Relive the invasion of Nazi-occupied France through powerful eyewitness recordings
The week's viewing
The Stormtrooper Scandal (BBC 2, Thursday 20th, 9pm)
This stranger-than-fiction tale of an audacious get-rich-quick scheme concerns a London-based curator, Ben Moore, who announced in 2021 that he was launching a sale of digital artworks based on the iconic stormtrooper helmets from Star Wars.
Interest was sky-high and every piece sold out within seconds, creating instant millionaires. But within days, it became clear that all was not what it seemed…
Before We Was We: Madness by Madness (ITVX, from Thursday)
Traces the humble beginnings of the band that would go on to set the record for the biggest audience ever for the BBC’s Live New Year’s Eve Broadcast – and perform on top of Buckingham Palace as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.
Throughout their career, Madness have had 10 UK top 10 albums, 15 top 10 singles and have won a multitude of awards, including a prestigious Ivor Novello. And the story isn’t over yet.
D-Day: The Unheard Tapes (RTÉ 1, Thursday 20th, 11.40pm)
The invasion of Nazi-occupied France relived through powerful eyewitness recordings, with actors lip-syncing the original testimony. As the Battle for Normandy draws to a close, soldiers salute their fallen friends, lost on the battlefields and beaches of France.
Under The Banner Of Heaven (RTÉ 1, Monday 24th, 10.30pm)
American true crime drama series starring Andrew Garfield and Gil Birmingham as two detectives investigating a brutal murder of a mother and daughter and its connections to a deeply religious cult in Utah. A dark thriller that caused some controversy in the US.
David Puttnam: The Long Road Home (RTÉ 1, Thursday 20th, 10.15pm)
An intimate portrait of Oscar-winning film producer David Puttnam as he reflects on his life and the influences which shaped his journey to becoming an Irish citizen.
He explores the significance of growing up in the aftermath of the Blitz, the influence of his father, and the recurring theme of male friendship in his films.
And how, now in his 80s, he and his wife Patsy have found their forever home in West Cork.
BEST FILMS
The Bourne Supremacy (Sky Showcase, Wednesday 19th, 9pm)
Jason Bourne is pursued by Russian agent Kirill, whose assassination attempt misses but kills Jason’s girlfriend. Big mistake.
Bourne vows revenge, and sets the world on fire as the hunted turns hunter. Action all the way with Matt Damon in top form.
Mrs Dalloway (BBC 4, Thursday 20th, 10.30pm)
Clarissa Dalloway (Vanessa Redgrave) looks back on her youth as she readies for a gathering at her mansion. The wife of a legislator and a doyenne of London’s upper-crust party scene, she finds that the plight of ailing war veteran Septimus Warren Smith (Rupert Graves) reminds her of a past romance.
Angela’s Ashes (RTÉ 2, Friday 21st, 10.50pm)
In 1935, the impoverished McCourt family set sail from New York to Ireland with their four children. Following the sudden death of her seven-week-old daughter, Angela (Emily Watson) and her unemployable, alcoholic husband, Malachy Sr (Robert Carlyle), return to an inhospitable homeland.
Never Grow Old (RTÉ 1, Saturday 22nd, 12.35am)
A once-peaceful frontier town becomes a den of vice after vicious outlaw Dutch Albert and his gang arrive and begin gunning down their opposition. In the middle of the carnage is undertaker Patrick Tate, a man who has to choose between the blood money and community resistance.
CLASSIC MOVIE
The Shamrock Spitfire (Sky Cinema, from Sunday)
The future of Europe hangs by a thread as fierce battles rage in the skies over southern England. Irishman Brendan Finucane is one of the first to enlist into the Royal Air Force for the Battle of Britain, where he proves himself to be a natural born fighter pilot and is given command of 452 Australian Squadron. The film chronicles the epic story of the true life Brendan ‘Paddy’ Finucane, one of the most celebrated fighter pilots of World War II and the youngest Wing Commander in the history of the RAF.
KIDS STUFF
Scéalta na gCorn (TG4, Wednesday 8.30pm)
Gráinne is on the road again, this time to Wexford, where she hears about a cup named after hurling giant Nicky Rackard, as well as the Hanrahan Cup and its ties to a Laois hurler.
Isle of Wight Festival (Sky Arts, Saturday and Sunday 22nd-23rd, 7pm)
The Pet Shop Boys headline the main stage after exhilarating sets from Keane, Blossoms, Jessie J and S Club, while Suede, Loreen and Feeder will make appearances at the Big Top, on the Saturday. Bringing the weekend to a crashing end will be punk rock icons Green Day, along with massive sets from Simple Minds, Nothing But Thieves, Zara Larsson and McFly.
ON DEMAND
Bread and Roses (Apple TV)
Documentary charting the seismic impact on women’s rights and livelihoods after Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021. It follows three women as they fight to recover their autonomy, and in the process captures the spirit and resilience of many Afghan women through a raw depiction of their harrowing plight.
Under The Bridge (Disney+)
Set in 1997 in Saanich, Canada, the show tracks the disappearance and murder of Reena Virk – a 14-year-old girl who went missing after attending a party. Under the Bridge is based on a true story, which author Rebecca Godfrey told in her book of the same name.
Tour De France Unchained (Netflix)
From the riders to the team directors, revealing the many challenges of a race that has become a real international symbol, broadcast in 190 territories. Tour De France Unchained goes behind the scenes of the 21 stages of the 2023 race, amid the scandals, low blows and thirst for glory of the riders for the yellow jersey.
SPORTS CENTRE
UEFA Euro 2024 (RTÉ 2, all week)
Wednesday 19th, 1.30pm: Joanne Cantwell presents live coverage of Croatia v Albania in Group B from Hamburg; and Germany v Hungary 5.00pm; and Scotland v Switzerland 8.00pm.
Thursday 20th, 1.30pm Jacqui Hurley presents live coverage of Slovenia v Spain in Group C from Munich; Denmark v England 5pm; and Spain v Italy 8pm. Friday 20th, 1.30pm Tony O’Donoghue presents live coverage of Slovakia v Ukraine; Poland v Austria 5pm; Netherlands v France 8pm.