The Great House Revival
Sunday, RTÉ One, 9.30pm
We're living in an age where it's easier to live on Mars than buy a house or rent an apartment on Earth. Most of us can only look in envy at other people's fab gaffs, and of course we're gluttons for punishment. Hence the proliferation of home improvement/renovation/just looking shows. But envy may not be the overriding emotion in this third series of The Great House Revival. We might instead feel a sense of relief that we haven't forked out good money on a crumbling castle, a rundown old mill, or a derelict barn, and a bit of schadenfreude as we watch the costs – and stress levels – mount up. Architect Hugh Wallace meets a new generation of homeowners whose homes are in need of more than a lick of paint. First up is Rob Hennessey, who snapped up a threadbare Victorian house by the banks of the Lee in Passage West, Co Cork, and has to turn it into a high-spec family home in time for the arrival of his and partner Katie's new baby.
The 94th Academy Awards
Sunday, Sky Cinema/Showcase, from 11pm
It's been another stuttering year for cinema as the ongoing pandemic played havoc with production and release schedules. Still, several big-ticket movies enjoyed a theatrical release as the world opened up again, although Covid has killed the debate about whether streaming movies should be eligible for an Oscar nomination. This year's nominations are led by Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog, with competition from Stephen Spielberg's West Side Story, Denis Villeneuve's Dune and Kenneth Branagh's Belfast. Branagh's love letter to his home city has had a disappointing awards season so far; will the academy look more kindly on Branagh's baby? You know the drill: serious cinephiles will get the popcorn in for an all-nighter, while the rest of us sensible people will wait for the edited highlights on regular network telly.
Falklands War: The Untold Story
Sunday, Channel 4, 9pm
On the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War, this landmark documentary, part of Channel 4's Secret History strand, reveals the untold story of the conflict that saw Britain send nearly 30,000 soldiers, sailors and aircrew 8,000 miles to the south Atlantic to reclaim the Falklands Islands after invasion by Argentina. The head of the SAS in the Falklands, Sir Michael Rose, speaks publicly for the first time about how the British task force came close to defeat, while ground troops candidly share their experiences.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
Monday, Sky Atlantic/NowTV, 9pm
How did the Los Angeles Lakers evolve to become one of America's most revered basketball teams? This fast-moving drama series chronicles the club's rise to dominance in the 1980s, led by its two superstar players, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. John C Reilly stars as businessman Jerry Buss, who takes a punt by buying the ailing Lakers in 1979, and transforms basketball from just another sport into thrilling, sponsor-friendly entertainment. Reilly was a great sport earlier this month when he agreed to be international guest of honour at the Dublin St Patrick's Day parade, so the least we can do is give his new series a plug. Who knows? You might find this one is a sports drama slam-dunk.
Rescue: Extreme Medics
Monday, Channel 4, 9pm
The Scottish Trauma Network serves the entire population of Scotland, taking in more than 30,000 square miles and some of the most challenging geography in Europe. When a patient can't make it to the emergency room, the service brings the medics to them, and as this new series discovers, the challenges are unlike anything else in the UK. In the opening episode, a trauma team leaves Glasgow by helicopter to come to aid of a man trapped under a 650kg all-terrain vehicle in a remote part of Skye. In Aberdeen Royal Infirmary a cyclist needs treatment following a head-on collision with a digger bucket. And, in Glasgow, a 17-year-old tree surgeon has an accident involving a chainsaw.
Banned! The Mary Whitehouse Story
Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm
Down with this sort of thing! Careful now! Before Ted and Dougal mounted their protest outside the Craggy Island cinema, a teacher and housewife from the English midlands was doing battle with film-makers, TV execs, publishers and even The Beatles as part of a mission to turn back the tide of filth she saw emanating from radios, TVs, cinemas and newsagents’ top shelves. This documentary looks back at Mary Whitehouse’s 30-year campaign against the emerging permissive society of the 1960s and 1970s, which made her name synonymous with prudishness and schoolmarmery. She took on the BBC and the porn barons, and led boycotts of such films as Last Tango in Paris. A half-century later, as society grapples with the toxic after-effects of the sexual revolution, some are wondering if Whitehouse was unfairly labelled a purse-lipped killjoy.
Cloch le Carn – Des O'Malley
Tuesday, RTÉ One, 7pm
For many, Des O'Malley was the greatest taoiseach Ireland never had. From the time he entered politics at 29 in 1968 up until his retirement in 2002, O'Malley maintained a reputation of integrity and courage, someone who wasn't afraid to stand up to those he believed were not working in the nation's interest. He had a healthy respect for his own abilities and knew his limitations, and though he had ambition, quite often that ambition was tempered by what he felt was needed for the greater good. Cloch le Carn looks at a remarkable career during one of the most turbulent periods of Irish politics, with contributions from his son Eoin O'Malley and former colleagues Mary Harney and Máire Geoghan Quinn.
An Diabhal Inti
Tuesday, TG4, 10pm
Ireland's only mass witch trial took place in Island Magee in 1711, when eight women and one man were accused of "bewitching" a young maid named Mary Dunbar. Ulster Scots settlers believed that the Devil walked the earth, often taking the form of a woman. The accused women were widows or of diabolical appearance, who smoke and drink and are considered to be aggressive and argumentative for defending themselves.
Holby City
Tuesday, BBC One, 7.50pm
2022 marks the end of a TV era in more ways than one. Not only has Channel 5 announced it’s pulling the plug on Neighbours, but tonight is the last-ever episode of Holby City. The Casualty spin-off has been a BBC staple since 1999 and is also still popular with viewers, which made the announcement that it was being axed to make way for more dramas from across the UK all the more shocking. However, the Bees promises that it will go out on a high, as the consequences of Jac’s surgery are felt around Darwin and beyond. Meanwhile, Dom feels as if Josh and Ange have shut him out of their family crises, and Donna and Hanssen are there to support Lexy after she receives bad news, although her positive attitude might end up inspiring them.
Becoming Parents: A Believer's Guide
Tuesday, BBC One, 11.05pm
A new series looking at how people turn to their faiths during key moments in their lives begins by meeting Muslim couple welcoming their first child. Ali and Claire are understandably nervous, but Ali's family are there to help as they practise their version of the Muslim tradition of 40 days. His parents, sister and sister-in-law will be looking after the couple so they can devote their energies to caring for their new baby. Claire explains why this is particularly valuable for her as she lost her own mother in her teens.
The Criminal Assets Bureau
Wednesday, Virgin One, 9pm
Journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered on June 26th, 1996. A week later the Oireachtas passed the Proceeds of Crime Bill, and by October the Criminal Assets Bureau was a fully functioning agency of the State. Since then CAB has completely changed the way organised crime is policed and become a blueprint for fighting organised crime on an international level. This series looks at the agency's first 25 years and its importance at both a national and international level, especially its role as a model for seizing the assets of organised crime.
The Earth Is Blue as an Orange: Storyville
Wednesday, BBC Four, 10pm
This timely Ukrainian documentary, directed and written by Iryna Tsilyk, won theWorld Cinema Documentary Award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. It follows single mother Hanna and her four children, who live in the front-line war zone of Donbas. While the outside world is made up of bombings and chaos, the family manages to keep their home as a safe haven, full of life and full of light. Every member of the family has a passion for cinema, motivating them to shoot a film inspired by their own life during a time of war.
The Price of Everything
Thursday, RTÉ One, 7pm
The cost of living is going through the roof; energy prices are skyrocketing; our weekly food bill has hit stratospheric levels; and the airborne metaphors are flying around. But this new six-part series promises to be a down-to-earth look at how rising costs are affecting our everyday lives, and how we can navigate this vertiginous new normal. Irish Times Pricewatch man Conor Pope and Santis O’Garro (aka The Caribbean Dub) head out around the country to meet consumers at the coalface of rising prices, and hopefully come back with some strategies for reducing your household bills. First topic is the price of food, as it’s estimated families will need an extra two grand a year to cover the grocery bills. The presenters are in Carlow to meet single mother of three Sally to see how she’s coping with the bigger shopping bills. They also meet volunteers at a food bank to find out how they’re tackling increasing food poverty.
Gordon Ramsay's Future Food Stars
Thursday, BBC One, 9pm
Last week saw the conclusion of the latest series of The Apprentice, in which Lord Sugar announced who would receive £250,000 to invest in their business. The show is being replaced in the schedules by a new series with a similar idea, except that this time, it's Gordon Ramsay preparing to hand over some serious cash of his own – £150,000. The first programme introduces viewers to the 12 people vying for it. They're all at the cutting edge of the modern food and drink industry, and believe they have come up with a revolutionary idea that could make them and the acerbic chef a heap of money. All they have to do is impress him via several challenges over the coming weeks. It sounds simple, but expect tears and tantrums along the way.
How to Sleep Well with Michael Mosley
Thursday, BBC Two, 9pm
Let's make things clear: despite the title, this programme is not about how viewers can get a good night's kip if they happen to find themselves with Michael Mosley. Instead, the medical expert offers tips on getting some much-needed shut-eye wherever we are and whoever we might be with. Mosley discovers new scientific facts about sleep, including how it can impact on almost every system in the body; expect a few sobering thoughts along the way. No doubt many of us will resolve to get an early night after tuning in.
Cruising with Susan Calman
Friday, Channel 5, 9pm
Is Susan Calman ever at home these days? The solicitor-turned-comedian-turned-travelogue presenter is barely off our screens for two minutes before she's off touring some place or other. Calman is back to take over C5's cruising duties from Jane McDonald. Across six episodes, she'll experience life on the high seas during a globe-trotting adventure, which begins in the Canary Islands aboard the Regal Princess. It provides accommodation for 3,600 passengers, and is her temporary home from which she can try jet skiing, visit Gran Canaria's world-famous drag queens, and embark on an awe-inspiring sea trek.
Open House: The Great Sex Experiment
Friday, Channel 4, 10pm
It is accepted in society that human relationships should be monogamous, and that those who don't embrace the idea are living outside the norm. But is that right? Are we really suited to mating with one partner for life, or would we be happier in an open relationship? This bold new series aims to answer that question by following a group of currently monogamous couples as they explore the idea of opening up their partnership to find out if it would make them happier as a couple. Offering help and advice are sex therapists and relationship coaches, who set them challenges in an attempt to discover whether getting intimate with other people can enhance or really does hinder their commitment.
ON DEMAND
Moon Knight
From Wednesday, Disney+
Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke head up a formidable cast in the latest series from the ever-expanding Marvel universe, and they’ve got a big burden on their shoulders: how to top WandaVision as the MCU’s best TV show? Casting the excellent Isaac as mild-mannered (a real superhero giveaway there) Stephen Grant, who learns that he’s not really who he thinks he is, is a good start. Turns out Grant is just one of multiple identities shared with mercenary Marc Spector aka Moon Knight, and soon he is caught up in a mystery involving Egyptian gods and lots of nasty villians out to destroy the universe and all that. But how do we differentiate between all the different personalities embodied in Moon Knight? Isaac helpfully adopts different voices for each alter-ego, including a Brit accent and a Noo Yawk street tone.
Slow Horses
From Friday, Apple TV+
Mick Herron is one of the most revered authors around, lauded by both his peers and the public. His first novel in the Slow Horses series has now been turned into a six-part espionage drama starring Gary Oldman, who's no stranger to the genre having appeared in the acclaimed big-screen adaptation of John Le Carre's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. He plays Jackson Lamb, leader of a group of British intelligence agents whose career mistakes have resulted in them being dumped by MI15 in the outwardly dreary Slough House. This is purgatory for spies, but life is about to take an unexpected turn due to a very dangerous game. Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Pryce, Jack Lowden and Olivia Cooke co-star.
Hacks
From Friday, Amazon Prime
Amazon has already enjoyed success with one series about a female stand-up via The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, and is no doubt hoping for similar ratings from this new comedy drama. Jean Smart stars as Deborah Vance, a once legendary performer whose long-running residence in a Vegas casino is under threat because its manager feels she’s lost touch with the modern world. Hannah Einbinder co-stars as Ava Daniels, a down-on-her-luck comedy writer unable to find work after sending an ill-advised tweet. The pair join forces, albeit reluctantly, in an effort to give both their ailing careers a much-needed boost.
The Bubble
From Friday, Netflix
In the mood for a smart comedy featuring an all-star cast and directed and co-written by one of the leading exponents of the genre? The Bubble is the brainchild of Judd Apatow and stars Karen Gillan, Fred Armisen, David Duchovny and Leslie Mann as the cast and crew of a hugely successful Cliff Beasts film franchise. During the coronavirus pandemic, they travel to England to shoot the sixth instalment but, of course, it doesn't go quite as planned. Watch out too for appearances by Rob Delaney, Gus Khan and Benedict Cumberbatch.
The Last Bus
From Friday, Netflix
This 10-part series is an entertaining, amusing sci-fi adventure for older kids that also has something powerful to say about the environment and technology. The story follows the fortunes of a group of mismatched students whose school trip takes an unexpected turn thanks to a robot-inspired apocalypse that vaporises the rest of humanity. Left alone in the world, the group’s members decide to fight back, tackling numerous obstacles along the way. Robert Sheehan stars alongside a cast of young and largely unknown actors.
Contributing: PA
