ITVX

The Dropout tells the story of the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of biotech company Theranos, starring Amanda Seyfried.

The true crime series starring Amanda Seyfried is now available to stream on ITVX.

The Dropout chronicles the true story behind the collapse of tech firm Theranos and its founder, Elizabeth Holmes.

The tale commences in 2002, when Holmes embarked on a chemical engineering degree at the prestigious Stanford University in California, where she quickly began developing concepts for groundbreaking inventions.

Her initial concept involved creating a patch that would adhere to a person’s skin and continuously monitor the body for infections, automatically dispensing antibiotics when required. While the idea appeared fascinating in principle, it proved physically unachievable.

Professor of Medicine Dr Phyllis Gardner (Laurie Metcalf) advised Holmes of this, but she appeared to dismiss the academic’s knowledge as an underestimation of her capabilities.

Holmes insisted that she could “change the world” with this pioneering technology and garnered international acclaim, reports the Express.

She left Stanford before completing her second year to concentrate on her new venture, Theranos, which centred around an equally ambitious and potentially transformative piece of technology.

Nevertheless, when The Wall Street Journal launched an investigation into the firm, its reporting triggered a cascade of enquiries and increased scrutiny of Theranos, prompting it to become more transparent about its tightly guarded methods.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched an investigation, and 40 per cent of staff were made redundant a year later as the company went through restructuring.

Following the charges, the trial was postponed due to Holmes’ pregnancy and the COVID-19 pandemic, but eventually commenced in September 2021, with a jury convicting her on four counts of defrauding investors four months later.

No verdict was reached on three additional counts of wire fraud against investors, which the government later dropped, while Holmes was also acquitted on four counts of defrauding patients.

On 18th November 2022, Holmes received a sentence of 11 years and three months in prison, and she began serving her sentence in Texas on 30th May 2023.

The Dropout chronicles the dramatic downfall of the woman Forbes once dubbed the “youngest self-made female billionaire” in the world.

“Wow.. this show is insane. I want to start off by saying that I know movies and shows overdramatise true stories, so I’m speaking solely about the show right now. This goes from you rooting for the main character to you hating her.. like a real life Anakin Skywalker story”, one viewer commented about the series in a review on IMDB.

Another remarked, “The story itself is good. It moved at a quick pace, and everything they got is amazing. The one that played Edmund Ko, Stephen Fry as Ian Gibbons, are standouts for me. Sunny was also great.”

A third wrote: “Highly Watchable With Great Performances”, while another stated: “Wonderful! One of the very best shows you can see. Amanda Seyfried deserves every award to which she is eligible. Her performance as Elizabeth Holmes is off the chart.”

The Dropout is available to stream on ITVX

The series first aired a decade ago and gained a loyal fan following.

A “gritty” crime drama that fans have hailed as “underrated” is free to binge on ITVX.

StartUp is an American TV series that first aired back in 2016, with an A-list cast including Adam Brody, Martin Freeman, Edi Gathegi, Otmara Marrero, Ron Perlman and Mira Sorvino.

The series ran for three seasons before coming to an end in 2018, but all three are available to watch on the free streaming service.

The crime drama follows the emergence of a new tech idea that sparks controversy, GenCoin, a digital currency.

When three unlikely people come together for the new business, but find themselves plunged into the dark underworld of organised crime, they must avoid a crooked FBI agent working to take them down.

The synopsis on ITVX teases: “Martin Freeman and Adam Brody shine in this gritty drama. A banker, hacker and gang lord unite in a plan to launder millions, as a crooked agent goes to extremes to take them down.”

Fans have been left begging for a fourth season for a decade, as one wrote: “This series is just something unlike any other other show… I’ve never felt so immersed into a show before. Went through all 3 seasons in about 2 days, it was that good.”

Someone else said: “Couldn’t turn it off, Binge watched the series in a few days,” while another called it an “excellent hidden gem”.

Yet another fan wrote that they were “yearning for more”, adding: “This is a cracker of a series. So full of twists and turns. Great characters, script, direction and cinematography. I can’t believe that it ended. OMG. This was one of the more bingeworthy series I have seen. Relentless drama. I loved the characters and their interrelationships. Powerful stuff.”

One devoted viewer said it was “a crazy underrated show that’s totally binge-worthy,” while someone else said: “This got me hooked from the first episode.”

Another called it “a true diamond in the rough,” while someone else wrote: “This is probably the most underrated TV show I’ve ever seen in my life.”

One fan echoed: “This masterpiece deserves at least a 9. It is so well done and leaves you held in aesthetic arrest. The build up to the various climaxes induces full on catharsis.”

Fans were left gutted when the show came to an end, with no plans for season four, as Spanish film director Luis Prieto, who worked on four episodes of the original season, told Express.co.uk : “This, I really don’t know. It was a Crackle show and from the story, it was working very well.

“I think people were aware it was connecting with the audience but I’m not sure what happened.

“Sometimes things just stop and sometimes it’s for the best. I’m sure Ben Ketai would be extremely excited to continue the adventure.”

Meanwhile, Olly Blackburn, another director who worked on the programme, said he “never guessed” the show would be as big as it was, saying: “If you make something big that connects with people, the audience will find it eventually, and all around the world too.”

StartUp is available to watch on ITVX

Some things simply can’t be beat

A classic period drama, one that popularised the genre globally, is still regarded as one of the finest to ever grace our screens. Period drama enthusiasts will be familiar with the show in question — Upstairs, Downstairs.

Upstairs, Downstairs laid the groundwork for Downton Abbey with a story that will be familiar with fans who have only seen the modern sensation. As the definitive period dramas of their era, the parallels between Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey are self-evident.

Both shows portray the personal struggles of an aristocratic family and their servants against a backdrop of social and political upheaval on an overlapping timeline.

Like Downton Abbey, it spans three decades, covering both World Wars and the roaring 20s through to the Great Depression. The classic show chronicled the turbulent lives of the aristocratic Bellamy family and their servants in the early 1900s.

They diverge in numerous ways, however, and one is immediately apparent.

The seventies programme is less high-end, a quality that can taken as nostalgic or a dealbreaker. Upstairs, Downstairs premiered in 1971 and ran for five years, predating Downton Abbey by a good 50 years.

In fairness, Downton’s setting is inherently more luxurious. The Bellamy family inhabit a London townhouse, a far cry from the Crawley family’s lavish country estate that was a character in its own right.

And while Downton’s visuals proved a triumph, a frequent criticism from audiences is that the programme descended into melodrama. In contrast, Upstairs, Downstairs has been likened to a stage play for its more understated visuals and plotlines.

Fans of both period dramas shared their preferences. One viewer sparked a debate on Reddit, asking: “If you have seen both shows, which show do you think is better?”

“Upstairs Downstairs without question,” replied one viewer decisively. Another agreed: “I like Downton Abbey better, but Upstairs, Downstairs is the better show.

“I have tried watching the Upstairs/Downstairs remake multiple times and I always end stopping after about two episodes,” commented a third. “It just doesn’t grab me like Downton.”

Upstairs, Downstairs is available to watch on ITVX.

The second season of a controversial comedy is now available to binge in its entirety on ITVX

ITV has quietly dropped another season of a comedy that’s been branded “highly offensive”.

Piglets is a British comedy that’s set in a police training college. The first series aired on ITV1 in July 2024, shortly before getting renewed for a follow-up instalment.

The series follows a newly-recruited group of six very different would-be cops, and the handful of key staff whose task it is to knock them into shape.

Sarah Parish and Mark Heap lead the cast as no-nonsense Superintendent Julie Spry and Superintendent Bob Weekes, whose job it is to oversee the training of the next batch of new recruits.

The new recruits include Steph (Callie Cooke), Leggo (Sam Pote), Geeta (Sukh Kaur Ojla), Afia (Halema Hussain), Dev (Abdul Sessay) and Paul (Jamie Bisping). The cast also features Rebecca Humphries as Head of Admin Melanie, as well as Ukweli Roach and Ricky Champ as police trainers Mike and Daz.

Despite pulling in 5.6 million views for its first six episodes, the show was at the centre of huge controversy shortly after its premiere.

The Police Federation of England and Wales described the comedy’s title – which is based on the slang term “pig” for police – as being “highly offensive” and “insulting”. Piglets also received several Ofcom complaints from frustrated viewers when it was broadcast.

Now, the show’s second season has landed on ITVX, with The Traitors favourite Maddy Smedley joining the cast.

Maddy took to her Instagram earlier this week to promote the new series, saying: “So apparently, ITV aren’t really promoting Piglets series two, so this is the advert for it.”

After explaining how fans can find the show on ITVX, the star added: “I worked my butt off on that show, so this is the advert now, like it or lump it. Let me know what you think of the show, and thanks for your time.”

Despite the controversy surrounding the programme, there are lots of viewers who have shared their praise since its release.

One person wrote on IMDb: “This show is an absolute riot. While it may not be for everyone, the hate this show gets is completely unjustified… It’s a simple comedy with funny characters that mesh together perfectly, combining to create one of my favourite shows from this year. I can’t recommend this show enough. I’d love to have more of this show to watch.”

Another added: “I thought this was absolutely brilliant, well written, funny and such a mixed bunch of characters who gel well together for this type of show. A much needed comedy show in today’s TV world!”

A third said: “Piglets has a lot of laughs and is a lot of fun. Yes, it’s silly, which is why it’s so good. Who doesn’t like laughing at silly jokes and puns and references??? It’s a classic comedy and we need more of this on TV.”

Piglets is available to stream on ITVX