David Farnor | On 12, Mar 2015

March is always a weird month. It’s sunny, but not quite warm enough to go outside. You’ve finished House of Cards. What, then, do you watch? Luckily, BBC iPlayer’s catalogue never seems to run out of good things to watch. From a bomb disposal comedy to a BAFTA-nominated short, here are the top TV shows and films currently on BBC iPlayer.

Bluestone 42 Season 3

A comedy drama following a bomb disposal unit in Afghanistan? It’s exactly the kind of thing you can expect from BBC Three – and, like a lot of the channel’s original series, this is cracking stuff. We rejoin the Bluestone 42 team after the IED explosion has hit their mastiff. Have they all survived? Tune in for Matthew Lewis, aka. Neville Longbottom. Stay for the agile balancing of conflict and genuine laughs.

Available until: 11th April

Top Gear

One of BBC iPlayer’s most popular series whenever it’s available, Top Gear regularly tops the Beeb’s most-streamed chart. Jeremy Clarkson and the rest of Season 2 may be suspended. but don’t get into a fracas with your telly: loads of it is still available for catch-ups or re-watches.

Available until – 16th March (Episode 3)

The Hunter

Willem Dafoe stars in this Australian thriller as a professional assassin sent by a mysterious company to find the last Tasmanian tiger. Slow-paced and thoughtful, this is absorbing stuff.

Available until – 16th March

Good Vibrations

Who is Richard Dormer? We have no idea. But he’s excellent as Terri Hooley in this feel-good movie about Northern Ireland’s punk scene. Who is Terri Hooley? The music industry had no idea, but he was excellent at running a music shop. Somehow, in between his bearded shambles and visibly passionate love of tunes, he found the time to start the Belfast punk rock movement, launching a record label and giving the world the legendary track Teenage Kicks. All in all, it’s quite amazing.

Available until – 15th March

Papillon

Steve McQueen stars in this 1973 drama about a French petty crook whose repeated prison breaks condemn him to the notorious escape-proof prison on Devil’s Island.

Available until – 14th March

Howl

James Franco stars as Allen Ginsberg in this movie following the 1957 publication of his poem Howl and his subsequent trial for obscenity. Woven with animatino throughout, this is closer to poetry than a biopic and all the better for it.

Available until – 16th March

Bitter Lake

Politicians used to have the confidence to tell us stories that made sense of the chaos of world events. But now there are no big stories and politicians react randomly to every new crisis – leaving us bewildered and disorientated. Adam Curtis’ experimental documentary deconstructs the narrative told in the media with a challenging scope and a liberal dose of Carry On movies. As baffling as it is provocative, this feels like essential viewing.

Available until – Start of 2016

Funny Valentines

This charming collection of original comedy shorts, all based around love, sees everyone from Limmy to Bill Bailey deliver their own funny take on the theme. We particularly recommend Matt Berry’s Wild Love, which explores the mating rituals of exotic beasts in their pursuit of sex.

Available until – 15th March

House of Fools

Vic and Bob return for another series of inspired silliness. Here, the pair feel Erik has come of age and decide to arrange a surprise blind date for him at Julie’s Bistro with someone Beef found on the internet.

19th March – Episode 1

Boogaloo and Graham

This Bafta-winning and Oscar-nominated short film from Northern Ireland sees young Jamesy and Malachy over the moon in Belfast, when their soft-hearted dad presents them with two baby chicks to care for. Raising their tiny charges, declaring themselves vegetarian and dreaming of running a chicken farm, the two boys are in for a shock when their parents announce that big changes are coming to the family.

Available until – 25th March

Storyville: Love Is All: 100 Years of Love and Courtship

Storyville’s documentary slot continues its excellent run of interesting non-fiction films. Here, it’s Kim Longinotto’s archive trip through the universal theme of love, set to a stunning soundtrack by Richard Hawley. Love Is All takes us on a journey through the 20th century, exploring love and courtship on screen in a century of unprecedented social upheaval. From the very first kisses ever caught on film, through the disruption of war to the birth of youth culture, gay liberation and free love, we follow courting couples flirting at tea dances, kissing in the back of the movies, shacking up and fighting for the right to love.

Available until – 24th March

Poldark

Poldark and handsome, Aidan Turner is a good fit for this period costume drama about a Cornish tin mine heir who returns home after years in the army to find his estate in ruins, his father deceased and his sweetheart engaged to someone else. There’s not much beneath the surface, but if you were a fan of Kili in The Hobbit, there is some good swooning to be found.

Available until – 7th April (Episode 1)

 

Photo: BBC/Coco Van Oppens

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