TV HIGHLIGHTS
SUNDAY
National Treasures, RTE1, 6.30pm The project comes to Cork as the people of Munster showcase their fascinating and unusual objects. From Sonia O’Sullivan’s running shoes to a plectrum from Rory Gallagher’s last Irish gig, John Creedon and a trusty team of curators will discover the glorious gems that the province has to offer.
The Zoo, RTE1, 7.30pm Cameras go behind the scenes at Dublin Zoo to follow the passion and expertise of its animal care team. The series always tries to show viewers not just the lives of the animals at the zoo, but also the importance of protecting these animals in the wild. In this opener, Sari the Bornean orangutan will be leaving her home at Barcelona Zoo to join Sibu and the rest of the group in Dublin. Plus, Asha, who was the first elephant to be born at the zoo, is ready to give birth after a 22-month long pregnancy.
At Your Service, RTE1, 8.30pm Hotelier Francis Brennan helps a family of artists and historians who bought a country house but are now struggling to keep it running. Despite this, they want to create a tearoom in a courtyard stable — can Francis turn around their fortunes and help them make a profit?
MONDAY
Big Week on the Farm, RTE1, 7pm April is a very busy time for farmers up and down the country as adorable, spring lambs make a welcome appearance. Ella McSweeney and Aine Lawlor are joined by a series of guests across the week, starting with much-loved comedian and actress Deirdre O’Kane for the first episode live from the O’Sullivan farm in Co Waterford. Viewers get an inside look at the much-maligned crow family and witness the beauty of wildlife on the beach. Farmer Gillian O’Sullivan also gets a glimpse into how the farm of the future might thrive using robots and artificial intelligence. Travel Man, Channel 4. 8.30pm The enigmatic host is joined by Cold Feet actor Faye Ripley for a snowy mini-break in Oslo. Richard takes his travel chum to Oslo’s hippest hotel The Thief, home to an art collection which includes works by Warhol and Hirst. They also try their hand at cross-country skiing, sample Michelin-starred Norse nosh at Kontrast and eat one of the world’s best hotdogs. Finally, they sample the delights of the mini bottle gallery.
The Island with Bear Grylls, Channel 4, 9pm It’s the reality series which makes you very happy to be surrounded by your home comforts. The appeal of an exotic island quickly loses its lustre when you’re faced with tiny rations, poor sanitary conditions and persistent thunderstorms. To make matters even worse, the group has been divided, with the wealthy and less well-off camp mates going their separate ways. Phil tries to lead his team but his dictatorial style ends in mutiny, while James is frozen out by some of his wealthier teammates.
TUESDAY
Class of Mum and Dad, Channel 4, 8pm Many of us will look back on our school days with fond memories, others with dread. For this group of game parents, they’ll get to experience what it’s like for the youngsters of today. For half a term, the parents will study the Year Six curriculum alongside their own children. They’ll follow the same regime, wear the same uniform, participate in PE (the horror) and face the same discipline if they act up. To gauge their competence, Mrs Mead gives the new pupils a maths test. While some excel, it’s all too much for one mum, who is reminded of her bad experiences of school.
Come Home, RTE1, 10.15pm Finale of the engrossing family drama about a mother who inexplicably walks out on her family. Tonight, following Laura’s ordeal with Garry, Marie tells Greg that she wants her children back. Despite Greg’s refusal, Marie consults a solicitor and the pair are dragged into a bitter custody battle. Marie is forced to turn to her mother for help with the rising costs and Greg is shocked when his solicitor reveals damning evidence involving Brenna. Greg is thrust into further angst when Marie is granted access to five-year-old Molly. Who will walk away with the children?
We Are Moving — Memories of Moriarty, RTE1, 11.25pm Here is an intimate portrait of Joan Denise Moriarty, a ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher who fought to bring the art form to all corners of Ireland from the 1940s until her death in 1992. In her quest, she set up two professional companies and one amateur company, and inspired many men and women, who would otherwise have never been exposed to the art of dance. This special celebrates the fierce woman best known as Miss Moriarty.
WEDNESDAY
Neven’s Irish Food Trails, RTE1, 8.30pm The popular chef begins his final food trail with a hearty Irish breakfast in Knockgashel, Co Kerry, home to pork producers Truly Irish. CEO Mike McAuliffe cooks up the company’s delicious bacon and sausages and takes him on a tour of the farm where seaweed-based supplements are used to enhance the quality of the meat. Next, he’s off to Derrynane to meet a seaweed expert before heading north to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, where chef Justin O’Connor shows him how to make warm Guinness chocolate fondant. Finally, back at home, Neven prepares a delicious cider braised pork belly.
This Time Next Year, TV3, 9pm Davina McCall presents the tearjerking series featuring ordinary people pledging to dramatically improve their life over the course of one year. Here, Davina meets parents who want to transform the life of their profoundly deaf baby girl, a military couple who want to start a family and a mother and daughter wanting to shed 15 stone between them.
Brendan O’Connor’s Cutting Edge, RTE1, 9.35pm It’s that time of week where the big stories hitting the headlines are clinically dissected. As ever, the gregarious host is joined by three panellists from the world of sport, media, business, entertainment and the arts. Expect heated discussion, great laughs and fierce disagreements as the winners and the losers of the week come under the steely gaze of the panel.
THURSDAY
Living with the Brainy Bunch, BBC2, 8pm Experts agree that parental influence is one of the main factors that can affect a child’s academic performance. In this groundbreaking experiment, two students who are failing to make the grade move in with two of the highest achieving pupils in their year. Hollie moves in with Holly H, a budding lawyer with a dizzying list of extra-curricular activities while Jack goes to live with Tharush, who does at least two hours homework every night, on top of extra tuition. How will the underachievers cope with their new schedule, which includes early bedtimes?
Urban Myths, Sky Arts, 9pm New series featuring extraordinary stories from cultural history. Tonight is the story of bubbling tensions on the set of 1959 romantic comedy Some Like It Hot. Bombshell Marilyn Monroe (Gemma Arterton) is constantly late and can’t remember her lines, causing director Billy Wilder (James Purefoy) no end of frustration. Worse still, Monroe’s acting coach Paula Strasberg and husband Arthur Miller insist on meddling with the production.
Wwoofail sa Tealaoinn, TG4, 10pm Cameras follow weather presenter Mairead Ni Chuaig and journalist Tomai O Conghaile on their road trip across Thailand. In this edition, they head south to Koh Lanta, a tropical island off the Andaman coast, where they stay on a jungle tea farm and take a sea kayaking trip around the island’s intriguing coast.
FRIDAY
MasterChef: The Finals, BBC1, 8.30pm It’s been a sweat-inducing sevenweek journey but tonight the search for the best amateur cook reaches its climax. There’s a trek ahead for the exceptional finalists as they must produce the best three dishes of their lives for judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace. Only one can lift the coveted crown and become the 14th MasterChef Champion.
The Graham Norton Show, BBC1, 10.35pm Hurrah for Friday night as the effervescent host welcomes top calibre celebrities to the famous red sofa. Hollywood all-action hero Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and star of Moonlight, Naomie Harris, chat about their new monster flick, Rampage. Sherlock star Martin Freeman talks about spine-tingling anthology Ghost Stories, and Roger Daltrey chats and performs his new single As Long As I Have You.
SATURDAY
Britain’s Got Talent, TV3, 8pm The fabulous foursome of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams are back on our screens this evening, as they begin their hunt for this year’s best UK act in the allsinging, all-dancing competition. Expect the unexpected, as top performers try to impress the judges and wow the audience. Immediately after, at 9.25pm, Stephen Mulhern returns with Britain’s Got More Talent.
Ninja Warrior UK, 3e, 7pm Ben Shephard, Rochelle Humes and Chris Kamara host the new series of the adrenaline-fuelled competition. A group of tough competitors take on the bruising obstacle course — but will any of them make it to the finish line?