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The series is based on a best-selling book

A book adaptation hailed a “masterpiece” by viewers is coming to ITV’s streaming service for the first time.

Nine Perfect Strangers, which debuted on Hulu in 2021, will arrive on ITVX in September. It’s not the only new launch landing next month, with all five seasons of Poldark also making its way to the streaming service.

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, the mystery drama has a star-studded cast list with big Hollywood names such as Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarth.

Luke Evans, Christine Baranski, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Shannon, Annie Murphy and Mark Strong also star.

A synopsis reads: “Nine Perfect Strangers is set at a boutique resort which promises healing and transformation to nine stressed city dwellers.

“Watching over them during the ten-day retreat is resort director Masha (Nicole Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine perfect strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.”

Nine Perfect Strangers was directed by David E. Kelley, known for Big Little Lies, and has been described as a “suspense-filled drama” with lighter comedic moments. The series explores how far people will go to face their personal demons and get well, shining a light on the world of health and wellness and our constant quest for self-improvement.

And while the drama is new to ITV, those who watched it on Hulu back in 2021 have a lot to say about it.

One viewer wrote on IMDb: “This show is amazing I honestly could NOT stop watching, Great casting very thrilling and suspenseful it definitely had me hooked. Going into this show I honestly did not expect much but boy was I wrong, I’m not gonna spoil anything but trust me you should definitely give this show a watch it will not let you down. 100000 out of 10 perfection, thanks Hulu.”

While another added: “Modern masterpiece.Perfectly relevant. Wonderfully acted across the board. This is top tier production of story.

“Filled with character and drama and poignant climax each episode. There is direction and building and thorough relation with everything. No disappointment episode to episode and an overall positive outcome that closes with satisfaction and optimism. Fiction steeped with reality.The music, cinematography, acting, animation, and overall direction really sends this into the upper echelon. Brilliant.”

Overall, Nine Perfect Strangers has mixed reviews, with some calling the plot “confusing”. Reflecting on this, one fan of the book wrote: “The TV adaptation follows the novel very closely. If you read the book you’ll enjoy it on the screen. If you haven’t read the book, sit back, shut up, and get ready for a bumpy ride. THEN leave your review.”

Nine Perfect Strangers will land on ITVX on September 27.

The SEC announced on Tuesday that it had filed a proposal titled “Regulation Crypto Assets”, giving crypto entrepreneurs a clearer, considerably lighter route to raising capital under federal securities law, according to the press release published by the regulator.

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It is the agency’s first formal rulemaking dedicated to crypto asset offerings, building on broader interpretive guidance the SEC issued in March, and would spare qualifying issuers the costly registration process required of most public offerings.

At the centre of the proposal sit two new exemptions.

The “startup exemption” would let an issuer raise up to $5 million (€4.3mn) over a four year period without registering the offering.

A second, the “fundraising exemption”, would permit raises of up to $75 million (€64.7mn) within any 12 month stretch, though issuers relying on it would still need to publish financial statements and meet ongoing reporting duties.

Both routes ask companies to give investors narrative, principles based disclosures, rather than the dense legal filings typically demanded of public listings.

The proposal also sets out a conditional safe harbour that could eventually place certain tokens outside the legal definition of a security, once an issuer has finished, or permanently abandoned, the managerial efforts it promised investors.

It would also override conflicting state registration rules for offerings made under the exemptions, sparing issuers from having to comply separately with individual state securities regimes.

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins described the package as a “minimum effective dose” of oversight, protecting investors while leaving builders maximum room to innovate.

The reception of the proposal has been largely warm.

Summer Mersinger, CEO of the Blockchain Association, said the move finally delivers the tailored regulatory clarity the sector has sought for years. Cody Carbone, CEO of the Digital Chamber, likewise praised the plan, pledging support in helping the industry expand within the US rather than abroad.

However, the proposal is far from final. It stays open for public comment for 60 days once published in the Federal Register, meaning its provisions could still change, or be scrapped, before any final rule is adopted.

US Senate stalls, regulator steps in

The SEC’s move comes roughly a week and a half after the US Senate left Washington for its summer recess without advancing the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633), the industry’s flagship bill, which would split oversight of digital assets between the SEC and the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

US Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed a cloture motion on the bill on 7 August, but lawmakers departed before a vote was held. That motion is now due to come up again on 15 September, a procedural hurdle rather than a final vote, once senators return.

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins has argued on more than one occasion that only Congress can deliver a lasting, “future-proofed” framework able to survive changes in political leadership, and the Commission says it still backs the bill’s passage.

Even so, with its timetable slipping into autumn, the regulator appears to have decided not to wait, instead using powers it already holds to offer the industry some certainty while lawmakers prepare to resume the debate next month.

Best known as the voice of Love Island, Iain Stirling is trying something completely different as the host of Race Against the Tide

Love Island’s Iain Stirling has stepped away from the villa and onto the sands of Scotland in a bold new series.

Race Against the Tide, which has just launched on BBC Two, sees Stirling take centre stage as host of a distinctive sand sculpture competition.

Prior to the series launch, Stirling said: “Audiences are going to love Race Against the Tide! It’s got everything you could want from a summer show – stunning Scottish scenery, incredible creativity, and, of course, lots of sand puns – you can be shore of that. I can’t wait for everyone to see what our teams create.”

Filmed on St Andrews Beach, the show welcomes seven teams to compete in a race against time, with pairs given just six hours to construct sand sculptures before the incoming tide washes them away. Each duo comprises one professional sculptor and a complete amateur.

The contestants hail from a diverse range of backgrounds, including a leather craftsman, cake decorator, plasterer, stationery designer, carpenter, art teacher and fine art student.

The sculptures are assessed by industry professionals Sadie Clayton and Jamie Wardley, who judge each creation on technical ability, creativity and storytelling, reports the Daily Record.

The debut episode aired on Tuesday (August 18) evening and fans were genuinely impressed, taking to X, formerly Twitter, to share their verdicts.

One viewer enthused: “Watching #RaceAgainstTheTide on # iPlayer. It’s actually quite fun.”

Another added: “#raceagainstthetide – fantastic fun and silly summer television and completely pointless. Great stuff.”

A third delighted viewer chimed in: “Loving #RaceAgainstTheTide with @IainDoesJokes on @ BBC @BBCTwo a great fun new show. Who doesn’t love making sand castles on the beach. This is that x1000! Original idea! Well done.”

However, the programme failed to win everybody over, with one critic posting: “I think this is better viewed on mute #raceagainstthetide.”

Each episode of Race Against the Tide centres on a fresh challenge built around a distinct theme. The opening instalment tasked the contestants with creating a sculpture inspired by the phrase ‘Life’s A Beach’.

When the challenge concluded, Rachel and Athena secured the title of Sand Champions, while Zara and David were eliminated from the competition.

Across the upcoming five episodes, the other couples will be eliminated until one team claims the first Race Against the Tide crown.

Race Against the Tide is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

This “true hidden gem” quietly stars singing icon David Bowie.

Christopher Nolan fans should be tuning into this “mindblowing” period drama based on a top-selling book.

Movie fanatics are queuing up to see Christopher Nolan’s historical epic Odyssey starring the likes of Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.

Having already grossed a whopping $1.1 billion worldwide, smashing box office records, The Odyssey is director Nolan’s latest triumph following from The Dark Knight franchise, Inception and, of course, Oppenheimer.

But it’s another of his “underrated” creations that has been causing excitement since its release on Netflix with many labelling it his “best film”.

Adapted from Christopher Priest’s 1995 novel of the same name, The Prestige is a 2006 period drama thriller that also boasts an enviable cast.

The Prestige is led by two Hollywood heavyweights in The Greatest Showman star Hugh Jackman and The Dark Knight Rises’ Christian Bale who reunites with Nolan once again for this “mindblowing” film.

They are joined by other major stars like The Avengers’ Scarlett Johansson, Alfie legend Michael Caine and none other than singing legend David Bowie who is truly unrecognisable as real-life scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla.

The Prestige revolves two 19th Century London stage musicians Robert Angier (played by Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale).

The pair have a lifelong bond until their friendship descends into a bitter rivalry following the accidental death of Angier’s wife, leaving both men dangerously consumed by their desire to outside one another.

The once-close bond between Robert Angier and Alfred Borden descends into a bitter, lifelong rivalry following a tragic accident that claimed Angier’s wife, leaving both men dangerously consumed by the need to outshine one another.

Twenty years may have passed since its release but fans cannot help but praise the period drama thriller on IMdB.

“What I found with The Prestige is perhaps one of the best films of this century and perhaps one of Nolan’s most underrated”, someone said.

“Because this film, this real film, is simply astonishing.”

A second agreed: “This movie was truly a masterpiece and kept me guessing the whole time” as a third stated: “I must say…one of the best films I’ve seen! 10/10.”

Another declared The Prestige to be “Nolan’s best film” as a fellow enthusiast hailed it “one of the best films of all time”.

The Prestige is currently available to stream on Netflix.

A police drama that has gripped viewers is returning for a new series on the BBC

The BBC has shared a first look at the new series of a police drama fans have called “the best cop show”.

Belfast-set Blue Lights has become a huge success since it started in 2023, with viewers gripped by its first three series.

It is now set to return for a fourth run, and the broadcaster has given fans a peek at what’s to come in images showing Siân Brooke, Martin McCann, Katherine Devlin and Nathan Braniff back in uniform.

The series, which follows officers at the fictional Blackthorn police station in Belfast, will also see the return of Game of Thrones’ Richard Dormer.

He played Gerry Cliff in series one, and will be back alongside Hannah McClean as solicitor Jen Robinson and Jonathan Harden as disgraced former Inspector, Jonty, in an episode “that will answer important questions from the past”.

The new images come weeks after the BBC shared an exclusive clip from the new season.

The brief look at series four showed Constable Shane Bradley (Frank Blake) pulling over elderly driver David (Trevor Gill) and his passenger, Imelda (Rosamund Monteith), to quiz him about whether he had been drinking.

Fans are eagerly awaiting the new episodes, after declaring the first three series of Blue Lights were “excellent” and “outstanding”.

One posted a comment on IMDb.com saying the show was “entertainment at its best”, while another remarked: “As an ex-cop, I’m so sick of US made cookie cutter police shows. Blue Lights in my opinion is bang on what it’s like to be cop.”

“Brilliant acting, directing, production – award winning drama all round,” said someone else. “Absolutely outstanding British drama. It’s poignant, emotional, engaging. The cast are brilliant. Best show I’ve watched in a long time.”

“If you haven’t watched Blue Lights yet, you’re missing out on one of the best shows in years,” one fan wrote on Reddit. “This is a must watch show, one of the best of the 2020s and will one day be a classic,” they continued.

“Watched this whole thing in like a week, it is fantastic,” said someone else, as another wrote on Reddit that it was “a masterpiece of a show”.

“This is probably the best cop show since Southland and Bosch,” another viewer commented.

Blue Lights will be available on BBC iPlayer and BBC One this autumn.

The critically acclaimed Australian crime drama is perfect for fans looking for a new binge-watch

Crime drama fans hunting for their next must-watch should look no further than this critically acclaimed Australian series that has cultivated a loyal fanbase across the globe.

Created by and starring Scott Ryan, Mr. Inbetween is a dark comedy-crime drama that chronicles Ray Shoesmith, a contract killer who tries to juggle his perilous criminal existence with the mundane demands of fatherhood, relationships, and friendships.

Over three seasons, audiences follow Ray as he’s compelled to handle everything from underworld conflicts and domestic challenges to personal tragedy.

Mr. Inbetween originally broadcast on Fox Showcase from 2018 to 2021 and garnered widespread praise for its writing and acting.

The series also features Justin Rosniak, Brooke Satchwell, Nicholas Cassim, and Damon Herriman.

Despite spanning only across 26 episodes, Mr. Inbetween has established itself as one of the finest crime dramas in recent memory and has received praise from viewers.

One enthusiast wrote on Reddit: “Mr Inbetween is one of the greatest shows ever made. Believe me when I say this show really is a masterpiece”, reports the Express.

“The camera work is beautiful, so many brilliant shots which feel organic and clear, you are never confused at what you are looking at and it stays consistent since it is the same director every episode.”

They complimented the pacing as “fantastic”, adding: “The action is honestly one of the best showcases of special and practical effects on TV in terms of gun scenes.”

They continued: “The characters are what truly makes the show, every character is acted so well you really believe them and see them like a real person. They all have struggles and motivations that make you care for all of them.

“The dialogue is so well written, so many amazing jokes and threatening, gritty quotes which are extremely effective. One plot thread leads to another all while feeling like a day in the life story.”

The enthusiast concluded: “I can confidently say that this show is far better than any Australian movie or show ever made and can stand up to some of the greatest shows ever made. I implore you to please give this show the love it deserves.”

Another echoed their sentiment: “This show is truly a masterpiece. The acting is sublime, everything about it is unbelievably good and the use of some of Nick Cave’s music so perfectly placed that I think it’s the best show to come out of Australia.”

A third chimed in: “When I finished watching all 26 episodes I thought the same thing. Best show ever made.”

Another concurred: “Absolutely loved it. Best show I have seen since season 1 of true detective. The ending…THE ENDING! ! Magnificent.”

All three series of Mr Inbetween are available to stream now on Disney+.