Best of the Week's TV (May 18-24)
, RTÉ One, 8pm
The outcome of Ryan Dolan’s efforts in tonight’s final in Malmo, Sweden, will be decided by a combination of public votes and an expert jury.
With no Premier League action until tomorrow’s final games, the sports highlight of the day is the Heineken Cup final clash of Clermont Auvergne v Toulon (Sky Sports 1, ko 5pm; highlights TG4, 9.10pm) from the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. At Wembley, the League Two play-off final features Bradford City v Northampton Town (Sky Sports 2, ko 1.30pm), with former Cork City star Roy O’Donovan lining out for the Cobblers.
, UTV, 9.45pm
The series has felt lacklustre in comparison to Graham Norton, but Ross finishes his current run with guests such as Lee Evans and Philip Glenister, as well as music by Primal Scream.
, RTÉ One, 9.30pm
The pace picks up in episode two of the Belfast-set drama as serial killer Spector (Jamie Dornan, right) gets even more repulsive.
There’s plenty to be decided on this last day of cross-channel soccer action, with today’s games featuring Tottenham v Sunderland (Sky Sports 2, ko 4pm), Newcastle v Arsenal (Sky Sports 1, ko 4pm) and West Brom v Man Utd (Setanta Ireland, ko 4pm). In GAA, the Ulster football championship features Cavan v Armagh (RTÉ Two, throw-in 2pm), followed by a game from the Connacht competition, Galway v Mayo (RTÉ Two, throw-in 4pm).
, BBC Two, 9pm
The second impressive show of the evening on BBC Two has Simon Reeve beginning a new series of travels across Australia. He starts in the Red Centre, looking at the damage that feral camels are doing to the ecosystem, before looking at the pressures that wine production and other areas of the agricultural industry put on water supplies, before finishing in Perth by experiencing the region’s massive mining boom.
, RTÉ One, 7.30pm
This new series teams up six supposedly “inspirational” celebrities with different families to help them better manage their lives. Among them are former Fianna Fáil minister Mary O’Rourke, comedian Jon Kenny and tonight’s participant, Johnny Murtagh. The champion jockey is embedded with the Doyle-Farrell family from Clondalkin, Dublin, and attempts to use his own life experiences to mentor the parents and their five children.
, TG4, 7.30pm
Repeat of the documentary on singer Seán Ó Sé from Ballylickey, Co Cork, in which he talks about his work with Seán Ó Riada.
, RTÉ One, 11.20pm
John Hurt narrates this documentary following Irish marine biologist Kealan Doyle across the world as he highlights the plight of seahorses. Just like tigers and rhinos, one of the major threats to the existence of this magnificent animal is its use in traditional Chinese medicine. An estimated 150m seahorses are taken from the oceans each year to be used in dubious remedies for low sex drive or to help children grow. Doyle visits the poor fishermen who harvest this dwindling resource, and traces the supply chain up to the wholesalers, complete with rare footage of a facility where tonnes of dried seahorses are processed.
, RTÉ One, 8.30pm
Looks at the claims made by sports drinks manufacturers for their products, and ways for homeowners to cut property management fees.
, TV3, 9pm
Even by the standards of the familiar tales of Catholic Church abuse scandals, this documentary by US filmmaker Alex Gibney presents some shocking stuff. It revolves around the case of four courageous deaf people, targeted as children by Fr Lawrence Murphy, and shows their fight for justice in the face of a cover-up that stretched from Milwaukee to Ireland to the Vatican.
, BBC Two, 10pm
John Grant, Stereophonics and Low are among the bands appearing, while Madness saxophonist Lee Thompson also showcases his ska orchestra.
, RTÉ One, 8.30pm
Looks at the efforts of a group of food producers in the south-east who’ve created the Wexford Food Family brand, in an attempt to pool resources and achieve collective success for what are mostly small-scale family-run operations. The founders of the project hope to attract chefs, retailers and hoteliers to sign up to the idea.
, RTÉ Two, 10.55pm
Imelda May tops the bill tonight, and there are also performances from Canadian musician Owen Pallet, who burst on the scene in 2006 with his wonderfully-titled album, He Poos Clouds, and English folkie Laura Marling.
, BBC Two, 9pm
The final part of this insightful series on the inadequacies of the financial services industry looks at the scandal in Britain that erupted over mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) to customers. Described as one of the biggest consumer rip-offs in British history, at one point PPI was delivering up to a third of retail banks’ profits. Such sales also occurred in Ireland, albeit at a much lower scale.
, TV3, 8.30pm
Seven-week-old Aoife Mannix is transferred from Cork University Hospital and is diagnosed with whooping cough, while six-year-old Anna Drumm is preparing for surgery to treaton recurrent tonsillitis. A little boy also arrives in the emergency department after getting a coin stuck between his teeth.
, RTÉ Two, 10.15pm
Season four begins with Alicia going on the attack when son Zach is targeted by a state trooper. Meanwhile, Diane and Will delve into the firm’s financial problems. As anyone who’s been watching this season on More4 will testify, it is well worth a view.
, Channel 4, 8pm
Dr Dawn Harper of Embarrassing Bodies presents a show on the genetic link to weight issues. Harper shows how genes play a huge role in an individual’s propensity to putting on excess weight, and how special ‘gene-busting’ diets may be required to help some people avoid obesity.
, RTÉ One, 7pm
Derek Mooney presents a live programme from Glendalough, Co Wicklow, focusing on the Bioblitz events being held around the country. The project involves volunteers joining with scientists in particular locations to survey the flora and fauna. This year’s surveys are in: Wicklow Mountains National Park; the Burren National Park, in Co Clare; Lough Key Forest Park, in Co Roscommon; and Colebrooke Estate, Co Fermanagh.
, RTÉ Two, ko 7.05pm
Recently-promoted Limerick City host table-topping champions Sligo Rovers at Thomond Park.
, BBC One, 10.35pm
A stellar line-up tonight includes Will Smith and his son Jaden, alongside Michael Douglas talking about his new Liberace film, as well as Bradley Cooper and Heather Graham on The Hangover Part III. The musical interlude is provided by Selena Gomez.
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