TV PICKS OF THE WEEK

FILM

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS, RTE1, SATURDAY 6.35PM

The news that Father Christmas has a modest son called Arthur, voiced by James McAvoy, is a typically homely idea from this cartoon’s makes, The Aardman team, yet the film is one of their more blatantly commercial ventures, slick and formulaic, but still entertaining.

DRAMA

THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, AMAZON PRIME, FRIDAY.

Season two commences of The Man in the High Castle an American dystopian alternative history web television series produced by Amazon Studios.

The series is loosely based on the 1962 novel of the same name by American science fiction author Philip K. Dick.

The story is an alternative history of the world in which the Axis powers won World War II. The United States has been partitioned into three parts: The Japanese puppet state Japanese Pacific States, which comprises the former United States west of the Rocky Mountains; a Nazi puppet state that comprises the eastern half of the former United States; and the Neutral Zone that acts as a buffer between the two.

The pilot premiered on January 15, 2015, and was Amazon’s ‘most-watched since the original series development program began.’

SPORT

EUROPEAN RUGBY CHAMPIONS CUP, SKY SPORTS, SATURDAY 5.30PM

Connacht and Wasps play their reverse fixture in the European Rugby Champions Cup in the Sportsground.

Last weekend it was Wasps who came out on top with a 32-17 victory, but the Pro12 champions were more than a match for the Premiership high-flyers for most of the game and trailed by just three points at the break.

It took until the 64th minute for Dai Young’s side to pull clear before recording a 32-17 win.

That game was Connacht’s first match since coach Pat Lam announced his departure at the end of the season and that announcement is sure to spark an emotional evening in Galway in a match the home side must surely win if they are to advance to the knock-out stages.

FACTUAL

CHRISTMAS KITCHEN, BBC1, MONDAY TO FRIDAY 10AM

Perhaps it says something about today’s domestic skillset when the BBC think it merited to screen a week of programmes on how to cook a turkey, boil a sprout and serve up a festive dessert.

There is big money in TV cookery shows, not to mention the book which accompanies the series and over the years we have seen that there is more than one way to cook a turkey, a ham or to have your Christmas cake and eat it.

The mini series takes a look back at various TV chefs over the years and it is interesting to see how the fashions have changed and not just on the plate.