Disney+ goes all celebrity sex tape, Amazon said nothing and Apple has a solution for work / life balance.
Updated 20-Jan-2022 - Disney+: Kingsman: The Golden Circle (4th Feb) - The Longest Ride (4th Feb) - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (4th Feb) - Torn (4th Feb) - Secrets of Sulphur Springs S2 (9th Feb) - The Thing About Harry (11th Feb) - Table 19 (11th Feb) - High Strung (11th Feb) - The French Dispatch (16th Feb) - Predator (18th Feb) - Predator 2 (18th Feb) - Snatched (25th Feb) - The Imposters (25th Feb)
Updated 25-Jan-2022 - Amazon Prime Video: Last One Laughing Canada S1 (18th Feb) - Wolf Like Me S1 (25th Feb)
In a well timed nod to the month for lovers everywhere, Disney+ (of all services!) will be showing Pam & Tommy, a series about the relationship between Baywatch’s Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee which led to the world’s first widely available celebrity sex tape, and features remarkable transformations by Lily James and Sebastian Stan as the titular pair… and Tommy Lee. Disney sure has come a long way since Mary Poppins!
Disney+ also sees the final Walking Dead season returning for another eight episodes which hold the fort until the final octet arrives later and The King’s Man hits the service on 9th Feb after its short theatrical run at the very end of 2021.
Over on Amazon Prime Video, the big (and we mean properly BIG) news is the return of Jack Reacher in the form of the appropriately bulky Alan Ritchson, starring in the TV reboot of the character who does most of his talking with his supermarket-chicken-sized fists. Meanwhile, all time England top scorer, footballer Wayne Rooney is the subject of an in-depth documentary simply called Rooney, which may have to be updated if he returns to Everton as manager in the next few weeks!
Finally, Apple has a couple of interesting looking TV series coming in February in the form of Suspicion and the Ben Stiller directed Severance, which looks to be suitably creepy.
As ever, although we’ve tried to be as UK specific as possible, streaming dates can change, content can sometimes be territory specific and shows can even get pulled or added at the very last minute by the streamers themselves as they sort out scheduling or licensing issues.
We’ll keep updating the article as new content gets announced, so please check back.
Disney+ UK
2nd February (Wednesday)
Disney+ and Star Originals:
Pam & Tommy (2022, S1, First three episodes available, then five weekly episodes)
Already international celebrities, Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee meet in 1995 and after a 96-hour whirlwind romance, they end up getting married. While on honeymoon, the couple’s passionate and intimate sessions are recorded on video for their own gratification and then safely stored away.
However, when a disgruntled contractor working on the couple’s house has a falling out with the pair, he plans a burglary which puts possession of the steamy tape in his hands. With this incriminating material as a valuable asset, he hatches a plan to use the fledgling internet as a way of generating interest and income, while an embarrassed Pam and Tommy try and use any means possible to halt its distribution.
The story behind the original celebrity sex tape happened at a point where the internet was a largely unregulated primordial ooze and this true story presents an intersection of privacy, technology and celebrity which could be seen as the progenitor of our current reality TV/social media obsession, whereby what you’re doing is less important than the fact that you are seen doing it.
The series was developed by Seth Rogen and was directed by Craig (I, Tonya, Cruella) features an all-star cast including a convincing Lily James as Anderson and Sebastian Stan as Lee, with Nick Offerman and Seth Rogen gaining mullets as the pair trying to get rich off the couple’s personal moments.
4th February (Friday)
Library Titles
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017, Action, Adventure, Comedy, R. Taron Egerton, Channing Tatum, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Dir. Matthew Vaughn)
After the Kingsman's headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, an American counterpart agency called Statesman is discovered. Now, these two elite secret organisations must band together to defeat a common enemy, ruthless drug cartel The Golden Circle.
The Longest Ride (2015, Drama, Romance, PG-13. Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Alan Alda, Melissa Benoist, Dir. George Tillman Jr.)
When the spark between star-crossed lovers Luke and Sophia starts to fade, a chance meeting with Ira, an old man now reflecting on his own life, creates a connection across the generations which has profound emotional impact on them all as the challenges and rewards of enduring love become clear.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017, Drama, Crime, Comedy, R. Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Caleb Landry Jones, Dir. + Scr. Martin McDonagh)
Mildred Hayes is devastated when the local police fail to solve the rape and murder of her daughter Angela. Months later, the bitter and determined mother challenges the well regarded police chief Willoughby, harassing him into reopening the investigation. Things only get more complicated when immature, racist second-in-command Officer Dixon picks up the pieces of the now cold case.
Documentary/Factual/Reality/Kids Shows
Torn (2021, National Geographic Documentary)
On Oct. 5, 1999, legendary climber Alex Lowe and cameraman David Bridges were killed in a deadly avalanche. Miraculously surviving the avalanche was Alex’s best friend and climbing partner, Conrad Anker. After the tragedy, Anker and Alex’s widow, Jennifer, fell in love and married, and Anker stepped in to help raise her three sons. Now Alex’s son Max has put together a profoundly intimate look at the Lowe-Anker family, using never-before-released archival footage in his quest to understand his iconic late father and explore his family’s complex relationships in the wake of the tragic loss.
9th February (Wednesday)
Disney+ and Star Originals:
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye
Continuing the behind the scenes documentary-style specials looking at the process of putting together Marvel’s latest movies and TV shows. This latest addition focusses on Clint Barton as he teams up with fledgling hero Kate Bishop in the tons-of-fun 6- part series that streamed just before Christmas last year, Hawkeye.
Secrets of Sulphur Springs (2021, S2, Disney Drama Series)
Two friends are caught up in the disappearance of a girl from thirty years ago and use a time portal to investigate. Season two now sees Harper become convinced the secrets behind her connections to the Tremont hotel lie in the 1930s. However, once there, the portal closes and she becomes trapped in the past. Meanwhile, paranormal activities increase as the Campbells prepare to reopen the hotel.
The King’s Man (2021, Action, Adventure, Thriller, R. Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Harris Dickinson, Rhys Ifans, Tom Hollander, Dir. Matthew Vaughn)
As a cabal of the worst tyrants and criminal masterminds of the early twentieth century gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, aristocratic operative Orlando Oxford must race against time to stop them. It leads to the founding of the very first independent intelligence agency.
Acting as a sort of (but not quite) prequel to director Mathew Vaughn’s own Kingsman movies The King’s Man is based on the comic book The Secret Service by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. The film's release was delayed by over two years when the original release date of November 15, 2019 was moved to February 14, 2020 followed by a succession of changes due to the pandemic before a final UK theatrical release occurred on December 26th 2021.
11th February (Friday)
Library Titles:
High Strung (2016, Drama. Music. Romance, PG. Keenan Kampa, Nicholas Galitzine, Sonoya Mizuno, Jane Seymour, Dir. Michael Damian)
Dancer Ruby, starting at Manhattan Conservatory of the Arts, meets English violinist Johnnie, playing in a subway station. Despite a rocky start, the two find common ground as they prepare for a competition that could change their lives forever.
Table 19 (2017, Comedy, Romance, Anna Kendrick, Lisa Kudrow, Craig Robinson, Stephen Merchant, Wyatt Russell, Dir. Jeffrey Blitz)
When Eloise is relieved of her maid of honour duties from her oldest friend’s wedding and is text-dumped by her boyfriend who also happens to be the groom’s best man, she defiantly decides to attend the reception anyway. However, her status now demands she sit at the dreaded Table 19 at the back of the ballroom with a disparate group of strangers, most of whom should have known to just send regrets. As everyone's secrets are revealed, Eloise learns a thing or two from the denizens of Table 19 and friendships (and even a little romance) begin to flourish.
The Thing About Harry (2020, Comedy, Drama, Romance. Jake Borelli, Niko Terho, Britt Baron, Peter Paige, Dir. Peter Paige)
Two high school enemies, Sam and Harry, are forced to drive together to a friend's engagement party on Valentine's Day only for the two men to become friends and fall in love after former bully Harry reveals that he now identifies as pansexual.
16th February (Wednesday)
Disney+ and Star Originals:
The French Dispatch (2021, Comedy, Drama, Romance, R. Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Dir. + Scr. Wes Anderson)
Anderson Assemble!
Wes Anderson gets his usual crew (and more besides) together for a love letter to newspaper journalists. This anthology, set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th-century French city, brings to life a collection of stories due to be published in the final edition of ‘The French Dispatch’ along with an obituary of the recently deceased editor.
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Eternals
This new episode takes Marvel fans up close and personal with the superhero group most recently added to the MCU, the Eternals. See how the project came together with Oscar winning director Chloé Zhao at the helm through on-set footage, conversations with stars and filmmakers, and more.
18th February (Friday)
Disney+ and Star Originals:
Sneakerella (2022, Comedy, Family, Musical. Chosen Jacobs, Lexi Underwood, John Salley, Devyn Nekoda, Dir. Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum)
El is an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens who has resigned himself to working as a stock boy in the local shoe store that once belonged to his late mother. El hides his artistic talent from his overburdened stepfather and two mean-spirited stepbrothers who constantly derail any opportunities that come his way. When El meets Kira King, the daughter of legendary basketball star Darius King, the pair make an immediate connection over their mutual affinity for sneakers. Bolstered by Kira, his best friend Sami and a sprinkle of magic, can El overcome the many obstacles that lie in the way of his dream of becoming a legitimate designer in the sneaker industry.
Set in the avant-garde street-sneaker subculture of New York City, Sneakerella is a high-energy, music-driven movie that puts a gender-flipped twist on the “Cinderella” fairy tale.
The Wonderful Winter of Mickey Mouse (2021, S2 Winter Special, Disney+ Animated Special)
The second set of The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse instalments consists of four extended-length specials that are themed to each season and kicks off with all the fun things the gang gets up to while winter’s here.
Library Titles:
Predator (1987, Sci-Fi, Action, Thriller, R. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Dir. John McTiernan,
A team of tough-as- nails commandos on a mission to extract military personnel from a Central American jungle find themselves facing something far more deadly than the mercs they were expecting as they find themselves being relentlessly hunted by something that might not be from Earth.
Peerless genre classic and one of Arnie’s very best, packed full of snappy lines - ‘Ain’t got time to bleed’ - and memorable character deaths along with brief glimpses of Jean Claude Van Damme in the early monster costume hidden behind the camouflage effect. They sure don’t make them like this anymore… though that hasn’t stopped them from trying!
Predator 2 (1990, Sci-Fi, Action, Thriller, R. Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Bill Paxton, Maria Conchita Alonso, Dir. Stephen Hopkins)
Set ten years after the events of the first film, a Predator returns to Earth, this time to stake a claim on the gang infested streets of a dystopian Los Angeles as it cuts a swathe through cops and drug lords alike. Danny Glover proved he was actually not 'too old for this s***' after all as the veteran detective who comes to realise there’s something more deadly than criminals stalking the concrete streets of LA.
21st February (Monday)
Disney+ and Star Originals:
The Walking Dead (2022, S11B, AMC Drama/Horror Series)
The middle eight, final-season episodes continue the story strands based around the group's encounter with the Commonwealth, a large network of communities that has advanced equipment and over fifty thousand survivors living in their different settlements. Additionally, the season also focuses on the group's confrontation with the Reapers, a mysterious faction of hostile survivors that attacked and took Meridian, the former home of Maggie and her new people, the Wardens.
A final batch of eight chapters will be released later in 2022.
23rd February (Wednesday)
Disney+ and Star Originals:
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (2022, S1, Disney+ Animated Series)
Follow the daily life of 14-year-old Penny Proud as she navigates growing up in an exuberant household with a loving mom and her overprotective father, who is constantly on high alert for boys who might want to try it on with Penny.
A continuation of the series, The Proud Family which ran from 2001-05 on the Disney Channel, the 2020s now brings new career highs for mom Trudy, wilder dreams for dad Oscar and new challenges for Penny, including a socially woke neighbour who thinks they know best and bullying social media influencers. At least Penny’s got her loyal friends and grandma ready, as ever, to dispense tough love or a gentle hand whenever she needs it.
25th February (Friday)
Disney+ and Star Originals:
No Exit (2022, Drama, Thriller, Disney+ Original Film. Dale Dickey, Havana Rose Liu, Dennis Haysbert, Danny Ramirez, Dir. Damien Power)
Darby Thorne is a college student, on her way home from visiting her mother, who gets stuck with a group of people at a mountain rest stop during a blizzard. Things take a dark turn when Darby discovers an abducted child in a car belonging to one of the people inside, putting the group in a terrifying life-or-death situation as they struggle to escape while trying to discover who among them is the kidnapper.
Library Titles:
Snatched (2017, Action, Adventure, Comedy, R. Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn, Randall Park, Tom Bateman, Dir. Jonathan Levine)
When her boyfriend dumps her before their once-in-a-lifetime exotic vacation, an impulsive young woman persuades her ultra-cautious mother to travel with her to paradise, with unexpected results.
The Imposters (1998, Comedy, R. Stanley Tucci, Oliver Platt, Alfred Molina, Lili Taylor, Dir. + Scr. Stanley Tucci)
Two out-of-work bit-player actors accidentally stowaway on a ship to hide from a drunken, lead actor who has sworn to kill them for belittling his talents. Once onboard, the pair find themselves pursued by the outraged actor, the law plus a host of oddball crew and passengers in this homage to the slapstick comedy of Laurel and Hardy - well, lead actors Tucci and Platt do share the same first names as the classic age comedians!
The Kid Who Would Be King (2019, Action, Adventure, Family, PG. Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Denise Gough, Dean Chaumoo, Tom Taylor, Rebecca Ferguson, Patrick Stewart, Dir. + Scr. Joe Cornish)
Alex is a twelve year old boy, just starting secondary school in a London suburb who intervenes when his friend is attacked. Now with a target on his back Alex has to evade the bullies and in doing so he stumbles upon an ancient relic - the mythical sword Excalibur. Learning that the wicked enchantress Morgana plans to return with an army of supernatural warriors, Alex must team up with the legendary wizard Merlin and unite his friends and enemies into a force that can stop her, and in doing so become a leader he never knew he could be.
Amazon Prime UK
4th February (Friday)
Reacher (2022, S1, Amazon Original Series)
Jack Reacher, a former Military Police Officer recently discharged from the Army, travels to the idyllic town of Margrave, Georgia where he’s promptly arrested for a murder he did not commit. Finding himself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy full of dirty cops, shady businessmen and scheming politicians, and now with a personal axe to grind, Reacher vows to burn the whole corrupt mess down.
Ignoring all the kerfuffle about the previous incarnation’s suitability for a 6 foot 5-inch character, new boy Alan Ritchson certainly has the heft and previously had a memorable role as a pre-chicken-wings Scully in Brooklyn Nine-Nine as well as portraying Hank (Hawk) Hall in Titans and Supergirl.
Following Tom Cruise’s two entertaining cinematic outings - “Remember, you wanted this!” - this eight episode TV reboot of Jack Reacher goes back to the very first novel Lee Child put out based around the character, Killing Floor - though prequel stories followed.
6th February
Power Book IV Force (2022, S1, StarzPlay Original Series - requires subscription)
The latest in the Power Universe spin off series sees fan-favourite character Tommy Egan put New York in his rearview mirror for good. Making a quick detour to close an old wound that’s been haunting him for decades Tommy unearths a labyrinth of family secrets thought long buried and quickly finds himself deep in Chicago's drug game. Using his outsider status to his advantage and breaking all the local rules, Tommy plays the city's two biggest crews against each other, ultimately becoming a lynchpin that could unite or destroy them - he just has to decide which he wants.
11th February (Friday)
Rooney (2022, Amazon Original Documentary)
Documentary by BAFTA award winning filmmaker Matt Smith whose projects have previously centred on Rio Ferdinand and David Beckham and who now turns the spotlight on former Everton and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.
Featuring early footage and images of a young Rooney, the film follows the remarkably talented player from his professional debut at the age of 16 to becoming Manchester United and England's all-time top scorer. With first hand accounts about Rooney’s upbringing, determined attitude and spectacular career from close friends and family, including wife Colleen, Wayne's father, footballing greats like Beckham and Thierry Henry plus Rooney's former managers David Moyes and Sven Goran Eriksson, the programme also touches on the various off pitch controversies that challenged his career.
I Want You Back (2022, Comedy, Romance, Amazon Original Film, Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Scott Eastwood, Gina Rodriguez, Dir. Jason Orley)
Peter and Emma are two thirty-somethings who bump into each other during separate emotional meltdowns having both been left by their respective partners. With their dreams of marriage, kids and picket fences dashed, the two are horrified to learn that the loves of their lives have already moved on. Now, acting as each other’s emotional support, Peter and Emma hatch a plan to win back their exes by trashing their new relationships and swooping back in.
18th February (Friday)
Last One Laughing Canada (2022, S1, Amazon Original Reality Series) - added 25-Jan-2022
Jay Baruchel hosts the Canadian version of the international hit comedy series LOL: Last One Laughing which pits 10 of the county’s best comedic talents against each other in a showdown where - if you laugh - you’re out!
The lineup of comedians willing to do just about anything to get a giggle from their compatriots includes: Caroline Rhea (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Dave Foley (The Kids in the Hall), Tom Green (Road Trip), Mae Martin (Feel Good), Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and Andrew Phung (Kim's Convenience).
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel (2022, S4, Amazon Original Series, two episodes per week for four weeks)
The return of Amazon’s popular series about a Jewish American housewife who discovers her flair for stand-up comedy and decides to pursue it after her husband leaves her.
Having been booted off her most recent high profile supporting gig for inappropriate jokes which nearly outed her headline act, Midge Maisel looks for more creative freedom. But her commitment to her craft - and the places it takes her - creates a rift between her and the family and friends around her
25th February (Friday)
Wolf Like Me (2022, S1, Peacock Original Comedy/Drama Series, all six episodes available) - added 25-Jan-2022
In South Australia, Gary is struggling to connect with his 11-year-old daughter Emma after the death of his wife, with the father and daughter wrapped up in their own grief. However, one morning after Gary’s car is involved in a collision, the driver of the other car manages to calm Emma down when she suffers a massive panic attack. The other driver is Mary and she and Gary start a tentative relationship. However, Gary isn’t the only one with baggage and when he discovers Mary’s own dark secret, he flees, terrified.
Yet their universes continue to collide, almost as if a greater force seems intent on bringing them together.
This NBCUniversal/Peacock production stars Josh Gad and Isla Fisher.
Apple TV+
4th February (Friday)
Suspicion (2022, S1 Apple TV+ Drama Series, two episodes followed by six weekly episodes every Friday)
Following the abduction of the only son of Katherine Newman, a high profile U.S. media mogul, five ordinary Brits who happened to be in New York on the day of the kidnapping are accused of the crime. They embark on a desperate race against time to prove their innocence, but will anyone believe them - and are they all actually telling the truth?
Based on the Israeli thriller TV series False Flag, Suspicion stars Uma Thurman, Elizabeth (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) Henstridge, Elyes Gabel, Noah Emmerich and Kunal (The Big Bang) Nayyer.
11th February (Friday)
The Sky is Everywhere (2022, Drama, PG-13. Apple TV+ Original Film. Jason Segel, Cherry Jones, Pico Alexander, Grace Kaufman, Dir. Josephine Decker)
Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, a shy, musical prodigy, is struggling in the aftermath of the sudden loss of her older, more outgoing sister Bailey.
Caught between Bailey's devastated but seductive boyfriend Toby who shares her grief and Joe, a charismatic new boy in town bursting with energy, Lennie finds herself drawn to both as they each offer something she desperately needs. Through her vivid imagination and conflicted heart, Lennie learns to navigate first love and first loss, ultimately learning how to create her own song for life.
Based on Jandy Nelson’s best selling YA novel, The Sky is Everywhere was originally set to star Selena Gomez back in 2012.
18th February (Friday)
Severance (2022, S1, Apple TV+ Original Mystery Series)
Lumen Industries offers a unique program to help employees keep the ultimate work / life balance - staffs’ home memories are kept separate from their work experiences by a freely undertaken but irreversible surgical procedure.
Mark Scout leads a team of office workers who have decided this approach is for them and everything seems fine until a mysterious ex-colleague meets Mark during his down time - the trouble is while away from the workplace, Mark cannot recall ever meeting the former teammate. However, the meeting kickstarts a journey to discover the truth about Lumen, Mark’s job and himself…
Severance stars Patricia Arquette, Adam Scott, Christopher Walken, John Tuturro and Dichen Lachman with Ben Stiller directing six of the nine episodes of season 1. Season 2 has already been greenlit.
So, that's it as far as Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+ go for UK subscribers for February 2022. What do you think of the lineup? Let us know in the comments section what you may be looking forward to in particular.
We’ll keep the article updated when more content is announced, so make sure you come back to keep up to date.
Source: Disney Plus Informer, What's on Disney Plus, Geektown,
Image Source: Google