Best of the Week's TV (March 15-21)
RTÉ One, 6.35pm
Classic 2009 animation from Pixar that’ll appeal to young and old alike with its tale of an old man and a young boy who go off on the adventure of a lifetime.
Brian O’Driscoll makes his final appearance on the international scene in France v Ireland (RTÉ Two, ko 5pm). That’s preceded by Italy v England (ko 12.30pm) and Wales v Scotland (ko 2.45pm). Live soccer features Hull v Man City (BT Sport 1, ko 12.45pm), Everton v Cardiff (Setanta 1, ko 3pm) and Aston Villa v Chelsea (Sky Sports 1, ko 5.30pm). In hurling, it’s Dublin v Kilkenny (Setanta Ireland, throw-in 7pm).
UTV, 9.20pm
The second series of the Cold War drama set in Washington debuted recently in the US to rave reviews. We pick up the action with Elizabeth and Phillip facing the ever-present fears that they’ve put their spy network and their family in danger. Their children are also beginning to get more suspicious of their parents. RTÉ will show the series later in the year.
TV3, 8pm
Major new four-part series filmed over two years in Killarney National Park. Narrated by Irish Examiner nature columnist Dick Warner, it begins in summer, focusing on some of the rare and spectacular insects who inhabit the park, as well as Paudí, the first white tailed eagle born in Ireland in over 100 years.
RTÉ One, 9.30pm
The rockabilly queen hosts a show that was also broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 on Friday. As well as music from May herself, there will also be performances from the likes of Finbar Furey, the Original Rudeboys and Sharon Shannon.
A huge day in the Premier League features the tension-laden ties of Man Utd v Liverpool (Sky Sports 1, ko 1.30pm) and Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal (Sky Sports 1, ko 4pm), games that will probably be crucial in sorting the final placings at the end of the season. In domestic action, it’s Derry City v Cork City (RTÉ Two, ko 3.15pm) from the Brandywell.
RTÉ One, 12.20pm
Blathnaid Ní Chofaigh, Aidan Power and Des Cahill are on duty as the biggest parade in the country winds its way through Dublin. The official theme of this year’s parade is ‘Past, Present and Future’, and a number of pageant companies will mark such historical events as the Battle of Clontarf with the Vikings, and the emergence of the infamous Celtic Tiger.
TG4, 1.30pm
The hurling final at Croke Park features Mount Leinster Rangers (Carlow) v Portumna
(Galway) (throw-in 2pm) , while the football has Castlebar Mitchels (Mayo) v St Vincent’s (Dublin) (throw-in 3.45pm).
TV3, 10pm
Series three of the revived series opens with Sue Ellen getting ready for the unification of the dynasties through the marriage of her son John Ross to Pamela Rebecca Barnes, daughter of Cliff. There’s also conflict between John Ross and Bobby over the ownership of South Fork.
RTÉ One, 7pm
Colin Stafford-Johnson returns for another series of encounters with our native wildlife. First up is the little-known gooseander, a rare fish-eating duck nests in trees above fast-flowing rivers. A remote-control camera even captures the rare sight of gooseander eggs hatching and taking their first leap into the river below.
TV3, ko 7.45pm
The London club has a vital away goal from the 1-1 first leg, but the presence of the likes of Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder in the Turkish line-up ensures Jose Mourinho’s men can take nothing for granted.
Channel 4, 10pm
Dr Christian Jessen may be familiar to you from Embarrassing Bodies and other medical shows, but this documentary has him going undercover in both the US and UK to explore the extraordinary organisations who claim to be able to ‘cure’ homosexuality.
RTÉ Two, 7.30pm
The presenter is in Les Gourmandises in Cork, where chef Pat Kiely cooks up a delicious top side of beef, and Maguire prepares roast chicken and ravioli of Swiss chard.
RTÉ Two, 7.45pm
The suits at Old Trafford have been at pains to point out that they’ll give David Moyes a chance to run the team next season, but an ignominious exit from the Champions League tonight would make that promise more difficult to keep. He’ll need a Fergusonesque comeback to make up the 2-0 deficit and avoid a chorus of boos in the stadium.
TG4, 9.30pm
The fascinating story of Johnny Kilbane, the longest reigning world featherweight champion of all time who emigrated from Achill Island to the US in the early part of the 20th century. Mike Tyson picked Kilbane at number seven in his list of all-time favourite fighters. The documentary includes archive footage of Kilbane’s world title fight in 1913, which had to be carefully restored after it was discovered on 100-year old volatile nitrate film in an attic in Cleveland.
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RTÉ Two, 9.30pm
Norah Casey returns with the series that gives the staff of a company a chance to run aspects of the business for a short time while the boss steps aside. The first business to try the idea is the Hillgrove Hotel, Monaghan, owned by Colm and Audri Herron. As a result, the games room gets a full-on makeover and the staff also try to attract more over 55s and same-sex couples.
RTÉ One, 10.15pm
The third and final episode of Graham Linehan’s comedy has the quirky family making plans to head out to their favourite restaurant. The series is also showing on BBC Four.
RTÉ Two, ko 7.15pm
Ryle Nugent and Donal Lenihan are on
commentary duty for live coverage of the Rabodirect Pro12 game from the RDS.
RTÉ One, 7.30pm
Cork singers John Spillane and Ger Wolfe (right with Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh) feature in this new documentary series on specific themes that emerge in Irish song. The opening episode, entitled ‘Home and the Homeland’, explores how enforced emigration through the centuries has resulted in many songs expressing a longing for the oul sod. We also see how land and the landscape has inspired so much Irish music.
BBC Two, 8.30pm
Monty Don is sewing seeds for a summer display and also pruning his buddleia. Careful with that shears, Monty! Meanwhile, Carol Klein begins advising a novice couple on how to make the most of their small garden.
