Mystery drama series Suspect returns for its second season
TV WEEK (Wednesday 17th to Tuesday 23rd)
TOP SPECIALS
Mr Big Stuff (Sky Max, Wednesday 17th, 9pm)
Carpet salesman Glen and his fiancée Kirsty share a perfectly mundane life together – despite his erectile dysfunction and her secret shoplifting habit. All is well until Glen’s alpha male brother Lee comes crashing into their lives, on the run from his past and clutching a biscuit tin full of their father’s ashes.
Election: Behind the Scenes at Sky News (Sky Documentaries, Wednesday 17th, 9pm)
Now the dust has settled on the game changing UK general election, Sky News takes us behind the scenes of how a newsroom adapts and evolves when covering an election. Led by front-women Beth Rigby and Kay Burley, we go behind the curtain of all the major electoral moments and the secrets of the newsroom.
Interview With The Vampire (BBC 2, Wednesday 17th, 11.05pm)
Dubai 2022: Journalist Daniel Molloy questions Louis de Pointe du Lac – and not for the first time. In New Orleans, 1910, a young Louis encounters the enigmatic and magnetic Lestat. A sumptuous reinvention of Anne Rice’s epic tale of seduction, blood and immortality. Life after death will never be the same. Starring Jacob Anderson, Eric Bogosian and Sam Reid.
Why Trains Crash (BBC 1, Thursday 18th, 8pm)
On the evening of 2 June 2023 a devastating crash involving three trains killed nearly 300 people and injured more than 800 at Bahanaga Bazar station in India’s eastern Odisha State. Two passenger trains collided with a freight train, but what caused one of the worst train disasters in modern history? What went wrong and could it have been prevented?
WATCH OF THE WEEK
Suspect (CH4, Wednesday 17th, 9pm)
Mystery drama series Suspect is returning for its second season, with Anne-Marie Duff as Dr Susannah Newman, on a desperate quest to track down a self-confessed serial killer, played by Dominic Cooper, who admitted under hypnosis what he is. It falls to her to stop him before he kills again.
BEST FILMS
Mean Girls (Sky Cinema Premiere, from Friday)
New student Cady Heron is welcomed into the top of the social food chain by the elite group of popular girls called ‘The Plastics’, ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George and her minions Gretchen and Karen. When Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels, she finds herself prey in Regina’s crosshairs.
Please Don’t Destroy – The Treasure of Foggy Mountain (Sky Cinema Premiere, from Saturday)
John Goodman narrates the adventure of Ben, Martin, and John – three childhood friends who fend off hairless bears, desperate park rangers and a hypocritical cult leader in the hopes of finding a priceless treasure, only to discover that finding the treasure is the easiest part of their journey.
42 to 1 (TG4, Thursday 18th, 10.30pm)
This documentary chronicles one of the greatest sporting upsets in history, when James Douglas handed Mike Tyson his first-ever defeat. Going into the fight in Tokyo, Tyson was the 42-to-1 favourite, most fans and pundits absolutely sure that he was invincible. In the classic fashion of the underdog, Douglas pulled off the impossible.
The Father (RTÉ 1, Sunday 21st, 9.30pm)
Anthony Hopkins play an 80-year-old living alone and rejecting the carers that his daughter, Olivia Colman provides – as his grip on reality recedes and the threat of dementia grows stronger. A difficult subject brought keenly to life by two great actors.
CLASSIC MOVIE
Bridesmaids (RTÉ 2, Thursday 18th, 9.35pm)
Annie is a single woman whose own life is a mess, but when she learns that her lifelong best friend, Lillian, is engaged, she has no choice but to serve as the maid of honour. Determined to make things perfect, she gamely leads Lillian and the other bridesmaids down the wild road to the wedding. Flat out hilarious.
KIDS STUFF
Descendants: The Rise of Red (Disney+)
In this newest instalment in the hit franchise, former Villain Kid Uma, now headmaster of Auradon Prep, extends an invite to the school to another VK – Red, the rebellious daughter of the tyrannical Queen of Hearts from Wonderland – who has long held a grudge against Auradon, and seizes the opportunity to seek revenge.
Sausage Party: Foodtopia (Amazon Prime)
Based on the 2016 animated feature, the series follows Frank, Brenda, Barry, and Sammy as they try to build their own food society. ‘Your favourite foods are back… for sloppy seconds,’ teases the cheeky trailer. The animated series presents a slew of returning stars from the original feature film, including Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Michael Cera and Edward Norton.
ON DEMAND
Sunny (Apple TV)
Living in Kyoto, Japan, Suzie’s life is turned upside down after her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As consolation, she receives Sunny, a domestic robot made by her husband’s electronics company. Things get interesting when the human/robotic pair set out to solve the mystery.
The Champion Of Auschwitz (Netflix)
It is 1940, as the first transport of prisoners arrives at the newly created concentration camp, Auschwitz. One of them is Tadeusz ‘Teddy’ Pietrzykowski, pre-war boxing champion of Warsaw. For their entertainment, the camp officers force him to fight in the ring for his and other prisoners’ lives.
Sugar Rush: The Baking Point (Netflix)
In a race against time, teams of culinary artists blend innovation and tradition to create edible marvels. This Mexican series has six baking couples competing to construct giant cakes and sweet delicacies that fight gravity in a contest to be crowned winners and take home $1 million. Capi Pérez, Gris Verduzco and Luis Robledo are back in for season 2.
SPORTS CENTRE
The Energy Behind Team Ireland (Virgin Media One, Thursday 18th, 8.30pm)
As part of the campaign to amplify support for Team Ireland athletes ahead of Paris 2024, this captivating docu-series presented by Irish Olympian David Gillick will focus on the inspiring journeys of Ciara Mageean and Jordan Conroy, delving into their upbringing and the communities that shaped them. In 2020, Team Ireland was represented by 116 athletes from 72 clubs and communities right across the country. In 2024 that representation will increase significantly.
Champions Full Gallop (ITV 1, Friday 19th, 9pm)
Follows the thrills, spills, and drama on and off the racetrack, as jockeys, trainers, owners and horses battle to become champions of jump season. On December 26 at Kempton, the horses line up for the historic big money King George VI chase, one of the most prestigious jump races of the entire season. On everybody’s lips: Will super horse Shishkin refuse to start again? Or can veteran horse Frodon rekindle his successful partnership with top female jockey Bryony Frost?