2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Today's top TV and streaming choices: Billy Joel Night, Poltergeist and Tyler Perry's Straw
Women Under Hitler's Flag RTÉ2, 8.15pm
First in a two-part documentary examining the part played by women in Nazi Germany, revealing that some were just as brutal, if not more so, than their better-known male counterparts.
Billy Joel Night BBC Two, from 8.40pm
An evening dedicated to the singer-songwriter begins with archive clips in Billy Joel at the BBC. It's followed by concert footage in The 100th Live at Madison Square Garden, before the night ends with a chance to see Joel in action in the Old Grey Whistle Test, recorded in 1978.
The long-running sci-fi series' future is reportedly in doubt, but that isn't going to stop showrunner Russell T Davies celebrating the 20th anniversary of its return to our screens. He discusses the programme alongside cast and crew past and present, including David Tennant and Billie Piper.
The Guard RTÉ One, 9.25pm
John Michael McDonagh's wonderful comedy-thriller stars Brendan Gleeson (above) as a Garda whose laidback lifestyle is disturbed by the arrival on his patch of an uptight FBI agent (Don Cheadle) who needs his help to bring down an international drugs ring.
Poltergeist RTÉ2, 11.25pm
Smash-hit evergreen horror focusing on a family whose move to their dream home turns into a nightmare when their young daughter is kidnapped by the property's resident ghosts. JoBeth Williams, Craig T Nelson and Heather O'Rourke head the cast.
The Survivors Netflix, streaming now
We're mostly used to two types of Australian viewing: soaps and super-dry (to the point of cringe) comedy. This is different. The drama follows Kieran Elliott's life after two people drown in his hometown of Evelyn Bay, Australia. To top it off, a young girl also went missing. Returning with his family 15 years later, the simmering guilt resurfaces, especially when the body of a young woman is found on the beach…
K.O. Netflix, streaming now
No one does visceral city grit like the French. Bastien has lived as a recluse since accidentally killing his opponent Enzo in an MMA fight three years ago. Now, Enzo's widow tracks him down as, essentially, he owes her one. Her request? Find her missing teenage son.
Tyler Perry's Straw Netflix, streaming now
Between this and last month's release of She the People, Mr Tyler Perry is getting himself around. This offering, however, is far more stark than May's fare. Here, one mum's day unfurls as it goes from tricky to catastrophic. Pushed to the precipice by a world that seems indifferent to her plight (until they can livestream it), she soon gets attention when she unwittingly holds up a bank.