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The new Netflix series Territory is earning rave reviews from critics while fans on social media have compared it to hit shows Yellowstone and Succession.

The Australian series arrived on the streaming service last week.

An official synopsis says: “When the world’s largest cattle station is left without a clear successor, generational clashes threaten to tear the Lawson family apart.

“Sensing this once great dynasty is in decline, the outback’s most powerful factions – rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders and billionaire miners – move in for the kill.”

On reviews aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes the series is rated 80% fresh, with Hollywood Reporter critic Daniel Fienberg declaring: “The cattle in Territory may not have a lot of genetic diversity — it’s a plot point! — and the hats may look a bit worn around the edges. But whatever you’re looking for, this series has a lot of it.”

On social media, viewers pointed out the similarities to Yellowstone with one writing: “I’m just 1,5 episodes in, but if #Netflix cancels this Aussie Yellowstone gem of a show, they are damn fools and we all should cancel subscription and renew it for a month when a particular show comes out, because COME ON! #Territory”

Another viewer added: “the new Netflix show ‘Territory’ is a mixture of Yellowstone and Succession. 9/10”

Others were less complimentary about the parallels, with one writing on X: “Territory is just Yellowstone with accents.”

Another said: “Netflix just dropped a new series called Territory that’s basically Yellowstone (hate to admit, it’s an admittedly great show)…”

In a B- review for AV Club, critic Todd Lazarski said he found the show both “bloody” and “soapy.”

“With such a shotgun-and-pickup-truck swagger, and a plot in conversation with season two of Fargo, Netflix seeks to get in on the wide-open-spaces itch of fans of Yellowstone, or Tulsa King, or whatever else Taylor Sheridan is cooking up under the expansive stars of his ranch,” wrote Lazarski.

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“But it’s not long before the tough-guy-and-girl schtick runs a bit toward pulpy, ending frequently in the realm of soapy. And for stretches, it can read as downright sudsy, with a love story sparked around an awkward request to take iPhone vids of some sweet horseback-riding moves. A Road House-esque brawl is precipitated by the kind of bar entrance where you hop on your buddy’s back and jostle his hat down over his eyes and then start a for-fun quarrel with bottles smashed over heads.”

Territory is on Netflix now.

EASTENDERS has aired a horrifying sex blackmail plot in today’s episode as Nish Panesar plunges to new lows.

The killer businessman – who is played by actor Navin Chowdhry in BBC soap – discovered the truth about The Six and Christmas this week.

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And he quickly used it to his advantage in a sickening new development.

Viewers know that Nish is dying and has a very short amount of time to live, but that hasn’t stopped him from enacting his most twisted plan yet.

After confronting The Six – minus Sharon – Nish told Suki that she knows him well-enough to know what it would take to buy his silence.

A horrified Suki first called Eve and left a voicemail: “We’ve been through our ups and downs but we’ve always come through it. I want you to know I don’t want to be with anyone else, not ever. I love you and I miss you.”

After leaving the voicemail, Suki called Nish downstairs and put her plan into motion.

“I’ve been thinking about what you want, what it will take to keep you quiet,” she said.

“Revenge. Eve took me from you, and I know what that did to you, so I’m offering you the chance to take me back, for one night, tonight.”

“One night?” he said.

Suki told him: “One night in our bed, so that every time you see her, you’ll know something that she doesn’t. 

“That you had me. I would do that to keep you quiet. After the way you treated me Nish, it’s more than you deserve. Well?”

But Nish hit back: “I don’t know what disgusts me the most. That you would debase yourself to satisfy my revenge on that woman or that you think that sex is all that I want from you. 

“You know what your problem has always been Suki? You’ve never truly appreciated everything that I’ve sacrificed for you. 

“So I’ve got better and more permanent terms to keep your merry band out of prison. It’s your turn to make a sacrifice for me.”

Darkest soap storylines

Over the years the likes of EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street have all tried to try outdo each other with their outlandish plots in a bid to keep us tuning in each week. But here are some of the darkest that had fans in shock…

EastEnders: Tony grooming Whitney (2008-2009) – Tony King first appeared in Albert Square in 2008 as the boyfriend of Bianca, played by Patsy Palmer. But it was quickly revealed he was a paedophile who had been grooming vulnerable Whitney, Bianca’s adopted stepdaughter from a previous relationship, since she was 12. The shocking storyline attracted more than 200 complaints within a week of it beginning. Whitney waited until her 16th birthday to reveal the truth to a horrified Bianca, who called the police.

Emmerdale: Holly’s drug addiction and shock death (2010-2016) – In 2010, Holly Barton (played by Sophie Powles) became Emmerdale’s first teenage drug addict. The shocking storyline saw her taking cocaine on a night out before developing a deadly heroin habit. Parents John and Moira desperately tried to help get their daughter clean but when Holly returned in 2016, following a four-year absence, she quickly relapsed. Fans were left stunned and heartbroken when distraught Moira found Holly dead in her bed from a heroin overdose.

Hollyoaks: Luke’s rape (2000) – Actor Gary Lucy was just 17 when he took on this groundbreaking storyline, which saw his character Luke Morgan become soap’s first male rape victim. Luke had endured a long-running bullying campaign by football rival Mark Gibbs – who raped him after Luke stood up to him. Luke was left suicidal following the brutal attack, before opening up to his brother Adam. Gibbs was sentenced to eight years in prison. Gary won the Best Actor gong at the British Soap Awards in 2000 for his performance.

Coronation Street: Evil Richard Hillman (2001-2003) – Just a mere mention of ‘Richard Hillman’ is enough to send a shiver down the spines of soap fans. He is often ranked one of the most evil soap villains and it’s not hard to see why. The smooth-talking financial adviser bashed his ex-wife Patricia over the head with a shovel. In a bid to keep his mother-in-law Audrey quiet, he set fire to her house. And when Maxine caught him trying to murder Emily Bishop, he took a crowbar to her head. He made his exit from the cobbles in 2003 when he drove Gail Platt, played by Helen Worth, and her family into the canal. They survived, but he didn’t.

Nish wants Suki to spend his last months with her as his wife – and all that entails.

Will she go through with it? Or does she have another way to beat Nish?

STRICTLY Come Dancing has been slammed by an animal rights charity over a ‘violently obtained’ part of the show.

Every week, millions of viewers tune into the BBC One show to watch some of their favourite stars compete for the glitterball trophy.

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This year, the likes of actress Sarah Hadland, EastEnders personality Jamie Borthwick and Love Island‘s Tasha Ghouri have all received high scores from the judges.

However, the bosses have not received such praise from animal charity PETA, who have slammed Strictly Come Dancing.

The organisation’s Vice President of Corporate Projects Yvonne Taylor has personally written to bosses, as she highlighted the continued use of feathers in the costumes of the show.

In her document that was seen by The Sun, she wrote: “Like many Brits, we love the dazzling dances Strictly Come Dancing brings to our screens, but we must spotlight one major concern: the series’ use of feathers.

“Real birds’ feathers are a product of extreme cruelty to animals and have no place on your dance floor. They are gory, not glamourous.”

In her letter, Mrs Taylor then went into more detail of the harmful effects of obtaining feathers for clothing materials.

“Industry use of other birds – like pheasants, parrots, and peacocks – is shrouded in secrecy, breeding black market activity.

“Live plucking, which is common, causes birds immense pain and sometimes fatal injuries.

“When you consider that factory farming birds to rob them of their plumes also increases the very real risk of a deadly bird flu pandemic, feathers are definitely something you don’t want to touch with a limbo stick!”

The charity noted that huge fashion designers like Stella McCartney are moving away from ‘cruelly obtained feathers’.

It also pointed out that the recent Victoria’s Secret show featured designs that were made exclusively from handcrafted faux feathers.

The Sun has contacted the BBC for comment.

Strictly 2024 pairings

Here’s who is matched with who this series…

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Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.

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Jon Stewart has admitted he finds Tony Hinchcliffe “very funny” following the comedian’s widely criticized remarks at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally.

On Monday (October 28), the Daily Show host dedicated his opening monologue to discussing the Republican presidential nominee’s rally in New York City on Sunday evening, which has since been condemned by celebrities and politicians alike for the many racist and vulgar remarks made by speakers at the event.

Among the speakers at the rally, which included Tucker Carlson and David Rem, Hinchcliffe perhaps received the biggest pushback after calling Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean,” as well as other offensive comments aimed at Jewish and Black Americans.

As Stewart showed a clip from Hinchcliffe’s opening act, along with the multiple TV news anchors who subsequently criticized his jokes, the 61-year-old comedian took the opportunity to defend Hinchcliffe.

“Obviously, in retrospect, having a roast comedian come to a political rally a week before election day and roasting a key voting demographic, probably not the best decision by the campaign politically,” Stewart said. “But to be fair, the guy’s just really doing what he does.”

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He then highlighted a video of Hinchcliffe’s set at the live Netflix comedy roast of Tom Brady, which took place earlier this year. Hinchcliffe has made a career out of writing jokes for celebrities on Comedy Central Roast, and offers brutal feedback to aspiring comedians on his podcast Kill Tony, which he co-hosts with Brian Redban.

After Stewart played a supercut of jokes from Hinchcliffe’s Roast of Tom Brady set, he couldn’t help but laugh at the controversial comedian’s segment.

“Yes, yes, of course, terrible, boo. There’s something wrong with me. I find that guy very funny. I’m sorry, I don’t know what to tell you,” Stewart admitted.

“I mean, bringing him to a rally and having him not do roast jokes? That’d be like bringing Beyoncé to a rally and not…,” he added, referencing the fact that Beyoncé gave a speech at a recent Kamala Harris rally rather than a performance.

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Hinchcliffe has since doubled down on his controversial jokes made at the MSG rally. When Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz branded the comedian a “jackwad” for his racist remarks, Hinchcliffe hit back at Walz in a post shared to X/Twitter.

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“These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his ‘busy schedule’ to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist,” the comedian wrote on Sunday.

“I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone… watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim… might be time to change your tampon.”

Hinchcliffe’s comments have also caught the attention of Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, who immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris by sharing a campaign video with his 45 million Instagram followers. Jennifer Lopez took the opportunity to share her support for Harris by reposting the video with emojis of the Puerto Rican flag and a ballot box, signaling she had voted for the Democratic presidential nominee.

Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin also shared the clip of Hinchcliffe’s offensive joke on Instagram and said: “This is what they think of us. Vote for @kamalaharris.”

Trump’s re-election campaign has since attempted to distance itself from Hinchcliffe’s comments on Puerto Rico. In a statement, senior Trump adviser Danielle Alvarez claimed the joke “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”