TV HIGHLIGHTS
SUNDAY
Great Lighthouses of Ireland, RTE1, 6.30pm Strictly Come Dancing: The Results, BBC1, 7.15pm
The celebrity dance spectacular is back in full swing, which means that — unfortunately for one couple — we have to say goodbye to the first pair. All of the famous faces and their professional partners have taken to the dance floor and done their best to impress both the judging panel and the viewers at home, but for one duo it’s too little too late. No one wants to be the first to go, but for one team it’s curtains. There’s also a live music performance from George Ezra. This fascinating new series takes us on a whirlwind tour of the nation’s most iconic lighthouses, hearing stories from those who manned them over the years and discovering the important role they have played throughout history. In this opener, stops along the way include Hook Head and Eagle Island, both locations with unique tales of the many dangers that lurk in the depths of our coastal waters.
The Cry, BBC1, 9pm Jenna Coleman and Ewen Leslie
star in this new four-part drama. Couple Joanna and Alistair travel to Australia with their baby, but the trip is more business than pleasure — they are there to fight for the custody of Alistair’s teenage daughter. However, their biggest fears are realised when their baby goes missing in the small coastal town where they are staying, leaving them reeling and desperate for answers.
MONDAY Jamie Cooks Italy, Channel 4, 8pm
Chef Jamie Oliver concludes his culinary conquest of Italy, as his final outing takes him high into the snow-covered Alps. Mouthwatering meals on his menu this evening include macaroni cheese with an alpine twist, dumplings with roasted red onions and crispy pancetta and a red wine, sausage and alpine cheese risotto.
Eamonn & Ruth: How the Other Half Live, Virgin Media 2, 8.30pm
This new series is all about experiencing the lavish lifestyles of the rich and the famous, and celebrity couple Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford are the ones lucky enough to get a little sample. They get to live it up and experience how things are for the super-rich, gaining insight into the many jaw-dropping ways that money can — and is — spent.
Killing Eve, RTE2, 9.30pm
The thrilling drama series, starring Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer and Fiona Shaw, concludes with a gripping double bill. Everyone is on the edge of their seats as the situation in Moscow escalates, seemingly out of everyone’s control. One wrong move could mark the difference between victory and death, as Eve goes rogue to hunt down Villanelle and end this once and for all. Then, in the intense finale, Kenny and Eve are dealt a surprise that takes them further down the rabbit hole than ever before, as Villanelle grabs a hostage and makes a break for it.
TUESDAY Long Lost Family, Virgin Media 1, 9pm
Hosts Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell return for a new series of their heartwarming show in which they follow the journeys of ordinary people who want nothing more than to be reunited with the family they never got the chance to know. In this opener, they assist Pearse Egan, who last spoke to his father when he was only six years old. We also meet Colombia-born Christina Barlow who was raised in England, but now wants to head back to the land of her birth and finally reunite with her mother.
Revolting Ireland, Virgin Media 1, 10pm
This new series looks back on the nation’s social history, dissecting the huge events that transformed Ireland forever and drove its leanings forward into the present day. In this opener, the team focuses on how protest changed Ireland through the decades following the formation of the Irish Republic in 1949. We hear about the events that went down and the people who were there, including those who contributed to the Suffragettes movement, the 1950’s unemployment and housing protests in Dublin, and Harry Corduff’s ongoing battle against potholes in Mayo.
Druid Shakespeare, RTE1, 11.25pm
To mark their 40th anniversary, the Druid Theatre Company began plotting their most ambitious project to date. Captured in this one-off special is director Garry Hynes and the troop’s attempt to bring the History Plays of William Shakespeare to life, but with one major difference — to cast Irish women as English kings and men as their widows.
WEDNESDAY The Apprentice, BBC4, 9pm BBC1, 9pm
The dog-eat-dog competition to decide mogul Alan Sugar’s next business partner returns for a 14th season, as he and his trusted representatives Karren Brady and Claude Littner meet the 16 candidates for the first time. The first challenge takes the teams to Malta, where they have to get to grips with the local markets if they are to come out on top during the tough buying challenge. There’s no room for error, as every step the participants take and decision they make could be the difference between failure and success. At least one of them is going home, and fans know that Alan is never one to hold back when it comes to sharing his sharp feedback.
Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef with Iolo Williams,
The naturalist travels to the north-eastern coast of Australia where he gets a close-up look at the Great Barrier Reef. Diving deep beneath the surface, he is eager to discover what sort of state the natural wonder is currently in, as he ponders what can be done to protect it. There are many factors to take into consideration in regards to the Reef’s preservation — from
global warming to various forms of pollution caused by humans. Iolo teams with underwater cinematographer Richard Fitzpatrick to give us real insight into this underwater world. This Crowded House, RTE2, 9.30pm
The second series of the property show airs tonight, as Brendan Courtney travels around Ireland, meeting the adults in their 20s and 30s who are eager to get out living on their own. This opener features 28-year-old Leighann Rooney, who has a big decision to make regarding her work and her daughter’s creche, and Denise and Fred O’Connor, who are trying to get out of a slump that sees them stuck between sharing a property with friends and getting one of their own.
THURSDAY Inside James’s, Virgin Media 1, 9pm
This observational documentary series that follows the tireless efforts of the constantly busy staff at one of Ireland’s largest hospitals concludes. In this finale, cameras follow 20-yearold Bunmi Oyetola, who suffers from rare blood disease sickle cell anaemia, as he is brought into the hospital in terrible pain as a result of his condition. Meanwhile, Sarah Early is eight months pregnant, but won’t let a little thing like that get in the way of her position as Ireland’s only female cardiac surgeon.
Horizon, BBC2, 9pm
Dr Michael Mosley takes the helm of this edition of the factual series, as he and a team of experts at the University of Oxford conduct an experiment into the power of fake pills, and whether common medical complaints can be healed with the power of the placebo effect alone. They gather a group of 117 volunteers, all of whom suffer from back pain. Michael and the team set about their research, which he also partakes in, as he attempts to convince himself that a foul-tasting green liquid actually has medicinal qualities that are good for his body.
The Rotunda, RTE2, 9.30pm
As the documentary series continues, we meet teenagers Milaois and James, who have brought their daughter in to have laser eye surgery. Meanwhile, Polish couple Julia and Krystian have had a long wait ahead of the arrival of their first child, who is in absolutely no rush to get here.
FRIDAY Have I Got News for You, BBC1, 9pm
Paul Merton and Ian Hislop return for the 56th series of the comical political quiz, as they and their special guest host welcome panellists from the worlds of entertainment and politics to dissect the biggest and oddest news stories of the week.
The Graham Norton Show, BBC1, 10.35pm
In this instalment of the chat show the host welcomes actress Jamie Lee Curtis to discuss her return to horror franchise Halloween, Rowan Atkinson, who’s also back for spy comedy sequel Johnny English Strikes Again and Take That star Gary Barlow. He also invites Hollywood A-lister and jazz fanatic Jeff Goldblum on to perform a tune with Imelda May.
SATURDAY Donncha’s Two Talented, RTE1, 5.25pm
Rugby legend Donncha O’Callaghan hosts this brand new family entertainment show, which sees an assortment of talented children between the ages of five and nine performing every edition. Things get exciting when the kids must convince a grown up relative to come on the show and perform with them.
Troubles: The Life After, BBC2, 9.30pm
This moving special uses archive footage and the poetry of Nick Laird to paint a picture of the women who lost those closest to them during the Troubles. It airs as part of the 50th anniversary of the start of the deadly conflict.