This week's big TV event is... The Late Late Toy Show
TV WEEK (Wednesday 4th to Tuesday 10th)
TOP SPECIALS
Six Silent Killings: Ireland’s Vanishing Triangle (Sky Documentaries, Thursday 5th, 7pm)
Between 1993 and 1998, six women vanished within a small rural area south of Dublin. After the disappearances, newspaper reporter Lisa Wallace sets out to find who is responsible – a man she believes murdered her mother almost 20 years earlier.
Mariah Meets Rylan (BBC 2, Saturday 7th, 9pm)
The multi-platinum record selling, Grammy Award-winning artist Mariah Carey talks about life, music, and of course, the festive season, as her classic hit ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ celebrates its 30th anniversary. Mariah discusses the jobs she had before she was famous, and her love for Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and George Michael.
Renaissance: The Blood And The Beauty (BBC 2, Monday 9th, 9pm)
Starring Charles Dance as Michelangelo, this epic new drama-documentary series discovers how some of the greatest works of art in Western civilisation, from the Mona Lisa to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, emerge from an era of violence and bloodshed. The series explores the lives of three rival artists, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael, and their seductively beautiful works of art.
La Vie Sa Bruise (RTÉ 1, Monday 9th, 8pm)
From the corridors of power in the European Parliament to the busy GAA pitches in the heart of this bustling city, La Vie sa Bhruiséil follows some of the Gaeilgeoirí building careers and homes in the multilingual capital of Europe. Episode one explores Brussels in the company of our Irish language residents – working, raising a family, taking advantage of the city’s social life, or simply getting a haircut.
RTÉ Investigates: Black Market Weight Loss (RTÉ 1, Monday 9th, 9.35pm)
RTÉ goes undercover examining how prescription-only weight loss medication is moving through the Irish black market. Weight loss medication has become big business, as demand for a series of injecting pens that can help tackle obesity and diabetes surges. But with demand rising and supply restricted, a burgeoning black market has grown alongside it.
WATCH OF THE WEEK
The Late Late Toy Show (RTÉ 1, Friday 6th, 9.35pm)
It the annual feast of toys and fun that captivates everyone aged five to 85. Join host Patrick Kielty and kids from all corners of the country for the biggest annual event on Irish television as they reveal this year’s most talked-about toys. There are plenty of surprises, and it is not to be missed.
BEST FILMS
Griffin and Phoenix (RTÉ 2, Friday 6th, 9.40pm)
A tearjerker love story starring Dermot Mulroney and Amanda Peet. After getting divorced, Griffin learns that he has cancer and a year left to live. His outlook on life changes, however, when he meets Phoenix – and discovers even the shortest love can be the greatest.
Feast Of Love (RTÉ 1, Friday 6th, 12.05am)
The love lives of several people of various ages intersect when a young woman comes to town, immediately captivating barista Oscar and boss Bradley, whose wife leaves him, but he finds love again with a realtor. Older man Harry watches it all from the sidelines.
The Impossible (BBC 1, Sunday 8th, 11.45pm)
Thailand, Boxing Day 2004. A tsunami devastates the coast and separates members of a holidaying family of five. Their traumatic experiences give a glimpse of the horrors faced in the aftermath by locals and visitors alike. Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts star.
CLASSIC MOVIE
Rush (BBC 2, Friday 6th, 11.05pm)
In the mid-1970s, charismatic English playboy James Hunt and Austrian perfectionist Niki Lauda share an intense rivalry in Formula 1 racing. Driving vehicles that are little more than gas-filled, rolling bombs, Hunt and Lauda burn up the track, all the while pushing themselves to the breaking point of physical and mental endurance. Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl star.
KIDS STUFF
Nikhil and Jay (Cbeebies, Saturday 6th, 10.15am)
On Christmas morning, Jay is thrilled when his Christmas wish for snow comes true, only to find it blocks the roads, meaning they can’t visit Nana – so it looks like worst Christmas ever… until Jay sends his cat Max to the North Pole to ask Santa to reverse the wish.
The Primrose Railway Children (BBC iPlayer)
A modern re-imagining of Jacqueline Wilson’s novel, the story follows Phoebe, her older sister Becks, younger brother Perry and their mother Sarah, who are living a comfortable life in Glasgow – until their father mysteriously disappears, and the Robinson family find unexpected excitement, adventure and a new sense of belonging.
ON DEMAND
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+)
Skeleton Crew tells the story of four kids searching for their home planet after getting lost in the Star Wars galaxy, and the strange aliens and dangerous places they encounter on their adventure. Starring Jude Law, it takes viewers on an adventure which happens in parallel to the events of The Mandalorian and Ahsoka – several years after Return of the Jedi.
Landman (Paramount+)
In the heart of Texas, roughnecks and billionaires try to get rich quick in the oil industry; Tommy Norris, a struggling executive, tries to take his company to the top during the fuel boom. Billy Bob Thornton stars in this gritty oil industry drama from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan.
The Only Girl in the Orchestra (Netflix)
Trailblazing double bassist Orin O’Brien was never one to seek the spotlight, but when Leonard Bernstein hired her in 1966 as the first female musician in the New York Philharmonic, she inevitably became the focus of media attention and, ultimately, one of the most renowned musicians of a generation.
Black Doves (Netflix)
Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw and Sarah Lancashire as you’ve never seen them before in a six-episode spy thriller. Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, it follows Helen Webb, a dedicated wife and mother – and professional spy who’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organisation she works for.
SPORTS CENTRE
Seve (Sky Documentaries, Thursday 5th, 8pm)
Despite being blocked at almost every turn in pursuit of the sport he loved, Seve Ballesteros fought against adversity to become the most spectacular and charismatic golfer to ever play the game. Combines dramatic recreations with archive footage to tell his rags to riches story; from humble beginnings to becoming world number one and the greatest golfer of a generation.