The Invictus Games
Easter Sunday, BBC One, 4.20pm
The event, which was founded by Prince Harry for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women around the world, is finally taking place after being postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. The Hague in the Netherlands is the setting, where Alex Jones hosts today's coverage alongside JJ Chalmers, who suffered terrifying injuries while serving in Afghanistan in 2011. Chalmers took part in the Invictus Games in 2014, so is able to give valuable insights into what it means to compete.
Gradam Ceoil TG4
Easter Sunday, TG4, 9.30pm
The TG4 traditional Irish Music Awards has a special birthday this year as Gradam Ceoil celebrates it’s 25th anniversary . In this specially commissioned programme, live from Dublin’s National Concert Hall, TG4 recognise and celebrate our traditional singers and dancers. Paddy Glackin, Diarmuid Ó Meachair, Connie O’Connell, Edwina Guckian, Dolores Keane and Sarah Ghriallais will all be honoured awards. A a new group award has been added; this year it goes to Skara Brae, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary. Presented by Doireann Ní Ghlacáin and Páidí Ó Lionáird.
Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils
Easter Sunday, BBC One, 7.10pm
Jodie Whittaker is bowing out as the Doctor later this year, but she seems determined to wring as much fun as possible out of the role before she passes on the sonic screwdriver. In this, the second of two specials to air in 2022, she faces a fishy foe in the form of the Sea Devils. The Doctor and her friends Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Dan (John Bishop) are back in the 19th century, and a terror lurks beneath the waves – basically a bunch of people wearing fish helmets in keeping with that great tradition of cheap telly sc-fi. There’ll also be pirates, lost treasure and all our other favourite maritime cliches, not to mention the threat of everyone ending up in Davy Jones’s locker.
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe
Easter Sunday/Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday, ITV, 9pm
We've all thought of doing it: faking our own death and then skiving off to sunny climes to spend our life insurance payout. But then we shake ourselves out of the daydream and get back to the grind. This is the real-life story of John Darwin (Eddie Marsan), who, facing bankruptcy, decided to go ahead with the whole subterfuge, pretending to go missing while canoeing off the coast of Cleveland in Yorkshire. His wife, Anne (Monica Dolan) was in on the scam, but their two grieving sons (Mark Stanley and Dominick Applewhite) had no idea their dad was still very much alive and living secretly in an apartment next door to their mum. The whole thing unravelled after the couple unwisely posed for a photograph in an estate agent's in Panama City. This one promises to be a gripping tale of treachery and shocking family secrets. Followed on Thurday by a documentary, The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe: The Real Story (ITV, 9pm).
Idris Elba's Fight School
Easter Sunday, BBC Two, 9pm
When he isn’t acting or performing as a DJ or musician, Idris Elba likes to fight. Not in a nasty, vicious way, but as a mental and physical workout; he believes the discipline it requires can be useful, so much so he wants to test whether learning to box can turn around the lives of a group of young adults. The idea came to him after a visit to a South African boxing club whose young members spoke of its positive impact on their lives. Elba has found eight participants from across the UK. Now he and two coaches are about to whip them into shape ahead of an amateur contest.
Finky
Monday, TG4, 9.30pm
Reporting from the 2019 Galway Film Fleadh, Irish Times critic Donald Clarke had this to say about Finky: "There are always interesting Irish-language films at the Fleadh and Dathaí Keane's careering Finky carried on that tradition. Dara Devaney is charismatic as a puppeteer who, after angering hoodlums, migrates to Glasgow, where he falls in with Bohemian cadre that enjoys dressing like Terry Gilliam characters and proclaiming like street barkers. The film packs a great deal into its 90 minutes. A conspicuous quote from Tod Browning's Freaks points towards cinema of the macabre. Elsewhere, there's a flea-market Fellini tone to the action. The ragbag of styles is diverting – though the use of Irish becomes increasingly hard to sustain – up to a surprisingly sentimental denouement. Cathal Watters won best Irish cinematography for his sweeping, richly cinematic visuals."
Imagination Machine
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, RTÉ, 8.55am; RTEjr, 7.30am/1pm/6pm
With big imaginations and a magical old cardboard box, siblings Ella, Lucy and Blaze go on amazing adventures all over the world and beyond. Their imagination machine transports them to faraway places, exploring the wonders of the world and beyond, much to the dismay of dastardly Dr Dotty and her not-so-bright bear assistant Mr Fluffy Pants, who aim to bring them back to earth with a crunch! On each exciting adventure, the young explorers discover amazing things about history and the natural world using their magical book which is full of incredible facts and information.
Yorkshire Midwives on Call
Monday/Tuesday, BBC Two, 8pm
Requests for home births increased during the pandemic, with more and more women choosing this method of childbirth. In this new series, showing throughout this week, viewers will get to know the team midwives from the Homebirth Midwifery unit at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The home-birth team members are busy working mums themselves, but when the phone from a labouring woman rings, they spring into action. Tonight, three expectant mums are planning for home births. Midwife Michaela assists junior doctors Rebecca and Tim with a water birth for their second child. Meanwhile, Keeleigh's dream of a home birth hang on baby number four, and Head Midwife Laura cares for her throughout. Finally, Jodie hopes to give birth in the comfort of her bedroom, with midwife Gemma by her side.
Mary Berry's Fantastic Feasts
Monday, BBC One, 8pm
Rima, mother-in-law Diane and best friend Noreen plan to throw a surprise 30th birthday feast for Rima's husband, Mark. The problem is, the trio are are novice cooks and need inspiration and help to put on the event. Fortunately, Mary Berry is on hand to guide them through a menu consisting of blinis, salmon en croute with a spinach and herb sauce, and a chocolate ganache cake. Berry also enlists former Strictly Come Dancing pro Janette Manrara and TV personality Scarlett Moffatt to help create the perfect surprise.
Redemption
Monday, Virgin One, 9pm
From the producers of The Bay, this six-part crime drama has a powerful story about family and second chances at its heart. DI Colette Cunningham (Deadwood's Paula Malcomson) is a dedicated detective on Liverpool's Serious Crime Squad. She is an unflappable force of nature – until she takes an unexpected call from Dublin. A body has been found, and Colette is listed as next of kin. She takes the next ferry to Dublin to identify her daughter Kate, who disappeared 20 years ago. Consumed by grief, Colette resolves to stay in Ireland to work for the Garda while alpiecing together the truth about Kate's death. If she did fail her daughter in life, Colette is determined to do right by her now. But is she prepared for what she finds?
South of the River
Monday, ITV, 10.20pm
The three-part documentary, previously shown on BT Sport, looks at the talented pool of footballers who have emerged from south London in recent years, continues. Among the players featured are Jadon Sancho (Manchester United), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Tammy Abraham (Roma) Aaron Wan Bissaka (Manchester Utd), Declan Rice (West Ham), Ademola Lookman (RB Leipzig), Ryan Sessegnon (Tottenham), Michail Antonio (West Ham) and Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace). Former Man U and England defender Rio Ferdinand, who also grew up in the area, provides personal insight.
Life After Life
Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm
Rising star Thomasin McKenzie, whose CV includes Last Night in Soho, Jojo Rabbit and The Power of the Dog, gets the role of several lifetimes in this new four-part adaptation of Kate Atkinson’s bestselling novel. McKenzie plays Ursula, who is born for the first time in 1910 to Sylvie (Fleabag’s Sian Clifford) and Hugh (James McArdle). She dies at birth, but then on the same night she is born for the second time – and this time she lives. Over the course of the series, Ursula will die and be reborn multiple times, and her different lives will see her experience tumultuous changes and two world wars. But is there a reason why she keeps coming back, and can she finally get everything right?
Derry Girls
Tuesday, Channel 4, 9.15pm
We know these Derry girls are gifted – the terrific cast is one of the reasons why the show has been such a big hit (creator Lisa McGee also deserves a big slice of the credit). However, when Jenny Joyce (Leah O'Rourke) has big plans for the fundraising talent show, can the gang outshine the competition? Either way, Sr Michael (Siobhan McSweeney) better be prepared for a show to remember. Meanwhile, Ma Mary (Tara Lynne O'Neill) seems to have finally reached her limit, but could a plumber offer her salvation?
Mark Moriarty: Off-Duty Chef
Wednesday, RTÉ One, 8.30pm
What do chefs cook when they've got the day off? Do they do the Michelin-starred dinners at home or just randomly throw a nosebag together out of whatever's in the fridge? When Mark Moriarty takes off his chef's hat he likes nothing better than rustle up simple, wholesome meals at home, and in this new series he'll help you sharpen your basic cookery skills so you can cook simply delicious dishes. He'll show you how to make classic carbonara and tasty carrot cake. There's also a weekly How to Perfect segment in which Moriarty shows you how to boil an egg (put it in the microwave, right?) and wield a kitchen knife with a steady hand.
Inside No 9
Wednesday, BBC Two, 11.15pm
Well, here's a wee treat. Few if any series have proved to be as inventive, scary, disturbing and amusing as this anthology, written by and usually starring Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith. Each 30-minute episode is perfectly crafted with more twist and turns than you can shake a stick at, and although few details have been released about the new seventh series, we're expecting more of the same. Two familiar faces appear in the opening episode: Diane Morgan of Mandy fame, and Pemberton and Shearsmith's old friend and League of Gentlemen colleague Mark Gatiss. The plot focuses on three men at a university reunion party aboard a boat. Unfortunately, choppy waters are ahead.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Wednesday, E4, 9pm
The eighth and final season of the sitcom begins as the precinct experiences changes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the George Floyd protests. Jake attempts to prove to Rosa that he is a good cop by helping her investigate a case of police brutality, only to find out some disillusioning truths about the NYPD. Amy returns from maternity leave and uses one of Terry’s books to repair her relationship with Holt after he makes small talk. And Terry feels awkward around Charles when the latter goes overboard trying to show his support towards the African-American community.
Super Garden
Thursday, RTÉ One, 8.30pm
Spring is blossoming once again, which means it time for another series of Super Garden, in which budding garden designers battle for a coveted spot at Bloom 2022. Covid has played havoc with the past two festivals, so this year the stakes are higher as the five designers compete for the chance to display their show garden at the Phoenix Park event. Each contestant is given a plot of land and a 15 grand budget to create something wild and wonderful. First up is Paul Ferry from Gweedore, Co Donegal, who has no formal horticultural education but has watched a lot of gardening shows and YouTube tutorials. He’s going to design a wild west-themed garden for the Moore family, who are mad about country music and barbecues.
Ultimate Hell Week
Thursday. RTÉ, 9.30pm
Ultimate Hell Week is back with a new batch of recruits as 28 fit civvies board the bus to hell. All think they have what it takes to pass the Hell Week course, but when the bus is suddenly ambushed by the DS it doesn't take long for the doubt to set in. The intense welcome gets even tougher as the DS decide unarmed combat is the perfect way for the recruits to properly introduce themselves to one another. Barely two hours in and its fight or flight time. To date three groups of civilians have attempted to pass the worlds most grueling reality TV show. With a failure rate upwards of 90 per cent, only the toughest candidates will survive. Over seven days, the recruits will be required to pass numerous rigorous physical and mental tests. Surviving on two to three hours of sleep, they will have to overcome cold-water events, height tests and claustrophobic challenges as well as various trials of strength, stamina and determination.
Spring Gardening with Carol Klein
Thursday, Channel 5, 7pm
The gardener welcomes us back to Glebe Cottage in Devon, where there are plenty of signs of spring. Unfortunately, there’s also a reminder of the winter, especially the storms, in the gap where a majestic, decades-old beech tree once stood. While Carol is sad about its loss, she also sees it as an opportunity for renewal. So, there’s a certain air of “out with the old, in the with the new” to this first episode, as the presenter cuts back the last of the dried grasses and trims the tatty old leaves on her impressive display of hellebores. Carol also introduces us to one of her favourite spring flowers, the pulmonaria, and sets up a seasonal experiment in intensive veg growing, which is which will be of particular interest to viewers with smaller gardens.
Chivalry
Thursday, Channel 4, 10pm
Steve Coogan seems to like making movies about making movies. There was his self-referential turn in Michael Winterbottom's A Cock and Bull Story, about filming the "unfilmable" novel Tristram Shandy. Now comes this new series, in which Coogan plays a successful film producer with some old-fashioned attitudes towards women (no, not you-know-who). Sarah Solemani costars as a respected indie filmmaker attempting to navigate the shark-infested waters of Hollywood. With a supporting cast that includes Sienna Miller, Lolly Adefope and Aisling Bea, Chivalry says it will ask difficult questions about gender politics in the #MeToo era. But don't worry – they've also given us permission to laugh. Phew.
Ben Fogle & the Lost City
Thursday, Channel 5, 9pm
Ben Fogle is used to meeting people who live off the grid, but many of them lead quite isolated existences. In this documentary, he encounters a whole alternative community who have taken up residence in Slab City in California's Sonora desert. Named after the concrete slabs that remained after a second World War marine training camp was torn down, it's part artists' colony, part homeless city. It's given its residents the chance to be themselves, but it wouldn't be everyone's idea of a utopia, as Fogle learns that lives have been lost to heat exposure, drug overdoses – and a murder.
It'll Be Alright on the Night
Friday, ITV, 9pm
Those spinning chairs may be one of The Voice UK's big selling points, but are they also an accident waiting to happen? We could be about to find out, as David Walliams's latest round-up of bloopers includes Olly Murs experiencing a mishap on the singing contest. Meanwhile, Shane Richie has a run-in with a hammock, Ricky Gervais is interrupted by a mobile phone, and Greg Davies is heckled by his own autocue. There's also proof that even professional chefs aren't immune from cooking accidents when James Martin burns himself on a barbecue – those things are hot, you know.
ON DEMAND
Superstar
From Monday, Disney+
Over the decades, many celebrities we've taken to our hearts have passed away prematurely, leaving fans bereft. They have also left behind incredible legacies. This new documentary series profiles six of them, featuring rare footage alongside testimony from fans and those who knew them, including family members. The run begins with insights into tragic singer Whitney Houston, who became a global icon in the 1980s, but passed away at the age of 48 in 2021. Others names featured are basketball player Kobe Bryant, actors John Ritter and Robin Williams, comedian Richard Pryor, and singer-songwriter George Michael.
Better Call Saul
From Tuesday, Netflix
Breaking Bad ran for five seasons but this spin-off is set to surpass it. Whether Better Call Saul is a more impressive show is up for debate, but what we do know is that Bob Odenkirk is clearly still having the time of his life as the dodgy lawyer. This sixth series will be its last, so enjoy its 13 episodes while you can. They have, however, been split in two, so expect the first batch now and the rest from July. Odenkirk is on top form as Jimmy McGill, and we get to see his continued moral slide as he moves ever closer to becoming the seriously underhand Saul Goodman, dragging his wife Kim (Rhea Seehorn) along with him. Jonathan Banks costars, while Giancarlo Esposito also returns as the quietly and cooly terrifying Gus Fring.
Russian Doll
From Wednesday, Netflix
Imagine escaping an endless time loop, only to fall into another even more twisted anomaly. It would be like Groundhog Groundhog Day. Natasha Lyonne returns as the temporally challenged Nadia, with Charlie Barnett as Alan. It’s four years since the pair found a way out of the never-ending party from hell, and naturally they don’t want a repeat of that repetition. But series one was such a success, Netflix viewers want more of the same, so once again Nadia and Alan have to put their party hats on and do the timewarp again. This time, though, it’s different: they’ll be jumping between eras and generations, and they’ll have to use all their wit and wisdom to find their way out of this whacked-out wormhole.
Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes
From Wednesday, Netflix
When it comes to true crime documentaries, few, if any, TV companies do them better than Netflix. The latest has been produced following the success of a similarly themed programme about Ted Bundy and was made by the same team. Gacy was known as the Killer Clown because he regularly performed at children's hospitals and charitable events; he was also assaulting and murdering more than 30 young men and boys at the time. The documentary features previously unreleased interviews with the murderer and looks at the flawed investigation into his crimes.
They Call Me Magic
From Friday, Apple TV+
LA Lakers legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson features in this four-part documentary about his life and career. They Call Me Magic takes viewers back to Johnson's early years in Michigan and charts his rise to fame from college star to court supremo and beyond. There have also been disappointments, tragedy and obstacles to overcome along the way, including the discovery he had contracted HIV in 1991. Johnson himself is interviewed extensively, and among others offering their views are Barack Obama, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Shaquille O'Neal.
The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball
From Friday, Apple TV+
If you're gripped by They Call Me Magic, then check out this five-part documentary companion piece. Directed by Seth Gordon, whose previous credits include The King of Kong and For All Mankind, it tells the incredible story of Makur Maker, the Nairobi-born, Australia-raised basketball star. Thousands of talented players would jump at the chance of playing in the NBA, but Maker hit the headlines by withdrawing from the draft, preferring to join the team at Howard University, thus becoming the highest-ranked player in the modern recruiting era to commit to a black college or uni. The programme reveals why his decision is regarded as so important to those within the Black Lives Matter movement.
Contributing: PA
