Special hour of TV with curated exclusives for Culture Night
TV WEEK
Lost for Words (RTÉ 1, Wednesday 18th, 9.35pm)
Showcases inspiring portraits of Irish people of all ages with dyslexia who are overcoming challenges and stigma, and unlocking their potential through proper care, patience, and empathy. For people who struggle with reading and writing, school can be a testing environment, locked out of a room where everyone else seems to understand what is going on.
The Penguin (Sky Atlantic, Friday 20th, 9pm)
The next chapter in The Batman saga stars an unrecognisable Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb – aka ‘The Penguin’. The eight-episode drama series continues the epic crime story began with ‘The Batman’ and centres on the titular gangster as he attempts to become the kingpin of the Gotham City underworld.
Paid In Full: The Battle for Black Music (BBC 2, Saturday 21st, 9pm)
Explores the systemic racism faced by Black artists in the music industry from its inception to the digital streaming age. Despite remarkable success stories, prejudicial practices persist in the machinery of the music industry, and artists’ autonomy and financial reward come with a devastating personal cost.
Cyndi Lauper: Live at Last (Sky Arts, Saturday 21st, 9pm)
Twenty years after She’s So Unusual made her an icon, Cyndi Lauper’s Live At Last captures an intimate night at New York’s Town Hall, featuring reworked renditions of her hits from Girls Just Want to Have Fun to True Colours.
Colin From Accounts (RTÉ 2, Monday 23rd, 9pm)
Season 2 of the hit Australian comedy has Gordon redirecting his grief into making Colin a TV star; while two single-ish, complex humans are brought together by a car accident and an injured dog. Two flawed people brave enough to show their true self, scars and all.
WATCH OF THE WEEK
Culture Night 2024 (RTÉ 1, Friday 20th, 8pm)
A special hour of television with a curated array of exclusives. Denise Chaila anchors the show from The Round Room in the Mansion House as she interweaves the line-up of exceptional one-off performances. David Gray makes a voyage to Skellig Michael in the company of his longtime friend Colm Mac Con Iomaire. Also featured are Leitrim’s Edwina Guckian and adopted sons Mohammad Syfkhan and Ultan O’Brien providing the soundtrack for dancing at the crossroads in Effrinagh.
BEST FILMS
The Quiet Man (Film4, Thursday 19th, 3.30pm)
Director John Ford and star John Wayne depart the western for the Irish countryside, and the result is a beautifully photographed, often comedic romance with Maureen O’Hara as the feisty red-haired lassie. Barry Fitzgerald led the brawling and blarney.
Hounds of War (Sky Cinema Premiere, from Friday)
Frank Grillo, Robert Patrick and Rhona Mitra are the best military mercenaries money can buy. Known as ‘The Hounds’, they take on the jobs that all others would class as impossible, and when a mission is betrayed they turn to deadly revenge against huge odds.
The Outfit (BBC 2, Friday 20th, 10.40pm)
From the Academy Award-winning writer of The Imitation Game comes The Outfit, a gripping thriller in which an expert tailor (Mark Rylance) has to outwit a dangerous group of mobsters in order to survive a fateful night.
Black Dog (Sky Cinema Premiere, from Sunday)
Two teenage boys from different London backgrounds embark on a road trip up North together. As they start to open up about their pasts, the boys learn they have far more in common than they had first thought.
CLASSIC MOVIE
Defiance (Sky Cinema Drama, Thursday 19th, 9.40pm)
In 1941, as German Army battalions slaughter Eastern European Jews, three brothers – Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell – turn their struggle for survival into a guerrilla battle against the ruthless Nazis, attracting other freedom fighters to their cause.
KIDS STUFF
Belonging (RTÉ 2, Monday 23rd, 4pm)
A drama series for kids from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) featuring five high-quality, original short dramas from around the world. This year’s series includes films from Ireland (RTÉjr and TG4), Scotland, Germany and Serbia.
This Is Art Club! (RTÉ 2, Thursday 19th, 5.30pm)
This third series showcases some of the amazing art being made by young people from across the country. We discover radial symmetry through mandala art, we visit Tom, a young wood turner in Waterford, and join Shane in studio busy creating large wire moths.
ON DEMAND
A Very Royal Scandal (Amazon Prime)
Covers Emily Maitlis’s interview of Prince Andrew from the perspective of the former BBC journalist – and is a different angle to last year’s Scoop on Netflix) ‘One night. One hour. One interview that sent shockwaves around the globe’ is the advertising headline, starring Ruth Wilson and Martin Sheen.
Emily In Paris (Netflix)
Just what we need to ward away the darker evenings, the second tranche of episodes has Emily caught between two men, wondering what outfit to wear and about the best way to drink vintage champagne. Light and fluffy as a souffle, there’s something appealing about this show – it keeps you glued.
Jack Whitehall: Fatherhood With My Father (Netflix)
Jack Whitehall and his father embark on a globe-trotting trip to find answers to the big questions facing the comedian after becoming a dad – especially now the comedian has himself become a father to Rlsie. Expect gramps to be his usual crusty but hilarious self, while Jack never manages to get a step ahead of the older, wiser man.
SPORTS CENTRE
Champions League Live (RTÉ 2, Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th, 7.30pm)
Darragh Maloney is joined by Didi Hamann for live coverage of Celtic v Slovan Bratislava from Celtic Park on Wednesday, while Joanne Cantwell is joined by Richie Sadlier for live coverage of Atalanta v Arsenal on Thursday.
League of Ireland Live (RTÉ 2, Friday 20th, 7.35pm)
Tony O’Donoghue presents live coverage of Derry City v Shamrock Rovers from the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.