TV not to miss
Mrs Brown’s Boys
RTÉ One, 10pm
Series two of the popular, but divisive, comedy series from Brendan O’Carroll. The Christmas special was the most watched show on Irish TV — will the second season continue the momentum?
Waveriders
RTÉ Two, 8pm
Joel Conroy’s documentary looks at the fascinating tale of Irish-Hawaiian surfer George Freeth, and also has great footage of top surfers tackling the massive waves on the west coast of Ireland. Along the way, he explores the little-known tale of the Irish influence on American surfing culture.
Bear’s Wild Weekend With Jonathan Ross
UTV, 9pm
Bear Grylls brings Jonathan Ross to the island of La Palma in the Canaries for two days of hardcore survivalist action. Ross is decidedly out of his comfort zone as he ropes down from a helicopter, treks through the forest and spends a night in a cave on the edge of a cliff.
TV50: The Entertainers
RTÉ One, 9.30pm
Broadcasts for RTÉ TV’s 50th anniversary take up a fair chunk of programming space this week, not least with some excellent documentaries from the archives. This show takes a slightly different tack in getting some major broadcasters and Twink to take a lighthearted look at their experiences with the national broadcaster through the decades. With Gay Byrne, Terry Wogan, Pat Kenny, etc.
District 9
RTÉ Two, 9.30pm
This surprise sci-fi sleeper hit from 2009 focuses on attempts by the South African state to confine a group of mechanistic alien creatures in a township. Obvious parallels could be drawn between the fate of the visitors from outer space and real conflicts from the apartheid era, or more recent anti-foreigner feelings in the country, but Neill Blomkamp’s film was original and strong enough to stand on its own metal feet. From a budget of $30 million, it went on to gross about $210m worldwide.
Rural Portrait — King Of The Road
RTÉ One, 8.30pm
Documentary from 1968 on Michael Cleary, a council worker who lived with his wife and four children near Cahir, Co Tipperary. It follows Cleary as he goes about his job filling in potholes, trimming hedges and topping the stone walls around the county. Very much a film of its time, the interesting insight into the man’s life is accompanied by a patronising commentary.
Celebrity Come Dine With Me Ireland
TV3, 9pm
After a largely enjoyable first year of Irish outings, Come Dine With Me takes the celebrity route. The group involved are largely C-list but may still provide some entertaining bitchiness over the five-night show. First up on hosting duties is the best-known of the five, singer Brian Kennedy. He’s followed by TV3 presenter Noel Cunningham, model Rozanna Purcell, actor George McMahon and tabloid journalist Paul Martin.
TV50: The Phillip Lynott Archive
RTÉ One, 10.55pm
Uses archive material and reminiscences from those who knew Phil Lynott to look back on the life of the much-loved rocker who died on January 4, 1986 — 25 years ago.
The Fat Fighters
Channel 4, 8pm
This new series puts an original twist on the ‘new you for the new year’ motivational shows by focusing on four colourful personal trainers. We follow the trainers as each takes on a new client who feels in dire need of a physical transformation.
Public Enemies
BBC One, 9pm
This promising three-part drama series runs from Tuesday to Thursday. Starring Anna Friel and Daniel Mays, it explores the relationship between a 28-year-old just released from a 10-year prison stint and his probation officer, a woman with quite a history of her own.
Terminus: Gola Island
RTÉ One, 11.45pm
Best known for being the destination in the song Báidín Fheilimí, Gola Island was the subject of a sombre documentary by RTÉ in 1970. Paying tribute to the inhabitants who battled with the hard life on the Donegal island for decades, it also tracks how the population eventually gave up, making their way to the mainland and further afield. The footage of the departure of the final six inhabitants marked the death knell for human life on the island.
Newcastle United v Manchester United
Sky Sports 1, ko 8pm
The away side will be desperate to keep the pressure on their cross-town rivals, Man City, but realise that St James Park has become a more difficult place to visit as Alan Pardew’s side enjoy a surprisingly good season.
La Vie En Rose
RTÉ Two, 11.35pm
Marion Cotillard and Gérard Depardieu star in this 2007 biopic of French singer Edith Piaf, raised by her grandmother in a Normandy brothel before achieving fame and fortune with such songs as Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.
Paulo Coelho: On The Road To Santiago De Compostela
RTÉ One, 1am
This documentary follows hugely popular Brazilian author Paulo Coelho as travels along the famous path of pilgrimage through Aquitaine in France, through the Basque country, and onwards to Santiago in Galicia.
Eternal Law
UTV, 9pm
Ashley Pharoah and Matthew Graham were the creators of Life On Mars and follow that superb retro-detective series with a new six-part drama about a cynical angel sent down to Earth. Masquerading as lawyers, Zak Gist and his naïve sidekick are supposed to help some of the humans they encounter, but are strictly forbidden from getting emotionally involved with any of them.
Scope — The Four Roads
RTÉ One, 7.30pm
Documentary from 1973 following 70-year-old Traveller woman Winnie Mongan and her family as they slowly drive their horse-drawn caravan to the Ballinasloe Horse Fair. The day-to-day grind makes for a hard life, and Mongan describes the fear that many of her generation had to face as they gave birth on the side of the road. The upside of their life can be seen in the music and chat around the nightly fire that played such an important role in Traveller life.
New Girl
Channel 4, 8.30pm
Pilot episode of an American sitcom that received plenty praise during its first run on Fox. Zooey Deschanel stars as the newly single Jess Day who moves in with three guys.
The Wire
Sky Atlantic, 10.15pm
The greatest TV show ever made gets another run on Sky Atlantic. If you’ve seen the five series before, most of them will stand up to another viewing. If you haven’t, this is a great opportunity to finally jump on the bandwagon.
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