The wicked premise of “Bad Sisters” means it’s never dull, writes streaming columnist NICK OVERALL. “It’s an odd experience to find yourself laughing at some of the show’s darkest moments,” he says.

BLACK comedy isn’t enough to describe Apple TV Plus’ newest Irish revenge fantasy series, “Bad Sisters”.

It’s blacker than black, a show where the laughs and shocks hang in such a fine balance it feels like it’s all going to topple at any moment. The result is impossible to look away from.

Inspired by a 2012 Belgian series named “The Out-Laws”, this revamp opens at the funeral of John Paul Willimas, a man who the first episode – titled “The Prick” – also happens to be named after.

Present are his wife, Grace, and her four sisters, who aren’t so saddened by the ceremony due to their plotting John’s death six months earlier. Why? The name of the first episode says it all.

John is nothing short of a monster; an emotionally abusive and controlling manipulator who brings suffering to all those around him.

On top of his sinister attempts to coerce his wife and teenage daughter, flashbacks reveal his interference with the lives of his sisters-in-law.

He mocks one sister’s infertility in public, attempts to sabotage another’s career, even threatens a third with blackmail.

There’s no respite from his callousness. In one scene, at first seemingly more innocent, he goes out of his way to spray a neighborhood cat with a hose.

The show exerts itself trying to make us hate him, leaving little room for some ethical ponderance which could make it a more nuanced product.

Still, the wicked premise of “Bad Sisters” means it’s never dull. It’s an odd experience to find yourself laughing at some of the show’s darkest moments, whether that’s a coffin collapsing into a grave or an unfortunately timed funeral erection.

It works thanks to the sure hand of Sharon Horgan who both developed and stars in the series and who is also renowned for her work on the subversive sitcom “Catastrophe” (on Stan).

There’s a lot of characters moving around in “Bad Sisters”, including two life-insurance agents who begin to investigate John’s death after smelling foul play, but each is memorable thanks to some truly energetic performances that make this series an amusing and intriguing experiment in catharsis.

On Apple TV Plus

AFTER years of feverish anticipation, Middle-earth finally returns to screens around the world this week.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” brings JRR Tolkien’s fantasy saga back into the cultural discourse with a big-budget bang, breaking the record for the most expensive television show of all time.

That’s thanks to a five-season deal that Amazon has shelled out more than a billion American dollars for (not including the $250 million spent on acquiring the rights alone).

The series is set thousands of years before the events of Peter Jackson’s lauded film trilogy. The dark lord of Mordor, Sauron is amassing the power he’ll one day unleash on Middle-earth. All the while, the Elven Queen Galadriel senses the peril coming and sets out to bring him down.

While it does take inspiration from the film trilogy that preceded it, this time there’s no involvement from “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson himself, whose movies can be found on Amazon Prime Video, Stan, Binge and Paramount Plus.

Jackson offered to run his eyes over the scripts, but Amazon gave him the cold shoulder, leaving some fans fearful for the quality of the show.

Regardless, “The Rings of Power” is set to be one of Amazon Prime Video’s flagship series, one that for years the platform has wielded as a way to draw in subscribers.

It hits streaming at an interesting time, releasing alongside TV’s other epic fantasy series “House of the Dragon”, the “Game of Thrones” spin-off which has got off to a thrilling start.

Talk about a clash of kings.

On Amazon Prime Video.