What to watch on TV this week
It begins its tale of the modern British royals in the 1950s as the 25-year-old Elizabeth is getting ready to marry Phillip Mountbatten. Her father’s death would soon see her stepping up to become queen.
Michael Douglas, Keith Lemon and John Bishop lead the guest list, while OneRepublic provide the musical interlude.
Martin Scorsese’s edgy comedy from 1982 features the fantastic cast of Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis and Sandra Bernhard.
David McWilliams is joined by Vivienne Westwood, the 75-year-old fashion designer who was closely associated with the punk movement.
Know The Score RTÉ One, 8.30pm
This new sports quiz series has Jacqui Hurley on presentation duties, while Ruby Walsh and Shane Byrne captain two teams that also feature rowers Gary and Paul O’Donovan, and ex-soccer player Keith Andrews.
The second of the three shows in which Dan Snow travels with explorer Felicity Aston and medic Kevin Fong follow in the footsteps of those who participated in the 19th century gold rush in Canada. Tonight, they travel in a replica wooden boat through huge lakes and rough rapids as they traverse terrain that often hasn’t changed much since the original prospectors travel these routes.
The finale of series two has George being told by Elizabeth that she’s carrying his child. Meanwhile, Ross faces new conflicts as he discovers George will try to bankrupt him through the courts.
Episode two of the robot drama series has Karen and Pete learning about a Synth being sold for huge amounts on the black market.
The Meaning of Life RTÉ One, 10.35pm
Gay Byrne continues his run of interesting guests with a chat with Joanne O’Riordan, the 20-year-old Cork woman born without any arms or legs.
The crew is out and about on the streets of Cork to look for participants in the quiz.
David Puttnam continues his campaign to boost Ireland’s digital know-how with a visit to 17-year-old Harry McCann, who is working to get more children into coding.
Fifth-year student Renuka Chintapalli also flies the flag for females choosing careers in science and technology, and Puttnam visits Luttrellstown Community College, where books have been replaced by iPads.
The presidential elections in the US have become a major event for many people in this country, and in tonight’s episode Vogue Williams is on the streets to ask people for their opinion on the Trump-Clinton shenanigans.
A new group of children feature in the latest series of a show that’s main focus is showing some of the heartwarming things that children do, rather than providing loads of scientific insight. For instance, the excitement mounts through the week as the children follow the hatching of chicken eggs, and even organise a funeral when one chick doesn’t survive.
Barry Devlin first came to public attention as the bass player with Horslips, but since those rocking days also been a screenwriter on such shows as Ballykissangel and The Darling Buds of May.
He’s penned this new drama series set in the North during the Second World War as a huge US base brings 4,000 men and women to a rural parish.
All the noble Gaels’ worst fears are confirmed when a local married woman begins an affair with an air force officer (possibly familiar as idealistic ad designer Ken Cosgrove from Mad Men).
Síle Nic Chonaonaigh visits Bantry House.
This episode of the Reality Bites series looks at aspects of life for LGBT people in rural Ireland. Much has changed in recent decades, but is there still a stigma attached, or can gay people walk around holding hands in the way that straight couples can?
This show enlists people to describe their own experiences. Among them is farmer Will Keane, who campaigned for a Yes vote in the Marriage Equality Referendum in his native Co Roscommon, the only county to vote no. Shauna Keane from Bannagher, Co Offaly, tells of how her mother went to her school looking for a ‘cure’ when she came out at 14.
There’s also a moving encounter between gay Traveller Oein DeBharduin and his father at his home in Tuam, where Oein talks about the silence of his community on the issue of sexuality.
Hector Ó hEochagáin continues his trip through Central America, visiting San José in Costa Rica, a city famous for medical tourism and gambling.
There are several prison-related shows on Channel 4 this week, and while you wouldn’t want to be in either the British or US facilities featured on Thursday’s shows, this look at Haiti’s National Penitentiary is particularly sobering.
Pat Shortt’s previous dip into the RTÉ archives was a simple format that produced some excellent viewing, and in this new series, he expands from music into other entertainment fields. Danny La Rue, Dame Edna Everage and Kenneth Williams all feature in the opening episode of archive clips.
There’s a feast of reggae on the network through the night, including this documentary looking at the story of the roots subgenre that saw the emergence of the likes of Bob Marley, Big Youth and Burning Spear.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
