First published in Australia for the week of November 4–10, 2024, this viewing guide brings together four very different choices: Kathy Bates in a legal drama, an Indian spy-franchise spin-off, an experimental true-crime series and a European assassin thriller. Choose by mood, not by treating them as four versions of the same kind of show.
Which show suits your mood?
| If you want… | Start with… |
|---|---|
| A character-led legal procedural with a mystery | Matlock |
| Action, espionage and franchise connections | Citadel: Honey Bunny |
| A true-crime format built around jury judgment | The Jury: Death on the Staircase |
| A tense assassin-versus-intelligence pursuit | The Day of the Jackal |
The original PerthNow roundup was published on November 2, 2024. Its dates and platform references below describe that Australian schedule, not current availability. PerthNow’s original guide also included Planet America: US Election Special; the four titles here follow the supplied headline.
Matlock: a legal drama with a hidden motive
In the new series, Kathy Bates plays Madeline Matlock, a 75-year-old retired lawyer who secures a position at a prestigious New York firm after more than three decades away from practice. Madeline’s seemingly unassuming manner helps her navigate a workplace where others may underestimate her, while a larger mystery hangs over why she has returned.
The appeal is Bates’s tactical, assured lead performance and the combination of legal cases, office dynamics and a continuing secret. It is a character-led procedural rather than a straightforward continuation of the earlier Andy Griffith series: this Matlock is a new character with a different premise. It may suit viewers after accessible courtroom television and a clever older protagonist; those looking for the sustained intensity of a spy thriller may find its procedural rhythm gentler.
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Original Australian listing
PerthNow listed Matlock for Tuesday and associated it with Paramount+ in its November 2024 guide. That is historical platform information, not confirmation that it is available there now.
Citadel: Honey Bunny: Indian action and spy mythology
This India-set spin-off follows stuntman Bunny, played by Varun Dhawan, and aspiring actor Honey, played by Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Bunny recruits Honey for what sounds like a quick side job involving seduction, drugs and the theft of a hard drive. The job draws them into espionage, action and betrayal; the story later brings the estranged pair back together to protect their daughter, Nadia.
The mix is distinctive: Indian leads and setting, action-forward storytelling, family stakes and connections to the wider Citadel franchise. Expect a different cultural and narrative centre from the main English-language series, alongside the interconnected mythology typical of a franchise spy story. Viewers who prefer realism or a tightly self-contained plot may be less taken with its spectacle and franchise-style turns. The available information does not establish whether prior viewing of Citadel is necessary, so it is best not to assume either that it is required or that this is the ideal entry point.
Rank #2
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Original Australian listing
The 2024 guide listed Citadel: Honey Bunny for Thursday on Prime Video. This records the original Australian schedule only; it does not establish present-day availability.
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The Jury: Death on the Staircase: true crime as a jury experiment
Of the four, this is the most unusual format. The Jury: Death on the Staircase reconstructs a real manslaughter case: actors present evidence and testimony word-for-word, while a new jury of 12 ordinary Australians considers the material and reaches its own verdict. It is a documentary/crime series, not a conventional investigation in which journalists newly uncover a case, nor simply a scripted courtroom drama.
That distinction matters. The series invites viewers to observe how jurors respond to a shared presentation of evidence, and how testimony, performance and emotion may shape judgment. It can prompt questions about the boundary between legal evidence and persuasion, and whether a televised reenactment can reproduce the constraints and pressures of a real trial. The television jury’s conclusion should be understood as its response to the reconstructed material, not as proof for or against the outcome of the original case. The format also raises an ethical question: how to make compelling television from a real death without turning the people and events involved into mere spectacle.
Rank #3
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Five episodes and content advisories
SBS lists one season of five episodes. The runtimes below are those on the SBS On Demand series page.
| Episode | Runtime |
|---|---|
| “The Death” | 56 minutes |
| “The Relationship” | 56 minutes |
| “The Evidence” | 53 minutes |
| “The Reckoning” | 48 minutes |
| “The Verdict” | 56 minutes |
SBS lists mature themes, coarse language and violence advisories. Director Tosca Looby’s listed cast includes Brooke Satchwell, Lucia Mastrantone, Sky Dominic, Julian Garner and Lani John Tupu.
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Broadcast history and current access
SBS announced that the series premiered on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, on SBS and SBS On Demand, with episodes available to stream free after broadcast. Its current listing presents the five-episode series as free to stream in Australia. That is the only title in this roundup for which current availability is verified here. SBS streaming rights are generally limited to Australia, and titles can disappear when catch-up or licensing rights expire; see SBS’s streaming and geographic-rights information and its explanation of why a program may no longer appear.
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The Day of the Jackal: an assassin and the officer on his trail
Eddie Redmayne plays an elusive assassin-for-hire known as the Jackal; Lashana Lynch plays Bianca, a determined British intelligence officer pursuing him. Their cat-and-mouse contest crosses Europe, while the Jackal’s carefully divided private life collides with Bianca’s investigation. Charles Dance, Richard Dormer and Úrsula Corberó are among the supporting cast.
Ronan Bennett, identified in the original guide as the creator and writer and known for Top Boy, reworks Frederick Forsyth’s celebrated assassin story for television. This is a contemporary adaptation, not simply a scene-for-scene remake of earlier screen versions. Its draw is sustained pursuit, disguise and suspense; its violence and moral ambiguity make it a less suitable choice for viewers seeking light entertainment.
How it differs from Honey Bunny
Both series involve espionage, but their emphasis differs. The Day of the Jackal is framed as a serious European pursuit thriller centred on an assassin and the intelligence officer tracking him. Citadel: Honey Bunny leans into action, franchise mythology, an Indian setting and the family history of its leads. The distinction is less “which spy show is better?” than whether you want cat-and-mouse tension or action-driven franchise storytelling.
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Original Australian listing
PerthNow listed the series for Thursday on Binge in November 2024. That historical listing does not confirm current availability on Binge.
Which one should you watch first?
- Choose Matlock for legal cases, workplace dynamics and a charismatic lead whose real purpose is not immediately clear.
- Choose Citadel: Honey Bunny for action, betrayal, international spy-world connections and family stakes.
- Choose The Jury: Death on the Staircase for a five-part true-crime experiment focused on evidence, deliberation and jury psychology; consider its violence and mature-theme advisories.
- Choose The Day of the Jackal for a suspense-driven pursuit between an assassin and an intelligence officer, with a darker tone.
What the November 2024 schedule said—and what it does not
The following table records the Australian listings in PerthNow’s November 2, 2024 article. It is a snapshot of that week, not a current streaming guide.
| Title | Original listing | Platform or broadcaster named in the 2024 guide |
|---|---|---|
| Matlock | Tuesday | Paramount+ |
| The Jury: Death on the Staircase | Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. | SBS |
| Citadel: Honey Bunny | Thursday | Prime Video |
| The Day of the Jackal | Thursday | Binge |
These are Australia-specific historical references. Streaming rights change, and the original listing alone cannot establish whether any of the three paid-service titles remains available on the named platform. Check the relevant service’s current Australian catalogue before subscribing; no current availability or prices for those three services are verified here.
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