City on Fire: Gossip Girl and The O.C. creators are behind this teen drama for Apple TV Plus

City on Fire

Friday, streaming on Apple TV Plus

It’s funny to think of 2003 as being retro or vintage. But I guess to teens watching the Apple TV drama City on Fire, set in that year, that’s exactly what it is. It’s the “olden days”: a time before they were born, before TikTok and Snapchat and smartphones, when flip phones reigned supreme and we were all obsessing over whether Summer and Seth would get together on The O.C.

Interestingly, that series’ creators, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (they were also behind Gossip Girl, which came a few years later), are behind City on Fire, a show which looks and feels a lot like its zeitgeisty predecessors — they obviously have a real thing for that bygone era, and I can’t say that I hate it.

Based on the acclaimed novel by Garth Risk Hallberg (although his book was set in the 1970s rather than the Y2K era), the eight-part mystery thriller concerns itself with what happened to NYU student Samantha (Chase Sui Wonders). She’s found shot in Central Park on the 4th of July after going there alone to meet someone. There were no witnesses and very little evidence — just how did she meet her grisly end?

Instead of Gossip Girl speculating, the audience is invited to piece it all together — and we can’t wait to get stuck into solving the mystery.

As the series progresses, Samantha’s place in the underground music scene in New York city is explored as well as her connections to an uber-wealthy uptown real estate family (Girls star Jemima Kirke stars as a high-society wife and, honestly, we’ll watch anything she’s in). Pretty soon everyone in Samantha’s orbit becomes a prime suspect and, if trailers are anything to go by (there’s an embargo in place, so I can’t tell you too much more), it looks set to romp along as some sort of low-rise jeans-era Agatha Christie-style whodunnit.

So grab your Motorola and pop on your bootcut jeans with that low-slung belt — we’re heading back to Noughties NYC for a spot of crime solving.

See you there.

Safe Home

Thursday, 8.30pm, SBS

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this four-part SBS drama, which looks at “the stories behind the headlines of the family violence epidemic”. Sounds heavy, right? It is. But from the very start of this exceptional first episode, I was hooked. Sporting an amazing cast, including Aisha Dee, Mabel Li, Virginia Gay and The Gilded Age’s Thomas Cocquerel, it weaves a fascinating story that handles the difficult subject matter in a genuinely engaging way. Keep an eye out for ex-Neighbours star Janet Andrewartha in ep one — she’s phenomenal. This will have you on the edge of your seat.

North Shore

Wednesday, 8.40pm, Ten

Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt must really love Australia — she’s back again, this time starring as a grieving UK politician whose daughter dies in mysterious circumstances in Sydney. Really enjoyed this locally produced series. Seek it out.

The Cheap Seats

Tuesday, 8.40, Ten

I very rarely watch free-to-air. But I make an exception for Mel and Tim’s excellent weekly satirical news show. Honestly, if you haven’t discovered this gem of a show, seek it out immediately.

Eurovision Song Contest 2023 semifinals

Wednesday, 3am, SBS

Get ready to pry those eyeballs open with toothpicks — we’re setting the alarms for 3am for Eurovision, baby! Wouldn’t miss seeing Perth legends Voyager take to the Eurovision stage for quids.