David Farnor | On 20, Dec 2015

We catch up with some of the TV shows and films currently available on free VOD services in the UK. (For BBC TV reviews and round-ups, see our weekly Best on BBC iPlayer column.)

Tripped – All 4

Channel 4 hit all the right sci-fi notes earlier this year with the sublime Humans. Now, E4 is following up with its own sci-fi odyssey – and, naturally, it’s a stoner buddy comedy. Or, at least, that’s how it starts out, as Milo finds himself watching best friend Danny (a pet insurance salesman) get married without picking him as the best man. Into that bromance dilemma storm a bunch of warriors from another dimension trying to kill him. The problem? The first one to appear is Danny. And then a bunch of other versions of each of them start showing up, as they hop between alternate universes. Soon, Milo’s helping Milo to stand up to people, while Danny’s watching his fiance Kate (Georgina Campbell) sleep with someone else. The comedy doesn’t always raise laughs – one moment involving a grandma feels artificially edgy for the sake of it – but the mind-bending pile-up of parallel characters holds strong potential for silly thrills.

Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas – All 4

From fondue to mulled wine, Kirstie Allsopp presents this three-part guide to making your own festive fun. She plums her way through it with middle-class radiance, the kind of person who presumes that audiences have the time to craft their own Christmas trees. But she’s a likeable presence and this is a harmless seasonal stocking filler for those who enjoy giving their holidays a more personal touch.

Available until: 16th January 2016

First Dates: The Proposal – All 4

First Dates made its own piece of TV history this week, when Scott proposed to Victoria on camera. But if that was obvious from the episode’s title, there’s a subtle art to the way Channel 4’s reality dating show is put together. Assembling participants, some old, some new, for a festive dinner in their restaurant – covered in more cameras than an MI5 agent’s apartment – the show continues its knack of presenting us with as diverse a palette of people as possible. And so we have a pair who have previously met on Tinder to give things a modern edge, while third-time-lucky Luke tries to charm a new prospect with laddish banter. There’s a neat layer of the post-modern to it all, as people recognise each other from the telly, which contrasts with the good old sight of one person asking another to marry them. But it’s the return of Louisa that proves hardest to resist, as we discover her wonderfully unique sense of humour just might have found an offbeat guy to appreciate it – exactly the kind of heart-warming spectacle you want on your telly at Christmas. It’s all pieced together with soft edges and a deceptively sharp precision.

Available until: 16th January 2016

Photo: Plum Pictures / ITV

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