TV HIGHLIGHTS
MONDAY Cold Feet, UTV Ireland, 9pm
It’s hard to believe but it’s 13 years since we last fell in love with the gang. They’re now well into middle-age. David is coming to the end of his second marriage while ex-wife Karen is guardian to widower Adam’s teenage son Matthew, who appears to be welladjusted at his boarding school. Though Pete and Jenny remain together, financially things are looking grim for them. However, Adam is returning to Manchester after working abroad. Could things be about to change?
Made in Chelsea: South of France, E4, 9pm
The gang’s scripted reality summer sojourn comes to an end with a heap of romantic and friendship cliffhangers to deal with. Take Jamie, for example, who, with Frankie and Alex at daggers drawn, may face a choice between his girlfriend and his best friend. Binky’s former flame JP is up to nefarious tricks, doing the poor woman’s head in, while Francis and Toff appear to have fallen out for good. Too Posh to Parent, C4, 10pm Did you know that for a fee, an expert will potty train your child? This is just one of the features unearthed in this documentary where practically every part of a child’s upbringing can be outsourced – if the parent has the money. Meet those who provide the services; family concierge Lucy, for example, has been tasked with sourcing a vegan nanny for one family: must be able to ski.
TUESDAY The Pet Surgeons, RTE1, 8.30pm
It’s a dog’s life for the specialists of Cork’s Gilabbey Veterinary Hospital. Led by chief Shane Guerin, they look after the various animals that come through the door. Tonight, tiny pup Noodle faces a delicate operation in which six tiny pins must be inserted in order to save its life after fracturing its spine, while for vet Kathryn, having her labrador Sadie neutered is not a job that she feels she can perform, as she is far too emotionally involved.
Ireland’s IVF Couples, TV3, 9.30pm
A sobering look at the issue of artificial insemination in Ireland, where up to one in six couples may have fertility problems. IVF offers a solution for many, although it comes with massive amounts of strain, stress, financial issues and no guarantee of success. This documentary follows four very different couples through the process, and talks to a pioneer of the procedure, and examines the ethics surrounding IVF.
Motherland, BBC2, 11.15pm
Father Ted creator Graham Linehan and caustic Catastrophe co-creator Sharon Horgan combine for a pilot comedy looking at competitive parenting. Amanda is the queen bee, her life and her charges organised down to the very last second. At the other end of the spectrum Liz lives in a world where life could not be any more chaotic, while Julia frets about her mothering skills not being up to scratch.
Peter McVerry: A View From the Basement, RTE1, 10.15pm
For 40 years, Jesuit priest Fr Peter McVerry has been a lone voice in the wilderness, advocating on behalf of the homeless, drug addicted and those who have fallen through the cracks of society. He looks back on 40 years of grim but at times humorous work, and we hear from some of those whom he helped get back on their feet.
WEDNESDAY Making it Down Under, RTE1 8.30pm
A new series exploring how the recent generation of Irish who have moved to Australia have got on Down Under. Take 27-year-old Corkonian Con, for instance, who drives the world’s longest cattle train through the Outback, or Roscommon woman Louise Day, who has taken fantastic strides in her ambition to be a jockey. Katie Doyle has fulfilled her dream to be a veterinary nurse following her move to Perth, and she has also met the love of her life – whose family lives across the road from hers – back in Ireland.
Celebrity Operation Transformation RTE1, 9.35pm
The famous join the fight to improve their fitness and health as comedians Katherine Lynch and Karl Spain, solicitor Gerald Kean, TV3 presenter Elaine Crowley and radio reporter Brenda Donohue get help from the experts to change their diet and lifestyle. In the process they urge the nation to accept a challenge to lose 1,000,000lbs collectively. The experts, as ever are on board, and Kathryn Thomas presents.
Paralympics Opening Ceremony / The Last Leg: Welcome to Rio, RTE2, 10pm/ C4, 8pm
Joanne Cantwell presents coverage of the show-stopping spectacular, the opening ceremony of the Paralympics. Clare Balding will be anchoring Channel 4’s extensive coverage. Also, The Last Leg, which was conceived to complement those games before it took on a life of its own, sees presenters Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker return the programme to its roots.
THURSDAY Absolutely Fashion: Inside British Vogue, BBC2, 9pm
The UK style bible celebrates its centenary this year, and to mark the occasion Alexander Schulman, its editor-in-chief for the last 24 years, has invited the cameras in. Documentarian Richard Macer spent nine months at the magazine as it gears up for its bumper anniversary issue. Despite the encroaching internet, Vogue can still make or break the careers of models, designers and photographers. It’s a hard-nosed business, but the snappers and models aren’t too fussed about the presence of the cameras.
Euro ‘16 – Je Mo Peil, TG4, 10pm
Actors Peter Coonan and
Lochlann Ó Mearáin became friends and discovered a shared love of soccer while on a job, so when Ireland qualified for their third European Championships they hit the road to France for what turned out to be an unforgettable tournament off the field for the Green Army. They meet Irish dancers at the Moulin Rouge and one of our racing teams at the fabled Le Mans track, visit ‘The Jungle’ the infamous refugee camp outside of Calais, sail through the Loire Valley, and, on the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, pay their respects to thousands of Irish men who went to the green fields of France 100 years ago and never returned home.
Lost Sitcoms: Hancock’s Half Hour, BBC Four, 9pm
It’s the 60th anniversary of the landmark broadcast of Tony Hancock’s legendary sitcom, and to mark the occasion, the BBC has recreated the show from the original script by the partnership of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. Tony is suspicious about his new neighbour’s night-time routine. Stepping into the role of Hancock is character actor Kevin McNally, while most of the old characters were played by the team who went on to form the backbone of the Carry On team – Kenneth Williams, Sid James and Hattie Jacques.
FRIDAY BBC Proms 2016: Verdi Requiem, BBC4, 7.30pm
The great composer himself conducted this majestic work in London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1875, and now this monumental piece of music is revived as part of the summer concerts. A portrayal of fire and brimstone, death and destruction, notably in Dies Irae, the penultimate night of the proms is an epic production, with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Marin Alsop joining forces with the BBC Proms Youth Choir, soprano Tamara Wilson, mezzo-soprano Alisa Kolosova, tenor Michael Fabiano and bass Morris Robinson for a night of contemplation of the unknown.
We Love Sitcom, BBC1, 9pm
Ben Miller presents this oneoff where stars of the genre, such as Absolutely Fabulous couple Jennifer Saunders and Julia Sawalha, team up to take on their peers in rounds such as Name that Theme Tune and sitcom anagrams. There will also be plenty of memorable clips.
Joanna Lumley’s Japan, UTV Ireland, 9pm
The actress takes a 2000 mile trip across the fascinating island country. She visits the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, and sees snow monkeys enjoying hot springs and travels in style to the capital, Tokyo, on board the country’s super fast bullet train.
SATURDAY The Jonathan Ross Show, UTV, 9.30pm
The unmistakable, chatty host returns for another star-studded series of sit-down chats with Hollywood A-listers and faces from closer to home. Kicking things off with a blast are Renee Zellweger and Patrick Dempsey, chatting about their new film, Bridget Jones’s Baby. The host is also joined by Hollywood heavyweight John Malkovich, and then to mix things up, Jonathan welcomes the victorious Team GB women’s hockey team to talk about their big win in Rio. Bringing things to a close will be singer Tom Odell, who performs one of his latest tracks in front of the studio audience.
Last Night at the Proms, BBC2, 7.15pm
Things are sadly coming to an end at the Proms for another year, but not before we see things out in dramatic fashion. Katie Derham presents from the Royal Albert Hall, as the double hitter of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and the BBC Singers perform, all under the watchful eye of Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo. Also taking the stage tonight are the Proms Youth Ensemble, who – along with players from the BBC Symphony Orchestra – are playing the world premiere of a piece written by young Scottish composer Tom Harrold. Coverage continues on BBC1 at 8.50pm, featuring Anne Dudley.