TV HIGHLIGHTS
MONDAY Reggie Yates: Life and Death in Chicago, BBC1, 9pm
The host travels to the Windy City to investigate gun crime in President Obama’s adopted hometown. This year, the murder rate has soared by 72pc, with many of the victims young African-American men. Reggie sets out to discover just who is to blame. He hears first-hand accusations of police brutality and, as he digs deeper, he learns that the majority of killings are perpetrated by young black men living in poor neighbourhoods.
The Victorian Slum, BBC2, 9pm
In a social experiment, a Victorian slum has been created in the heart of the East End of London, and Michael Mosley is the man to educate viewers on how the Victorian East End changed attitudes to poverty forever. In this opener, the slum dwellers move back in time to the 1860s. The foreboding Victorian tenement is made up of sparse rooms, a shared water pump and outdoor toilets with the priority for the participants to earn money to put food on the table and pay the weekly rent.
The Great Butterfly Adventure: Africa to Britain with the Painted Lady, BBC4, 9pm
Martha Kearney and Dr James Logan employ groundbreaking techniques to unlock the secrets of the Painted Lady — the extraordinary phenomenen that has captivated scientists, artists and nature lovers alike. Martha and butterfly expert Constanti Stefanescu follow the course of the butterflies’ five-month quest from the Atlas Mountains to Great Britain. Back at the Rothamsted Research Centre in Harpenden, James conducts experiments into the creatures’ biology and behaviour.
TUESDAY Living with Lucy, TV3, 9.30pm
Lucy Kennedy has her suitcase packed and her sleeping bag ready to move in with another well-known personality. This time around she’s shacking up with funnyman Al Porter and his family, at their home in Tallaght. As the two get cosy for a chit-chat about his life and career, Lucy also gets a sneak peak behind the curtain when Al invites her backstage at Vicar Street, as he prepares for the show that will kick off a national tour.
The Pet Surgeons, RTE1, 8.30pm
In what can be an equally heartwarming and heartbreaking series, viewers see vets at work, saving the lives of our furry friends. In the last of the series, Joss the guide dog undergoes serious bone surgery with vet Shane, Max the rescue dog gets a session of physio at the hydrotherapy pool and the staff treat a sickly cheetah from Fota Wildlife Park.
Divorce, Sky Atlantic, 11.10pm
It’s the word Dolly Parton famously sang about and the subject of this black comedy which examines the heartwrenching dissolution of a marriage. Sex and the City’s Sarah Jessica Parker heads the cast as Frances, a woman who begins to reassess her life and her marriage, and finds that making a clean break is a lot harder than she first thought. Penned by actress and writer Sharon Horgan, the series also stars Thomas Haden Church and Molly Shannon.
WEDNESDAY The Missing, BBC1, 9pm
The second series of this compelling drama centres around Alice, a young woman who appears in the same town she was abducted from 11 years earlier. Her arrival sends shockwaves through the tight-knit community and her dysfunctional family starts to implode. As the search for her abductor gathers pace, Alice also appears to hold clues to the whereabouts of another missing girl, whose disappearance was investigated in 2003 by French detective Julien Baptise. Abigail Hardingham stars with Keeley Hawes, and David Morrissey amongst the stellar cast.
Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages, C4, 8pm
In the final episode of the series, Penelope travels across the picturesque Welsh peninsula of Pembrokeshire, an area of fascinating villages that cling to majestic cliffs. The actress also visits Manorbier, which has connections to both Virginia Woolf and Narnia. Finally, she encounters the Welsh-speaking villages of Cwm Gwaun and Mynachlog-ddu.
The Great British Bake Off, BBC1, 8pm
It’s the quarter-final of the mouth-watering baking competition and just five bakers remain, trying to impress the delicate taste buds of the discerning judges. In a Bake Off first, the contestants embrace the Tudor era — a time when Henry VIII reigned with an iron fist. It was a period of excess and flamboyance and the contestants must channel their inner Tudor diva to create dishes fit for a king or queen — specifically a wondrous pie. The final challenge is to construct a spectacular showstopper made of marzipan.
THURSDAY A Brief History of Tim, BBC2, 11.15pm
Tim Renkow stars as a semi-fictionalised version of himself in this sitcom pilot about an American man with cerebral palsy looking for work in Britain. Tim has a difficult personality, deliberately using his condition to make people feel uncomfortable and get away with things he knows other people wouldn’t. However, his determination to be difficult means he takes his eyes off getting himself a job and a girlfriend.
New Girl, E4, 9.30pm
In this fifth season finale, Schmidt runs the risk of missing his own wedding when he feels compelled to attempt to persuade Cece’s mother to attend the ceremony in an episode that showcases everything she does best: big emotional moments and clever storytelling twists.
Scream Queens, E4, 10pm
The darkly comic horror returns for a second series. The opener picks up by dealing with the shocking, murderous turn of events at Kappa House. Dean Cathy Munsch buys an abandoned hospital to try and improve America’s health care system, but shocks everyone by recruiting the Chanels to the staff. Before long, the institution’s troubling past re-emerges as a new killer stalks the facility.
FRIDAY The Graham Norton Show, RTE1 9.35pm
On the famous sofa tonight is five-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams, who is starring in new movie Nocturnal Animals, Jeremy Renner, star of Avengers and Hurt Locker, who will be appearing with Amy in new sci-fi drama Arrival. Comedian Chris O’Dowd will be promoting Mascots and superstar Lady Gaga performs a track from her new album, Joanne.
The Level, UTV Ireland, 9pm
The crime drama series about a good cop with a dark secret continues. In the wake of the latest killing, suspicion lands at the door of garage owner and Le Saux associate Duncan Elliot. While visiting Elliot, Nancy spots Theo Kettler’s missing car, leading to a vital piece of evidence being recovered. The breakthrough is welcome news to DCI Newman, but it places Nancy in even greater danger than before.
Cloch le Carn, TG4, 7.30pm
When it comes to the divide of political opinion, there are few names as controversial as Rev Ian Paisley. This documentary takes a look at his life in a new light, and has a no-holds barred approach to the personality of the former First Minister of Northern Ireland. Whether he was winning support or making enemies across political divides, he was arguably one of Northern Ireland’s most divisive figures, and this is a chance to understand more about why that was the case.
SATURDAY Strictly Come Dancing, BBC1, 6.30pm
It’s another evening of sequins and sparkles as the 13 remaining couples hit the dance floor in style for a ballroom battle to stay in the competition. There have been some surprises so far, but who is going to win a place in viewers’ hearts? Voting lines will open at the end of tonight’s show and once the judges’ scores have been added to viewer votes, the two lowest-scoring couples will perform in the dreaded Dance Off. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman present proceedings.
The Secret Life of Sue Townsend (Age 68 3/4), BBC2, 9pm
Despite leaving school at 14 with no qualifications, Sue Townsend’s novel, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4, became a critical and commercial success. As part of the BBC’s Love to Read campaign, Julie Walters narrates the inspirational story of a working-class woman who achieved her dream through sheer talent and a compulsion to write. Sue Townsend’s books combine brilliantly funny writing with often biting satire, and with the help of children from her old school, her friends and family, her remarkable story is told. Stephan Mangan, Ian Hislop and Isy Suttie are among the contributers.
Meet the Parents, UTV Ireland 7pm
It’s yet another dating show — but with a rather unusual twist. Holly Willoughby puts the love lives of singletons in the hands of the people that know them inside and out — their parents. In tonight’s show, a girl and boy choose from three potential partners, but first, they have to meet their parents. Will the parents big up their offspring or will they use this unique opportunity to embarrass them? It’s a fairly novel (and cringeworthy) way to meet someone new, but at least if it works out, they won’t have to worry about the dreaded ‘meet the parents’ chat — an event that can make or break a relationship.