TV guide: 27 of the best shows to watch this week, beginning tonight

Peaky Blinders
Sunday, BBC One, 9pm
It's the moment fans of the Birmingham-set gangster drama have been both looking forward to and dreading. Steven Knight's popular show reaches an emotional conclusion tonight after six seasons, but as a pay-off, we will get to see if there really is "one last deal to be done" before the Peaky Blinders rest. Specific details are being kept under wraps, but we do know that Tommy will have to face the consequences of his experiences and actions over the years. As the clouds of the coming storm gather, what will be become of the leader of the Shelbys in a world on the road to war? Despite Peaky Blinders' ongoing success, Knight feels the time is right for it to end – at least as a TV show. "I'm calling it the end of the beginning," he says. "Let's end the beginning, then let's do the film. And then let's see where we go in terms of spin-offs."

DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland
Sunday, RTÉ One, 6.30pm

Baz Ashmawy is back with a second series of the home rebuilding series, in which the entire community rallies around a family in need and helps them create a home that meets their unique needs. Ashmawy and his expanded team – now including designers, developers, builders, carpenters, suppliers and a growing army of volunteers – are rebuilding lives as well as homes. Their first call-out is Johnny Aylward from Kilkenny, who has been diagnosed with motor neuron disease. Johnny has been gifted a field by the river Barrow by his bachelor uncle John, and the crew have to create a new home there for Johnny, his wife, Lynn, and their two boys, one of whom is on the autism spectrum and needs constant care. The house will have to be adapted to suit Johnny’s current and future needs, while also working as family home for future generations. Luckily, they have help from their older children from previous marriages, not to mentions Baz’s highly competent crew.

“I was absolutely blown away when I met the Aylward family, and am proud to now call them my friends,” says Ashmawy, adding that the family is “built on heart and laughs”.

Then Barbara Met Alan: A charmingly anarchic disability rights biopic

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Mandy Patinkin: ‘Ukraine needs people to pay attention. I’m finished being afraid’

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Was arch-prude Mary Whitehouse really ahead of her time?

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Celtic Connections 2022
Sunday, TG4, 9.25pm

This New music series was filmed during Celtic Connections in Glasgow. Dónal O’Connor welcomes a diverse musical cast, including Blue Rose Code, who turn Celtic Soul into transcendental live performances. The exciting Kinnaris Quintet combine Scottish and Irish traditions with bluegrass, classical and Appalachian influences to win.

Muhammad Ali
Sunday, BBC Two, 11.20pm

There have been plenty of documentaries and films about Muhammad Ali but award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns’s eight-part series offers a definitive look at the life and legacy of the athlete known as The Greatest. With so much ground to cover in and out of a boxing ring, each episode focuses on a different aspect of Ali’s life; the first looks at his rise in the world of amateur boxing to win gold at the 1960 Olympic Games. Ali subsequently turned professional and moved to Miami to train with Angelo Dundee, sharpening his boxing skills and honing his genius for self-promotion.

Much Ado About Nothing
Sunday, BBC Four, 8pm
Roy Alexander Weise's 2022 production of Shakespeare's comedy, featuring some of the Bard's wittiest dialogue, is the latest collaboration between the Royal Shakespeare Company and BBC Arts. Featuring screen direction by Indra Bhose, the Stratford-upon-Avon-staged play follows the screen premiere of Erica Whyman's production of The Winter's Tale which was broadcast last spring. Akiya Henry and Luke Wilson star as sharp-witted feuding protagonists, the flamboyant Beatrice and mischievous Benedick, who are manipulated into falling in love by their friends.

Thatcher & Reagan: A Very Special Relationship
Sunday, BBC Two, 9pm

Charles Moore, author of the authorised biography of Margaret Thatcher, reveals his personal view of how the relationship between the former UK prime minister and US president Ronald Reagan changed the course of world history. The two-part programme makes the case that while their political and personal relationship was often tested, the pair fundamentally shifted the power dynamics of the 1980s, as together they helped reshape East/West relations, driving the cold war towards a critical turning point – after which came the fall of the Iron Curtain and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. By speaking to eyewitnesses, Moore explores the ups and downs of their complex friendship with those who knew them.

The Split
Monday, BBC One, 9pm

The lives, loves and liaisons of a family of divorce lawyers are under the spotlight once again in the third and final series of the drama created by Abi Morgan. Nicola Walker, Fiona Button and Annabel Scholey return as the Defoe sisters Hannah, Rose and Nina, who have made successful careers out of marriage misery. But all is not roses on London’s divorce circuit; Hannah is now going through her own divorce with her barrister husband Nathan (Stephen Mangan), and though they initially commit to making this an amicable split, shocking new revelations from their 20-year marriage soon see things turning acrimonious. The family that sues together stays together? Not very likely.

Cadbury Exposed: Dispatches
Monday, Channel 4, 8pm
With Easter just around the corner, Dispatches reporter Antony Barnett goes undercover in Ghana to investigate the truth about Britain's favourite chocolate brand. Children, some as young as 10, are filmed hauling heavy loads and working with machetes, carrying out hazardous work on plantations that supply cocoa beans to Mondelez International, the US owner of Cadbury, through its ethical programme Cocoa Life. Barnett hears from farmers who earn less than £2 a day and children who have been injured harvesting its beans while working long hours in the searing heat.

Travel Man: 48 Hours in the Basque Country
Monday, Channel 4, 8.30pm
Joe Lycett is packing a bag and jetting off for whistlestop tours of various places as the popular, light-hearted travel show returns for a new run. Over the coming weeks he'll be joined by Aisling Bea, Mo Gilligan and Katherine Parkinson, but he begins by taking fellow comedian James Acaster to Bilbao and San Sebastian. At the former they soak up the culture on view at the iconic Guggenheim before taking a vertigo-inducing walk across the world's first transporter bridge. After that they need to calm their nerves with a taste of local tipple kalimotxo. Then, in San Sebastian, they learn how to make another local favourite, pintxos, and pay homage to the city's artistic hero, Eduardo Chillida.

The Fall of the House of Maxwell
Monday, BBC2, 9pm
Following the incarceration of Ghislaine Maxwell comes a new three-part documentary examining her family's history, rise to prominence and subsequent fall from grace. It begins with a focus on her father, Robert, a once impoverished Holocaust survivor who became head of a multimillion-pound media empire. However, his apparently accidental death came shortly before revelations about financial irregularities involving using pension funds to shore up his Mirror Group business. It's a fascinating opener featuring expert testimony and never-before-seen documentation.

Home of the Year
Tuesday, RTÉ One, 8.30pm
It's the finale of Ireland's most hotly contested property prize, and the field has been narrowed down to seven finalists with their eye on the home trophy. Judges Hugh Wallace, Amanda Bone and Sara Cosgrave will have to choose the ultimate winner out of this shortlist of stunning homes, and we don't envy them (although we do envy the homeowners). But whose home will emerge victorious? Will it be the new-build Kerry home of Tony McManus and his wife, Imogen, which boasts a the traditional exterior but contemporary looks inside? Or the renovated 1920s Belfast house owned by Michelle and Rob McNeil? Or Martin and Saoirse O'Dwyer's 1870s cottage in Co Sligo with the new barrel roof extension? Or the modernist, upside-down house in Co Down owned by Aoife and Gareth Tolerton? It's all to play for.

Louisiana Lockdown
Tuesday, Virgin Two, 9pm
This groundbreaking series has exclusive access to Louisiana State Penitentiary, aka Angola, America's largest and most notorious maximum security penitentiary. Once known as the bloodiest prison in the US, Angola houses 5,300 of Louisiana's most violent offenders, most of them with sentences so long they will die here. On these secluded grounds, some men earn remarkable privilege and spend their time farming, raising animals and training for the annual prison rodeo, while those who rebel do their time in solitary cells. The prison warden and his staff live here, too, raising generations of families next door to the inmates they oversee.

Ellie Simmonds: A World Without Dwarfism?
Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm
Achondroplasia, a genetic condition, is the most common type of dwarfism in the UK. Now, a new drug has emerged that promises to increase the rate of growth for children born with the condition. However, the breakthrough raises bigger questions about the relationship between science, diversity and disability. In this documentary, Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds, who has achondroplasia, dives into the contentious debate, meeting families who are embarking on the drug trials and those who feel that the treatment would have helped them if it had been available to them as children. She also speaks to those who fear that medical advances are in danger of reversing some of the gains made in the acceptance and inclusion of disabled people.

Deadline
Tuesday, Channel 5, 9pm
James D'Arcy takes the lead in this new thriller as James, a rising star in journalism until a terrible mistake derails his career. Now he's reduced to making trashy documentaries, but he's given a chance to get back on track when he's contacted by Natalie (Charlie Murphy), who is suspected of murdering her rich Hungarian husband. She tells him that if he can find the real killer, she'll give him the exclusive interview that everyone wants. However, the investigation isn't going to be easy, and there's also the question: what does James desire most – the scoop or Natalie herself?

Báisteach
Wednesday, TG4, 9.30pm
Báisteach delves into some of the mysteries behind this most commonplace phenomenon – rain. The first episode explores the science of the raindrops that we rely on for our survival. Seán Mac an tSíthigh travels to Fermanagh's Marble Arch Caves, where the impact of raindrops that fell thousands of years ago can still be seen today. He also meets one of Ireland's voluntary weather observers who track the country's annual rainfall. And, in the UAE he discovers the lengths the country goes to to make it rain.

The Great Home Transformation
Wednesday, Channel 4, 8pm
Although many of us have ambitions to revamp where we live, do you sometimes wish that someone would just pull up on your doorstep with a truck and sort it for you? That's the concept behind this new six-part series fronted by Emma Willis and Nick Grimshaw, who team up to transform family homes across the country in just three days with the help of one life-changing truck. In the first edition, the duo are in Eastbourne to help Becca, Sam and their four children, who are struggling for space in those messy early years of parenting. Armed with innovative data that reveals exactly how the family use their home, resident interior designer Alex Dauley is on hand with plans for their living room, conservatory and bedrooms.

The Truffle Hunters: Storyville
Wednesday, BBC Four, 10pm

Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men in their 70s and 89s hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba truffle. They’re part of an eccentric world never seen, guided by a secret culture and training passed down through generations. Working alongside the noses of their expertly trained dogs, they live a simple, slow way of life, in harmony with their loyal animals and their picture-perfect land. In Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw’s cinematic journey, it soon becomes clear that these ageing men may just hold something much more valuable than even the prized truffle: the secret to a rich and meaningful life.

An Fód Deireanach
Thursday, TG4, 8pm

Manchán Magan explores Ireland’s complex relationship with the peatlands. The country is a bog superpower, with the third largest amount of surviving peatland in the world. The bog is part of Irish culture and heritage, but these biodiverse habitats are under threat. During this episode, Magan looks at climate change; can saving our peatlands help save the planet? He visits Bord na Móna, which says “the world is changing; we are changing with it”. Investigating where this leaves the average turf cutter, he meets with campaigners who say that rural Ireland can’t survive without turf cutting.

First Dates Ireland
Thursday, RTÉ2, 9.30pm

This bonus episodes returns to some of the season’s most memorable matchups: a cornucopia of killer lines and cringe-worthy clangers, loved-up lotharios, romantic rendez-vous, awkward assignations and beautiful dreamers. They’re all here, from the girl who wanted her date to pull a lamb to the guy who calmly admitted that he’d broken his penis. Who could forget the high speed, heavily accented to-and-fro between Emma and Scott from Cork? Or how a pair of broken fingers brought Shane from Kildare and goalie Geniele together? What about the three-way dad joke extravaganza shared by Jay, Alan and their warm-up man, waiter Pete? The karmic justice dealt to rapper Aran as he “friend zoned” Kirsty, only to be caught out by his own words. And the perfect combination of Tara and Jamie – a match made in heaven.

Secrets of the Museum
Thursday, BBC Two, 8pm
London's Victoria & Albert Museum, more colloquially known as the V&A, is home to a vast array of items dating from ancient times to the present day. If you're thinking that two series about its treasures is ample, you're wrong. We've only scratched the surface of the collection — around two million objects are not on public display, and this programme offers one of the few opportunities to see them. As a result, it's great to be back behind the scenes, meeting the experts who make sure everything is kept in tip-top condition. Among them is curator Annemarie who is preparing a major new exhibition about children's writer and illustrator Beatrix Potter. Thankfully she has plenty of items to choose from — the V&A holds the world's largest collection of Potter's work.

Pilgrimage: The Road to the Scottish Isles
Friday, BBC Two, 9pm

Easter is looming, and that’s a time when many people find themselves thinking about their faith, including the celebrities taking part in the latest series of Pilgrimage. Over the course of 15 days, the seven pilgrims will follow in the footsteps of sixth-century Irish monk St Columba, and undertake a journey that begins in Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, and ends on Iona, a tiny island in the Inner Hebrides. It’s going to be physically as well as spiritually tough for celebrities Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Monty Panesar, Nick Hewer, Scarlett Moffatt, Shazia Mirza, Louisa Clein and Will Bayley, who between them have a wide-range of beliefs (Laurence describes himself as a “non-conforming pagan”).

Cardiff Calling: 6 Music Festival 2022 Highlights
Friday, BBC Four, 10.40pm
Last weekend Cardiff played host to this year's BBC Radio 6 Music Festival. Here Cerys Matthews and Huw Stephens provide the highlights, including performances from Idles, Johnny Marr, Little Simz, Pixies and Wet Leg, as well as backstage interviews with some of the artists. There's also footage from a special performance that took place on the eve of the festival and saw Wales' legendary Manic Street Preachers take the stage at Clwb Ifor Bach.

ON DEMAND

Single Drunk Female
From Wednesday, Disney+

Twentysomething Samantha Fink is all set to conquer the world, but first she has to conquer her own planet-sized booze problem. Following a meltdown at a New York media company, Sam has to move back home to Boston to avoid jail time, and now has to deal with an overbearing mother who clearly has issues of her own. She also has to put up with her annoyingly perfect former best friend, who is now dating Samantha’s ex. Sophia Black-D’Elia plays Sam and ’80s brat pack icon Ally Sheedy is mommy dearest, in this blackly humorous series about the perils of trying to stay sober when the whole world seems to be conspiring to get you back on the bottle.

All the Old Knives
From Friday, Amazon Prime
Danish director Janus Metz Pedersen's taut thriller is based on a novel by Olen Steinhauer, who also penned the screenplay. The plot focuses on espionage agents Henry and Celia, two former lovers who enjoy a few reminiscences over a sumptuous dinner. While looking back at their time together working in Vienna, conversation turns to a distressing event – the hijacking of a flight, which ended with the deaths of everyone aboard. The failure to save the hostages continues to haunt those involved, including Henry and Celia. He's desperate to make amends, and as the evening progresses, it becomes clear that one of the duo will not survive the night. Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton star, ably supported by Laurence Fishburne and Jonathan Pryce.

Metal Lords
From Friday, Netflix
The subject matter has little in common with Game of Thrones, but fans of the all-conquering fantasy series may be interested in tuning into this movie because it's the latest project from GoT co-creators and showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss. The comedy follows the fortunes of Hunter and Kevin, the only two metal fans in their high school. They're already treated as outcasts by their classmates, and matters aren't improved by their efforts to get a band off the ground. The pair need to find a bass player quickly if they're to compete in a local Battle of the Bands contest, but the task proves impossible – until they hit on the idea of asking a female cellist to take on the role.

Yaksha: Ruthless Operations
From Friday, Netflix

In the latest South Korean drama to head our way, the action takes place in Shenyang, the base of operations for more spies than anywhere else in the world thanks to its position as a geopolitical key point in northeast Asia. Veteran operative Kang-in is the leader of BlackTeam, which is dedicated to keeping an eye on secret missions carried out by foreign nationals in the country. Nicknamed Yaksha, he will do everything in his power to complete every task assigned to him, but his supposed dedication and loyalty will count for nothing if an investigation into his team’s activities reveals that every report they file is a fake. Now Yaksha and his staff must shake off the special inspector on their trail.

Pinecone & Pony
From Friday, Apple TV+

In 2015, writer and illustrator Kate Beaton published her first book for kids, The Princess and the Pony, which went on to win the Children’s Book Award. The rights to turn it into a TV series were snapped up by DreamWorks, resulting in this eight-part animated comedy. At the heart of the tale is Princess Pinecone, a strong-minded warrior-in-training who wants a warhorse for her birthday. Instead, she receives the very cute Pony, who, at first glance, doesn’t appear to be much of a fighter. However, as the pair bond, it becomes clear that appearances can be deceptive.

Contributing: PA