The Box Set
Hugh’s War on Waste 8.30pm, Thursday, Choice
Three-part documentary series in which River Cottage’s Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall investigates why the United Kingdom wastes so much food. ’’In what was an incredibly comprehensive exploration of an incredibly important subject matter, Hugh visited everyone from the farmers who grow the food to the shoppers who buy it. If ever there was a man on a mission, this is he,’’ wrote The Independent‘s Amy Burns.
Giles Coren: My Failed Novel 9.15pm, Thursday, Sky Arts
The Brit is well-known today for being a TV presenter, food critic and opinionated journalist. However, 10 years ago his first novel Winkler was about to be published and he believed he was on the cusp of literary greatness. Nothing could have proved further from the truth and now this entertaining 2016 investigation seeks to find out where it all went wrong.
Pawn Sacrifice 8.30pm, Saturday, Rialto
Tobey Maguire and Liev Schreiber star in this 2014 biopic of American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer, who, in the 1970s, found himself caught between two superpowers and his own struggles, as he challenges the Soviet Empire. ‘‘The film succeeds at presenting chess as a subtle metaphor for the psychological warfare being waged behind the scenes,’’ wrote Variety‘s Justin Chang.
9 Months That Made You 7.30pm, Sunday, Prime
Three-part Dr Michael Mosley-hosted BBC series that aims to take viewers through the journey of human gestation and its minute-by-minute genetic process. This week’s first episode charts the metamorphosis from a single cell, no bigger than a speck of dust, into a foetus that’s recognisably human. Meet the quadruplets who represent the limits of human reproduction and the NBA basketball star whose organs are a mirror image to most people’s.
The Usual Suspects 8.30pm, Sunday, Maori TV
Much-loved 1995 tale in which a sole survivor tells of the events leading up to a horrific gun battle on a boat, which begin when five criminals meet at a seemingly random police lineup. Kevin Spacey, Benicio Del Toro and Gabriel Byrne star. ’’A near-classic blend of mystery, personality, humour and terror, laced with one stunning shock after another,’’ wrote Chicago Tribune‘s Michael Wilmington.
Football: World Cup Qualifiers 3.50am, Monday, ESPN
After humiliation at the Euro Champs, England begin their quest for World Cup glory (or some redemption) under new manager Sam Allardyce against Slovakia. Meanwhile, in other opening round matches this morning, defending champions Germany travel to Oslo to take on Norway (6.35pm, ESPN 2).