Pick of the week
Neven’s Coastal Food Trails
Wednesday, RTÉ1, 8pm
The national broadcaster is on a bit of a cost-cutting drive, so we might see fewer presenters jetting off to exotic locations to make blingtastic TV series. Luckily there’s plenty of riches to be found closer to home, and Cavan chef Neven Maguire’s new series explores the culinary delights on offer around Ireland’s coastline, from restaurants to caffs to stalls serving street food, and showcases the fine foodstuffs made by artisan producers. Maguire says he’s “delighted” to be back on the road and visiting towns and villages around the coast. First stop is just a Dart trip away, to Greystones, Co Wicklow, where he drops in to La Creperie Pierre Grise and watches chef Julien Lefebvre flip some seriously delicious crepes and galettes. Then he nips around the corner to catch the No 84 bus – a double-decker bus that’s been converted into a pizzeria, complete with wood-fired oven – and sees how the team of chefs at Chakra Indian Restaurant bring their own regional cooking traditions to the menu to create such mouthwatering delights as chooza khaas herikay. His last stop in Wicklow is Kilmullen Farm in Newcastle, a family lamb farm run by Margaret Hoctor and Eamon Bourke, and then it’s on to the Marlfield Hotel in Gorey, Co Wexford, where head chef Patrick Davies rustles up some seared Irish king scallops.
Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos
Sunday, Sky Documentaries & Now, 10pm
It’s been 25 years since Tony Soprano strolled on to our screens and completely changed television, and in this two-part documentary, film-maker Alex Gibney interviews the creator of The Sopranos, David Chase, delving into his early years in New Jersey, and learning how the germ of an idea turned in to what many still consider the greatest TV series ever made. Chase discusses how the series almost didn’t get made, and the hard work and graft that went into creating the hard-hitting, often shocking storylines. Former cast members discuss the cultural impact of the show, while former production staffers bring the making of the series back to life.
Must see Mr Bates vs the Post Office: The Impact
Monday, UTV, 9pm
When ITV broadcast the true-life drama starring Toby Jones as a sub-postmaster wrongly accused of embezzlement, it exposed a national scandal that saw lives and reputations destroyed, and touched a nerve with the British public and appealing to their sense of justice and fair play. This documentary looks at the fallout from the airing of Mr Bates v The Post Office, which detailed how a technical glitch in the Post Office’s new computer system led to innocent subpostmasters around the country being hauled before the courts and treated with shocking lack of humanity by lawyers and investigators. This follow-up programme shows how many people affected by the scandal are still seeking redress.
Éadaí SOS
Monday, BBC2, 10pm
I’m a fashion victim – get me out of here! If you can’t pass a boutique without buying up half their stock, and if your wardrobe is full to bursting with trendy clothes you’ve never ever had a chance to wear, then step away from the clothes rail – Caoimhe Ní Chathail and Proinsias Ó Coinn are here to help you. In this third series of Éadaí SOS, Caoimhe and Prionsias race to the rescue of Clodagh, who can’t seem to get enough handbags. Can they convince Clodagh to reduce, reuse and recycle her wardrobe, and can they prise her fingers away from those handbags?
In My Own Words: Alison Lapper
Monday, BBC1, 10.40pm
The British artist Alison Lapper has always fought against discrimination, but in this intimate portrait, she takes on another battle – coming to terms with the death of her son Parys of a suspected drug overdose. Lapper was born without arms and with shortened legs, but rejected prosthetics and become a hugely respected artist and recipient of an MBE. She was celebrated in a famous sculpture, Alison Lapper Pregnant, by Marc Quinn. In this programme she tells her own story of growing up in care, her determination to live independently, and how she has channelled her bereavement into her new exhibition.
Waterloo Road
Tuesday, BBC1, 9pm
Fans of the school-based drama will be delighted with the news that Waterloo Road has been renewed for more series, ensuring that the show will go on at least until 2026. The series ran for nine years before being cancelled in 2015, but when it became a lockdown favourite during Covid, the BBC revived it in 2023 and since then it has gone “from strength to strength”. Comedian and gameshow host Jason Manford joins the cast as new headmaster Steve Savage, and the cast will also include new students and staff members – and new societal issues for the storylines to address.
The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard
Tuesday, Channel 4, 11.05pm
Gypsy Rose Blanchard grew up in Louisiana as a disabled child who needed a wheelchair, a feeding tube and constant medical care. But Gypsy Rose was actually a victim of Munchhausen’s syndrome by proxy, convinced by her mother, DeeDee, that she had a range of physical and mental disabilities. Her mother kept up the deception right through Gypsy’s childhood, but when Gypsy was convicted of second-degree murder following her DeeDee’s death in 2015, the story of Gypsy’s lifelong abuse at the hands of her mother was told. After this series, you may still not know who to believe.
The National Television Awards 2024
Wednesday, UTV, 8pm
It’s time for the annual telly beano in which the stars of the small screen battle it out for big awards. This year’s shortlist has been announced and the big ticket is Mr Bates v Baby Reindeer, as the true-life post office drama goes up against Richard Gadd’s autobiographical series about a female stalker in the New Drama category. Among the actors shortlisted for drama awards are Toby Jones, Brenda Blethyn, Michelle Keegan and Vicky McClure, with well-loved series Bridgerton, Call the Midwife and The Crown battling it out for gongs. The ceremony is broadcast live from the O2 London and hosted by Joel Dommett.
Must See Great Irish Interiors
RTÉ1, Thursday, September 12th, 8pm
You’ll need more than a scraper and a tin of paint to restore the interiors features in this third series of the big house makeover show. These are gargantuan renovation projects, and once again the programme makers have gained exclusive access as teams of experts try to return historic houses and castles to their long-ago glory. This third series has been expanded to include houses in Northern Ireland, and among the iconic places getting an interior restoration are Castle Ward, Glenveagh Castle, Malahide Castle, Mount Stewart and Dublin Castle. First up is Fota House in Co Cork, where the restorers must deal with dry rot and make sure not to harm any of the bats who live there.
Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby
Thursday, BBC2, 8pm
You’ve never seen a hotel quite like the Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland in China. The hotel has been built into the side of a huge quarry, and looks more like a giant dam than a hotel. In this new series of Amazing Hotels, Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti go to work at the Wonderland, much of which is embedded in the quarry rock, in a feat of engineering that took 12 years to build and cost more than €200 million. Rinder helps feed the sharks, stingray and other fish in the hotel’s 13 giant aquariums, and marvels at the daily waterfall light show that dazzles guests.
Taskmaster
Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm
Alex Horne and Greg Davies are back to bamboozle another bunch of celebs with some bizarre challenges in this 18th series of the hilarious, surreal gameshow. The line-up of fearless guests include quiz host Andy Zaltzman, actor Emma Sidi, comedian Jack Dee and comedian Rosie Jones, and the show has released a photo of the line-up packed into a small rowing boat, suggesting they may soon be up the creek without a paddle. There’s no bailing out now – they’ll just have to row in and complete those tasks.
Streaming
Ángel Di María: Breaking Down the Wall
Netflix, from Thursday September 12th
The World Cup final of 2022 was a crowning moment for Lionel Messi, as he lifted the trophy for Argentina in his last international match. But it was also a triumph for his team-mate Ángel Di María, who also scored during that historic final. This three-part documentary series tells the story of the man who comes close to Messi and Maradona in the hearts of Argentinian football fans, from humble beginnings to becoming one of the greatest footballers of his generation.
The Grand Tour: One for the Road
Prime Video, from Friday, September 13th
Our favourite middle-aged motorheads are back for one last spin down some far-flung roads, and we’ll shed a little tear as we say farewell to Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond (although we won’t tell them that), who have done the smart thing and decided to bow out before being shown the (car) door. For their final Grand Tour special, the trio are driving through the ever-changing landscapes of Zimbabwe on their way to a nostalgic finish in one of their favourite places, Kubu Island in Botswana. They’ve chosen cars they’ve always wanted to drive, so Clarkson is in a 1982 Lancia Montecarlo, May is driving a 1974 Triumph Stag and Hammond is going for a 1974 Ford Capri three-litre. The intention was to go out with a gentle drive through lush mountain greenery and across dry plains, but it’s not long before the trio’s patience – and blood pressure – are sorely tested by rough terrain, bad map-reading and the complexities of the Lancia’s retractable roof.
In Vogue: The ’90s
Disney+, from Friday September 13th
We’ve looked back at the pop music, telly and film of the 1990s, but here’s a Vogue’s-eye view of the fashion industry during that decade, dominated by that species known as the supermodel. Former Vogue editors including Anna Wintour give their insights into the era, when no self-respecting catwalk star would get out of bed for less than 10 grand (nowadays they’d probably do it just for a few likes on TikTok). The six-part series will look at how fashion changed across the decade, and how it was shaped by such influences as grunge and hip-hop, focusing on a key moment from the decade in each episode.
