Tonight's TV tips
Yes, the series might now be five weeks in, but _ show of hands if you’re the same _ we still haven’t gotten over dancing duo Spanish teacher Nico and his 79-year-old student Paddy back in that very first episode.
The pair even had Simon Cowell red-faced when he jumped the gun and buzzed them out during the tamer moves of their routine.
And okay, they may have gone on to win a similar-sounding talent show in Spain in recent years, and yes, Paddy might hold the Guinness World Record for Oldest Acrobatic Salsa Dancer, but talent is talent, and we can’t argue with that.
At the very least, the duo will go down in history for receiving that first ever golden buzzer.
Other favourites include 14-year-old songwriter Bailey McConnell, the Innova Irish Dance Company and boy band Collabro.
Tonight, we embark on the fifth round of auditions, as Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon take to their seats in the hope of being impressed by the weird and wonderful folk of Great Britain.
Live from the B&W Hallerne, Copenhagen, Denmark, artists from 26 countries will take to the stage hoping to be crowned winner in the 59th annual contest. Among them, hopefully, will be Ireland’s entry Heartbeat, sung by Kasey Smith and performed with Can-Linn.
Viewers in Ireland can vote for any of the other 25 finalists tonight.
The contest takes place in Denmark, following Emmelie de Forest’s win in the 2013 contest with the song Only Teardrops. This will be the third time that Denmark will host the contest, the last time being in 2001.
Eurovision this year is hosted by Pilou Asbæk, best known to viewers as Kasper Juul in Danish political drama series Borgen; musician Nikolaj Koppel and former X-Factor Denmark host Lise Rønne.
Television commentary by Marty Whelan.
Arts journalist Alastair Sooke has interviewed many of the most celebrated artists in the world _ he certainly can’t complain of a boring nine to five at the office. For this particular Culture Show special, his assignment involves tracking down the women involved in the pop art movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
If asked to name some of the males to come out of this groundbreaking time, it’s possible to easily reel off the likes of Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Peter Blake, Richard Hamilton and Tom Wesselman.
But what of the women of the era? The scene was full of female artists, dealing with sexuality, violence and consumer culture with just as much verve as their male counterparts, but their work has seemingly been consigned to the margins of history.
In this hour-long documentary, Alastair is a man on a mission to track down artists including Pauline Boty, Marisol, Rosalyn Drexler, Idelle Weber, Letty Lou Eisenhauer and Jann Haworth to hear their side of the story.
If you wanted to send playwright, author, actor and all-round national treasure Alan Bennett a card to mark his 80th birthday, you’re a little late – it was on Friday, May 9.
But luckily, BBC Four is giving him a present on our behalf, in the form of a short season dedicated to his work.
It begins with this interview, conducted by his frequent collaborator and outgoing National Theatre Director Nicholas Hytner. They over Bennett’s remarkable career, which got off to an impressive start in 1960, when he appeared alongside Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Jonathan Miller in the hugely successful Beyond the Fringe.
Bennett discusses the differences between writing for the stage, television and film, as well his thoughts on the British education and his plans for his next project.
There will also be plenty of clips, but if it whets your appetite for more Bennett, it’s followed by a double bill of his acclaimed Talking Heads monologues, with more of his BBC films shown across the week.
Episode 6
Essex sisters Abby and Vicki check into the hotel with their friend Chian.
Romance is in the air for the reps as Jordan gets cosy with Abby, while Jaime-Leigh has her eye on one of the girls.
A former couple who are now just friends also begin their break - Paul hopes to rekindle his relationship with Edmar, but all the partying threatens to get in the way of his plans.
Last in the series.
An escaped convict checks into a hotel room on the 21st floor, then climbs out of the window, and threatens to jump.
A police psychologist is brought in to talk him down, but as she begins her negotiations she starts to wonder whether this is a genuine suicide bid, or if the jailbird has an ulterior motive for standing on a precariously high ledge.
Meanwhile, his brother seems to be embarking on a mission of his own.
This film has an intriguing premise, and if the plot doesn’t ultimately live up to it, Man on a Ledge is still a gripping thriller.
The underrated Elizabeth Banks shines as the police psychologist, and even if you don’t have a fear of heights before you start watching the film, you might do by the time it finishes thanks to all those shots looking down from the ledge.
Sam Worthington, Jamie Bell, Elizabeth Banks, Ed Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Anthony Mackie, Titus Welliver, Edward Burns
32%
It’s a biopic of the pioneering British music producer Joe Meek, who in the early 1960s masterminded hit singles including the hugely successful Telstar.
While his methods may have been groundbreaking – and occasionally plain odd - the volatile Meek was also beset by depression and paranoia, alienating those who were closest to him and eventually setting the scene for tragedy.
This is a fascinating story, skilfully told by director and co-writer Nick Moran, who brings out the humour as well as the horror, and paints a vivid picture of 1960s Britain and pre-Beatles pop.
The low budget and stage origins occasionally show, but a brilliant British cast (and token American Kevin Spacey) overcome any limitations. Con O’Neill, who is especially excellent in the title role.
Con O’Neill, Kevin Spacey, Pam Ferris, JJ Feild, James Corden, Tom Burke, Ralf Little
84%
A Dublin vacuum cleaner repair man with a sideline in busking meets a young Czech pianist whose own musical ambitions have taken a backseat to trying to support her family.
They establish a bond through their shared love of music, and set about making a demo together, and while they are both too shy to talk much, they find they can be honest through their songs.
It could all have been unbearably twee and whimsical, but luckily, Once is a gem.
Glen Hansard (who you might recognise from The Commitments) and Marketa Irglova do make beautiful music together, but they also show the tougher sides of their character’s lives, and the songs are simply magical.
No wonder this low-budget movie, which was shot in just over two weeks, became a surprise hit.
Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, Geoff Minogue, Hugh Walsh
97%
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