TV Report Card: Baby Reindeer, Swift Street, Unlocked, Masterchef ...

This week we’re still obsessively thinking about Baby Reindeer, diving into Swift Street on SBS, doing time with a great Netflix doco about jail, and raucously cheering on this year’s Masterchef contestants.

As for those bolting brides on Farmer — get your acts together, ladies!

A Baby Reindeer (Netflix)Camera IconBaby Reindeer is streaming on Netflix. Credit: Supplied/Ed Miller/Netflix

It’s been a week since I finished bingeing this exceptional series — and I STILL can’t get it out of my head. It’s now all muddied with my feelings around the fact that viewers across the world have been playing online sleuths, trying to figure out who the real people behind the characters are. It leaves an icky taste in my mouth. Still, there’s no denying this is one of the year’s most impactful series, and will surely be a major contender at the Emmy and BAFTA awards.

A- Swift Street (SBS)Camera IconSwift Street on SBS is worth your time. Credit: SBS/TheWest

SBS has always done gritty, urban dramas well. Usually, they have a hardened detective front and centre — rarely do they have a cast stacked full of such young up-and-comers. But that’s what I loved about Swift Street: how different it feels, and how willing the show is to take risks. Yes, it’s set in Melbourne, but it could just as easily be anywhere in the world, and I can imagine it doing well with overseas audiences. This is worth your time. A pleasant surprise.

B+ Unlocked: A Jail Experiment (Netflix)

Nineteen cameras, six weeks, and one heck of a prison experiment. This intriguing doco charts one US sheriff’s unprecedented efforts to improve life for the inmates of the jail he manages — by letting them control their own cell block. They decide when to come in and out of their cells, police themselves, and all ‘screws’ are off the floor. A recipe for disaster or a bold experiment destined for success? Boy, when I tell you you’re in for a wild ride…

B Masterchef (Ten)Camera IconMasterchef judges Sofia Levin, Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow and Jean-Christophe Novelli. Credit: Supplied/TheWest

Coming back after last year was always going to be tricky. But I’m enjoying Masterchef’s fresh feel, and getting to know the new judges stepping up to the plate. They certainly got a rousing reception in that first episode. Many viewers weren’t loving the effusive hooting and hollering they received, but I enjoyed the boundless optimism of those first few eps. Having Jamie Oliver onboard was the cherry on the cake. A promising start.

C Farmer Wants A Wife (Seven)Camera IconPoor old farmer Joe from Farmer Wants A Wife. Credit: Supplied/TheWest

Oh my goodness — get your act together ladies. It’s called FARMER Wants A Wife. The clue’s right there in the title! There will be farms. And you’ll be expected to be okay with being on one. This group are a decent crop. And sure, I get it — horses and horse poo ain’t for everyone, but surely if you put your hand up for a show like this, you’ve got to be prepared to muck in, so to speak? Try harder, ladies — C for lack of effort!