TV picks for Jan. 11-13: 'Sex Education,' 'Valley of the Boom,' 'True Detective,' 'Victoria'

January 10, 2019 at 9:54PM
"Masterpiece" Tom Hughes as Prince Albert and Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria in "Victoria."
Credit: ITV Plc for Masterpiece
Tom Hughes and Jenna Coleman in “Victoria.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Making the grade

Just because Gillian Anderson is sporting a British accent, don't mistake "Sex Education" for a crusty, sophisticated comedy. The former "X-Files" investigator plays a sex therapist whose teenage son (Asa Butterfield) decides to follow in Mom's footsteps, taking on his schoolmates as clients. It's a clumsy, uncomfortable mess — just like young love. Emma Mackey, who plays Butterfield's "business" partner, is the best thing to happen for teenage sarcasm since "Veronica Mars" was in session.

Now streaming on Netflix

Does not compute

If the hybrid approach to storytelling in "Mars" didn't leave you lost in space, you may enjoy "Valley of the Boom," a docudrama on the rise of Silicon Valley that breaks the fourth wall while employing puppets, rap music, interviews with Arianna Huffington and an unhinged Steve Zahn in a fat suit. The rise of the internet is fascinating enough without filmmakers overloading the system.

8 p.m. Sunday, National Geographic

Back on the beat

If "Moonlight" and "Green Book" didn't convince you that Mahershala Ali is one of our most intriguing and subtle actors, the new season of "True Detective" should do the trick. Try to forget the disastrous second season (except for Rachel McAdams' performance) and settle in for a patiently paced, moody tale with Ali nailing his part as a retired investigator wrestling with regret. As it did during the first season's Matthew McConaughey-Woody Harrelson arc, this feels more like a ghost story than a crime procedural.

8 p.m. Sunday, HBO

All hail the Queen

Fans of "Downton Abbey" and "The Crown" should be downright giddy about the third season of "Victoria," which dives deeper into the relationship between Jenna Coleman's Queen and Tom Hughes' Albert. The premiere is followed by "Victoria and Albert: The Wedding," a new series that re-creates the royal couple's nuptials.

8 p.m. Sunday, TPT, Ch. 2

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