What to watch on TV this week
Richard Hawley has been playing gigs in Ireland over the past week, but tonight’s episode features the former Pulp guitarist from his visit to Dingle before Christmas.
Also appearing are hotly-tipped Mullingar, Co Westmeath, band The Academic, and English folkie Keaton Henson.
The presenter brings a group of children aged 12-15 into the mountains of Snowdonia for a two-week trip.
It’s the last of the blind auditions, so the mentors have to make some tough calls to fill their teams.
Stephen Fry introduces the awards from the Royal Opera House in London and, unlike other commentators, at least he should have enough of a suss to be clear that the likes of Saoirse Ronan and the other Irish nominees are definitely not British.
Given the furore over the whiteness of the nominations in the US, it’ll also be interesting to see if Idris Elba gets the best supporting actor nod for Beasts of No Nation.
As part of the Lenny Abrahamson season, we get another chance to see Jack Reynor and co in this tale of a privileged south Dublin teenager whose assault on a love rival causes all sorts of knock-on effects for himself and those around him.
Kate Humble, the Hairy Bikers and various other junketeers are in China for a three-part series on the New Year celebrations in the world’s most populous country.
Hugely successful author Eoin Colfer talks about how his friends and family in Wexford help him keep his feet firmly on the ground, and he also discusses such projects as the new Iron Man novel that he’s set in Dublin, and the major film version of Artemis Fowl that will soon go into production.
In terms of faith, he leans towards agnosticism and is critical of the Catholic Church.
A look at the career of Waterford hurler John Mullane.
Cuba Gooding Jr, John Travolta and David Schwimmer feature in a star-studded cast in this new 10-part drama series based around the trial of OJ Simpson for a double murder in 1994.
Stephen Fry visits his 2006 exploration of his bipolar condition, a show that did a lot to bring mental health issues into the open. He meets people of different ages who suffer with bipolar and looks at how treatment has developed in recent years.
If you can still stomach election coverage, this debate from the University of Limerick will feature seven party leaders and and a live audience. It will be followed by The Spin Room (11.10pm), in which David McCullagh rounds up reaction to the debate.
The first episode of the second series of the Breaking Bad offshoot drops today on Netflix. Unlike some of the streaming service’s other offerings, instalments will be made available weekly.
Last season’s finale saw Saul resolve that he’d never again play it straight in the legal game, and over the next few weeks we’ll watch him take further steps towards the dark side.
Steve Coogan’s character is back for another series from his radio show in Norfolk. Foxhunting, the sale of multipack fizzy drinks, and Jimmy Saville are all up for discussion.
It is estimated that about one in 500 women experience postpartum psychosis after childbirth. This documentary follows two sufferers of a condition that is terrifying but treatable.
It’s the second-last week and the penultimate weigh-in, so participants really need to be showing some good progress. The ‘It’s Your Move’ dance fitness section aimed at teenage girls also brings the recently-visited schools together to record an official video.
Presumably, Eva Orsmond won’t be piling sugar into the dishes she makes on tonight’s show from Marco Pierre White’s Courtyard Restaurant in Donnybrook. However, can her healthy options tickle the taste buds in a fine dining restaurant?
The PR people for this new drama describe it as ‘addictive’; some critics in the US had less kind things to say about it when it ran there last year.
Brian Finch plays a man who becomes the smartest person in the world after taking a new drug; producer Bradley Cooper also makes a guest appearance.
Episode two of the Liam Neeson-narrated documentary series takes us through the rebellion day-by-day.
Monty Don is back with another series helping amateur gardeners to transform their limited plots. Among those he helps tonight are a man who wants to keep bees and grow veg at an allotment.
Domhnall Gleeson narrates the final episode of the series as the annual flood spreads across the Okavango Delta in Botswana, making the area a haven for wildlife in the middle of the Kalahari Desert.
The Friday music docs take a step towards the electronic sphere tonight with a look at the successful French duo who have kept their faces out of the public eye.
That’s followed by a repeat of the excellent film, Kraftwerk: Pop Art (11pm), which features footage from their recent concerts at Tate Modern in London, as well as looking at their history.
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