Break Point, a dramatic tennis docuseries—and everything else to binge-watch on Netflix Canada this week

The streamers are serving up a dose of reality this week, courtesy of a slew of new docuseries. Break Point follows some of the world’s most promising young tennis stars while Chasing Waves tells the stories of Japanese surfers trying to make a splash in the sport. For non-sports viewing, there’s Bollywed, a new CBC show about the Singh family and their iconic Little India business. If you’d prefer an escape from the real world, try Velma, a grown-up animated Scooby Doo prequel starring the voice of Mindy Kaling, or The Last of Us, an eagerly anticipated video game adaptation set in a post-apocalyptic US. Here are our picks for the most notable titles streaming on Netflix, Disney Plus, CBC Gem, Crave and Prime Video this week.

NETFLIX

Break Point

Professional tennis gets the reality TV treatment in this new docuseries. Filmed last year, Break Point closely follows emerging tennis stars—including Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, Maria Sakkari and Nick Kyrgios—as they travel the globe competing in tournaments, capturing some of the most high-pressure moments of their careers. The series is being released in two parts, with five episodes dropping now and five more to come in June. January 13

Dog Gone

Animal lovers will want to keep their furry friends close for this adventure film about a father-and-son pair (played by Rob Lowe and Johnny Berchtold) who head out onto the Appalachian Trail to find their missing dog, Gonker. As if a lost pet isn’t enough, the family has only two weeks to find him in order to get him the medicine he needs to stay alive. This tale is inspired by a true story. January 13

DISNEY PLUS

Koala Man

You know Batman, Superman and Spider-Man. Now get ready to meet Koala Man. This adult animated series—which is executive produced by the creative team behind the hit comedy Rick and Morty—chronicles the (mis)adventures of a small-time vigilante solving crimes in suburban Australia. Hugh Jackman, Sarah Snook, Hugo Weaving and Miranda Otto are among the stars lending their voices to the show. Now streaming

Chasing Waves

When surfing made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020—held in 2021 due to COVID-19—the world got a glimpse into Japanese surfing culture. This docuseries takes it a step further, bringing viewers along as it follows surfers living in Japan, examining what their lives are like and what it takes to make it in the sport at an international level. January 11

The Territory

This National Geographic documentary offers an on-the-ground look at how the Indigenous Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau people are fighting against the encroaching deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon by farmers and illegal settlers. Filmed over three years, The Territory provides unprecedented access to the community and even features footage shot by the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau people. January 13

CBC GEM

Bollywed

Get ready to meet the Singh family, who have owned and operated a popular bridal shop, Chandan Fashion in Toronto’s Little India, for over three decades. The Singhs—including patriarch Kuki; matriarch Sarab; their two children, Chandan and Chandni; and daughter-in-law Roop—are sharing their lives and family dilemmas in this new docuseries that the CBC is comparing to “a real-life Kim’s Convenience.” Watch as old- and new-school values come together within the vibrant world of South Asian weddings. January 12

CRAVE

Velma

Before Mystery Incorporated became an iconic canine-fronted group of crime solvers, they were caught up in a love quadrangle? That’s the premise of this adult animated prequel series, which centres on the origin story of resident brainiac Velma (voiced by Mindy Kaling). Daphne (Constance Wu) is now a mean girl; her boyfriend, Fred (Glenn Howerton), is a murder suspect; and Norville Rogers, a.k.a. Shaggy (Sam Richardson), is harbouring a crush on the titular heroine. Jinkies! January 12

The Last of Us

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey star in this post-apocalyptic drama series—based on the award-winning video game of the same name—as a smuggler and teenager tasked with making their way across a zombie-infested US. Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Storm Reid and Melanie Lynskey also appear. January 15

PRIME VIDEO

Hunters (Season 2)

Academy Award–nominated actor Jennifer Jason Leigh joins Al Pacino and Logan Lerman for the second and final season of this alternate-timeline conspiracy drama, which follows a group of Nazi hunters in the late ‘70s. This season, they have intel that Hitler is alive and living in South America, and they set out to take him down for good. January 13