Mercado on TV: Angelyne plus comedy from Mike Meyers and Catherine Tate

Angelyne (Stan) is a new drama about a “singer-actress-model” who plastered herself on multiple LA billboards from 1984. Before social media, and even before Paris “famous for being famous” Hilton, the mysterious Angelyne got herself a profile, but her music and acting career never went anywhere.

Based on the first two episodes, it would appear that each one focuses on a different man who was suckered into helping her out. Martin Freeman plays the obsessed billboard distributor, and in the title role, Emmy Rossum has a ball manipulating everyone around her.

Shot in a mockumentary style, with differing flashback sequences depending on who is talking, the old age make-up is so distracting, I was left wondering if the real Angelyne had slipped in to play herself. Alas, it’s just bad make-up.

Catherine Tate in Hard Cell

Two popular comedians, who like to play multiple characters, have made new shows for streaming, but critics have not been kind to Mike Myers’ The Pentaverate (Netflix) or Catherine Tate’s Hard Cell (Netflix).

The Pentaverate might be silly, but it is the better show because it’s ambitious. It is also highly amusing when the boss of Netflix interrupts proceedings to demand less bad language and male frontal nudity, only for his changes to cause more gobsmacking vulgarity.

On the other hand, Hard Cell is about as un-ambitious as you can get, with Catherine Tate sending up a women’s prison, but having nothing to say. EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison plays herself, which will mean nothing to anyone who hasn’t watched the UK soap, and it’s so repetitive and pointless, Catherine Tate may well have turned into Chris Lilley.

A much funnier send-up of a women’s prison happens in Housos: The Thong Warrior (Wednesday on 7mate) and yes, Paul Fenech is now channelling Mad Max. This series is a huge improvement over the last one set in lockdown, and look out for Jordan Shanks (aka friendlyjordies) playing a TV news reporter.

Celebrity Apprentice Australia (Sunday on Nine) does not get off to a great start this year when the celebs are separated into teams of men and women. With the first task being a golf tournament, the women are all at a disadvantage because none of them play golf, while the other sports-mad team is a hotbed of hotheads and alpha males.

You Can’t Ask That (Wednesday on ABC) returns with an opening episode about bogans, although whether they can out-bogan Housos is debatable. Also this week the second series of Five Bedrooms (Wednesday on 10) makes its free-to-air debut after premiering on Paramount+ last year.

Read more Mercado on TV columns here.