Today's top TV and streaming picks: Genius Game, Priest and Turning Point
How to Cook Well in Morocco RTÉ One, 8.30pm
Rory O'Connell heads south, stopping off in the small but historically important town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, where the founder of the first Moroccan dynasty is buried. He then continues his journey to Fez, where he samples a local salad.
Race Across the World BBC One, 9pm
The teams make their way through some stunning scenery while journeying towards their second checkpoint in Sanya, one of China's most southerly cities. However, a typhoon is brewing that may scupper their chances of reaching their destination.
Genius Game Virgin Media One, 9pm
As well as appearing in The Assembly on Sunday, David Tennant is hosting a new game show in which 11 players must work together to successfully complete various weird and wonderful challenges. The fun continues on Thursday.
Téacs Taistil TG4, 9.45pm
The trio head for Brno in the Czech Republic. They're guided around by local chap Proinsias, who shows off his Del Boy Trotter impersonation at the city's market, but it's the accommodation — a couples hotel and a Soviet-era underground bunker — that raise the most laughs.
Priest BBC Four, 10.15pm
Acclaimed drama directed by Antonia Bird and written by Jimmy McGovern. A gay Catholic priest struggles to conceal his homosexuality while considering breaking the sanctity of the confessional to reveal a case of sexual abuse. Linus Roache and Robert Carlyle head the cast.
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Turning Point: The Vietnam War Netflix, streaming now
"The story of the United States in Vietnam was one of ignorance, hubris, and arrogance.' This comes from one of the many contributors with direct knowledge of this turning-point war. They also highlight the gap between what US presidents said publicly versus what they believed privately. In short, they were 'sincere in what they were doing – the problem was, they didn't know what they were doing.'
Directed by Brian Knappenberger, the docuseries digs into one of history's most divisive conflicts, exploring its lasting impact on America's identity and global role. Using CBS News archives, rare footage, declassified records, and recordings, it outlines the political and cultural repercussions over two decades, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. To say it offers a timely exploration of how the war's unresolved wounds, unlearned lessons, and enduring consequences continue to shape the world today would be a gross understatement.
Cheat: Unfinished Business Netflix, streaming now
In case you've ever wondered what Amanda Holden's been doing with herself, she's hosting this volatile reunion retreat comprising eight former couples who split as at least one of them cheated.
The Eternaut Netflix, streaming now
This week's foreign language offerings include K-Drama Weak Hero, Germany's Exterritorial (featuring a bilingual Dougray Scott), and this one featuring toxic snow in Argentina.
Suspect: Shooting of De Menezes Disney+, streaming now
Daniel Mays, Conleth Hill, Max Beesley, Emily Mortimer, Russell Tovey, and Edison Alcaide star in this recounting of one of the most catastrophic errors in British policing, the killing of an innocent Brazilian man in the wake of the 7/7 London bombings.
Chef's Table: Legends Netflix, streaming now
Celebrating culinary icons shaping modern food while marking the franchise's 10th anniversary, this series showcases four legendary chefs whose influence inspires generations globally. And one of them is Jamie Oliver.
You Netflix, streaming now
I won't lie, I haven't viewed even a single episode of this on account of the hammy narration provided by Penn Badgley's psychotic Joe (watching through Gogglebox was more than enough) and the parade of gormless sorts he's managed to slay on both sides of the Atlantic. Now, for season 5 (yes, five seasons) and 'the killer finale', he's back in New York to address yet more skeletons in his closet.
Wear Whatever The F You Want Prime Video, streaming now
Also returning to New York for another season, we have Clinton Kelly and Stacy London inspiring those in a fashion funk to express their unique style, even if it breaks all the style rules.
Havoc Netflix, streaming now
To save a politician's estranged son after a failed drug deal, a perpetually dishevelled detective (Tom Hardy) rampages through the criminal underworld, revealing layers of corruption permeating East LA. This is quite the filming feat, given it was partially shot in the mean streets of Barry Island Pleasure Park, Wales.
Flintoff Disney+, streaming now
Chronicling Freddie Flintoff's remarkable cricket career, multitude of presenting gigs (A League of Their Own, Living With Bulimia, Australian Ninja Warrior), two Ashes wins with England, his status as a national sporting icon, and his return to cricket after a life-altering Top Gear car crash in 2022. If you only visit Disney+ to watch Star Wars-related fodder, there are new episodes of Andor: A Star Wars Story.
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RTÉ News
43 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Hell for Leather: How we made RTÉ's epic new GAA series
Colm O'Callaghan, RTÉ's Head of Specialist Factual Content, introduces Hell for Leather, an epic new 5-part RTÉ One series, delving into the role of Gaelic football in the sporting, cultural and social history of modern Ireland. RTÉ's history of hurling series The Game was first broadcast in May 2018. Made by Crossing the Line Productions and directed by Gerry Nelson, it was a cinematic and wide-ranging undertaking that, in its style, execution and ambition, resonated quickly. I've written previously here about why we commissioned it. As soon as the curtain came down on that series, our thoughts turned quickly to an obvious next step: a similar strand about Gaelic football. The seven years its taken to finally get that five-parter - Hell for Leather - to air, is worthy of a drama serial in itself and there were times when I felt we were never going to see it home at all. Needless to say, I'm glad we stayed the journey. As tends to be case with large-scale commissioned projects, I took many meetings and did an awful lot of talking before even formally asking RTÉ to consider supporting it. The primary issue was with what had just gone before it and with how effectively The Game had landed. Should we even bother, I asked the creative team at Crossing the Line, to attempt something similar with a sport often regarded by purists as the less aesthetic and less skilful of the family of national games? Any misgivings I had were quickly put to bed by a couple of trusted friends and regular sounding boards. Michael Moynihan and Diarmuid O'Donovan are fellow clubmen of mine from the fabled Glen Rovers on the northside of Cork city, even if Diarmuid is arguably better known for his involvement with the football side of that club, Saint Nicholas, and his work in a variety of roles at county level. Sharp, serious men both, they sketched out a provisional list of potential themes, topics, chapters and cast members for the team to chew over and flesh out. They didn't so much ease my mind as bend it in a variety of directions and, by doing so, turned much of what I'd ever thought about Gaelic football on its head. The game in Ulster, industry and All-Ireland success in the midlands, the eventual dawning of the women's game, Kerry's eternal majesty, the Jacks and the Culchies, Dulchies, Heffernan, Dwyer, the mighty men from Down, the mighty women of Cork. Seán Boylan, Mick O'Connell, the golden age of wireless, Sister Pauline Gibbons, Jim McGuinness and Jim Gavin. Bringing boardroom thinking to breeze-blocked dressing rooms. Renaissance, reformation, age of empires, true leaders and the days of our lives: it was up to director Gerry Nelson to shape the mine of history, some of it happening before him in real time, into tangible blocks. Sport is often seen as a reflection of life and, in this regard, its possible to trace the development of modern Ireland since way before independence through the prism of Gaelic football. Stitching this editorial thread into the heart of Hell for Leather was always a tall order but one that producers John Murray, Jessica McGurk and Siobhán Ward managed with typical elan. So in as much as the series tracks the evolution and history of the game as comprehensively as time allows, it also tells a story of Ireland. With The Game already under the belts of the production team – as well as 2020's one-off, Christy Ring: Man and Ball – the doors opened far more easily this time around. Jarlath Burns, who has since become the most recent Uachtarán of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, was an enthusiastic voice from early on and helped unlock a variety of editorial lines. In every club and parish that we approached during the long gestation of this series – and there were many – the welcome was fierce and the humour was always good. So, what kept us? When we first discussed the potential for a series, I'm not sure if any of us expected the production period to endure for so long. But then neither could we have foreseen Covid, an All-Ireland final played during a lockdown and the consequences for sport, film-making and life in general during that time. Projects of this scale also require multiple funding and finance strands too and, to this end, we're grateful to Coimisiún na Meán, the Department of Finance, the Gaelic Athletic Association and to Collen, our generous sponsors, without whom the project could never have taken flight. And then there's the more mundane and practical stuff. Many of those featured in the series are proud, fabled former players for whom modesty has long prevented them from opening up about their own heroics and the scale of their achievements. The likes of Mick O'Connell, Seán O'Neill, Jimmy Gray and Seán Murphy are among many who decorate this production but for whom numerous site visits and no little persuasion was necessary. Others, despite our best and enduring efforts, just couldn't or wouldn't commit. All history is contestable, of course, and this too is the case with Hell for Leather. How can one realistically do justice to such a varied and complicated past in just 250 minutes of airtime? It is, therefore, to the credit of Gerry Nelson and series editor Andrew Hearne that the series delivers far more than the sum of its parts and still stays true to its purpose as agreed way back at the start. Gaelic football, flush with its recent re-enhancements, is enjoying a renewed sense of freedom, and talk of its latest existential crisis has abated, at least for now. As the former Kerry captain, Dara Ó Cinnéide told Nelson, "at the end of the day it's a game … but it's this bloody game we love so much". As a reminder about why Gaelic football's well-being matters, Hell for Leather is as good a starting point as any.
Irish Independent
16 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Today's top TV and streaming choices: The British Soap Awards, Spartacus and Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal
The British Soap Awards 2025 Virgin Media One, 8pm Jane McDonald hosts a lavish evening of celebration at London's Hackney Empire. Among the highlights are a farewell to Coronation Street veteran Helen Worth and EastEnders' 40th anniversary. Capaillíní TG4, 8pm Máirtín Ó Neachtain meets the Corrandulla Show's organiser, Lucille Smyth, who explains why she believes events such as hers remain so important to the public. Plus, two people can be seen preparing their horses for competition. The final two episodes of the series begin with a surprise – the Pope has agreed to be a special guest on the show. However, as you may have already guessed, nothing goes exactly as expected. Spartacus BBC Four, 8.15pm Stanley Kubrick's wonderful Roman epic stars Kirk Douglas as the titular slave who leads a rebellion against their oppressors. The incredible cast also includes Tony Curtis, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Woody Strode, Charles Laughton and an Oscar-winning Peter Ustinov. Dept. Q Netflix, streaming now DCI Carl Morck may be an excellent investigator, but there's no hiding from the fact that he's a terrible co-worker. There's the small matter of his scathing sarcasm, which has left him without a single friend in the Edinburgh police force. Then there's the rather more serious issue of him having fatally shot a young officer and permanently injured his partner. Unsurprisingly enough, following this tragic turn of events, Morck is relegated to Department Q: a cold-case unit which was created as a publicity stunt. Although the force is thrilled to see Carl go, he soon sets about assembling a group of outcasts who are all keen to prove themselves. Yes, it does sound a bit like Slow Horses, which is quite the gauntlet for Netflix to throw. Only time will tell if it's worthy of comparison. With yer man from Leap Year (Matthew Goode) essentially playing a hybrid of Gary Oldman's Jackson Lamb and Jack Lowden's River Cartwright, I wouldn't hold my breath. A Widow's Game Netflix, streaming now Picture it: August 2017. In a Valencia parking lot, a man is found stabbed seven times. The city's Homicide Group, led by a veteran inspector, races to solve the case, which appears to be a crime of passion. Their investigation soon takes a shocking turn, pointing to an unlikely suspect: Maje, the victim's seemingly sweet and stoic widow, married to him for less than a year. Mission: Impossible Fest Disney+, streaming now We can never get enough of the Mission: Impossible movies, it seems. You can now watch all the prequels to the recently released The Final Reckoning if you're so inclined. Bono: Stories of Surrender Apple TV+, streaming now Behold Bono's one-man stage show, exploring the personal experiences that have shaped him as a son, father, husband and activist. Oh, and as one of the planet's biggest rock stars. If Owen Wilson's signature shtick is more to your liking, The Stick lands Wednesday. Good Boy Prime Video, streaming now In order to combat crime in a perilous underworld, a group of former medal-winning athletes exchange the podium for police badges. In an exciting, action-packed ride, Yun Dong-ju (Park Bo-gum) and his group battle a formidable criminal syndicate. Also on Prime Video, we have season 2 of The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, courtesy of producers Maya Rudolph and Natasha Lyonne. The Better Sister Prime Video, streaming now D'you know what society needs? More portrayals of women being pitted against each other. Based on Alafair Burke's novel, however, this eight-part thriller attempts to turn things. When media executive Chloe (Jessica Biel) and her estranged sister Nicky (Elizabeth Banks) are reunited after a murder, they must unravel long-buried family secrets to uncover the truth. Criminal Code Netflix, streaming now Season 2 of the Brazilian action series inspired by real crimes sees an elite Federal Police unit take on a ruthless gang in a high-stakes battle. For a telenovela twist, The Heart Knows follows a man who unknowingly falls for his heart donor's widow. Yep. Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal Netflix, streaming now NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson were among the biggest names sporting Reebok in the '90s. Now, O'Neal is trying to revive the brand's legacy and find a rising star to rep it (his son being among the potential candidates).
Irish Independent
16 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Sophie White: The Four Seasons may be bucking the trend, but it's hard not to be sucked into the vortex of anti-ageing
A few nights ago, I started watching the new Tina Fey show on Netflix. It's called the The Four Seasons and is a remake of the hit 1981 Alan Alda film of the same name. The story centres around three couples who've been taking holidays together for years. I immediately loved the concept and the cast is exceptional. The show is gently funny and the story is fun and relatable but what is genuinely groundbreaking is that the actors boast actual signs of ageing. Most of the ensemble are bang in their mid-50s, Steve Carell is the oldest at 62 and it feels plausible – like they're still actors, they look verrrry good for mid-50s but the fact that we're getting to see some signs of ageing is pathetically exciting in the vast uncanny valley of frozen people on film and television. Still, for every Four Seasons, there's a bajillion other shows populated with veritable armies of doll-like 40 and 50-year-olds striving to look 25. Most of the time, however, the youth bestowed by lasers, injections and scalpels doesn't really look like youth exactly but something slightly off. It's as though it's the supermarket own-brand of youth. Also, this exhausting preservation of hotness is just so drearily boring.
