Tuesday’s TV tips
Emmy award winning cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson returns to RTÉ for another exciting season of Living the Wildlife. Now in its seventh year, this inspiring series takes us to the four corners of Ireland as we meet a wealth of fascinating characters and film some incredible new species.
We first go to Kerry in this week’s episode, where Colin films a mass exodus of natterjack toadlets.
Hearing rumours from Co. Donegal, Colin goes in search of a new toad species to Ireland.
Barcelona entertain Paris Saint-Germain in this quarter-final second-leg encounter at the Nou Camp.
This is the third time in as many seasons that the Spanish and French giants have been drawn against each other in European football’s premier club competition, and the second time they have clashed in the quarter-finals, having previously done so in 2012/13.
Both of the matches ended in draws on that occasion, but it was the Catalans who progressed via the away goals rule.
While Barca entered the opener as slight favourites to progress once again, another closely fought encounter was expected.
There was a time when plus-sized fashion may have seemed like an oxymoron, with style options for larger ladies mainly consisting of ’frumpy’ or ’shapeless’.
However, the plus-size market is one of the fastest growing sectors in retail, with the result that many women have found they suddenly have a much bigger choice of fashionable, flattering clothing they actually want to wear.
This documentary goes behind the scenes of three of the biggest plus-size brands – Yours, Evans and Taking Shape – to find out how they are dealing with a period of rapid expansion, while also meeting some of the social media stars who have become poster girls for ’fatshion’.
But while these online style gurus may be boosting the confidence of women who feel shunned by the mainstream media, the documentary asks if there’s also a danger that obesity is being normalised, and plus-sized fashions are covering up potential health problems.
In the first episode one of the new series, Grace McCullen takes over the Coyle Family’s back garden in Bettystown, county Meath. The brief for Grace is to simply create a space the two children, Caelen (9) and Davin (4) can enjoy and an area mum Nathalie (29) and dad and Eddie (44) can entertain friends and family in.
Grace rose to the challenge creating a garden entitled ‘Serendipity’ which brings nature and wildlife to the backdoor of the Coyle’s terrace house. The coastal location also influenced part of Grace’s design, which controversially had no lawn.
Grace’s show is the first to be broadcast with another four shows to follow and a grand finale broadcasting live from Bloom 2015 to reveal the winner of the amateur garden design series.
Jo Joyner obviously believes that honesty is the best policy – in a live segment of EastEnders in February, she couldn’t even bring herself to call fellow actor Adam Woodyatt by his soap name, Ian Beale.
But does her character Beth take the same approach in the final episode of this ensemble drama?
Her husband Dave has been missing for 16 months, and she’s feeling ready to move on with company boss Mike. However, she’s about to receive some news that will force her to leave the kids with her mother-in-law and head for Margate to contemplate just how difficult it will be to make a fresh start.
Meanwhile, Mike could also be having second thoughts about their relationship, as he realises that leaving his wife could cost him dear – especially as her dad has a 51-per-cent stake in the business.
As well as showing us that the Robshaw family are TV naturals, this series has got some of us pondering which aspects of our current cuisine will look the most unappetising future generations.
In 50 years time, will viewers be as bemused by parmesan foam as today’s youngsters are by rationing and powdered eggs?
This episode, the last in the series, should give us a clue as after five weeks of exploring the modern eating habits, presenter Giles Coren and food historian Polly Russell give the Robshaws a taste of the future, sharing some predictions about the way we’ll cook and eat in 2065.
Will it all be computerised gadgets and meals in pellet form, or could we see some more traditional fare making a comeback?
Ali works as a waitress in Iowa, but secretly dreams of stardom beneath the glittering light of Los Angeles.
She heads for the city where she stumbles upon the Burlesque cabaret bar run by ex-dancer Tess and best friend Sean, who looks after the costumes.
Ali auditions for a role as one of the dancing girls, where she inevitably riles current leading lady Nikki. Ali then catches the eye of hunky barman Jack, who already has a girlfriend, and local property developer Marcus. But trouble looms on the horizon: Tess is months in arrears and the club will be sold off unless she can raise a small fortune in the next four weeks.
This may be clumsy, garish and in danger of falling flat on its face, stitching together a tangle of musical cliches from Chicago, Coyote Ugly, Dreamgirls, Glitter and Showgirls. However,
for all its faults, Burlesque has the makings of a cult classic.
Starring: Christina Aguilera, Cher, Stanley Tucci, Eric Dane, Cam Gigandet, Kristen Bell, Peter Gallagher
37%
Louisiana detective Dave Robicheaux (Tommy Lee Jones) is investigating the murder of a young woman when he encounters Elrod Sykes (Peter Sarsgaard) and his girlfriend Kelly Drummond (Kelly Macdonald), Hollywood stars who are in the small town to make a Civil War film.
Dave believes Elrod is driving under the influence and decides to arrest him. However, things take a strange turn when Elrod tells Dave of a decaying corpse that he and Kelly found in the swamp.
As Dave goes to investigate, the case is soon linked to several murders which occurred recently in that area, mostly involving young runaways and prostitutes. Could Julie “Baby Feet” Balboni (John Goodman) be to blame?
It didn’t receive much of a roll-out, and seemed to disappear like a body in a swamp when it was released – but this Bertrand Tavernier’s atmospheric thriller is a creepily effective piece which will stay with you long after the closing credits have rolled. Worth staying up for.
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard, Kelly Macdonald, Mary Steenburgen, Ned Beatty
60%
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