Best on TV

Luck

Sky Atlantic, 9pm

Those who struggled through last week’s opening episode will probably consider tonight’s offering a make or break affair. It treads a similar path of race-course shenanigans with Dustin Hoffman’s character Ace pitching his development plans to a bunch of shady backers. The most entertaining scene comes courtesy of Lonnie (Ian Hart) whose plans for a threesome end in disaster.

SUNDAY

At Your Service

RTÉ One, 8.30pm

The final episode in the current series has Francis and John Brennan advising the owners of the Brosna Lodge Hotel at Banagher On Shannon, Co Offaly. Like previous shows in the series, there’s a bit of a changing of the guard going on at the hotel, with Pat and Della Horan wanting to shake things up and provide a future at the premises for their daughter Aoife.

Homeland

Channel 4, 9pm

Episode two sees Brody suffering from nightmares about his captivity as Carrie secretly watches his every move.

The Outlaw Josey Wales

Channel 5, 9pm

Clint Eastwood stars and directs in one of the greatest westerns ever made. Bent on revenge for the killing of his wife and son, he’s on the run from bounty-hunters who want to get him first. Along the way he meets a motley crew of people who come under his protection among them two Indians, and the film was notable for its fair representation of Native Americans.

The Bodyguard

RTÉ Two, 9.30pm

Whitney Houston, Kevin Costner and that song in the 1992 romantic drama being shown again in tribute to the late singer.

MONDAY

Aerfort

RTÉ One, 7.30pm

The final episode in the series on the nation’s airports turns its attention to Dublin. Architect Toal O’Muire talks about the terminal buildings, not least the controversial new addition, T2, while Eoghan Corry, editor of industry publication TravelExtra, looks at the new facility from a passenger’s point of view.

Empire

BBC One, 9pm

Jeremy Paxman fronts a new series tracing the history of the British empire. Not surprisingly, the first episode looks at the origins of Britain’s expansion across the globe. Paxman travels to India to hear how British traders combined forces with local elites to take over the subcontinent. Along the way a cult developed around the mother figure of Queen Victoria. In the Middle East, he looks at the 70-year occupation of Egypt and British maneuverings in Palestine which helped create Israel and the ongoing problems in the region. Presumably, our own little outpost will make an appearance at some stage in the series.

Pedigree Dogs Exposed — Three Years On

BBC Four, 9pm

You may be aware that the BBC stopped covering the Cruft’s dog show after a documentary revealed how pedigree breeding was often damaging to dogs’ welfare. Three years later and this follow-up programme revisits the issue. On one side we hear about some of the positive changes that have been introduced in Britain since the original broadcast. But problems remain, not least with such iconic breeds as the bulldog, the pug and the cavalier king charles spaniel.

Proud and Prejudiced

Channel 4, 10pm

It’s always a matter of debate as to whether people with views that would be considered ‘extreme’ by the mainstream should get a platform. This documentary follows two of Luton’s leading purveyors of hatred through a year of campaigning for their particular causes. Tommy Robinson — somewhat ironically a tanning salon manager — is the leader of the right wing group, the English Defence League; Sayful Islam is part of a group of Muslim extremists who want the introduction of Islamic law in Britain.

TUESDAY

Horizon: The Truth About Exercise

BBC Two, 9pm

This is the scientific research you’ve been waiting for — a study that suggests just three minutes of high-intensity activity a week could be of benefit to many people. Reporter Michael Mosley also investigates the health benefits of actions such as walking and fidgeting.

WEDNESDAY

One Born Every Minute

Channel 4, 9pm

Lithuanian immigrant Olga goes into labour, but unlike the vast majority of women in this country, doesn’t want her partner in the labour ward and instead opts for her mother. The midwives’ jobs are made that bit more difficult by the fact that neither of the women speak much English.

MasterChef

BBC One, 9pm

The five remaining contestants are under pressure as they have to produce three courses for their discerning guests. As a few of them find out, timing is of crucial importance to such a meal, and getting it wrong can have disastrous consequences.

THURSDAY

Raymond Blanc: The Very Hungry Frenchman

BBC Two, 8pm

The popular French chef comes to the end of his trip around the culinary hotspots of his native land with a visit to Provence in the south. He works on an ambitious feast and the results are mouth-watering. Do not watch this while hungry.

Neven Maguire: Home Chef

RTÉ One, 8.30pm

Closer to home, Neven Maguire’s visits to some of the nation’s leading food brands have produced some interesting viewing, even if there is a whiff of Bord Bia sponsorship to the show. This week he meets up with John Flahavan, above, the sixth generation of his family to run the famous oat company. Possibly the oldest privately owned company in Ireland, we see how oats are about much more than porridge. Maguire also visits the Brady Family Hams company and is shown around by owner, Tipperary farmer Bill O’Brien.

Ham forms a major part of Maguire’s recipes tonight, while the cereal firm gets a look in with some home-made muesli and granola.

Glee

Sky 1, 9pm

Gleeks have a choice of channels to watch the return of their favourite show. Sky 1 is first out of the blocks tonight, followed by 3e tomorrow (see p46), and TV3 follows next Saturday, Mar 3.

FRIDAY

Homeland

RTÉ Two, 9.40pm

We’re up to episode seven in the 12-part drama and after last night’s major developments in the relationship between Carrie (Claire Danes) and Brody (Damian Lewis), it all begins to get even more complicated for the duo. The twist of the night comes in a major revelation about Brody’s fellow prisoner, Tom Walker.

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