CATCH -UP TV—IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

The Out-Laws Channel4 On Demand, ends August 14 This is powering ahead on More4, so catch up quick with the first couple of episodes On Demand. Described as Desperate Housewives on acid, this darkly hilarious Belgian drama is set in the town of Vredegem. It is the story of five sisters, one of whom is married to a man so obnoxious that the other four are planning to kill him. The first feature-length episode does a very good job of making the case for murder. Jean-Claude is so unpleasant, so deliberately cruel, that it is hard not to applaud his demise. And indeed, dead he is by the time the drama starts — preparations for his funeral open the action. The tension arises from trying to work out how, and who, as well as uncovering other family secrets, and watching the sisters try to stay ahead of two insurance fraud men determined to find a reason not to pay out on the death. The acting is excellent and the naturalistic script compelling.

Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown To Off The Wall RTE Player, until August 21 Directed by Spike Lee, this is pretty straightforward stuff — archive footage intercut with talking heads — but because the subject is Michael Jackson, it is eminently watchable. And because the documentary stops after Off The Wall, released in 1979, there is no need to mention the more controversial elements of Jackson’s life, namely the trial for child sexual abuse. Instead, this is a straight-forward homage; even Joseph Jackson, Michael’s father and one-time manager, gets off without criticism. Instead, Lee focuses on Jackson’s transition from child star, part of the family group, to the remarkable solo artist he became. The early footage of a sweet-faced boy with a pure voice is feel-good stuff, while the evidence Lee presents of Jackson’s dedication to his career, his endless singing and dance practice, his determination to become ‘the greatest’ and growing confidence, are off-set against his gradually increasing isolation.