FILM PICKS
MONDAY
How Green Was My Valley (1941) (Film4, 4.45pm)
Based on the best-selling 1939 novel of the same name by Richard Llewellyn and starring Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara, Donald Crisp and Roddy McDowall, it follows the Morgans, a mining family whose way of life is under threat. In particular, it focuses on the youngest son Huw, who seems to have the best chance of building a different kind of life for himself.
TUESDAY
High Plains Drifter (1973) (ITV4, 9pm)
The residents of a mining town hire three outlaws to murder their sheriff, who was about to inform the government about their illegal activities – and then frame the criminals for theft to ensure their secret remains safe. However, when they learn the felons are due to be released from jail and are undoubtedly plotting their revenge, the townsfolk secure the protection services of a mysterious gunslinger (Clint Eastwood), who turns out to his have his own agenda.
WEDNESDAY Misery (1990) (Film4, 9pm)
When author James Caan is involved in a near-fatal car accident he is pulled from the wreckage by nice Kathy Bates who, it turns out, is his number one fan. But when she discovers that Caan is planning to kill off his most famous creation, Misery Chastain, in his latest novel, Bates reveals herself to be a scenery-chewing psychopath with a fondness for sledgehammers.
THURSDAY
In The Heat Of The Night (1967) (Sony Movies Classic, 9pm)
When a wealthy industrialist in found murdered in a Mississippi town, the racist local sheriff Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger) is quick to accuse black newcomer Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) who has been spotted in the town, only to discover that his chief suspect is actually a decorated homicide detective from Philadelphia. Despite this disastrous start, the pair work together to find the real killer, reaching a new respect along the way.
FRIDAY
Baby Driver (2017) (Sony Movies, 9pm)
Director Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver is a high-octane crime caper which gleefully burns rubber to a toe-tapping soundtrack. Ansel Elgort plays Baby, who has suffered from tinnitus since he was involved in the horrific car accident that killed his parents. To drown out the ringing, he listens to music at a deafening volume, which allows him to focus on his duties as a getaway driver for criminal mastermind Doc (Kevin Spacey). For his final drive, Baby must assist Buddy (Jon Hamm), his fiery girlfriend Darling (Eiza Gonzalez) and trigger-happy Bats (Jamie Foxx) in pilfering millions of dollars. As the plan takes shape, Baby kindles a romance with diner waitress Debora (Lily James), who is desperate to leave town.
The Doctors (BritBox, from Thu)
Believe it or not, there are Doctor Who fans out there who feel that the original run of the series, which ran from 1963 to 1989, remains far superior to the revamped version, which has been hugely popular since its first appearance in 2005. You might agree with them after watching this in-depth, 11-part documentary, which features more than 60 hours of insights, including clips and interviews with those who have appeared in the show.
All incarnations of everyone’s favourite Time Lord will be included, but there are special editions focusing on the versions played by William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann.
The Attache (StarzPlay, from Sun)
Actor Eli Ben-David was inspired by his own experiences to create and co-write this 10-part Israeli drama in which he also stars. He plays Avshalom, a Jewish man of Moroccan descent who has carved himself a successful career in the music business. When his wife Annabelle announces she’s landed a new job as an attache to the Israeli embassy in Paris, the couple relocate to the so-called city of love and are looking forward to an exciting year full of adventure and romance.
However, the reality turns out to be very different. Avshalom immediately feels like a fish out of water, a situation made even worse when the largest terror attack in French history takes place.
His marriage also begins to flounder, while an immigration crisis also looks set to turn the couple’s dream into a nightmare.
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal (Netflix, from Wed)
The latest in a long line of documentaries from the screening giant also features in-depth dramatic reconstructions featuring Matthew Modine. Made by the team behind the smashhit Tiger King, it focuses on the headline-hitting story from 2019 that eventually saw actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, among others, sentenced to jail.
Their crime was to secure their offsprings’ place in a top US university – not through sheer hard work and dedication, but by paying for them. Modine plays Rick Singer, who came up with a number of schemes, such as cheating on college admissions tests, creating fake athletic profiles and bribing school officials.
The programme’s makers reveal how Singer was eventually caught, using transcripts taken from FBI wiretaps.
Mountain Rescue (Walter Presents/All 4, from Fri)
Are in Sweden is one of Scandinavia’s most popular skiing resorts and was set to host the 2021 Special Olympics World Winter Games, until it was delayed by a year and moved to Kazan in Russia. But it’s still getting a little publicity thanks to this thrilling 10-part drama series which offers breathtaking panoramas of the amazing local scenery.
Although it’s a picturesque place, we soon learn that it can be dangerous too because each episode follows the lives of the local mountain rescue team, as well as the police, fire service and local doctors.
At the centre of it all are Asa and her son, who left the big city to start afresh after her husband died, and Sofia, a medic with a reckless love life.