Best of the Week's TV (March 1-7)
Sky Atlantic, 9pm Episode two of the superb series starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. The eight-part show is such slow-burner, it’s surprising Sky didn’t kick it all off with a double-bill of episodes to really draw people in, but if last week left you interested but agnostic, tonight’s may turn you into a true believer. The series will have a second season, but with a different cast.
UTV, 9.20pm Guests on tonight’s show include Irish comedian Dara O Briain, 43-year-old Claudia Schiffer and rapper/actor Ice Cube.
A big day in sport includes Dublin v Cork (Setanta Ireland, throw-in 7pm) in league football and the final of hurling’s Fitzgibbon Cup (TG4, 4pm). In rugby, the RaboDirect PRO12 features Scarlets v Munster (RTÉ Two, ko 6.30pm) and Leinster v Glasgow (TG4, ko 8.30pm). Live soccer includes QPR v Leeds (Sky Sports 1, ko 12.15pm), Stoke v Arsenal (Setanta 1, ko 3pm) and Southampton v Liverpool (Sky Sports 1, ko 5.30pm.
BBC Two, 8pm
Revheads used often scoff at the concept of electric cars, but tonight’s show has Richard Hammond in Abu Dhabi to test a car that could excite both traditionalists and the ecologically-minded. Porsche’s 918 combines a 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine with a pair of electric motors to create an 886 horsepower, four-wheel-drive. It’s going to be the big rival for McLaren’s hybrid hypercar, the P1, and in true Top Gear style, they turn it into a Germany v England face-off. Less characteristically, Jeremy Clarkson and James May get involved in a public information film to promote safer cycling.
RTÉ Two, 10.25pm
Eoghan McDermott, right, and Niamh Farrell present highlights from Thursday’s live event and the awarding of the prestigious prize in Vicar Street, Dublin, with performances by the likes of Villagers, Little Green Cars and O Emperor.
It was a lean year for Irish soccer, but, presumably, Seamus Coleman will get player of the year at the 3 International Football Awards (RTÉ Two, 8.30pm). The Capital One Cup (League Cup) at Wembley features Man City v Sunderland (Sky Sports 1, ko 2pm), while there’s live league football from Mayo v Kerry (TG4, throw-in 2pm).
Setanta Ireland, 7pm
Paul McGrath narrates a four-part documentary on some of the young Irish hopefuls who go to English clubs with dreams of making it as a professional soccer player. This first episode features John Egan at Sunderland, son of the Kerry footballer of the same name; and twins Evan and Cory Galvin from Midleton, Co Cork, off to Burnley and Ipswich, respectively.
RTÉ Two, 9pm
Highlights from Sunday’s awards in Los Angeles, with Gravity and Dallas Buyers Club among a bumper crop of quality films vying for Oscars this year.
RTÉ One, 9.35pm
Hector Ó hEochagáin returns for another four-part series of his enjoyable escapades in various corners of Irish life. He’s kicking it off with a trip on a trawler as he explores aspects of the country’s fishing industry and meets some of those working in it. Along the way, he even has an counter with that dreaded creature, the Spanish trawler.
Sky Atlantic, 10pm
Richard E Grant makes a welcome return in his Whitnailesque role as Jessa’s rehab buddy.
RTÉ One, 7pm
As householders approach the day when they’ll have to pay for humble H2O, Duncan Stewart looks at some of the problems with the country’s water infrastructure.
RTÉ One, 8.30pm
Nick Munier and Dylan McGrath are back with a slightly different format for the popular cooking competition. For the heats, six contestants will enter the kitchen on the Tuesday shows, who will then be whittled down to four for the Wednesday episode. So, by week five, it’ll be down to a total of 10 people competing in the later stages.
BBC Two, 9pm
First of a three-part documentary exploring the decisions doctors have to make in the first critical hour of emergency care. Each episode follows three patients from the moment the 999 call is made. First up is a woman who collapses on the street, a man knocked over by a car and a farmer crushed by a cow.
TG4, 9.30pm
This documentary looks at Home Rule and the independence movement through the eyes of the women also involved in calls for universal suffrage: Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, Constance Markievicz and Louie Bennett.
TV3, 10pm
TV3 is describing this new monthly show as “democracy television“, and over two hours, Browne will chair a discussion of topical affairs in front of a live studio audience. The motion on tonight’s opening show is ‘The Government deserves the confidence of the people’.
Sky Sports 1, ko 7.45pm This friendly has been made all the more interesting by the fact that we now know Ireland’s opponents in the Euro 2016 qualifiers. Highlights, RTÉ Two, 10.25pm. Other games tonight include England v Denmark (UTV, ko 8pm).
TG4, 10pm
The ongoing series on cases of injustice looks at the tale of John Stout from Cork, who deserted from the Irish Army to fight with the Allies in World War Two. His unit was among the first to enter the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where he witnessed thousands of unattended corpses and many other horrific scenes. We hear how he eventually made his way back to Cork in 1949 where he was branded a traitor and prevented from drawing the dole. It was a stigma that remained until an official state pardon in 2012.
RTÉ One, 10.15pm
BBC and RTÉ have co-produced this new three-part comedy series from Graham Linehan (The IT Crowd, Father Ted) and Irish comedy troupe Diet of Worms. Set in the fictional Dublin suburb of Strollinstown, the opening episode has Ciara reluctantly bringing her new boyfriend home to face the inevitable verbal assault from her family.
RTÉ One, 10.55pm
A repeat of the Arts Lives documentary from 2004 pays tribute to the recently-deceased West Cork artist. It includes a conversation between Scott and Seamus Heaney about the artist’s use of gold.
RTÉ One, 7.30pm Declan Cunningham and Kathriona Devereux, below, are in the north of Mayo to walk the cliffs of Carrowteigue along a 16km route to Portacloy Beach, taking in the beauty of Broadhaven Bay as they travel.
BBC Two, 8.30pm The return of Monty Don and Co is a sure sign that spring has sprung, and they have plenty advice for the busy weeks ahead. Roses play a prominent part in tonight’s show as there is plenty that can be done now to ensure an impressive display in summer. Don is also preparing his seed potatoes, while Carol Klein talks to a cyclamen expert.
In rugby, it’s the U20 clash of Ireland v Italy (RTÉ Two, ko 7.05pm) from Athlone, while boxing action on Dornálaíocht Beo (TG4, 7pm) features the National Senior Irish Elite Boxing Championships from the National Stadium in Dublin.
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