TV FILMS of the week
1 MARY POPPINS Today, BBC1, 4.20pm
After discovering their father (David
Tomlinson) is trying to find them a new nanny, the Banks children (Karen
Dotrice and Matthew Garber) write their own advert for the position – and attract the attention of the magical Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews). Forget the usual carping about Dick Van Dyke’s woeful cockney accent, this is a fantastic family adventure, full of terrific songs and a skilful blend of live action and animation. Andrews is practically perfect as Mary, a role for which she deservedly won an Oscar.
2 THE FIRST PURGE Tomorrow, Channel 4, 12am
President Bracken (Ian Blackman) proposes a radical solution to spiralling crime rates: an experiment which will allow residents of Staten Island to vent their fury for 12 hours. Locals who stay during the purge will receive $5,000 each. And those who spill blood will be rewarded financially too. This is a predictable but watchable prequel to the 2013 horror thriller The Purge.
3 MAD MAX Monday, ITV4, 9pm
Mel Gibson (left) first hit the big time in this superb futuristic action adventure from director George Miller. He plays an Australian cop who hands in his badge after growing tired of trying to impose order in a lawless society. The death of his wife and child soon see the heroic lawman drag himself out of retirement in a bid to exact a bloody revenge on those responsible.
4 TREMORS Tuesday, ITV4, 11.05pm
Cult sci-fi spoof starring Kevin Bacon (left) and Fred Ward as two handymen stranded in the desert who become targets for a family of giant sandworms. Yes it’s silly, and yes it’s tacky – most of the movie is played for laughs, rather than thrills – but some genuinely exciting moments help the story along.
5 MY FERAL HEART Wednesday, BBC2, 11.15pm
Steven Brandon, left, delivers a powerful performance in this touching drama. He plays Luke, a man with Down’s syndrome, who has been acting as a carer for his mother. Following her death, he is forced to move into a residential home, where he struggles to adapt to his new life. When he discovers a seemingly feral girl (Pixie Le Knot), Luke really regains a sense of purpose.
6 ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN Thursday, BBC4, 9pm
Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, left, take the leads as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein respectively who, in 1974, were reporters on the Washington Post newspaper. The pair were assigned to investigate a break-in at the Watergate Hotel, but ended up unearthing scandal and corruption at the White House which resulted in President Richard Nixon’s infamous resignation.
7 SUICIDE SQUAD Friday, ITV2, 9pm
Government agent Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) fears the arrival of another meta-human like Superman and press-gangs a crew of incarcerated criminals to carry out covert missions. Meanwhile, Batman swoops over Gotham and The Joker (Jared Leto) plots a reunion with girlfriend Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie, left). This is a neon-lit carnival with whirling digital effects.