High Road Low Road is back, sending celebrities to unforgettable destinations
TV WEEK (Wednesday 14th to Tuesday 20th)
TOP SPECIALS
Aillte (TG4, Wednesday 14th, 9.30pm)
Cormac Mac Fhionnlaoich guides us on an unforgettable journey along Ireland’s wild edge,– from the roaring ramparts of Sliabh Liag in Donegal to the misty peaks of Cruachán in Achill, onward toward the towering vertical heights of the Cliffs of Moher in Clare. Shot over four years and across three dramatic coastlines, Aillte explores the geology, mythology, wildlife, and human stories carved into the rocks of these formidable landforms.
Patience (CH4, Thursday 15th, 9pm)
Crime drama set in York with Laura Fraser and Ella Maisy Purvis. Patience lives up to her name as she catalogues evidence in the Yorkshire Police records department. A brilliant self-taught criminologist with keen crime scene instincts, her talent is spotted by motorbike riding DI Frankie Monroe, opening new and unpredictable worlds away from the dusty archives.
David Baddiel: Cat Man (CH4, Friday 16th, 8pm)
Why is there so much TV about dogs and virtually none about cats? Cat fanatic David Baddiel redresses the balance as he celebrates the under-represented felines, featuring famous cat lovers and a host of the nation’s best-loved cats – even shaking paws with Larry the Downing Street moggie.
Room To Improve (RTÉ 1, Sunday 18th, 9.30pm)
In Kells, County Meath, Dermot meets a house (that looks like it leapt straight from the pages of a 1970s Bungalow Bliss manual) and its hardworking owners, newlyweds Sarah and Liam. Having already decided this is their forever home, the pair have a wish-list far more ambitious than their budget.
High Road, Low Road (RTÉ 1, Tuesday 20th, 7pm)
High Road Low Road is back, taking over Europe and beyond – sending some celebrities to the most unforgettable destinations. National treasures Daniel and Majella O’Donnell head to the lively city of Zadar on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, where the action ranges from a natural mud bath to a luxury spa. But who’s on the High Road, and who’s on the Low?
WATCH OF THE WEEK
Black Ops (BBC 1, Thursday 18th, 9.30pm)
Dom and Kay join the Met Police in the hope of cleaning up their community, but are instead unwittingly thrust into the murky world of deep cover infiltration as they become part of a powerful criminal enterprise. Shifts just got real as the two under-qualified undercover cops are thrust into a criminal underworld of high stakes, high risk and high panic.
BEST FILMS
Central Intelligence (CH4, Friday 16th, 11.05pm)
Bullied as a teen for being overweight, Bob Stone is now an elite CIA agent who enlists the help of an old school friend to help him save the compromised US spy satellite system – and the former classmates encounter shootouts and double-crosses while trying to prevent worldwide chaos. Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hard star.
Being The Ricardos (RTÉ 1, Friday 16th, 11.15pm)
Nicole Kidman and Javier Barden play Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz offering a revealing glimpse of the couple’s complex romantic and professional relationship and behind closed doors during one critical production week of their groundbreaking sitcom ‘I Love Lucy’.
The Ballad of Wallis Island (Sky Cinema Premiere, from Friday)
Charles is an eccentric lottery winner, living alone on a remote island, and who manages to coax his favourite band together for a special gig just for him. But things don’t go to plan when old rivalry and disenchanted exes come to blows… Carey Mulligan, Tim Key and Tom Basden star.
CLASSIC MOVIE
Touching The Void (Sky Documentaries, Friday 16th, 11.20pm)
In 1985, two young climbers set out to be the first to reach the summit of the Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. They succeeded, and then embarked on the treacherous descent – only to meet with disaster when one breaks his leg in a fall, leaving the other to lower him the rest of the way with ropes. But then a storm threatens both their lives. An award winning docudrama about heroism of the highest order.
KIDS STUFF
Smurfs (Sky Cinema Premiere, from Friday)
When Papa Smurf is mysteriously taken by evil wizards, Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette, played by Rhianna, leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save him. With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe.
Quadrophenia (Sky Cinema Drama, Friday 16th, 10.45pm)
This classic from 1979 follows Jimmy Cooper, who escapes the drudgery of his postal job as a member of the Mods, a sharply dressed gang constantly at odds with their rivals, the Rockers. When the Mods and Rockers clash in the coastal town of Brighton, it leads to both trouble and a romantic encounter with the lovely Steph. See a young Sting in his first role.
ON DEMAND
The Rip (Netflix)
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck star in this drama thriller where, on discovering millions in cash in a derelict stash house, a team of Miami cops get greedy as their trust begins to fray. As outside forces learn about the size of the seizure, everything is called into question – including who they can rely on.
Hijack (Apple TV)
In the thrilling second season of Hijack, a Berlin underground train and its commuters are taken hostage, while, above ground, authorities scramble to save hundreds of lives. Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) is at the heart of the crisis on board, where one wrong decision could spell disaster.
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials (Netflix)
England. 1925. At a lavish country house party, a practical joke appears to have gone horribly, murderously wrong. It will be up to the unlikeliest of sleuths – the fizzingly inquisitive Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent – to unravel a chilling plot that will change her life, cracking wide open the country house mystery.
SPORTS CENTRE
The Masters (BBC 2, Wed to Sunday))
The Masters Snooker 2026 returns to Alexandra Palace this January, bringing a week of world-class snooker. Featuring the top players in the world, this tournament is one of the most anticipated events on the snooker calendar. Unlike ranking tournaments, the Masters is invite-only, and places are awarded to the top 16 players in the world rankings. Every match features elite competition from the first round; there are no qualifying stages.