Seven Days
MIKE MULVIHILL’S guide to the week’s TV
SUNDAY Britain’s Got Talent: Best Of The Buzzers
6PM, VIRGIN ONE ★★★
The talent search has been postponed this year, but here’s a chance to remember some of the best red and golden buzzer moments, with acts including 100 Voices of Gospel, Kojo Amin and Paddy and Nico.
British Academy Television Awards
7PM, BBC1
★★★★
The ceremony celebrating the best TV shows of the past year will be a largely virtual event, although some nominees and presenters will attend in person. Richard Ayoade will host; Small Axe, The Crown and Normal People will be among the contenders for the big prizes.
Rainforests: Our Wild Adventures
8PM, BBC2
★★★★
This week, Steve Backshall recalls his climb up a sheer sandstone mountain in Venezuela, while George McGavin looks back on his hunt for the world’s largest tarantula in Guyana.
Time
9PM, BBC1 ★★★★ See TV Week, page 25.
Brian Cox’s Adventures In Space And Time
9PM, BBC2 ★★★★
Part two of four, and the big question posed by Professor Cox is: Are we alone in the universe? And, if not, what are the chances that will we make contact with aliens?
Cork Folk Festival
9.30PM, TG4 ★★★
The series concludes with performances from Cork’s John Spillane and box player Diarmuid Ó Meachair. There’s also Sliabh Luachra music from Áine & Francis O’Connor and a stand-out performance from fiddler Ciara Murphy.
MONDAY
Football’s Gambling Addiction 7.30PM, CH4 ★★★
There are an estimated 1.2 million problem gamblers across the UK, and seeing adverts for betting companies on the shirts of some of the biggest Premier League football clubs is hardly helping. The former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson asks uncomfortable questions about the popularity of football betting.
Wonderful World of Cakes ★★★★
8PM, RTé2
The focus is firmly on the supermarket’s freezer aisle in the last episode of the series, as cameras take a trip to Ben and Jerry’s Vermont HQ to learn the secrets behind the successful ice-cream brand. Chef Ross Sneddon shares the story about the Viennetta, and finds that it while it may now be seen as an affordable treat, its roots lie in the high-class world of French patisserie. Motherland 9PM, BBC2 ★★★★★ As the third series comes to an end, Amanda’s charity fundraiser doubles up as her birthday party – and mixing sponsored cycling with strong cocktails is a recipe for disaster. Inside No 9 9.30PM, BBC2 ★★★★ The creepiest tale of the series stars the great Derek Jacobi as a dying criminal barrister and Reece Shearsmith as the caring nurse tending to his needs. Both men have dark secrets in their past, which return to haunt them one dark night… Dollface 11.35PM, RTé2 ★★★
Jules is trying to rebuild her female friendships, but she’s clearly still rusty – especially when it comes to the rules about keeping secrets, which causes problems for Madison. Izzy also has a thing or two to learn about being mysterious
TUESDAY International Soccer Friendly
6.30PM, RTé2 ★★★
The Republic of Ireland take on Hungary at Ferenc Szusza Stadium in Budapest. It will be a tough test for Stephen Kenny’s side as the home team are preparing for Euro 2020, which kicks off this week.
Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook
7.30PM, UTV
★★★
On a trip to historic Jordan, Ainsley Harriott shops in a bustling fruit and veg market in Amman, before heading into the desert to visit the remarkable ‘rose city’ of Petra.
Bake Off: The Professionals
8PM, CH4 ★★★★
It’s chocolate week, and the remaining teams must complete a secret challenge without using a recipe, and construct mechanical showpieces on the theme of robots.
999: What’s Your Emergency?
9PM, CH4 ★★★★
The fly-on-the-wall documentary, which takes a front seat with the UK’s emergency services, returns for a new series and this time, we’re alongside the officers and call handlers of South Yorkshire Police.
Citizen Europe 11.25PM, RTé ONE
★★★
Since 1987, the Erasmus project has been giving young people the chance to work, study or volunteer around Europe. This documentary follows five new recruits and compares their experiences with those of the first Europeans to take part.
WEDNESDAY revenge on each other.
Location, Location, Location 8PM, CH4 ★★★
This week, Kirstie Allsopp and Phil
Spencer look back on 20 years of househunting for buyers who were looking for the country life.
Before We Die
9PM, CH4 HHH
Episode three of this fast-paced thriller, and Stefan discovers that Christian has been supplying the police with information about the Mimica family’s criminal activities. Now, Christian is forced to take drastic action to preserve his cover and protect himself.
In The Footsteps Of Killers 10PM, CH4 HHHH
Criminologist David Wilson teams up with Emilia Fox for this new cold case series. Wilson’s credentials are well-known, but here, Fox – who plays a fictional forensic pathologist in Silent Witness – proves that she knows her way around an investigation, too, as she helps shed new light on the case of the so-called ‘milk carton kids’. Patrick Warren and David Spencer were aged 11 and 13 when they vanished in Birmingham on St Stephen’s Day, 1996.
Grey’s Anatomy
10.25PM, RTé2 HHH
A newlywed couple are brought in following a car accident, and the team find themselves getting caught up in a row between them. Jackson is a bit too generous to post-Covid patients, and Hayes tries to boost Maggie’s confidence.
Ireland’s Youngest Grandparents: True Lives
HHH
11PM, VIRGIN ONE
It’s increasingly common in Ireland to have children in your thirties and forties, but this documentary meets the families who are bucking that trend and having kids at a younger age.
THURSDAY Secrets Of Your Supermarket Food
7PM, CH5 HHH
Sian Williams and Stefan Gates lift the lid on comfort foods, from cakes to fast food. And it’s not all bad news as we discover some surprising health benefits to dark chocolate.
Dragons’ Den
8PM, BBC1 HHH
Pitches this week include a selection of premium spiced rums, a nursing bra designed to help mothers and babies to breastfeed effectively, and a heatless hair-curling device.
The Supervet: Noel Fitzpatrick 8PM, CH4
HHHH
Professor Noel’s patients this week include Dexter the Dobermann, who has serious spinal problems, and feisty cat Driver, who is rushed in after being hit by a car.
The Big DIY Challenge
8.30PM, RTé ONE HHH
The last episode arrives, as the finalists compete to win their categories, before PJ Gallagher announces the overall champion. The lucky winner gets a trophy, €10,000 and the bragging rights that come with being Ireland’s Best DIY-er.
The Sister
10.15PM, RTé ONE HHH
The thriller concludes as Nathan finally discovers Bob’s true motives, and realises he is going to have to fight back. But just how far is he prepared to go? Russell Tovey, Bertie Carvel and Amrita Acharia head the impressive cast
FRIDAY
UEFA Euro 2020
7PM, RTé2 & BBC1 HHHH
The hotly anticipated Euro 2020 is finally kicking off tonight after Covid delays, with giants Italy taking on relative underdogs Turkey at home in Rome.
The contest will extend across the summer and, worth keeping an eye on this year is the BBC coverage (see panel, left). Darragh Maloney fronts the RTÉ coverage of the match itself.
Great Paintings Of The World
9PM, CH5 HHHH
Andrew Marr returns to tell the stories behind some of the world’s most iconic paintings. Picasso, Velazquez, Rembrandt, Millais and Botticelli follow in later episodes, but we begin with Monet’s Water Lilies.
My Left Nut
HHH
10.15PM, RTé2
Nathan Quinn-O’Rawe stars in this drama about a teenager who discovers a swelling on his testicle. Feeling unable to talk about it to his widowed mum, he keeps the problem a secret from friends, family and the girl he has a crush on.
Live At The Apollo: The One About
HHH
10.45PM, RTé2
The first in a new series of themed highlights from the stand-up show begins with comedians including John Bishop, Sarah Millican and Ed Byrne sharing some of their thoughts on relationships.
SATURDAY The Wall HHHH
7.55PM, BBC ONE
Danny Dyer is back for a new run of the game show billed as ‘the ultimate game of risk and reward’. Tonight a couple play the quiz and strategy game on what is basically a giant pegboard. Can they avoid the dreaded red balls and pocket some serious cash?
Phil Collins At The BBC HHHH
9PM, BBC TWO
A chance to see memorable TV performances from Collins, who was also the lead singer and drummer with Genesis. Among the hit tracks featured are In The Air Tonight and Another Day In Paradise.