Acclaimed Irish cheerleading documentary on TV this week
TV WEEK (Wednesday 16th to Tuesday 22nd)
TOP SPECIALS
The Franchise (Sky Comedy, Monday 21st, 10pm)
Following the crew of an unloved franchise movie fighting for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe, this comedy series shines a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking, and how exactly the cinematic sausage gets made.
Heated (RTÉ 1, Tuesday 22nd, 7pm)
Some people are doing quietly amazing things to make our island a better place. Heated tells their stories, including the inventiveness in a perfect circular economy, growing a native forest in your urban back yard, and why isn’t every roof in Ireland covered in solar panels? Rónán Ó Dálaigh, Michelle McKeown and Hannah Quinn Mulligan investigate.
Last King Of The Cross (Sky Max, Tuesday 22nd, 9pm)
Series two is again set in the dangerous world of Kings Cross, as John Ibrahim expands his empire into the booming queer nightclub scene of Oxford Street, Sydney. Set against the backdrop of the ecstasy-fuelled 2000s, the stakes are higher than ever before, and everyone wants a piece.
WATCH OF THE WEEK
Eat/Sleep/Cheer/Repeat (RTÉ 1, Thursday 17th, 10.15pm)
Forget pom-poms and girls on the sidelines, it takes blood, sweat, tears and sparkle to be a world-class cheerleader. This follows the young female and male athletes of Team Ireland to intimately explore questions of gender, strength, performance and sexuality as they reach for their goal of top 10 in the world.
BEST FILMS
The Radleys (Sky Cinema Premiere, from Friday)
The Radleys live in a quiet, suburban English town. To their neighbours, they are as ordinary as they come, yet beneath the surface, parents Peter and Helen are abstaining vampires, choosing not to drink blood despite their natural cravings, yet becoming more and more bloodthirsty by the day.
Drive Away Dolls (Sky Cinema Premiere, from Saturday)
Comedy caper follows free spirit Jamie and her demure friend Marian, who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals.
Yes Man (RTÉ 2, Sunday 20th, 9pm)
Jim Carrey is stuck in a rut with his negative ways – until he goes to a self-help seminar and learns to unleash the power of ‘yes’. Living in the affirmative leads him to transforming experiences – but too much of anything, even positive thinking, is not necessarily a good thing.
CLASSIC MOVIE
The Program (RTÉ 2, Friday 18th, 9.40pm)
This docudrama follows Irish journalist David Walsh’s dogged pursuit of the truth behind cyclist Lance Armstrong’s astonishing Tour de France victories – and the eventual reality that he was cheating. Chris O’Dowd takes the lead, with Ben Foster and Dustin Hoffman.
KIDS STUFF
Junk Kouture 2024 Dublin Final (RTÉ 2, Wednesday 16th, 7pm)
This year’s batch of eco-conscious young designers up-cycle the way we think about fashion. Presented by comedian Faye Shortt with backstage access from award winning content creator India Sasha, 60 talented teams of students from across the country showcase their incredible creativity, transforming recycled materials into high-fashion designs and sparking conversation about the world we live in today.
The Unreal (RTÉ 1, Sunday 20th, 5.10pm)
Kevin is stuck in boring holiday camp with his family – but when he finds a video-tape from a 1980s TV show, strange and spooky things start to happen… and Kevin gets the blame! Meanwhile, dad is not himself, sister Katie is too obsessed with her social media to notice, leaving mam to pick up the pieces.
ON DEMAND
Rivals (Disney+)
Jilly Cooper’s bonkbusting novel of the 1980s follows eccentric ‘country set’ characters in the county of Rutshire, starring David Tennant, Danny Dyer, Aidan Turner and Victoria Smurfit. The eight-part saga follows the tense rivalry between two ambitious men, Rupert Campbell-Black and Lord Tony Baddingham – and it’s packed with Jilly’s romantic entanglements and shocking antics.
Knox Goes Away (Amazon Prime)
Michael Keaton plays the lead role as a contract killer who has a rapidly evolving form of dementia, and is offered an opportunity to redeem himself by saving the life of the adult son with whom he had been estranged. James Marsden and Al Pacino are support in a film that belongs to Keaton.
Lonely Planet (Netflix)
Laura Derm and Liam Hemsworth star in this romantic drama about a reclusive novelist who arrives at a prestigious writer’s retreat in Morocco, hoping the remote setting will unlock her writer’s block. While there, she meets a young man – and starts an acquaintance that evolves into an intoxicating, life-altering love affair.
The Last of the Sea Women (Apple TV)
An extraordinary band of feisty grandmother warriors – the haenyeo divers of South Korea’s Jeju Island are renowned for centuries of diving to the ocean floor, without oxygen, to harvest seafood for their livelihood. Most of the current generation are now in their 60s, 70s and 80s, and their traditions and way of life are in imminent danger – but these fierce, funny and hardworking women refuse to give an inch.
In Her Place (Netflix)
Drama based on true events set in Chile, 1955. When the popular writer María Carolina Geel kills her lover, the case captivates Mercedes, the shy secretary of the judge in charge of the case, prompting her to question her life, identity, and the role of women in society as she finds an oasis of freedom in that home.
SPORTS CENTRE
Sports Direct Women’s FAI Cup Final (RTÉ 2, Sunday 20th, 2.15pm)
Women’s sport is conquering all horizons these days, everywhere from rugby to GAA. Soccer is no different, with action, skill and determination every bit as engaging as the male game. Athlone Town v Shelbourne should be a cracker for the women who play to win.