3 May 2022
Catherine the Great
A sumptuous historical drama, HBO’s four-part limited series Catherine the Great stars Oscar winner Dame Helen Mirren (who also executive produced) as the 18th-Century Empress Regnant of Russia. Determinedly independent in both her political and private life, Catherine became the country’s longest-ruling female leader, reforming the Russian empire and presiding over a golden age in Russian history and the age of the Russian Enlightenment.
Helmed by Emmy and BAFTA winners, writer Nigel Williams (Elizabeth I, The Name of the Rose) and director Philip Martin (The Crown, Wallander), the show’s cast includes Gotham Award winner Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty, Mudbound, The Devil All the Time), BAFTA winner Gina McKee (Notting Hill, Our Friends in the North, and Kevin McNally (The Crown, Das Boot, Pirates of the Caribbean).
The series was nominated for an Emmy for its sound editing, and a BAFTA for Make Up & Hair Design, with Mirren nominated for Best Actress in a Limited Series at the 2020 Golden Globes. Times (UK) says, “Mirren is magnificent as an august, complex Catherine, simultaneously imposing and insecure, underestimated and resented as a woman in power,” while Daily Telegraph (UK) says, “Catherine the Great is… massive, lush, beautiful, and with an element that’s so often missing in big dramas about major figures: incredibly human.”
The Mommy Club NBO now streaming
The Chocolate Empire, now streaming
The best movies to stream

Here, and 15 more great movies to cry about
Whether you’re looking to shed happy tears or shed part of your soul, we have movies centred on love in all its forms to help you, starting with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright’s Here.

The best kids’ shows and movies to stream during school holidays
Showmax has loads of fun to look forward to during school holidays in June/July 2025, including blockbuster movies for the whole family.

Elphaba and Glinda’s Wicked little guide
Find out what Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have to say about Wicked, pick up 10 magical behind-the-scenes facts, and explore 7 more schools of witchcraft and wizardry.

Twisters and 5 other man-versus-nature nail biters
Tornado alert! A category F5 spin on the blockbuster 1996 movie Twister has just touched ground to sweep us up in the terrifying power of nature. Find out about how it was made, and what to watch next.