Shake-up to format for latest series of Ireland's Fittest Family
TV WEEK (Wednesday 29th to Tuesday 4th)
TOP SPECIALS
In My Own Words: Tom Jones (BBC 1, Wednesday 29th, 10.45pm)
Tom Jones reflects on his extraordinary life and stellar career in song. From his working-class roots in the Welsh valleys to the most glittering stages, his remarkable journey spans more than 80 years – a constant balancing act between fame and staying true to the gift he was born with.
Brassic: The Final Farewell (Sky Max, Thursday 30th, 10pm)
It’s time to bid farewell to Hawley after seven series of following Vinnie, Erin and the gang through every bump in the road along the way. But all slightly naughty things must come to an end – as Davy MacDonagh finally loses with it with Joey Kittens at an all-you-can-eat carvery in the middle of a snowstorm, when things turn from blizzard to bloodbath.
Letters From The Blitz (BBC 1, Thursday 30th, 10.40pm)
Told through beautifully restored family films and personal letters, this documentary offers a rare glimpse into life in Northern Ireland during WWII. Using the wartime letters that Helen Ramsey Turtle, a young American mother living in Belfast, wrote to her family in Denver, Colorado, it documents this pivotal time in history, and vividly describes the horror of the Belfast Blitz, and the buzz of American soldiers arriving in Northern Ireland.
Ireland’s Fittest Family (RTÉ 1, Sunday 2nd, 6.30pm)
With a shake-up to the format that includes new star coaches, adrenaline-pumping challenges, and new locations, this promises to be the most competitive series yet. Joining the original trio in a thrilling six-way battle for glory, the newcomers bring serious sporting pedigree: Ellen Keane, Paralympic swimming champion; Michael Darragh MacAuley, former Dublin GAA star; and Andrew Trimble, Irish rugby legend with 70 caps to his name.
Heat My Home (RTÉ 1, Tuesday 4th, 8.30pm)
With energy retrofitting all over the news lately, building engineer Kieran McCarthy is travelling around Ireland, checking out homes that are getting energy upgrades. With prices only going up and the planet under pressure, more and more people are saving money and energy in their own homes by taking on the retrofit challenge. Kieran shows what’s doable, and what costs are involved from heat pumps to H-VAC, breaking down the technical jargon and meeting people who have successfully achieved retrofits from solar to wind energy.
WATCH OF THE WEEK
I Love LA (Sky Comedy, Monday 3rd, 10pm)
‘Luck is just when preparation meets opportunity.’ Those words from showrunner Rachel Sennott’s character Maia in her new comedy series underline the often bizarre happenings around an ambitious friends group navigating life and love in LA. Could be loosely described as a close relation of Sex and The City – but younger, wilder and with oodles of raunch. Another gem from Maia sums up the group’s ambitions: ‘Hustle until your idols become your rivals.’
BEST FILMS
Respect (RTÉ 2, Wednesday 29th, 9pm)
A musical biopic following the rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international super-stardom, and the remarkable true story of the music icon’s journey to find her voice. Jennifer Hudson’s performance demands respect.
Never Grow Old (RTÉ 1, Friday 31st, 12.15am)
Emile Hirsch and John Cusack star in this rough, tough Western where a peaceful frontier town is taken over by vicious outlaw Dutch Albert and his gang. Patrick Tate makes a good living as the local undertaker burying the victims – but can he stand by and not help?
Companion (Sky Cinema Premiere, from Friday)
During a weekend getaway at a secluded lakeside estate, a group of friends find themselves entangled in a web of secrets, deception, and advanced technology. As tensions rise and loyalties are tested, they uncover unsettling truths about themselves and the world around them.
CLASSIC MOVIE
Don’t Look Now (BBC 2, Friday 31st, 11.40pm)
For the creepy Halloween night that’s in it, this classic from 1973 has Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie taking a sad trip to Venice, still grieving the accidental death of their daughter. When they meet two mysterious sisters who claim to converse with the dead, the couple become divided on what is true and what is fantasy. Director Nicolas Roeg’s Venice remains a cinematic hallmark for its hauntingly sinister and dark depiction of a city where evil lurks.
KIDS STUFF
Y2K (Sky Cinema Premiere, from Wednesday)
On the last night of 1999, two high school juniors crash a New Year’s Eve party, only to find themselves fighting for their lives in this dial-up disaster comedy. Starring Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison and Fred Durst.
The Kellys 2 (RTÉ 1, Sunday 2nd, 5.10pm)
In the first series, the Kelly family discovered they were actually fictional characters who had escaped from a 1980s TV sitcom called ‘The Kellys’. Now they’re trying to live a normal life in a supernatural adventure where they uncover strange secrets, confront their fears, and fight to survive in a world where the line between real and unreal becomes blurred.
ON DEMAND
The Asset (Netflix)
Intelligence agent Tea goes undercover to infiltrate a lawless and brutal criminal gang. Adopting a new identity, she befriends the criminal mastermind’s girlfriend to gather crucial intelligence – but as she becomes more enmeshed in this criminal underworld, doubts emerge about which side her loyalties truly lie on.
Down Cemetery Road (Apple TV)
When a house explodes in a quiet Oxford suburb and a girl disappears in the aftermath, neighbour Ruth Wilson becomes obsessed with finding her and enlists the help of private investigator Emma Thompson. But the trail quickly traps the pair in a complex conspiracy where the living and the dead are not what they seem. The story is adapted from the Mick Heron book – he’s the author who created Slow Horses.
Ballad Of A Small Player (Netflix)
Colin Farrell has garnered much talk of possible awards for his portrayal of a high-stakes gambler whose debts start to catch up with him as he lies low in Macau. But then he encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation. Tilda Swinton co-stars.
SPORTS CENTRE
Autumn Rugby Internationals: Ireland v New Zealand (Virgin Media, Saturday 1st, 7.30pm)
Irish coach Andy Farrell‘s side will kick off a busy November when they go head-to-head with the All Blacks at the iconic Soldier Field on this first November Saturday. Kick-off is 3.10pm local time/8.10pm Irish time, nine years after Ireland’s famous 40-29 victory over New Zealand at the legendary Chicago venue in 2016. It promises to be a mouthwatering showdown as two great teams go at each other hard.