Is it finally Rory’s turn… or will the gods of golf will smile on the Offaly man?

TV WEEK (Wednesday 9th to Tuesday 15th)

TOP SPECIALS

Ride Or Die (BBC 1, Wednesday 9th, 10.40pm)

‘Do you really understand what living is if you never put your life at any risk?’ Each May, 100 motorcycle road racers from across the world to take part in the iconic North West 200 on a road circuit linking the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush. For those who do it, racing on closed public roads at speeds in excess of 200mph is an all-consuming passion.

Stephen Rea: The Fire In Me Now (RTÉ 1, Thursday 10th, 10.15pm)

Over an extraordinary acting career spanning decades, Stephen Rea has shown himself to be a versatile, prolific and mercurial talent. With unprecedented access, this intimate documentary follows the veteran star as he rehearses Beckett’s legendary play ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ in Dublin, playing opposite his younger self with audio tapes he recorded more than a decade ago.

Kinahan: The True Story of Ireland’s Mafia (BBC 1, Monday 7th, 10.40pm)

Continuing this four-part series on the Kinahan Cartel from their origins as a small-time street dealing operation in 1980s Dublin, to one the world’s most feared and notorious criminal organisations. It is a story of gang feuding, double dealing, betrayal and murder – told through the voices of journalists, police and ordinary people caught in the crossfire.

Punt: The Irish and the NFL (RTÉ Player)

Following GAA stars Rory Beggan, Charlie Smyth, Mark Jackson and ex-Connaught player Darragh Leader as they re-train and attempt to get drafted to the NFL. Ireland has a special talent for kicking a ball – and making the transition from muddy Irish pitches to the glam and glitz of American football is the latest American Dream a few are trying to capture.

WATCH OF THE WEEK

The Last of Us (Sky Atlantic, Monday 14th, 9pm)

The much awaited season two picks up five years after season one finished – a parasitic fungal infection has ravaged the planet, turning humans into flesh-eating creatures known as the Infected. Hardened survivor Joel is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie across a dystopian USA to a hoped for sanctuary among rebel Fireflies – drawing them into a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.

BEST FILMS

The Duchess (BBC 1, Friday 11th, 11.10pm)

Though adored by the people, the Duchess of Devonshire (Keira Knightley) is determined to be a major player in affairs of state and helps usher in reform in late 1700s in England. The one thing it seems she cannot do is win the heart of her husband (Ralph Fiennes).

Management (RTÉ 1, Friday 11th, 11.15pm)

Sue is a workaholic travelling saleswoman peddling cheap art to motels and who has a one-night stand with a lonely motel manager. That’s that, she thinks – only to discover their brief union has set off a chain of events that will alter both their lives forever. Jennifer Aniston stars.

Smile 2 (Sky Cinema Premiere, from Friday)

About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, she is forced to face her dark past before it spirals out of control.

Greedy People (Sky Cinema Premiere, from Saturday)

Crime-comedy caper about the residents of a small island town who have to navigate a murder, the discovery of a million dollars, and a series of increasingly bad decisions upending the once peaceful community. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lily James star.

CLASSIC MOVIE

Stillwater (Film4, Wednesday 9th, 9pm)

Matt Damon plays an unemployed roughneck who travels from Oklahoma to Marseille to visit his estranged daughter who’s imprisoned for a murder she claims she did not commit. Despite being stymied by language barriers, cultural differences and a complicated legal system, he is helped by a French actress on a journey of discovery, truth and liberation.

KIDS STUFF

Fridge: The Genius Of Modern Life (BBC 2, Wednesday 9th, 8pm)

Fridges have been quietly ‘keeping things cool’ in the kitchen for more than 100 years, and yet most of us barely give them a second thought. Hannah Fry takes a long, cool look at the history of the device to reveal how a French monk with a flair for chemistry, a 17th century chicken incubator and an explosive invention in Australia created the ultimate chill.

Transformers One (Sky Cinema Premiere from Friday)

The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once friends bonded together like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. This first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie features a star-studded voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi and Laurence Fishburne.

ON DEMAND

Mobland (Paramount+)

A dark twisty crime series from creator Ronan Bennett and director Guy Ritchie, Mobland boasts a stellar cast that includes Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren, charting the action of two rival London mob families – the Harrigans and the Stevensons. Power is up for grabs as the two warring families clash in a kill-or-be-killed battle that threatens to topple empires.

Black Mirror (Netflix)

Season seven of creator Charlie Brooker’s mind-bending drama begins with an episode entitled ‘Common People’. When a medical emergency leaves schoolteacher Amanda fighting for her life, her desperate husband Mike signs her up for Rivermind, a high-tech system that will keep her alive – but at a cost. Chris O’Dowd stars with and Rashida Jones.

Dying For Sex (Disney+)

Though it’s not a title normally associated with kid-friendly Disney, this drama centres on a woman faced with limited choices and reduced time remaining. After Molly Kochan receives a diagnosis of stage IV metastatic breast cancer, she decides to leave her husband to explore the complexity of her sexual desires for the first time in her life, with her best friend Nikki by her side. It stars Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate.

SPORTS CENTRE

Champions League Live (RTÉ 2, Wednesday 9th, 7.30pm)

We’re fast whittling down to the best teams as this competition reaches another marker. Peter Collins presents live coverage of Paris Saint-Germain v Aston Villa. Commentary from Darragh Maloney and Ray Houghton.

The Masters Live (Sky Sports, Thursday to Sunday, 2pm)

This is it, the biggest golf challenge of them all. It’s the Augusta course where legends are made – and often where their wings are singed from flying too close to the sun. Is it finally Rory’s turn… or maybe the gods of golf will smile on that Offaly man who might just pip them all?