wildlife of the UK and Ireland. If anyone can stop its terrifying destruction, it’s him - Rebecca Nicholson
Undercover Ambulance: NHS in Chaos review – a lethal lottery seen through horrified eyes
An emergency medical worker spent months secretly filming his harrowing existence for this heartrending documentary about our broken health service. How much more can we take? - Jack Seale
You season four part two review – utterly terrible … and yet it is perfect
The cast is inconsistent, the satire is shallow and the twists are laughable – but somehow this hottest of televisual messes is impossible to resist - Leila Latif
Stephen Fry: Willem and Frieda – Defying the Nazis review – oh, what an astounding story this is!
Fry lovingly brings to life the incredible adventures of two war heroes, whose all-night forgery parties fuelled by booze and amphetamines saved thousands of Jews - Ellen E Jones
Murder in the Pacific review – the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior boat makes for thrilling, urgent TV
The gripping tale of the Greenpeace ship that was rocked by explosions and sunk in just 40 seconds couldn’t feel more current – despite happening almost 40 years ago - Rebecca Nicholson
Endeavour review – the Morse prequel’s final series scales heights the original never reached
An incriminating note written on sheet music, a flirtatious musician, a pint of bitter … this intricate, sure-footed crime show’s farewell is even more accomplished than its predecessor - Stuart Jeffries
All That Breathes review – every minute of this Oscar-nominated documentary is gold dust
Whimsical almost to the point of absurdity, this beautiful, meditative film about an Indian bird sanctuary is full of soul-transforming magic - Ellen E Jones
Happy Valley finale review – one of TV’s greatest trilogies gets a fiery farewell
This awe-inspiring drama’s ending was full of redemption, justice and bitter laughs. Together, Sarah Lancashire and Sally Wainwright are invincible - Lucy Mangan
Three Minutes: A Lengthening review – Helena Bonham Carter is profoundly poetic in an astounding documentary
The actor’s meditative voiceover guides viewers through a hugely moving look at a 1938 video clip of a Polish village – before it was decimated by the Holocaust - Rebecca Nicholson
The Sex Lives of College Girls review – this comedy’s spectacular chemistry makes it the modern-day Friends
The gang of pitch-perfect actors give this show the perfect, elusive blend of truthful, joyful and funny - Lucy Mangan
The Last of Us review – one of the finest TV shows you will see this year
This desperately moving drama set in a zombie-ravaged US is a phenomenal blend of horror and heart, with a cast that could not be more perfect - Rebecca Nicholson
Happy Valley review – Sally Wainwright’s masterwork is back!
From its impeccable acting talent to a writer who captures the female experience like no one else, this drama’s final series is as excellent as ever - Lucy Mangan
Christmas Carole review – Suranne Jones is pitch perfect in this instant festive classic
From a ghostly Morecambe and Wise to high-kicking dance numbers, this modern retelling of the Dickens classic is absolutely glorious - Lucy Mangan
The Traitors finale review – so thrilling your heart won’t stop hammering in your chest
The pay-off of this gloriously twisted gameshow has such high stress, hellish back-stabs and helicopter dives that everyone ends up crying … even Claudia Winkleman - Alim Kheraj
I Hate Suzie Too review – Amy Winehouse and Caroline Flack haunt this astounding show
It may be the televisual equivalent of a panic attack – but TV doesn’t get any weirder, sadder or more fearlessly magnificent - Chitra Ramaswamy
Children of the Taliban review – this beautiful documentary is an absolute must-watch
There are too many moving scenes to count as we follow four youngsters living in Kabul. This is thought-provoking TV that’s full of hopes, dreams – and the necessity of education - Rebecca Nicholson
The White Lotus finale review – an absolute televisual chef’s kiss
Yet again, this show has proved that it is possible to make outstanding TV that both plays to the crowd and refuses to sing the classics. What a glorious way to see off the year - Rebecca Nicholson
The English review – Emily Blunt’s sweeping western is a rare, sensational masterpiece
Hugo Blick’s revelatory series is a gorgeous, glorious new take on the old west – a lawless land where no one can hear you, or anyone in your way, scream - Lucy Mangan
The White Lotus season two review – this immaculate show’s writing is utterly unrivalled
The glorious, layered comedy-drama is back – with sex on its mind. Set in Sicily, impeccable turns come from Jennifer Coolidge and new faces including Aubrey Plaza - Lucy Mangan
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities review – the horror series that’s perfect pre-Halloween viewing
The Oscar-winning director’s eight part anthology is full of delectably nasty tales brimming with some of the most exciting voices in horror - Leila Latif
Somewhere Boy review – a beautiful, rare find that is in a world of its own
This very special story about a boy kept cloistered in a remote house is an astute mix of gothic, thriller and family drama. You’ll want to watch the whole series in one go - Rebecca Nicholson
Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone review – ingenious, essential viewing from Adam Curtis
Showing everyone from reindeer herders to scientists wrapping themselves in sticky tape to head into Chernobyl, this fine series traces the latterday Russian revolution that brought in a kleptocracy and paved the way for Putin - Stuart Jeffries
The Bear review – should you watch this genius kitchen drama immediately? ‘Yes, chef!’
This flawless, propulsive show about a talented chef overhauling his chaotic family sandwich joint is the perfect dish, really. Tuck in! - Lucy Mangan
Make Me Prime Minister review – absolute, exquisite agony
It’s The Apprentice for aspiring politicians – starring Thatcher devotees and Jackie Weaver. As reality TV, it is perfect. As a viewing experience, it’s hell - Lucy Mangan
Stuck review – you’ll want to smash your face into Dylan Moran’s delicious sitcom like it’s cake
This sitcom about a long-term relationship is vintage Moran, and unerringly captures the compromise needed to survive coupledom. I’ve never felt so seen - Lucy Mangan
Frozen Planet II review – TV so relentlessly wondrous that you’ll feel like a child again
David Attenborough’s tour of sweeping vistas, uncouth felines and terrifying predators is a sublime spectacle – and a rallying call for humanity - Lucy Mangan
Mind Over Murder review – a truly moving testimony to the healing power of art
This psyche-shatteringly crazy true-crime documentary meticulously shows not just the frailty of humanity – but how a damaged community can be repaired - Lucy Mangan
The Great series two review – Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult return in TV’s most riotously entertaining show
Every line of the script brims with wicked hedonism, as this gripping period drama gets into its groove – and war rages between Fanning’s Catherine and Hoult’s Peter - Jack Seale
Myanmar: The Forgotten Revolution review – as chilling and courageous as TV gets
As we watch young protesters become a guerrilla army with just one firearm between them, this startling film lays out the brutality of last year’s military coup. This is not just television – it is evidence for a future war crimes trial - Phil Harrison
Maryland review – 25 minutes of female fury that speaks for us all
Lucy Kirkwood’s rage-filled, agonisingly truthful drama about two women attacked by the same man – and the woeful police response – perfectly captures generations of anger and pain - Lucy Mangan
Better Things series five review – a life-affirming final outing that will leave a gaping hole in TV comedy
Pamela Adlon’s relatable, uplifting autobiographical dramedy about motherhood is creatively confident, gripping entertainment – and will be sorely missed - Rachel Aroesti
The Real Mo Farah review – a beautiful, heartbreaking story that exposes cruel Tory policy
This hugely moving documentary sees the athlete bravely open up about being trafficked to the UK as a child, highlighting our government’s disgraceful demonisation of illegal immigrants - Stuart Jeffries
Better Call Saul season six, part two review – the camerawork is as intricate as a Vermeer painting
The final batch of episodes kicks off with a virtuoso Vince Gilligan-directed instalment, that’s all beguilingly complicated visual techniques and gun-toting, tense plotlines - Stuart Jeffries
Atlanta season three review – this peerless show’s impact will live for ever
In the four long years since the last outing of Donald Glover’s bold, expectation-defying comedy cum absurdist horror, its cast have become megastars – and this epic third season shows why - Ellen E Jones
Sherwood finale review – every arrow hit its mark
Stuffed with the best British acting talent in a generation, this gloriously directed, superbly written ending was quietly devastating. There seems to be nothing its creator James Graham can’t do - Lucy Mangan
Aids: The Unheard Tapes review – tragedy and joy from voices no longer with us
This powerful documentary, based on recordings made by those caught in the first wave of HIV, is remarkable in its celebration of a hedonistic lifestyle shaped in part by a homophobic society - Lucy Mangan
Kelly Holmes: Being Me review – a victory in so many ways
For more than 30 years, the Olympic gold medallist lived in terror of people discovering she was gay. This raw, brave and remarkable documentary shows how she finally went public – and why her coming out matters so much - Rebecca Nicholson
The Whistleblowers: Inside the UN review – a horrific tale of misogyny, rape and 10,000 deaths
This shocking, methodical documentary uses first-hand testimonies to expose a toxic culture where abusers prey on the vulnerable – while hiding behind a cloak of saintliness - Jack Seale
Sherwood review – the cleverest, most compelling show I’ve seen in years
James Graham’s crime drama about a crossbow killing rocking an ex-mining town is the TV equivalent of bowling a strike. Everything you could hope for is here - Lucy Mangan
My Name Is Leon review – a small miracle of child’s-eye-view TV
Kit de Waal’s award-winning novel about a boy in foster care becomes a wise, touching and magical drama packed with stellar talent - Ellen E Jones
Hacks season two review: the most vile – and pleasurable – comedy on TV
Deborah and Ava are heading off on tour ... and still being operatically cruel. Who cares about likability when watching these women be vicious to each other is such a delight? - Rebecca Nicholson
Ms Marvel review – a glorious debut for the MCU’s first Muslim superhero
Instant stardom awaits the new girl in the Marvel universe. She’s funny, charming and effortlessly bats off preconceptions in this joyful coming-of-age tale. Let the geek girls inherit the Earth! - Lucy Mangan
Abbott Elementary review – the gags come so thick and fast they take your breath away
This hilarious mockumentary set in a US school is full of astonishingly rapid-fire jokes, immaculate timing and note-perfect acting. It’s absolutely charming - Lucy Mangan
Two Daughters review – a raw, devastating account of the murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman
Stacey Dooley spends a year with the family of the two women for a documentary that’s an astonishingly frank portrayal of their grief, and the awful failings of the police - Rebecca Nicholson
Derry Girls finale review – absolutely cracker
This perfectly proportioned ending tugs at the heartstrings, and delivers the funniest TV scene of the year bar none. Rarely does a comedy bow out on such a high - Rebecca Nicholson
Navalny review – one of the most jaw-dropping things you’ll ever witness
As Putin’s nemesis Alexei Navalny phones up the secret agent who put Novichok in his pants, this terrifying documentary enters the realms of the far-fetched spy thriller – and yet it’s all true - Phil Harrison
Russian Doll review – did we need this second season? Yes, yes, yes
The return of the timeloop drama is truly gorgeous, from its aesthetic to its script. Its rich, clever scenes are packed with wisecracks – and the mesmerising swagger of Natasha Lyonne - Rebecca Nicholson
Gentleman Jack series two review – one of the greatest British period dramas of our time
Suranne Jones is an alchemical force of nature in the gleeful, radical return of this rollicking, romantic and exquisitely scripted historical drama - Chitra Ramaswamy
Then Barbara Met Alan review – a rollicking, fact-based drama with a rock biography’s swagger
This nimble biopic tells the tale of a comedian and a musician, both with disabilities, who were fed up of being patronised and marginalised. Their protest-packed tale is perfect for our times - Jack Seale
My Brilliant Friend review – this gorgeous drama is television at its best
Series three of this impeccably stylish adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novels is seductive, cinematic and weaves a spell unlike anything else - Rebecca Nicholson
Severance review – Ben Stiller’s workplace fantasy might make your mind explode
Adam Scott, Christopher Walken and Patricia Arquette star in an idiosyncratic, intelligent comedy-drama where workers’ brains are separated into work and home halves - Lucy Mangan
The Curse review – a sublime crime caper with an unfeasibly brilliant cast
The stars of People Just Do Nothing and King Gary team up for a finely-calibrated show about idiots planning a heist in a gorgeously rendered 1980s London - Jack Seale
Chloe review – Erin Doherty is outstanding in this social media thriller
There is not one false note in this fierce, fresh murder mystery, starring the actor who played The Crown’s Princess Anne. It’s an absolute feast of a show - Lucy Mangan
The Responder review – Martin Freeman is magnificent in tour de police force
With rage in his heart and spit on his face, Freeman will surely win all the awards for this drama written by an ex-cop that’s as riveting as a thriller and as profound as a documentary - Lucy Mangan
Ozark review – Jason Bateman and Laura Linney could teach Lady Macbeth a thing or two
The Byrde family face an impossible challenge in this final series: help a cartel boss to walk away, or go the way of their many victims. Will they make it out alive? - Stuart Jeffries
The Green Planet review – David Attenborough’s gobsmacking, awe-inspiring return
From glowing bioluminescent fungus to 7,000 different camera set-ups for ants, the veteran broadcaster’s miraculous profile of plant life will have you gasping in astonishment so often you’ll be breathless - Lucy Mangan
PEN15 review – the most captivating cringe-comedy on TV bows out on a high
As Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle’s show enters its final run, it’s at the peak of its powers. Never have the agonies of teenage life been so clear … or so hilarious - Rebecca Nicholson
Anne review – Maxine Peake exudes raw horror in extraordinary Hillsborough drama
For a quarter of a century, Anne Williams fought the official narrative about the Hillsborough disaster that took her 15-year-old son. This painful, tender drama shows her fight - Jack Seale
A Very British Scandal review – Claire Foy is masterful as the ‘dirty duchess’ out for blood
The crowd outside the divorce court screamed ‘Slut!’ But Margaret of Argyll would not be cowed by them, the judge or the explicit photos – as this mean, lean drama brilliantly shows - Lucy Mangan
Succession season three finale review – sheer sinister perfection
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more magnificently evil, Shiv, Kendall and Roman discover they have not just one parent who doesn’t love them, but two - Lucy Mangan
Landscapers review – Olivia Colman and David Thewlis stun as killer couple on the run
Two of their generation’s greatest actors reach new heights in this immaculate retelling of real-life murderous couple Susan and Christopher Edwards - Lucy Mangan
Death of England: Face to Face review – state of the nation drama is a fast, furious triumph
This amalgamation of two National Theatre monologues makes for an unflinching, highly impressive examination of race, identity and toxic masculinity - Lucy Mangan
An Audience With Adele review – a master comedian at work
Within moments of watching the mega-voice in action, it’s clear she is also an uproarious host, MC and comic. It’s hard to imagine anyone doing this better (especially Alan Carr …) - Rachel Aroesti
In My Skin review – raw coming-of-age tale is a total TV gem
The second series of the Welsh drama about a teenager grappling with a rollercoaster of growing pains is a poignant must-see which deserves widespread acclaim - Rebecca Nicholson
Los Espookys review – a wacky wonder of a horror show with Fred Armisen
A group of friends find a market for gruesome ‘dark parties’, in a delightfully creepy Spanish-language comedy that’s unlike anything else on TV - Rebecca Nicholson
Curb Your Enthusiasm review – Larry’s back, and funnier than ever
The return of the angriest yet most comforting comedy on television brings the perfect formula of celebrity cameos, snark and screaming - Jordan Hoffman
Succession review: smash hit reaches fabulous new heights of comedy – and cruelty
From the bloody machinations of Logan and Kendall to Cousin Greg’s buffoonery, the third series of the HBO drama continues to deliver the most thrilling and beautifully obscene TV there is - Rebecca Nicholson
Reservation Dogs review – a stereotype-smashing, Tarantino-esque triumph
Taika Waititi teams up with Native American showrunner Sterlin Harjo for a magical coming-of-age comedy about four teens who go on a lackadaisical crime spree - Ellen E Jones
Guilt series two review – Scotland’s answer to Fargo is still deliciously twisted
Mark Bonnar’s Max is out of jail and looking for revenge in the return of this witty, scintillating treat set in a Trainspotting-esque Edinburgh - Stuart Jeffries
Succession season three review – as glorious and furious as ever
We’re back with the monstrous Roy family in the immediate aftermath of Kendall’s live TV address – and the hit show is still exquisite agony to behold - Lucy Mangan
Standing Firm: Football’s Windrush Story review – a damning history lesson with Benjamin Zephaniah
This essential documentary catalogues everything black footballers have done for the beautiful game – and the disgraceful abuse they have suffered in return - Stuart Jeffries
Hawking: Can You Hear Me? review – a startling, harrowing look at Stephen’s secret life
This intimate portrait of genius physicist Stephen Hawking shows the true toll of his physical decline on his family, via revealing interviews with his first wife and children - Lucy Mangan
Alma’s Not Normal review – TV comedy at its rudest and most fabulous
Standup Sophie Willan’s semi-autobiographical sitcom about family, friendship and sex work is audacious television full of big laughs. The future of comedy is safe in her hands - Rebecca Nicholson
A Killing in Tiger Bay review – a rigorous examination of justice unserved
This three-part series takes an unsensationalist approach in recounting how police pursued five innocent men for the murder of Lynette White in Cardiff in 1988 - Lucy Mangan
Back to Life series two review – Daisy Haggard’s comedy is near-perfect TV
This BBC show about Miri’s return home after 18 years in prison is a pure and painful delight, which can move you from tears to laughter within a single line - Lucy Mangan
9/11: Inside the President’s War Room review – astonishing and petrifying
This remarkable documentary shows exactly how 9/11 unfolded for George W Bush, from the multiple prayer breaks to the anti-anthrax pills – and the vow to ‘kick ass’ before he knew whose ass to kick - Jack Seale
Vigil review – Suranne Jones feels the pressure in sharp submarine thriller
Martin Compston is in trouble and Jones’s detective must calm the troubled seas, in a murky marine drama that delivers solid, old-fashioned entertainment - Lucy Mangan
The White Lotus review – a magnificently monstrous look at how the other half live
Rich guests – including a spaced-out Jennifer Coolidge – rub shoulders with downtrodden workers on a holiday from hell, in Mike White’s superb satire about inequality - Lucy Mangan
Untold review – gripping doc series delivers an irresistible sports fix
Missing the Olympics? Netflix’s thrilling new show will fill the gap with its deep dives into astonishing moments from sports history, starting with the ‘Malice at the Palace’ basketball brawl - Rebecca Nicholson
Ted Lasso season two review – the most joyous show on TV scores again
The footballing comedy digs deeper in its second run, with a frosty new foe for lovely coach Ted to crack … but it still stays true to its glorious, feelgood spirit - Lucy Mangan
Uprising review – Steve McQueen’s series on the New Cross fire is furious, devastating TV
McQueen and James Rogan’s remarkable, intimate documentary meets the survivors of the 1981 fire and looks at its shocking aftermath - Rebecca Nicholson
This Way Up series two review – TV so good it’s indistinguishable from magic
Co-starring Sharon Horgan, Aisling Bea’s delightful, devastating comedy about mental health and sisterhood remains the perfect showcase for the pair’s prodigious talents - Lucy Mangan
The White Lotus review – 2021’s best, and most uncomfortable, TV show
Enlightened creator Mike White’s Hawaii-set comedy drama offers up scathing social satire in a ballsy take-no-prisoners state of the nation series - Benjamin Lee
I Think You Should Leave season two review: uncomfortable, ridiculous – and totally brilliant
From a bizarre case of road rage to offbeat toilet humour, Tim Robinson’s superb sketch show returns to Netflix, taking the less-travelled path to laughter - Ellen E Jones
Rick and Morty series five review – proof that Elon Musk must be stopped!
If you are plotting to monkey around with the space-time continuum, at least let it result in a show as funny, clever and brilliant as Rick and Morty - Stuart Jeffries
Horizon Special: The Vaccine review – meet the superheroes who saved the planet
This masterful, mind-boggling film gets up close with the scientists who huddled over computers in their PJs to save millions of lives. The wonder of it! - Lucy Mangan
Time review – Sean Bean and Stephen Graham astound in enraging prison drama
Its two stars give exceptional performances as inmate and officer respectively, in a series about the inhumanity of the penal system which lays bare Jimmy McGovern’s genius - Lucy Mangan
Feel Good season two review – Mae Martin’s queer love story is a deadpan delight
The comic’s series about addiction and relationships is both a tender exploration of trauma, and extraordinarily funny. This is TV that gives you a crash course in empathy - Rebecca Nicholson
Mare of Easttown finale review – Kate Winslet drama is a stunning, harrowing success
The actor’s turn as a complex, fallible detective has been a privilege to witness, in a murder mystery that kept us guessing right to the profoundly moving end - Lucy Mangan
Master of None season three review – Lena Waithe and Naomi Ackie shine in reimagined romcom
With Aziz Ansari now behind the camera rather than in front of it, his series on modern love instead follows two queer, Black women – and is all the more mature and radical for it - Ellen E Jones
Subnormal: A British Scandal review – the racist nightmare that scarred black children for life
Lyttanya Shannon’s film is a devastating look at the kids unfairly deemed ‘educationally subnormal’ in the 60s and 70s – and their lasting trauma - Rebecca Nicholson
The Underground Railroad review – harrowing, magical, masterful TV
Barry Jenkins’ extraordinary adaptation of the Colson Whitehead novel about escaping the clutches of slavery is hallucinatory and heartbreaking. Just don’t binge-watch it - Lucy Mangan
Danny Boy review – the tremendous Toby Jones deserves all the awards
This excellent, eye-opening drama about the Iraq war probes the line between military violence and unlawful killing. Essential viewing - Ellen E Jones
The Pursuit of Love review – absolutely glorious
Emily Mortimer’s immaculate adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s bestseller about the madcap Radlett family is an instant classic. What a magnificent treat to tuck into - Lucy Mangan
Mare of Easttown review – Kate Winslet triumphs in a moreish murder mystery
Alongside an able cast, the actor gives a defining performance in this perfectly conjured HBO drama set in a bleak and deprived corner of Pennsylvania - Lucy Mangan
Too Close review – could this ‘yummy mummy’ be a murderer?
Emily Watson and Denise Gough star in ITV’s compelling whydunnit, which boasts one of the most convincing cat-and-mouse games ever seen on screen - Lucy Mangan
Black Power: A British Story of Resistance review – a tortuous fight for justice
A coda to Steve McQueen’s Small Axe, George Amponsah’s documentary is a masterly history of a multifaceted and complex movement for racial equality - Ellen E Jones
This Is My House review – through the keyhole with Stacey Dooley
Luton’s leading presenter and celebrity judges separate real homeowners from a panel of fakes in this new reality show. It’s an intoxicating mix of hostility, joy – and ill-advised sofa-licking - Lucy Mangan
Football's Darkest Secret review – spare and unrelenting
This investigation into the crimes of Barry Bennell and others is unsensational, compassionate and necessary, and the courage of those who came forward shines through - Lucy Mangan
The Flight Attendant review – strap in for a first-class murder mystery
Far from The Big Bang Theory, Kaley Cuoco hits new heights as a cabin crew worker entangled in an elaborate crime in this slick and witty thriller - Lucy Mangan