PICK OF TV MOVIES

SATURDAY

Bad Boys (1995) (C4, 10.10pm)

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence make a great double act in Michael Bay’s fun action thriller - no wonder they reunited for two sequels. They play mismatched cops Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, who are on the trail of the arch criminal (Tcheky Karyo) who nabbed $100million in heroin from a police evidence room. Internal Affairs are increasingly suspicious that the drugs heist was an inside job and are threatening to shut down the department. If that wasn’t enough pressure, when the cops do find a potential witness, Julie (Tea Leoni), a mix-up means that if they want to ensure her co-operation, family man Marcus is going to have to pose as his playboy partner, while Mike takes on his friend’s lifestyle - and wife (Theresa Randle).

Purple Rain (1984) (BBC2, 12.15am)

Prince takes the lead role in this rock drama as a character known only as the Kid, a Minneapolis musician who escapes his troubled home life by focusing on his band, the Revolution. His star ison the rise, but he has a rival in the form of another local singer, Morris Day, who wants to steal the Kid’s spotlight - and his girlfriend (Apollonia). Can the Kid keep his career and love life on track without resorting to the same mistakes made by his abusive father? The plot isn’t really the point - Purple Rain is all about Prince’s charisma and the incredible score, which includes the title song, Let’s Go Crazy and When Doves Cry.

SUNDAY

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) (BBC2, 2.40pm)

With King Richard off fighting the crusades, his villainous brother Prince John is only too happy to step in and start taxing the peasants. He’s assisted by the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham, but neither of them anticipate rebellious folk hero Robin Hood turning up to rob from the rich, give to the poor and safeguard the throne for the rightful monarch. Forget Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe and all the other pretenders - Errol Flynn is the definitive screen Robin Hood.

Not only can he swashbuckle like nobody’s business, but he also has a very sweet romance with Olivia de Havilland’s winning Maid Marian, and doesn’t let charismatic bad guys Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains walk off with the film. The great action scenes and lush colour photography help to make this a genuine classic - and an awful lot of fun.

Paddington (2014) (BBC1, 3.05pm)

Little bear Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) is raised in deepest, darkest Peru by his elderly aunt and uncle. When tragedy strikes, he’s dispatched by boat to London where Mrs Brown (Sally Hawkins) and her son Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) take pity on the furry loner. They convince worrywart Mr

Brown (Hugh Bonneville) and moody teenage daughter Judy (Madeleine Harris) to allow Paddington to stay, but the bear also unwittingly attracts the attention of despicable taxidermist Millicent (Nicole Kidman). More than 50 years after Michael Bond’s beloved creation first appeared in print, Paddington makes a glorious liveaction film debut thanks to deft digital trickery, a strong script and Whishaw’s endearing vocal performance. The sequel somehow managed to be even better.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) (STV, 3.25pm)

James Bond (George Lazenby) tackles arch enemy Blofeld (Telly Savalas), who this time is trying to take over the world from his Alpine hideaway by means of a lethal virus. Australian male model Lazenby got a critical panning when he tried to take over from

Sean Connery as the suave agent, but many die-hard fans cite this as one of their favourite 007 movies, and it’s not hard to see why. For once the jokey gadgets are kept to a minimum; the stunts are well up to par, and veteran composer John Barry delivers one of his finest scores, including the ballad We Have All the Time in the World, sung by Louis Armstrong. Best of all, Diana Rigg makes for a Bond girl with a lot more substance than we’d previously seen. No wonder it was so heavily referenced in the most recent Bond film, No Time to Die.

MONDAY

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) (ITV2, 6.45pm)

In the musical sequel, Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) anxiously prepares for the grand opening of Hotel Bella Donna. Thankfully, her mother’s best friends Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie

Walters) are on hand to calm Sophie’s nerves and encourage her to look to the past for courage. Cue flashbacks to the young Donna (Lily James, in the role made famous by Meryl Streep) embarking on her lusty

Mediterranean odyssey with the young Sam (Jeremy Irvine), Harry (Hugh Skinner) and

Bill (Josh Dylan) via Paris. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again lays all of its Abba love on us with platform heels, tongue-in-cheek humour and joy-infused musical performances choreographed to perfection by Anthony Van Laast. The addition of Cher as Streep’s impeccably coiffed mother is a masterstroke.

Pride (2014) (BBC3, 9.45pm)

During the miners’ strike, Mark Ashton (Ben Schnetzer), the charismatic leader of the young, impassioned campaigners who operate out of the Gay’s the Word bookshop in London, convinces his coterie they should rattle their tins for a randomly selected Welsh community. Mining representative Dai (Paddy Considine) invites Mark and co to the Dulais Valley where committee members Hefina (Imelda Staunton), Cliff (Bill Nighy) and Sian (Jessica Gunning) embrace the fundraisers with open arms. However, some of the locals are less impressed... Based on

an inspirational true story, Pride is a barnstorming culture-clash comedy drama that lives up to its title. Performances are exemplary, ignoring a few wobbles with the Welsh accents, including a fiery turn from Schnetzer as a fresh-faced trailblazer.

TUESDAY

Military Wives (2019) (Film4, 9pm)

When duty calls and British troops are deployed from Flitcroft military base to Afghanistan, experienced colonel Richard (Greg Wise) bids farewell to his wife Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas). The couple are still grieving the loss of their serviceman son, so Richard’s absence weighs heavily on his wife. Kate fills the emotional void by insensitively stepping on the toes of social secretary Lisa (Sharon Horgan) and undermining efforts to establish the base’s first choir. Following the example of the Whoopi Goldberg film Sister Act, but “without the Mafia or the God bit”, the women find their voices. Inspired by true events, Military

Wives is a heart-warming comedy drama of community spirit in the face of adversity.

Pawn Sacrifice (2014) (BBC2, 11.15pm)

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight recently tackled the Second World War in the BBC1 drama SAS Rogue Heroes, but in his screenplay for this drama, he turned his attention to a real-life sporting story which played out during the Cold War. Tobey Maguire stars as American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer, who challenges the Soviet’s top player Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber) to a match which was treated as a showdown between the superpowers as well as clash between the two men. The attempts to capture the period can be heavy handed, but Maguire and Schreiber are well matched, delivering compelling performances.

WEDNESDAY

And Then There Were None (1974) (Talking Pictures TV, 9pm)

Ten strangers are summoned to a hotel in the middle of an Iranian desert, where they discover that despite their very different backgrounds, they have something in common - they all got away with murder. However, it seems their mysterious host is determined to see justice is done, as the guests are picked off one by one. The remaining members of the group search the hotel for the killer, but are eventually forced to face the possibility that the murderer is amongst them... Agatha Christie’s novel has a brilliantly simple premise, and this film makes the most of it. It may be dated, but it’s also very efficient, and Oliver Reed, Richard Attenborough and Herbert Lom inject some personality into what could have been stereotyped characters.

Only You (2019) (BBC3, 9.45pm)

A couple falters under the intense emotional and physical strain of IVF treatment in writerdirector Harry Wootliff’s tenderly observed drama. On New Year’s Eve in Glasgow city centre, 35-year-old office worker Elena (Laia

Costa) meets 26-year-old marine biology student and DJ Jake (Josh O’Connor). A onenight stand develops into a long-term relationship and the couple move in together. Eventually, Elena broaches the subject of children, and she is thrilled when Jake agrees they should try to conceive. Unfortunately, their best efforts end in crushing disappointment and Elena and Jake undergo a course of expensive IVF treatment. Elena’s burning desire to nurture new life puts a strain on the relationship and, as fissures appear, Jake seeks reassurance from his widowed father.

THURSDAY

Hell or High Water (2016) (BBC4, 11.05pm)

Toby Howard (Chris Pine) is determined to save his family’s Texas ranch from foreclosure by robbing banks with his fiery-tempered brother, Tanner (Ben Foster). They plan to hit several branches of Texas Midland, which they hold responsible for their financial woes, and use the ill-gotten gains to secure a legacy for Toby’s embittered ex-wife Debbie (Marin Ireland) and two sons. The brothers’ larcenous activities pique the interest of cantankerous Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and his half-Comanche partner, Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham). Hell or High Water is a riveting crime thriller by Scottish director David Mackenzie set in contemporary West Texas, which underpins a familiar morality tale of world-weary cops and robbers with a touching portrait of brotherly love in dire straits.

Second Spring (2018) (Film4, 11.10pm)

Cathy Naden stars in this thoughtful, well-acted drama as Kathy, a middle-aged university lecturer whose marriage to Tim (Matthew Jure) has become stale. She’s started acting out of character, especially when she flirtatiously compliments stranger Nick (Jerry Killick) on his car, which leads to a passionate affair. It seems she’s in the grip of a midlife crisis, until Tim and her friend Trish (Indra Ove) insist she sees a doctor, who offers a different explanation - fronto-temporal degeneration. Kathy’s newfound impulsiveness is down to an incurable medical condition rather than a new lease of life, but given that she’s feeling happier than she has in years, how will she deal with the diagnosis?

FRIDAY

The Roads Not Taken (2020) (BBC2, 11.05pm)

Molly (Elle Fanning) races across New York City in a taxi to spend the day with her father Leo (Javier Bardem) and shepherd him to appointments with a dentist and an optician. With considerable patience and effort, Molly and Leo make both appointments and an unwelcome trip to the ER, where acid-tongued ex-wife Rita (Laura Linney) dispenses painful home truths. The Roads Not Taken is an intentionally disorienting drama about the relationship between a daughter and her scholarly father, who is slowly being consumed by the choking fog of dementia. Fanning and Bardem are mesmerising, and writer-director Sally Potter’s experience nursing her younger brother Nic through early onset dementia drip-feeds into the characters’ eddying emotions.