Get full access to the app & website:
Subscribe
Columnist
Barbara Ellen is a TV critic and columnist for The Observer.
Barbara Ellen
The Observer’s TV critic Barbara Ellen on the best new shows airing and streaming
Thu, 19 Mar 2026
The documentarian’s latest project feels behind the curve, offering nothing but standard Andrew Tate fare. Plus, Dynasty: The Murdochs and Liz Mermin revisits Dunblane
Fri, 13 Mar 2026
Wed, 11 Mar 2026
Rachel Weisz plays a fiftysomething professor pursuing a younger male colleague
Fri, 6 Mar 2026
Thu, 5 Mar 2026
ITV’s drama about Sarah Ferguson’s former dresser is best as a tale of class and reinvention, but its tone is as jarring as its timing
Fri, 27 Feb 2026
Our critic picks five cultural highlights, whether you have a few minutes, an afternoon or a night out to spare
Thu, 26 Feb 2026
The Puerto Rican used his Grammy speech to bash ICE. Now his Super Bowl half-time show is dividing the US
Sun, 8 Feb 2026
With no new revelations about the harrowing case, this series has few talking points
Fri, 6 Feb 2026
The Netflix docuseries on the UK boyband has a cobbled-together home movie feel
Fri, 30 Jan 2026
Thu, 29 Jan 2026
Ryan Murphy is back on familiar territory in this beyond-camp satire of beauty standards, starring exploding supermodels
Sat, 24 Jan 2026
The hardest-working show on television has reached its nailbiting conclusion. Did all its twists, turns and format tweaks add up to the best series yet?
Fri, 23 Jan 2026
Wed, 21 Jan 2026
The financial drama gives you more bang for your buck than any other British show
Sat, 17 Jan 2026
Our critic picks five cultural highlights, whether you have a few minutes, hours or a night out to spare
Fri, 16 Jan 2026
The Australian’s name has been a mainstay this awards season – his gorgeous profile is a mere adjunct to his genius for picking roles and being ‘in it for all the right reasons’
See more (80)