TV HIGHLIGHTS
SUNDAY
Bad Eddie, TG4, 5.55pm The fascinating story of a boat that was towed into Magheraclogher Beach in Gweedore, Co Donegal in 1977. The large fishing boat, better known as Bad Eddie, is still sitting on the beach. The programme looks into her history and features personal stories and photos from locals.
Robot Wars, BBC2, 7pm Dara O Briain and Angela Scanlon are back to present the new series of the show in which robots fight to the death. In the first episode, a brand new spinner has something to prove and a family pour everything into keeping their dream alive. Among the metal warriors competing in the brutal group battle stages are Nuts 2, Jellyfish, Terrorhurtz and Crank-E.
Top Gear, BBC2, 8pm The revamped car series returns for another run, this time without opinion-splitting host Chris Evans. However, regulars Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid are all back, as things kick off with them checking out the Ferrari FXX K at the Daytona circuit in Florida and trekking the length of Kazakhstan in three battle-hardened vehicles. Then, actor James McAvoy attempts to set the standard as the first famous face to take on the track.
SS-GB, BBC1, 9pm Archer tracks down Dr John Spode, but unfortunately it turns out to be a dead end as no sooner has he confessed to his brother’s murder, than he bites into a cyanide capsule. There’s an interesting turn, however, when Archer discovers a roll of film in Spode’s pivot that he took from Shepherd Market.
MONDAY
Travel Man: 48 Hours in St Petersburg, Channel 4, 8.30pm Lovable nerd Richard Ayoade returns to our screens and this time he visits Russia. Richard and comedian Rob
Beckett embark on a fast and funny itinerary, that includes cavier, culture and of course, vodka. They also visit a retro communist-era apartment — most definitely a hipster hangout.
Mutiny, Channel 4, 9pm New reality series in which nine men set out to recreate the fabled 4,000-mile journey of Captain Bligh in a tiny wooden boat after the mutiny on the Bounty. Like Bligh’s men, they battle storms, treacherous reefs and shark infested waters. Don’t worry, they’ll be joined by several expert sailors. Just as well.
How’d You Get So Rich?, Channel 4, 10pm Comedian Katherine Ryan meets the super-rich and asks them the question of the title, which most of us have often wondered. In this episode, she meets the husband and wife team who went from running a lowly market stall to owning highly profitable retail chain Poundland. She also meets a flashy playboy and a cosmetic surgeon who’s worked his magic on numerous high-profile stars.
TUESDAY
Kate Humble — Back to the Land, BBC2, 8pm In this brand new series, the presenter follows six rural businesses through big events in their year. First off, she meets a seaweed collector who swapped an office job for a life working on the beach, and who now sells Welsh seaweed products around the world. She also visits a family working with honey bees, and rookie chocolatiers hoping to make it big from an old cow shed in west Wales.
Killing for Love, BBC4, 10pm A look at the case of Jens Soering, the son of a German diplomat, who was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 1990. In the mid-1980s he met a beautiful 20 year-old and the pair embarked on a passionate affair. Three months in, on March 30, 1985, Elizabeth’s parents were murdered in their Virginia home and
several months later the couple absconded to England. However, they were caught for another crime, which led to them being questioned about the murders.
Daniel and Majella’s B&B Road Trip, RTE1, 8.30pm Ireland’s First Couple are on the road once again. Over six episodes, the lovable pair go on a hilarious B&B road trip round the Emerald Isle. What hi-jinks can we expect from the adventures of the country crooner and his businesswoman wife?
WEDNESDAY
Hidden Restaurants with Michel Roux Jr, Channel 4, 8pm Brand new series in which the British two-star Michelin chef takes to the road in search of inspiration from the best kept culinary secrets. In this episode, he discovers visual feasts in a wood and on a floating cafe in the middle of an estuary. Freddy Bird is on hand to help Michel in his quest to create his very own hidden restaurant.
The Man Who Shot Tutankhamun, BBC4, 9pm TV personality, lawyer and businesswoman Margaret Mountford travels to Egypt’s Valley of the Kings to find out more about photographer Harry Burton, the man whose images of Tutankhamun whipped up a storm of amazement in the 1920s. Exploring the breathtaking locations where Burton worked, she finds out how his incredible images inspired a craze for Egyptian designs and why his work is still studied today. She also meets Harry Cory Wright, who explains how Burton’s work pushed boundaries.
Doctor in the House, TV3, 8pm New series of the programme in which medics help families change their bad habits to live healthier lives. This opener features the Mckeevers, a young and busy family whose diet is causing serious issues. Dad John has a drink every day and smokes, and six-year-old Cillian is found to be anaemic. Over the course of eight weeks, parents
John and Laura work hard to improve their lifestyle but will they be able to avoid booze and eat more fruit and veg?
THURSDAY
Home of the Year, RTE1, 8.30pm In the second edition of the super home series, the judges visit three very different and equally impressive homes in Dublin. One is a contemporary aluminium clad new build, another a period home brimming with personality and the third is a terrace on Dublin’s southside.
Celebrity MasterChef Ireland, TV3, 9pm The remaining celebrities must prove their mettle and cook the dish of their lives if they want to be crowned winner. They may have earned their stripes but do they have the piece de resistance to clinch the title? To be in with a chance of doing so, they must create a mouthwatering threecourse meal to blow the socks off of judges Daniel Clifford and Rob Gill. Who will win?
Prime Suspect 1973, TV3, 10pm The investigation into Julie Ann Collins’s murder gathers pace and the investigators look for the driver of the car she was last seen getting into. In prison, Clifford Bentley’s ill-advised revenge attack puts his family’s criminal interests at a distinct disadvantage. Plus, things get awkward between Jane and her boss Bradfield following a late night encounter.
FRIDAY
The Secrets of Your Food, BBC2, 9pm It’s the last in the series of this fascinating foray into food, and the team heads to Peru to visit a lab where a team is studying the effect of caffeine on bees and how that may go some way to explaining the hold that magic cup of black stuff has over us. Elsewhere, Michael and James take on some of the hottest chillies in the world to see what the burn does to our brains. It can’t be pleasant.
Can’t Stop Dancing, RTE1, 8.30pm This is perfect fodder to kick start the weekend and a chance to catch up with all the highheeled action from Dancing with the Stars. Blathnaid Treacy hosts the Friday night extravaganza and the lucky girl has a backstage pass to all the hip swirling action. She also chats to the celebrities and the professional dancers who are preparing to take the ballroom by storm on Saturday.
Gradaim an Uachtarain 2017, TG4, 7.30pm Uachtaran Chumann Luthchleas Gael Aogan O Fearghail reveals this year’s GAA’s award winners, featuring representatives from all four provinces and all disciplines, including camogie, ladies football, rounders and handball. Micheal O’Domhnaill presents the glittering ceremony from the halls of Croke Park.
SATURDAY
Dogs Behaving Badly, Channel 4, 6.05pm Graeme ‘The Dogfather’ Hall meets a 71-kilo Great Dane from Newcastle, England who is in the habit of scaring anyone that comes into his path. He also treats a ferocious poodle in Weymouth who terrorises his owner’s boyfriend. There’s also a Labrador who steals food from the oven in Warrington and a pair of dogs that are nipping at each other’s heels in Liverpool. Can Graeme control the unruly canines and in turn calm their put upon owners?
Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, TV3, 7pm The fun-loving pair are back with another jam-packed show full of surprises and generous prize giveaways. In this edition, it’s the debut of a brand new pop-up gameshow ‘In For a Penny’, in which good sport Stephen Mulhern hits the streets to give unsuspecting members of the public the chance to win big. ‘Singalong Live’ is back for the first time this series, and Ant & Dec will be joining in the calamitous fun. It’s perfect fodder for your Saturday night in.