TV HIGHLIGHTS
SUNDAY
EasyJet: Inside the Cockpit, 3e, 7pm With air travel increasing year on year, there’s now a worldwide shortage of pilots. This year, the UK’s biggest airline easyJet has launched its largest-ever pilot recruitment drive, with a focus on getting more women to apply for the high-flying job. This series follows rookies as they take their first tentative steps towards becoming a pilot. We also see what life is like in the clouds. The Nathan Carter Show, RTE1, 9.30pm The country star delights fans with plenty of rousing, toetapping tunes, backed by an impressive 17-piece band. He also welcomes star guests including Shane Filan, Roisin O, Hayseed Dixie and Johnny McAvoy. Plus, the game presenter spends hours in makeup to disguise himself as an elderly lady to prank fans. There’ll be no shortage of entertainment, fun and laughs. An Audience with Bruce Forsyth, TV3, 10pm The beloved veteran entertainer shows off his array of talents in a feast of song and dance, recorded in 1997 in front of a starry audience. Among those who join the entertainer on stage are former footballer Ian Wright, ex-Coronation Street star Ken Morley and sports pundit Jimmy Hill. It will be a bittersweet reminder of how the entertainer, who died last summer, came to enrapture any audience.
MONDAY
Made in Chelsea, E4, 9pm Olivia is fed up of her dry spell and sets her sights high, eyeing up a hot model at a photoshoot. Elsewhere, Francis plays cupid for Sophie and sets her up on a date with Fredrik, which sounds like a match made in posh heaven. It’s not all flowers and chocolate though. Mimi, who isn’t backwards about coming forwards, tells Charlie what she thinks while Sam can’t seem to get over a certain Watson sister... Ross Kemp Behind Bars: Inside Barlinnie, TV3, 9pm Barlinnie is one of the oldest functioning prisons in the world, and also one of the most notorious. It has been feared by convicts for generations for its reputation as being one of the toughest prisons in Scotland. Its time is up though, having clocked 150 years. Before it closes its doors for good, Ross Kemp heads inside to examine the dark history of the jail and what life is like for those incarcerated there. Golden: Our 50 Years of Marriage, RTE1, 9.35pm There’s nothing more heartwarming than a love that lasts a lifetime and this sentimental documentary looks at love and marriage, through the eyes of devoted couples who have celebrated their golden wedding anniversaries. Reflecting on key events from their lives, like when they met, and having children, the couples reveal what makes marriage work. Those featured include Ned and Eileen Cusack who have been married for 73 years while Joan and Pierce Butler tied the knot 54 years ago.
TUESDAY
The A Word, BBC1, 9pm Six-part drama about a young boy who struggles with the challenges that his autism presents, starring Max Vento. Now aged seven, Joe feels he doesn’t fit in so Paul and Alison do their best to help him engage with others. They also realise they must talk to him about his autism. Elsewhere, Maurice is thrown back into Louise’s life and Eddie and Nicola have a secret. Christopher Eccleston, Pooky Quesnel, Molly Wright and Lee Ingleby star. Desperate Houses, RTE1, 8.30pm Architect and designer Roisin Murphy and her team bring calm to the chaos of messy homes, helping hoarders rid themselves of their unwanted mess. In the first episode, Roisin spends three days with Annette from Tallaght. Annette has lived in her house for more than 20 years and hangs on to items in case someone might need them. Roisin and her team must decipher the priceless from the useless, and help her let go of the clutter in her home. Motherland, BBC2, 11.15pm Here’s the first episode of the BBC Two comedy series piloted last year as part of the landmark sitcom season. Motherland presents an unromanticised approach to parenting — it’s not all cute kids with chocolate smeared on their face. Tonight, Julia moves out of her comfort zone and reluctantly invites the entire class of rowdy children to her kid’s birthday party. Things aren’t made easier when her mother refuses to help out and she is solely dependent on Liz and Kevin. Created by Graham Linehan and Sharon Horgan.
WEDNESDAY
Posh Pets, be3, 7.30pm Series about rich people who go to great lengths to ensure that their pets are well and truly pampered. In the first episode, millionaires Debi and Bob share their luxury four-acre Kent estate with 13 of the most spoilt dogs in Britain. Debi is taking things a step further though, and is planning a wedding for her Teacup Chihuahua and her long term partner, Chihuahua cross, Joey. In Hampshire, Louise and her daughter Sophie have 30 small and sociable African pygmy hedgehogs. They are becoming increasingly popular house guests but Louise puts anyone who wants one through a very strict vetting process. The Truth About Slim People, Channel 4, 9pm Andi Osho follows those people lucky enough to not have to worry about piling on the pounds. Yemi, 37 and 41-year-old Anne Marie eat an unrestricted diet, don’t exercise, and maintain lean bodies. What is their secret? Experts unpick their lives, from what they eat to how they sleep. Brendan O’Connor’s Cutting Edge, RTE1, 9.35pm The no-nonsense presenter is joined by three outspoken panellists to debate the big stories grabbing the headlines. Expect to see familiar faces go head to head with the presenter as they bring humour and passion with their arguments.
THURSDAY
The Cruise, TV3, 8.30pm Hugh Bonneville narrates this follow up to the series about life on board the Regal Princess. Here, cameras follow the staff and crew of its sister ship the Royal Princess. It’s summer and with a busy season around the Mediterranean ahead, the crew race to get ready for departure from Athens. However, there are a number of obstacles to address, from training an officer to dealing with a frustrated family whose luggage has gone missing. Trump: An American Dream, Channel 4, 9pm This major new four-part series tells the story of an extraordinary individual who happens to hold the presidency of the United States. Going back four decades, Donald Trump’s long game to the corridors of power is documented, and his extravagant and reckless behaviour dissected. His friends and enemies paint a picture of a man who has taken massive gambles. Whoever the real Trump is, there’s no doubting his smouldering ambition which brought him to the White House. David McWilliams’ Ireland, TV3, 10pm The economist and journalist looks at why Ireland is struggling so much economically. Using his Guinness Index of Value and a series of price comparisons between Ireland and Germany on everyday items, David explores why the cost of living is so high.
FRIDAY
Extreme Wives with Kate Humble, BBC2, 9pm The presenter has spent time with communities all over the world and is fascinated by how the roles of men and women tell a story about the society they’re in. Here, she explores three diverse communities in Kenya, Israel and India, where the roles of women are complex and sometimes extreme. In this opener, Kate is in the district of Kuria in Kenya where women are agricultural farmers. The Kuria are polygamous, meaning men can take a number of wives, but there is also a practice of womanto-woman marriage. There is a dark side too, as female genital mutilation is a tradition rooted in Kuria society, despite it being made illegal in Kenya in 2011. The Graham Norton Show, BBC1, 11.05pm The chat show king is joined by Hugh Grant, star of hit films Notting Hill and Bridget Jones’s Diary, who is starring as Phoenix Buchanan in fantasy adventure Paddington 2. Also featuring on the famous red sofa is singer Kelly Clarkson, who will perform Love So Soft from her new album Meaning Of Life.
SATURDAY
Man with a Plan, RTE2, 1.45pm
The sitcom, starring Matt LeBlanc and Liza Snyder, concludes its first series this afternoon with one more tasking dad chore left in store for Adam. It’s decision time as he and Andi must decide whether or not to have one more child. It seems a good idea when Don and Marcy’s newborn grandson comes to visit, but could being around the baby put the brakes on any future parenting plans?
Len Goodman’s Partners in Rhyme, BBC1, 4.30pm
The host’s entertaining family show also concludes tonight, as two more participants — along with a group of famous faces — attempt to win big prizes. Contestants Jozanda and George go head-to-head, with the assistance of Olympic hockey player Sam Quek, cricketer Phil Tufnell, chef Rosemary Shrager and radio DJ Rickie Haywood Williams. They’ll have to be on top of their game when it comes to tackling Len’s tricky rhyming games, with only one of them leaving with the big prize of a an amazing holiday.