The Herald - The Herald Magazine
BOX SETS AND ON DEMAND
THURSDAY Predator (1987) (Film4, 10.40pm)
ANGELINA Jolie directed this enthralling biopic about US Olympian Louis Zamperini, played by British star Jack O’Connell. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Louis finishes a creditable eighth in the 5,000m after a blistering final lap of 56 seconds. Later, war breaks out and Louis serves in the US army air force alongside best friend Russell Phillips (Domhnall Gleeson). Their B-24 bomber crashes in the Pacific, killing everyone except Louis, Russell and fellow recruit Francis McNamara (Finn
make a barefoot break for it. Meanwhile Ish and Nate’s bank cards are frozen, meaning the now-penniless friends must put their trust in gym owner John Froude.
Hospital (BBC2, 9pm)
Each year, 8,000 babies are born in the Liverpool Women’s Hospital, the only NHS trust in the UK to care solely for women and babies. It’s recognised as a centre of excellence for neonatal care and also specialises in genetics, fertility treatments and gynaecological care including cancers in women. Yet, as the latest instalment of the fascinating documentary discovers, despite its reputation and expertise, the hospital is facing a recruitment crisis. The programme finds out how this is affecting the
FRIDAY
and with the tourist board up in arms about the crime, Commissioner Selwyn keeps a close eye on the investigation.
Match of the Day Live: The FA Cup (BBC1, 7.30pm)
Arsenal v Manchester United. Coverage of the fourth-round tie at the Emirates Stadium, as the two most successful teams in the competition’s history battle it out. The sides have lifted the trophy 25 times between them, with the Gunners winning 13 of those, with their most recent triumph coming in the 2016-17 season. United last prevailed in 2016 and were defeated by 1-0 by Chelsea in last season’s final, but will be hoping to go one better this time around having enjoyed a recent upturn in form under their interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
On Guitar – Lenny Kaye! (BBC4, 9pm)
The rhythm sections have had their say with On Drums and On Bass, so in the final episode it’s time for the guitarists to grab the spotlight. Writer, producer and musician Lenny Kaye, who is probably most celebrated for his work with Patti Smith, looks at how the quest for new guitar sounds has driven pop music, whether it’s Bo Diddley’s pioneering use of the Tremolo pedal, Pete Townshend’s experiments with feedback or Peter Frampton’s talk box.
Cruising with Jane McDonald (C5, 9pm)
Does Jane McDonald ever get to spend a night on dry land? No sooner has her series Cruising Down Under finished than she’s off again on another ocean voyage. But given that she has won over so many viewers on her travels – and picked up a prestigious Bafta award – it’s no wonder that Channel 5 wants her to carry on cruising. This time she’s exploring the mysteries of the Mediterranean as she goes Greek island-hopping. She begins her journey not by ship but by Segway, which she uses to explore the ancient city of Athens. Then it’s all aboard for a trip to the party capital of Mykonos, where the champagne corks are soon popping.
Grantchester (STV, 9pm)
Geordie suspects foul play when computer laboratory head Professor Simms keels over and dies from mercury poisoning. It seems the deceased recently spent the night in the lab with someone other than his wife, possibly a fellow educated man. Geordie seeks advice from Leonard, and the pair start to uncover the surprisingly messy lovelives of Simms’ colleagues. Elsewhere, Cathy is brutally tricked, Will returns to Grantchester and Mrs C makes a shocking discovery.
The Graham Norton Show (BBC1, 10.35pm)
We’re used to A-list line-ups gracing Graham’s sofa, but tonight he’s got some real heavyweights. In the first category is boxer Anthony Joshua, who will be chatting about what 2019 holds for him. He is joined by two acting legends, Sir Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench. The pair have worked together several times before but here they are talking about their latest project, the drama All is True, which was written by Ben Elton and sees them playing William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway. As Branagh recently appeared in the Christmas special of Elton’s Upstart Crow, some comedy fans may be hoping that Norton asks how their performances compare with those of David Mitchell and Liza Tarbuck.