What not to miss in the week ahead
DRAMA The Looming Tower
Based on Lawrence Wright’s Pulitzer Prize-winning non-fiction book, The Looming Tower tells the story of the rising threat of Osama Bin Laden and al-qaeda in the late 1990s, and how the rivalry between the FBI and CIA during that time may have inadvertently set the path for the tragedy of 11 September, 2001.
In the first episode of ten, a seized al-qaeda computer drive reaches “Alec Station” in CIA HQ, Langley, Virginia. The coldly calculating, cardigan-wearing section chief Martin Schmidt (Peter Sarsgaard) keeps its contents from the FBI, where his New York-based counterterrorism counterpart is brash, suited and booted John O’neill (Jeff Daniels).
Determined not to be sidelined, O’neill has recruited rookie agent Ali Soufan (Tahar Rahim), an Arabicspeaking Muslim (albeit one with a taste for alcohol) to aid his team, while well-seasoned Bob Chesney (Bill Camp) heads to Nairobi, Kenya...
Friday, BBC2, 9:30pm
DOCUMENTARY The Importance Of Being Oscar
The story of Oscar Wilde’s rise before his fall, The Importance Of Being Oscar brings together a stellar cast to explore the Irish writer’s illustrious career, controversial personal life and concluding fall from grace. Part-revelatory accounts, part-performance, the programme features a cast including Freddie Fox, Claire Skinner, Anna Chancellor and James Fleet, who perform excerpts from his greatest works, while Wilde experts and enthusiasts including Stephen Fry; Oscar Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland; author Ruth Robbins and his latest biographer Matthew Sturgis, discover how Wilde’s glittering – and at times scandalous – career would inform both his work and his subsequent disgrace and exit from high society.
Followed by the 2002 film of The Importance Of Being Earnest starring Rupert Everett and Colin Firth at 10:25pm.
Today, BBC2, 9pm
DOCUMENTARY Miriam’s Dead Good Adventure
Miriam Margolyes confronts her fear of ageing and death to tackle our greatest taboo – our own mortality. In the two-parter, she travels through the UK, Europe and America to take an unflinching look at different approaches and attitudes to dealing with death.
Miriam starts her journey at Wren Hall, a UK dementia care home, to see what getting old might actually look like, before going to America to attend the Revolution Against Ageing and Death Festival in California and visiting Loma Linda near San Diego, where residents survive ten years longer than the average American.
Tomorrow, BBC2, 9pm
ENTERTAINMENT The Sara Cox Show
The cheery presenter signs up for a six-day week by adding a Saturday morning TV show to her weekday Radio 2 gig. The timing might be children’s TV territory, but in fact it’s a magazine show with guests and music, including in the first episode actors Callum Woodhouse and Milo Parker and singer-songwriter John Newman.
Today, STV, 8:30am
SPORT Live Snooker: The World Championship
Catch the opening frame of the opening match as World Champion Mark Williams begins the defence of the title he won at the Crucible in Sheffield last year. Hazel Irvine is on main presenting duties, with commentary and analysis from a raft of former professional players, including Steve Davis, Ken Doherty, Stephen Hendry, John Parrott, John Virgo and Dennis Taylor. Extensive coverage continues on BBC 1 and BBC2 until Monday 6 May. ■
Today, BBC2, 10am