Dream Stream: Sugar Rush, A Discovery of Witches, The Accident

Sugar Rush

Series 1 and 2 – All4

Based on the Julie Burchill novel of the same name, Sugar Rush is a comedy drama series developed by Shine TV and originally broadcast by Channel 4 back in 2005.

It is centred on the life of 15-year-old lesbian Kim Daniels (Olivia Hallinan), who has moved from London to Brighton, and is dealing with her infatuation with Sugar (Lenora Crichlow), a heterosexual girl.

From the beginning of the first series, main character Kim is sexually obsessed with Sugar, motivating her to do anything for her friend, even when Sugar takes advantage of this.

Sugar has little interest in serious activities, and not much causes her to worry. She spends the majority of her time drinking alcohol, socialising and flirting with men. In spite of their different backgrounds, Sugar and Kim soon become close friends.

However Kim is quickly drawn into a world that is very different from the one that she knows, and ideas of how far she would go for a friend are soon tested to their limits.

With excellent performances from Hallinan and Crichlow, Sugar Rush is a compelling teen drama with an appropriate touch of comedy that doesn’t impede the way it deals seriously with themes including sexuality and drug abuse.

Fans of Skins and Misfits are sure to enjoy this one until the very end.

A Discovery of Witches

Seasons 1-3 – Now

Based on the All Souls Trilogy by author Deborah Harkness, A Discovery of Witches is a fantasy series starring a rook of talent including Teresa Palmer, Matthew Goode, Edward Bluemel, Louise Brealey, Malin Buska, Aiysha Hart, Owen Teale, Alex Kingston, and Valarie Pettiford.

The eight-episode first series premiered weekly back in 2018. The second series was released in 2021, and the third in January last year. Happily, all episodes are now available on Amazon Prime for fantasy fans to enjoy.

Diana Bishop (Palmer), a historian and reluctant witch, unexpectedly discovers a bewitched manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. This discovery forces her back into the world of magic in order to unravel the secrets it holds about magical beings. She is offered help by a mysterious geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont (Goode).

Despite a long-held mistrust between witches and vampires, they form an alliance and set out to protect the book and solve the mysteries hidden within while dodging threats from the creature world.

Let the twisting and turning adventure begin...

An exceptional magical fantasy yarn with great performances from an all-star cast, A Discovery of Witches will delight any fans of the genre, and keep you thirsty for more throughout.

Make sure to discover this one if you haven’t already.

A Discovery of Witches is currently available for streaming via Amazon Prime

The Accident

Limited series – All4

Starring Sarah Lancashire, The Accident is a four-part drama serial that first aired on Channel 4 in 2019.

With an edge-of-your-seat plot, it explores a fictional Welsh community’s fight for justice after an explosion on a construction site kills several local children.

The fictional town of Glyngolau has lost its coal mine and steel mill, leaving everyone in financial ruin. A large factory complex, offering 1,000 local jobs, is being built in the town by a company called Kallbridge Developments. Iwan (Mark Lewis Jones), head of the town council, has worked hard to secure the project.

Iwan’s 15-year-old daughter, Leona (Jade Croot), is a juvenile delinquent and small-time drug dealer. Leona takes eight of her teenaged friends to sneak into the building site, with the aim of causing destruction and annoying her father. Their actions cause some gas canisters to explode, leading the building to collapse, killing site manager Alan and eight of the teens – Leona is the sole survivor.

Iwan’s wife Polly (Lancashire) leads a campaign to find out who was responsible for the incident. A public inquiry is held, apportioning blame on Leona and the other intruders, the site manager who has stored the gas canisters, and the development company itself.

But is there more to the terrible accident than first meets the eye, and will those truly responsible end up paying the price? With a typically excellent performance from Lancashire, The Accident is gripping until the end and perfect for any drama fan looking for a binge.

Got a streaming recommendation for our readers? Tweet @DMorris_Star