George Clarke’s Adventures in Americana
Sunday, Channel 4, 9pm
You can tell a lot about people from the buildings they live in, apparently, and in this new four-part series, telly architect George Clarke takes a trip around the US to explore American life and architecture. He’s in search of the stories behind the buildings, and his 6,000-mile odyssey begins on the east coast, where he visits the Glass House in Connecticut, former home of iconic American architect Philip Johnson, and stays in a genuine 1960s motel in Wildwood, New Jersey.
Rúin na bPortach
Sunday, BBC2, 10pm
Cormac Ó hÁdhmaill heads out on a trip through the peatlands of Ireland and beyond – and hopefully he’s got a good pair of boots for the journey, because it might get a bit squelchy. He’s on a mission to highlight “the huge importance of bogs in the archaeology, history, culture and psyche of Ireland”, and learn how bogs grow and develop and what rituals and customs have grown around bogs through the ages. The first episode features Prof Matthijs Schouten, who started a campaign to save Irish bogs after visiting here in the 1970s, and Ó hÁdhmaill visits Finland to find out how the Finns look after their precious peatlands.
Jackie & Coco
Monday, RTÉ1, 9.35pm
When Jackie Fox’s daughter Nicole aka Coco died by suicide following years of relentless online bullying, Jackie was determined that no other child should have to endure the horror of cyberbullying, and that no other family should have to suffer the grief and loss caused by this scourge of modern technology. This hard-hitting documentary tells the story of how Jackie took on the might of the legal system as she campaigned tirelessly for the laws to be changed to make online bullying a crime, and how the passing of Coco’s Law gave Jackie’s own life new meaning.
Born from the Same Stranger
Monday, UTV, 9pm
Imagine discovering you had dozens of brothers and sisters that you knew nothing about. That’s the story for some people who were conceived using donor sperm, and in this series we meet people who are trying to trace their siblings and learn more about where they came from. With the change in UK laws giving people the right to know who their donor parent is, more people are setting out to fill in the blanks in their family history and meet their multiple relatives. Episode one features Liam Renouf, who grew up longing to meet his dad, not realising he was an anonymous donor, and Sarah Smith, who was shocked to learn that her dad was not her biological father.
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Pitch Invasion: How the Scottish and Irish Changed Football
Tuesday, BBC1, 10.40pm
This three-part series looks at the huge influence players and managers from Scotland and the island of Ireland have had on the English game, from George Best to Matt Busby, Roy Keane to Alex Ferguson and Liam Brady to Martin O’Neill. As far as the makers of this series are concerned, the Celtic input into the English game is only a good thing, and the series celebrates the glorious achievements of football’s Irish, Northern Irish and Scottish legends from the 1960s until the present day, with input from Graeme Souness, John Aldridge and Niall Quinn among others.
Revenge: Our Dad the Nazi Killer
Tuesday, BBC4, 10pm
If you discovered your old man was a Nazi, you’d be pretty shocked. But what if you found out that your dad was secretly hunting down Nazis and dealing out summary execution? This documentary in the Storyville strand tells the story of three brothers in Australia who suspect their father and uncle may have been part of a covert group that targeted former Nazis who had fled to Australia to avoid being tried for their war crimes. Many of these criminals died in apparent freak accidents or suicides, but as the brothers delve into the postwar archives, they find mounting evidence that their dad and uncle, who had survived the Holocaust, had a hand in their deaths.
Johnny Vegas: Carry on Glamping
Wednesday, Channel 4, 9pm
Actor and comedian Johnny Vegas has found a new side hustle – running his own glamping site using upcycled vehicles as glamping pods. In series two, Johnny’s ambitions for glamping world domination grow, as he sets out to relaunch a bigger and better version of his successful Field of Dreams glamping site. With help from his long-suffering assistant, Bev, Johnny goes on the hunt for a new glampsite – will Jimmy Doherty’s farm and wildlife park in Suffolk fit the bill? He also buys a disused Puma helicopter to convert in to a glamping pod – but is it too worn out to refurbish?
Pep Guardiola: Chasing Perfection
Wednesday, BBC1, 11.10pm
He is one of the most successful managers in football, leading Barcelona to La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League glory, steering Bayern Munich to the top of the Bundesliga, and taking Manchester City to the pinnacle of the Premier League, crowning a glittering career with City’s 2023 Champions League win. This documentary dives into Guardiola’s managerial methods to learn how he creates magic on the pitch, and features interview with Spanish World Cup winner Carles Puyol, Bayern players Robert Lewandowski and Manuel Neuer, City stars Phil Foden and Kyle Walker, and musician and City superfan Noel Gallagher.
The Miners’ Strike 1984: The Battle for Britain
Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm
In 1984 Margaret Thatcher’s government went to war against Britain’s miners, in a year-long dispute that led to violent clashes between police and picketers, and between striking miners and those who chose to continue working. Thatcher was determined to break the unions and close down collieries, but the miners, led by trade union firebrand Arthur Scargill, were equally determined to keep them open. This three-part documentary series charts one of the most pivotal events in Britain’s social history.
First Dates Ireland
Thursday, RTÉ2, 9.30pm
From 50 Shades of Grey to Dirty Dancing to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, this week’s diners and daters are hoping for a Hollywood ending to their search for a relationship. First up is 21-year-old schoolteacher Alannah, who meets 22-year-old care worker Vlad from Tipperary. Will they spark like Christian and Anastasia in 50 Shades? Emma from Dundalk is tired of searching for treasure – will archaeologist Byron Jones swoop in like Indiana Jones and rescue her from boredom? Finally Pamela from Wicklow is hoping Kevin from Dublin can channel his inner Patrick Swayze.
Fleadh Cheoil
Friday, RTÉ1, 8.30pm
More musical magic in Mullingar is on the cards tonight as Niamh and Seán Nally and their friends get the party started with some jigs featuring banjo, guitar, flute, accordion and fiddle. Dáithí Ó Sé joins the Fleadh crew for this series as it makes one last return to the Co Westmeath town – and he’s out of his Rose of Tralee comfort zone. Luckily he’s got Fleadh veteran Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh to show him the ropes as they meet up with the many musicians at the Fleadh, including Binneas, winners of Siamsa Gael-Linn 2023, who will perform by the banks of the Royal Canal.
The Traitors
Friday, BBC1, 9pm
It’s been a gruelling few weeks for the contestants in the castle, but finally the psychological reality show reaches its finale. Claudia Winkleman presents this last programme in the series, and it promises to be a nail-biter, as emotions reach fever pitch and desperation takes hold as the remaining Faithful try to weed out the last of the Traitors and share the grand prize, while the Traitors try to avoid detection and grab the cash for themselves. All week the tension has been ratcheting up, and it promises to come to a head in this explosive finale.
