THE WEEK’S BEST FILMS

SATURDAY

Mr Holmes (2015) (BBC2, 6.20pm)

The year is 1947 and Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen), now 93, is a shadow of the brilliant logician who once held court at 221b Baker Street, aided by Dr Watson (Colin Starkey). The ageing sleuth has retired to Cuckmere Haven, where he fusses over his beehives and infuriates his widowed housekeeper Mrs Munro (Laura Linney, with a very shaky accent). Her spirited son Roger (Milo Parker) is fascinated by Sherlock and inspires the sleuth to delve into the fog of the past to recall his only unsolved case – a missing person inquiry from 1919.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) (Film4, 9pm)

In the aftermath of Black Monday, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) loses his job on Wall Street and is forced to sell penny stocks at a fly-by-night operation in Long Island. Blessed with the gift of the gab, Jordan excels and decides to open his own firm, Stratton Oakmont, with salesman Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill). The dodgy business goes from strength to strength, but its “work hard, play harder” mantra attracts the attentions of FBI agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler), who resolves to bring Belfort down. The Wolf of Wall Street is a lurid, exhilarating and blackly funny portrait of debauchery. Director Martin Scorsese pulls no punches in his depiction of Belfort’s wild excesses.

SUNDAY The Man in the White Suit (1951) (BBC2, 3pm)

Alec Guinness starred in some of the finest Ealing comedies, including The Ladykillers, The Lavender Hill Mob, Kind Hearts and Coronets and this sharp satire. Guinness plays Sidney Stratton, a chemist who invents a textile that repels dirt and never wears out, then uses it to make the titular white suit. Unfortunately, Britain’s mill owners and trade unionists quickly realise that he could put them out of business, as no one will need to replace their old clothes, and try to suppress his discovery. Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker and Michael Gough are among the impressive supporting cast.

A Walk in the Woods (2015) (Channel 4, 12am)

Travel writer and family man Bill Bryson (Robert Redford) hopes to shake himself out of a rut by trekking the Appalachian Trail, much to the dismay of his wife Catherine (Emma Thompson). Unexpectedly, old travelling companion Katz (Nick Nolte) agrees to accompany Bill and the two men stuff their backpacks to capacity for the obstacles ahead. The quest begins in the gentle sunshine of April as Katz confesses his struggles with sobriety. A Walk in the Woods is a delightful adaptation of Bryson’s book of the same name. Ken Kwapis’ film retains the writer’s wry sense of humour and episodic structure, and provides Nolte with a peach of a part as the crotchety sidekick, who wheezes and puffs in Bryson’s shadow as they wander the 2,200 miles separating Georgia and Maine.

MONDAY True Lies (1994) (Film4, 9pm)

Suave superspy Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) spends his days battling international terrorism, but his bored wife Helen