What’s Next: The Future With Bill Gates review: worried about the future? You need to watch this

What’s Next: The Future With Bill Gates

Wednesday, streaming on Netflix

“Extreme wealth certainly triggers questions about your motives. But this is on a whole new level,” says Bill Gates in episode two of this compelling new series, which sees the billionaire philanthropist and tech pioneer exploring the “pressing issues facing our world today.”

Titled Truth or Consequence, episode two looks at conspiracy theories and the era of misinformation — and when it comes to Gates, he’s heard them all.

There’s one that has him as part of a shape-shifting reptilian race that includes Tom Hanks and Lady Gaga (“I didn’t know we had Tom Hanks in on it,” he says drolly) and another proclaims he’s pursuing immortality by consuming baby’s blood. Still another has him slinging vaccinations via McDonald’s fries (long story) — it’s both fascinating and frightening to hear his take on it all.

Misinformation is just one of several topics explored: episode one is all about artificial intelligence, and there are others looking at the scale of the climate crisis, income inequality and public health. In each, he’s got some of the world’s most renowned scientists, politicians, thinkers, journalists, medical professionals and artists weighing in, and it’s riveting to spend time hearing what they all have to say.

Gates presides with such quiet assurance and curiosity that it’s hard to feel pessimistic (my default setting) in the face of these mounting challenges. It’s led me to think that, sure, he’s a tech wizard, but perhaps Gates’ true genius lies in an ability to distil incredibly complicated concepts into easily digestible nuggets for us mere mortals?

As Bono says in the show’s trailer, “if Bill Gates didn’t exist, we’d have to make him up. If we did, no one would believe the character”.

This is one of the most fascinating programs I’ve seen this year — don’t miss it.

A Very Royal Scandal

Thursday, streaming on Prime Video

“One night. One hour. One interview that sent shockwaves around the globe”: so reads the blurb for this series, which sees Michael Sheen and Ruth Wilson step up to reenact that famous interview between Prince Andrew and Emily Maitlis of the BBC. You know the one — where the royal got an absolute drilling over his involvement with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein?

Yeah, that train wreck.

If you feel as though you’ve seen this before, that because you have — Scoop, a film starring Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell, mined the same territory — but this story is executive produced by Maitlis herself, and fleshed out over three episodes.

I can’t tell you more — just watch this, OK?

Agatha All Along

Thursday, streaming on Disney Plus

Katherine Hahn is front and centre reprising her witchy role as Agatha Harkness in this WandaVision spinoff series, which also stars Aubrey Plaza as a witch named Rio Vidal. Can’t wait for this one.

Air Fryers: Are They Worth It?

Friday, 8.30pm, SBS Food

Short answer after watching this: yes! As a card-carrying member of the Air Fryers 4 Life fan club, there was no way I wasn’t checking this out — worth it for the halloumi fries recipe alone. A game-changer.

The Penguin

Friday, streaming on Binge

Mark my words: everyone will be talking about Irish actor Colin Farrell and his complete transformation to play the pock-marked anti-hero from the Batman comics. This performance is an extension of the one he first served to film audiences in 2022, and it’s great to go deeper with him in this — he’s absolutely mesmeric.