2 days ago
TV guide: Love Island, Not Going Out and the other best things to watch this week
Pick of the Week
From that Small Island – the Story of the Irish
Sunday, RTÉ One, 6.30pm
For such a
small island
, we've got world-class levels of modesty. I mean, you never hear us boasting about the disproportionate number of bestselling authors,
Oscar
-nominated actors or stadium-filling pop stars we produce, or how many times we've won
Eurovision
. So let's give ourselves a big pat on the back for not having big heads like a
Macnas
parade.
This four-part series, written and produced by Bríona Nic Dhiarmada, asks who are these mysterious, super-talented and not-at-all vainglorious people from that tiny island on the western end of Europe, where did they come from, and how did they go from a population of six million to a global community of 80 million who claim to be Irish?
Mary McAleese in episode one of From that Small Island – the Story of the Irish
It also asks deeper questions about what it means to be Irish today, and how has our history and geography shaped our endearingly self-effacing personalities and fuelled our huge impact on the world at large. Colin Farrell is our narrator and guide on this magical history tour – did we mention he was nominated for an Oscar?
Highlights
The Gold
Sunday, BBC One, 9pm
The Gold: Hugh Bonneville as DCS Brian Boyce. Photograph: BBC/Tannadice Pictures
In November 1983, armed robbers broke into a warehouse near Heathrow airport and made off with £26 million in gold bullion, along with a stash of diamonds and a good few bob in cash. The Brink's-Mat robbery became the biggest and most notorious robbery in the UK, putting the Great Train Robbery in the ha'penny place. The first series of The Gold dramatised the story of this daring heist and its aftermath, and followed the efforts of DCS Brian Boyce (Hugh Bonneville) and his taskforce to track the gang down before they can launder their haul. It ended with some of the gang members, including Kenneth Noye (Jack Lowden), getting banged up good and proper, but we're not done and dusted yet.
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Turns out that only half the gold has been accounted for, and in this second series, Boyce and his team will have to use all their policing nous to uncover what happened to the rest of the gold, somehow get it back, and track down the rest of the gang and bring them in front of the Old Bill. Charlotte Spencer, Emun Elliott, Stepfanie Martini and Peter Davison are among the returning cast, with new additions including Tom Hughes, Stephen Campbell Moore, Joshua MGuire and Tamsin Topolski.
An Ghig Mhór
Monday, RTÉ One, 8pm
An Gig Mhór: John Spillane, who mentors Kilkenny band The Donnys in episode one. Photograph: Clare Keogh
In every town in Ireland, there's a potential U2, Cranberries or Hozier hoping to break out of the bedroom or garage and step into the big time. All they need is someone to help them get a gig so they can showcase their talent to the masses. In this new series, well-known Irish musical artists are recruited as mentors to young, up-and-coming acts. Their job is to help them organise a live gig in their hometown so they can take those vital first steps to international fame.
Each young act has their own individual sound, but all have one thing in common: they perform both in English and as Gaeilge. These bilingual, multitalented youngsters include singer-songwriter Hannah B from Gaoth Dobhar, Na hEasógaí from Conamara, and punk rockers Hex from Leixlip. First up are Kilkenny band The Donnys, who may be millennials, but are in thrall to classic 60s and 70s rock. Singer-songwriter John Spillane is drafted in to guide them through the process of putting on a live show. Other mentors through the series include Kila's Rónán Ó Snodaigh, hip-hop duo Tebi Rex and singer-songwriter Síomha.
Shardlake
Monday, UTV, 9pm
Shardlake: Sean Bean as Oliver Cromwell. Photograph: Disney
If you subscribe to Disney+, you may have already watched this four-part murder mystery based on the historical whodunits by CJ Sansom. Matthew Shardlake (Arthur Hughes) is a lawyer in 16th-century England tasked with solving a brutal murder in a monastery (I'd say most murders in those days were pretty brutal). His boss is none other than Oliver Cromwell (Sean Bean), whose own boss is King Henry VIII, the Tudor Trump on a crusade to force the Catholic Church to submit to his sweeping reforms.
In the tradition of telly detectives, Shardlake needs an assistant, and cocky youngster Jack Barak (Anthony Boyle) is sent along on the investigation – although he could well be a spy sent by Cromwell. Despite the huge fan base out there for Sansom's novels, and the positive reviews for the series (cliched but fun seems to be the verdict), Disney is not renewing the series, but maybe ITV are testing the terrestrial TV waters to see if it's worth making a second one.
Love Island
Monday, ITV2, 9pm
The evenings are getting longer, the kids are starting their school holidays, and there's nothing on the telly. Except Love Island, of course. It's time to spend another hot, steamy summer in the Love Island villa, and this year ITV has searched high and low to find another bunch of good-looking, vain, pouting, pec-flexing young things who are happy to parade around on telly in their swimwear and undies and wear the face off their housemates (I know – it's a big ask).
This will blow your tiny little mind: Love Island is officially 10 years old this year, and the new series promises to raise the stakes to mark the decade anniversary. Maya Jama is back to present the show, sort of like the David Attenborough of dating shows, and among the rumoured Love Islanders is 'jaw-droppingly gorgeous' Manchester model Shakira Khan.
Hell for Leather: The Story of Gaelic Football
Monday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm
Hell for Leather: The Story of Gaelic Football. Photograph: RTÉ
For such a small nation, we've got a big grá for the Gaelic football, and sure why wouldn't we? It's woven into the fabric of our lives, and plays a huge role in our sporting, cultural and social history. This five-part series promises to be the definitive history of Gaelic football, filmed in cinematic 4K, and featuring more than 80 interviews with sporting legends, players, managers, commentators and historians, including the last-ever TV interviews with legendary commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Kerry's Seán Murphy and Mick O'Dwyer, Dublin's Jimmy Gray and Mayo's John O'Mahony.
The series will trace the origins of Gaelic football, how it grew out of the struggle for independence to become an indigenous alternative to foreign games, a sport that Irish people could rally round and identify with as their very own. It tracks the growth of the game over the past 100 years, as it became integral to every town and village, and took a foothold in Northern Ireland, making it an island-wide sport.
The series, filmed by Crossing the Line Productions in partnership with Coimisiún na Meán, has been five years in the making, and among the contributors are – deep breath – Michael Murphy, David Clifford, Jack McCaffery, Juliet Murphy, Shane Walsh, Brian Fenton, Mick O'Connell, Cora Staunton and Joe Brolly, along with input from managers Jim McGuinness, Padraic Joyce, Seán Boylan and Kevin McStay.
Uncharted with Ray Goggins
Wednesday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm
Ex-special forces soldier Ray Goggins has taken several celebs to the edge of their endurance, dragging them up mountains, down valleys and along glaciers in some of the most extreme environments on earth. Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar, singer Lyra, hip-hop trio Kneecap, Paralympic gold medallist Ellen Keane and camogie star Ashling Thompson have already survived their outdoor challenges, and in this final episode, champion Galway hurler Joe Canning and track and field star Thomas Barr will head deep into the jungles of Colombia, where they'll take a perilous river journey, navigating lethal, class-five rapids and dodging deadly snakes and venomous spiders along the way.
Not Going Out
Friday, BBC One, 9pm
Not Going Out: Sally Bretton and Lee Mack. Photograph: BBC/Avalon/Mark Johnson
The long-running sitcom starring Lee Mack will be celebrating its 20th anniversary next year with a new batch of episodes – not bad for a show about a guy who is completely unmotivated and generally reluctant to leave the house. Meanwhile, series 14 brings us a Dr Who-ish time jump, as we fast-forward a few years and Lee and Lucy (Sally Bretton) find themselves in an empty nest and with all the time in the world to get to know each other again (good luck with that). The couple decide to move house, and are viewing their dream home when Lee puts the deal in jeopardy by asking the vendor if he can use the loo.
Streaming
Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy
From Tuesday, June 10th, Netflix
Astroworld was the popular annual festival run by rapper Travis Scott to celebrate the vibrant hip-hop scene in his hometown of Houston, Texas, and give something back to the fans who supported him on his rise to superstardom. But during the third Astroworld festival, in Houston's NRG Park on November 5th, 2021, the celebration turned to tragedy when the stoked-up crowd surged forward as Scott came on stage, with the ensuing crush resulting in the deaths of 10 fans. This documentary, the first in a new anthology series of the Trainwreck strand, explores how the festival descended into chaos as organisers lost control of the enthusiastic crowd, and tells the story of the unfolding catastrophe from the perspective of survivors and other witnesses. Although no blame is attributed, a picture soon emerges of an entirely preventable tragedy.
Fubar
From Thursday, June 12th, Netflix
Fubar: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro. Photograph: Netflix
When it was announced that Arnold Schwarzenegger would be returning for a second series of this comedy spy show, the 'I'll be back' quips came thick and fast. In his first foray into TV territory, Arnie plays CIA agent Luke Brunner, who has had to defer his retirement for one last espionage job. Now it looks as if the gold-watch ceremony will have to wait a bit longer, as in series two he faces a deadly foe in the form of an old flame, the German spy Greta Nelso, played with suitably over-the-top gusto by Carrie-Anne Moss.
In series one Luke was pulled back out of retirement to rescue a fellow CIA operative – who turned out to be his daughter, Emma (Monica Barbaro). The cast members have all talked about how much fun they had making this series – let's hope it's just as much fun for us to watch.
