What to watch on TV: Wonder Man, Australian Story, Aus Idol, Dog Park and Millionaire Hot Seat

Wonder Man

Streaming now on Disney Plus

Another day, another Marvel spin-off. But this one’s not what you think it will be — in a really interesting way.

Wonder Man continues in the vein of unexpectedly great series like WandaVision and Agatha All Along, subverting expectations and providing a genuinely different take on the sometimes-tired superhero format.

So far, audiences appear to be lapping it up, the series sitting pretty with a solid 90 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as struggling actor Simon Williams, who decides to audition for the lead role in a big budget movie called Wonder Man. So far, so meta right? Here’s the twist: Simon also has secret superpowers, a fact he’s trying to hide because in this particular Marvel universe, those with special abilities are banned from working in Hollywood.

Along the way, he bonds with aging actor Trevor Slattery (Sir Ben Kingsley, who let’s face it, we’d watch in anything), who mentors him through the industry, though he may not be who he seems either.

It’s an intriguing premise, and viewers and critics alike seem to be engaging with the show’s unusual take on the sometimes paint-by-numbers content being churned out by Marvel executives — think Barry meets The Studio meets Entourage.

I’m not quite sure what to make of this, but I can tell you one thing: I’m hooked.

Dog Park

Sunday, 8.30pm, ABC

Celia Pacquola and Leon Ford star in this great new ABC comedy, all about a cranky middle-aged man named Roland (Ford) whose wife has just left him, and who finds unexpected connection at his local dog park courtesy of his adorable Oodle, Beattie. Bitter-sweet, full of heart and surprisingly funny, this well-written six-parter is one for anyone who’s ever stood chatting with strangers at a freezing cold dog park with a bag of poo in their hand (if you know, you know).

Australian Story

Monday, 8pm, ABC

Celebrating its 30th season, this beloved Monday night staple is kicking off with a profile on Olympic swimmer, Michael Klim. “Six years ago, my identity was taken away and I couldn’t see a future,” he tells Australian Story from his home in Bali, before recounting his struggles with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a progressive autoimmune disease. This series continues to surprise, inform and entertain — one of the best things on Aussie TV.

Millionaire Hot Seat

Monday, 7pm, Ten

Ten is revitalising its Monday-to-Friday schedule with the addition of this TV staple, brought back with the always-delightful Rebecca Gibney at the helm. It’s a tried and true format, which languished for years with its previous host — it will be interesting to see if it finds its audience over on Ten. I suspect it will! The lead-in from Deal or No Deal will certainly help. I’m still mourning the loss of The Project, but I’m hopeful this stays the course.

Australian Idol

Monday, 7.30pm, Seven

Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, Matt Corby, Casey Donovan and Courtney Act — Idol has unearthed some much-loved Aussie talent over the years, and Amy Shark, Marcia Hines and Kyle Sandilands will be hoping to continue the tradition this year, as they keep their eyes peeled for the country’s next big thing. This season gets off to a great start, unearthing a fabulous line-up of young hopefuls. Rikki-Lee Coulter and Scott Tweedie are also back as hosts.