TV FILMS of the week
1
THE KING’S SPEECH Tonight, BBC2, 10pm
Bertie (Colin Firth), the younger son of King George V, suffers from a stammer that makes public speaking an ordeal. His wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) enlists eccentric Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) to help, but their sessions take on a new urgency when Edward VIII (Guy Pearce) abdicates and Bertie, now known as King George VI, faces the prospect of addressing a country on the brink of war. It’s a fascinating tale, expertly told, while the flashes of humour and some unexpectedly colourful language mean it never feels too staid.
2
THE MARTIAN
Tomorrow, Film4, 6.10pm
Six astronauts are gathering samples on Mars when a storm hits. During their evacuation, botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon, left) is hit by debris. Believing him to be dead, the rest of the crew blasts off without him. Little do they realise that back on Mars, Watney is alive and must come up with a way to sustain himself until help comes.
3
HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U Tuesday, Film4, 9pm
The best thing about the 2017 horror Happy Death Day was the leading lady, Jessica Rothe. This sequel showcases her dramatic and comedic talents. Tree Gelbman (Rothe, left) wakes repeatedly on September 18 and enlists the help of dorky beau Carter (Israel Broussard) to unravel the mystery of her time loop.
4
THE GODFATHER Wednesday, Film4, 9pm
Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando, left) presides over an influential Mafia clan, but his youngest son Michael (Al Pacino) claims to want nothing to do with his father’s criminal activities. However, when their dad is hospitalised by an assassin, Michael proves to be as ruthless as his dad. Francis Ford Coppola’s gangster movie classic.
5
CHARIOTS OF FIRE Thursday, BBC4, 8pm
Oscar-winning drama inspired by the true story of two very different British runners who hoped to take the gold at the 1924 Olympics. Devout Christian Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson) faces a dilemma when an important heat falls on a Sunday. Meanwhile, Jewish athlete Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) has to overcome prejudice.
6
THE ROCK
Friday, ITV, 10.45pm
Embittered US General (Ed Harris) takes tourists hostage at infamous Alcatraz prison, demanding compensation for families of Marines killed during covert operations, and threatens to release chemical weapons. FBI chemist (Nicolas Cage) recruits John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery, left), the only man to ever escape Alcatraz, to help.
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD Saturday, Channel 4, 9pm
Quentin Tarantino takes us back to the dying days of Hollywood’s golden era. It’s 1969 in LA and fading star Rick Dalton and his stunt double Cliff Booth have to pedal hard to hang on to their careers in an ever-changing industry. Multiple storylines are diven by a stellar cast headed by Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie.