NYPD detective investigates murder case in west of Ireland

TV WEEK (Wednesday 11th to Tuesday 17th)

TOP SPECIALS

Hunting Alice Bell (CH4, Wednesday 11th, 9pm)

In this new psychological thriller created by David Baddiel and Peter Bradshaw, vigilantes accuse Fran Da Silva of being Alice Bell, a convicted serial killer’s accomplice who’s living under a new identity. As her family’s happy life implodes in a wave of mob hate, Fran discovers that she’s not alone – and gathers the other targeted women together to fight back against the mobs and internet trolls. But as they battle to prove their innocence and clear their names, what if one of them is lying and is the real Alice Bell?

The Good Daughter (Sky Atlantic, Thursday 12th, 9pm)

Sisters Charlotte (Meghann Fahy) and Samantha (Rose Byrne) Quinn have spent the 20 years trying to piece together the lives that were fractured by a single night of violence. When another attack splinters the small town of Pikeville, Charlotte is the first witness on a scene that prompts painful memories, buried secrets and the complex bond between sisters.

Neurodivergence – The Making Of Me (RTÉ 1, Thursday 12th, 10.15pm)

A powerful new documentary set to challenge and change how we think and talk about autism and ADHD. The film moves past harmful media debates about ‘cause’, ‘trends’ and ‘over-diagnosis’ and directs the conversations to people with lived experience of neurodivergence and to those conducting the most up to date research in this area.

Nationwide (RTÉ 1, Friday 13th, 7pm)

More than 400 years after the Spanish Armada met its disastrous fate off the Irish coast, a spectacular replica of a 16th-century Spanish galleon has returned to the waters of the northwest. Colm Flynn explores the Armada’s ill-fated voyage in 1588, when three Spanish ships were wrecked at Streedagh Beach, claiming the lives of more than 1,100 men.

WATCH OF THE WEEK

The Galway Bay Murders (RTÉ 1, Sunday 15th, 9.30pm)

Set on the west coast of Ireland, this new drama series sees seasoned NYPD detective Nora Savage take a career break home to Galway on an exchange programme with An Garda Síochána. Expecting a slower change of pace, Nora is unexpectedly pulled into a murder investigation involving a female climate activist and a ruthless environmental magnate – an event that pushes her into a deadly hunt for the killer. Kate Mulgrew, Colm Meaney and John Connors star.

BEST FILMS

22 Jump Street (RTÉ 2, Wednesday 11th, 9pm)

Having graduated high school without incident, an investigation at a local college brings undercover officers Jenko and Schmidt back to their youthful days roaming the halls of education – thinking only about sport and girls. Now they have to crack the case, while also growing up and learning how to behave like adults. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star.

Die Hard With A Vengeance (BBC 2, Friday 13th, 10pm)

Detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) is alcoholic and jobless – but is called back into the NYPD ranks when terrorist Jeremy Irons takes the Big Apple hostage in a deadly game of ‘Simon Says’. McClane joins up with a street-savvy electrician named Zeus (Samuel L Jackson), trying to stay one step ahead of a murderous plot. The best of the Die Hard series.

True Grit (TG4, Friday 13th, 11pm)

This cracking tale of the Old West sees feisty 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross hire Rooster Cogburn, an over the hill trigger-happy lawman, to help hunt down and bring her father’s killer to justice. Together the mismatched pair venture deep into hostile territory on their quest, joined at one point by a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf, who is tracking the same murderer. Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Hailee Steinfield star in a great Western.

CLASSIC MOVIE

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (BBC 4, Thursday 12th, 9.55pm)

During the Cold War in 1970s England, an MI6 agent discovers there’s a Soviet spy deep in the ranks of the intelligence organisation. But who is it? Veteran agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is brought back from forced retirement to ferret out the mole and stop the flow of vital British secrets to the Russians. Adapted from one of John le Carre’s greatest novels, this boasts a starry cast and earned Oldman a Best Actor Oscar.

KIDS STUFF

Cunk On Cinema (BBC 2, Thursday 12th, 11pm)

In this acclaimed ‘mockumentary’, Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) asks experts hard-hitting questions about the history of cinema, from the invention of the camera, to the New Wave filmmakers of the 1960s, right up to the entrance of CGI and what the future of AI holds. She will attempt to demystify it all while sitting in lumpy seats with stale popcorn, asking herself where did cinema come from. And why. What it wants. And why it can’t tell us.

Futureville Ireland (RTÉ 1, Tuesday 17th, 7pm)

Carla O’Brien and Dr Lollie Mancey turn to Ireland’s transport heritage for inspiration on how to make use of our disused railways. In Listowel, they explore the pioneering Lartigue Monorail, which began carrying passengers and livestock in 1888; it was the first monorail in the world.

ON DEMAND

Alicia’s Law (Netflix)

Alicia’s life change completely when her husband is found guilty and imprisoned for corruption, while videos linking him to a sex scandal come to light. With her family under public scrutiny, Alicia decides to return to practising law after a 20-year absence – a journey where she begins to question what she wants for her life.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power (Amazon Prime)

This series brings the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history, set thousands of years before the events of JRR Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ – back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.

Avedon (Netflix)

From world leaders to pop culture icons, and international supermodels, Richard Avedon’s influence helped create the blueprint for our image-driven world. His photographs didn’t just reflect culture, they shaped it. Tracing the life and legacy of an artist who used photography to reinvent the world around him, the film draws on intimate behind-the-lens footage, interviews with his closest collaborators, and why even the most iconic image is only half the story.

SPORTS CENTRE

Live Nations Championship: France v South Africa (Virgin Media 1, Friday 13th, 7.30pm)

They really don’t come any bigger than this. The champions of the Southern Hemisphere take of the champions of the Northern Hemisphere. Taking place at the Stade de France, the home ground may lend a slight advantage – that is until the ‘bomb squad’ take to the pitch.