TV FILMS of the week TV Highlights
1
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS Today, Channel 4, 3.55pm
In early 1980s San Francisco, Chris
Gardner (Will Smith) hopes to support his family by selling expensive bone density scanners. The plan comes to naught. His wife Linda (Thandie Newton), who works two jobs to support their five-year-old son Christopher (Jaden Smith), is fed up with her husband’s promises of a brighter future. So, when Chris enrols in an unpaid internship at a top-flight investment bank, an angry Linda walks out on her husband, who has no money to pay the rent and is soon forced onto the streets with his boy. Will Smith delivers an exceptionally strong lead performance.
2
KNIVES OUT Tomorrow, Film4, 9pm
A wealthy crime novelist (Christopher Plummer) invites a motley crew of (all-star) dysfunctional relatives to an 85th birthday party at his mansion but festivities are cut short by arguments. Later that same night, the novelist apparently commits suicide. Can private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, left) figure out what really happened?
3
TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG Tuesday, Film4, 11.25pm
Young Ned Kelly (Orlando Schwerdt) learns to fend for himself under the tutelage of bush ranger Harry Power (Russell Crowe). As Ned (now played by George MacKay, left) comes of age, he forms a gang with his younger brother Dan (Earl Cave) and a couple of friends, and declares war on Constable Fitzpatrick (Nicholas Hoult).
4
MISERY
Wednesday, Film4, 11.10pm
Author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is involved in a car accident and is pulled from the wreckage by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) who, it turns out, is his number one fan. But when she discovers Paul is planning to kill off his most famous creation, Misery Chastain, in his latest novel, Annie reveals herself to be a scenery-chewing psychopath.
5
SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS Thursday, BBC4, 9pm
Inspired by a popular series of books by Stephen Potter, this enjoyable comedy stars Ian Carmichael, left, as a timid company owner who is sick of being pushed around by his employees. After a series of further humiliations, he enrols at a college dedicated to teaching students how to succeed through being manipulative and devious.
6
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT Friday, BBC1, 10.40pm
In 1980s Luton, 16-year-old wannabe writer Javed (Viveik Kalra, left) is a dutiful son to his parents Noor (Meera Ganatra) and Malik (Kulvinder Ghir). When Malik is made redundant, the pressure is on Javed to marry and settle down. Escape seems out of reach, until a fellow sixth-former (Aaron Phagura) loans Javed his Bruce Springsteen tapes.
7
RAMPAGE
Saturday, ITV2, 7.55pm
It’s super-sized monkey business in this video game adaptation. An evil corporation has developed a pathogen which mutates animals into huge versions of themselves. It’s up to Dwayne Johnson’s special forces gamekeeperturned ape expert to stop these monsters and save the life of a rare albino gorilla, pictured left.