Today's top TV and streaming choices: The Buddhists of Beara, The Wicker Man and Ballard

Irish Independent

10-07-2025

Supercruising: Life at Sea Channel 4, 8pm
The crew sailing from North Africa to Europe are determined to make sure their passengers have as much fun as possible, so organise an eye-catching parade they hope will get everyone in a party mood.
The Breaking Wave: The Buddhists of Beara RTÉ One, 10.10pm
Fascinating insight into Dzogchen Beara, a Tibetan Buddhist retreat centre near Allihies in west Cork. It reveals how a group of misfits from around the world came together to create a traditional temple, which opened last year.
The Wicker Man BBC Four, 9.05pm
Classic horror movie focusing on a devout police sergeant who's sent to a remote island to search for a missing girl. The pagan locals are reluctant to speak to him, perhaps because the local laird has something shocking he's about to unveil. Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland and Ingrid Pitt head the cast.
Shifting Gears Disney+, streaming now
Kat Dennings and Tim Allen have joined forces to star in this new sitcom set in a classic car workshop... Now that's what I call a production meeting. Allen plays the widowed patriarch who has his daughter (Dennings) and her child move back in with him.
Ballard Netflix, streaming now
Inspired by Michael Connelly's bestselling novels, Detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q) returns to lead LAPD's cold-case unit, facing decades-old crimes, a potential police conspiracy, and — the purview of all onscreen cops — a luggage load of personal demons.
Ziam Netflix, streaming now
Yet more South East Asian zombie fodder. For something less brutal and more bloom-fuelled, other foreign language fare includes French offering Under a Dark Sun. Alternatively, there's Gringo Hunters from Mexico.
Trainwreck: The Real Project X Netflix, streaming now
It's the weekly episodic that keeps on giving. This time, the good people at Trainwreck recount the fallout from a Facebook event posted by a Dutch teen. In 2012, she posted an invite for her 16th birthday, which accidentally went viral, drawing thousands to the small town of Haren. Inspired by Project X, the unplanned crowd overwhelms the area, and with no preparations in place, things spiral into chaos.
Quarterback Netflix, streaming now
Season 2 of the hit series offers rare access to three NFL quarterbacks — Joe Burrow, Jared Goff and returning favourite Kirk Cousins — as they navigate the highs and lows of the 2024/25 season, on and off the field.
All The Sharks Netflix, streaming now
If you're wondering, 'Why all the shark-related viewing of late?' Well, the simple answer is that we're currently in the run-up to July 14, which is Shark Awareness Day. This summer also happens to be the 50th anniversary of Jaws, so one should expect an inordinate level of shark-themed programming over the coming weeks. A lot of it, however, does seem somewhat at odds with itself. For instance, last week saw the release of Shark Whisperer, which featured a herd of conservationists expressing concern about people, like Instagrammer Ocean Ramsey, interfering with endangered sharks. Now, Netflix is proffering an almost oxymoronic competition show, where conservationists infiltrate the oceans to tick all the sharks off their assigned apex predator bingo cards. If you favour more traditional shark viewing — ie. without a nigh-dystopic gameshow element — Sharks Up Close With Bertie Gregory has landed on Disney+.
Heads of State Prime Video, streaming now
Have you ever considered a parallel universe where Idris Elba is the UK prime minister and John Cena is the US president? Well, now's your chance! For context, their 'special relationship' is under threat on account of their huge egos, but — once confronted with a common adversary — the pair must learn to rely on each other.