As the Olympics come to an end, John Byrne's essential telly for the coming week includes The Rose of Tralee, The Great British Bake Off, Ripper Street and the pilot for a new show from Sharon Horgan.
Dates covered: Saturday August 20-Friday 26
Saturday
There's Something About Romcoms, Channel 4
Not one for Game of Thrones fans, this.
Meg Ryan, Hugh Grant, Richard Curtis, Rupert Everett and Stephen Merchant reveal the untold stories behind the greatest romantic comedy films of the past three decades in this new, feature-length documentary narrated by Julie Walters.
In this insiders' account, Richard Curtis describes his dilemma when casting the lead in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Hollywood mega-star Meg Ryan comes clean about her fake orgasm scene in When Harry Met Sally, and There's Something About Mary director Bobby Farrelly unzips the secrets of Cameron Diaz's hairstyle.
Here's the trailer for Four Weddings and a Funeral:
Sunday
Rio 2016: Closing Ceremony, RTÉ2
*Gasps* At. Last.
Monday
The Rose of Tralee, RTÉ One
A TV perennial since Gay Byrne was a lad, The Rose of Tralee returns bigger than ever and so even more difficult to avoid if it's not your pot of scalding tea.
This time round there are 65 involved, but only 32 will make it through to the live shows. As usual, Dáithí Ó Sé will host the proceedings from the Dome in Tralee.
As a prelude, The Road to the Dome is screening earlier on RTÉ One. Here, Sinead Kennedy follows all 65 Roses from their arrival in Dublin all the way to the Dome. From the Rose Ball to the qualifier nights, she has unlimited access to life on the Rose Tour.
Here's Daniel O'Donnell serenading the 2015 winner, Elysha Brennan:
Ripper Street, BBC Two
Season four of this hugely enjoyable Victorian drama, filmed in Dublin, begins with Matthew Macfadyen's Reid three years off the force and living quietly by the sea with his daughter. But where's the fun in that?
He can't resist a request to return to Whitechapel in London's East End when he learns that Isaac Bloom, a Jewish mathematician who helped him on previous investigations, is set to be hanged for murder.
Rizzoli & Isles, Alibi
The detective and medical examiner pals are back for a seventh and last season of this amiable procedural, based on the novels by Tess Gerritsen, starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander as the sleuthful duo.
Following the season six cliff-hanger, Nina goes into surgery for a gunshot wound and Maura sustains a head injury. Jane believes Alice Sands was involved and sets out to look for her. Then Angie breaks up with Ron to protect his family.
Tuesday
Dice, Sky Atlantic
These are the last two episodes of this surprisingly good comedy – it's a bit like a Vegas Curb Your Enthusiasm, and follows washed-up comic Andrew Dice Clay – but if you've a Sky sub you can catch the entire season through their Box Sets section.
In the first episode, Dice’s lackey Milkshake takes a leaf out of his best friend’s book and gives himself a moniker to make him sound more 'mobbed up'.
In the finale, Dice finds his place at the top of the pecking order threatened when his old friend, Bobby the Mooch comes back to town with some newly-acquired wealth.
One of Us, BBC One
This new drama features Adam Elliot and Grace Douglas as childhood sweethearts just back from their honeymoon, who are brutally murdered.
Their families are neighbours in the remote Scottish Highland village of Braeston and all are devastated, but matters take a peculiar twist when the murderer's car comes off the road. When the two families find him, badly injured, they are faced with a terrible dilemma.
Wednesday
The Great British Bake Off, BBC One
Would you whisk it for a biscuit?
A banker, a cricket-playing pastor and a former head teacher are among the dozen aspiring bakers in the latest run of this bizarrely popular show, with last year's final being the most-watched TV programme in Britain in 2015.
The programme’s two chief judges, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, remain on board. They've devised 30 new challenges for the challengers, while Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins are also back as the show's presenters.
Thursday
Nashville, Sky Living
If you missed season four of this highly addictive soap with Stetsons when it was on TG4, here's a chance to catch up as the show moves to Sky Living in the UK.
A great cast includes Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere as country music legend Rayna James and brash newcomer Juliette Barnes and, as the fourth season kicks off, Juliette’s career is at an all-time high. But offstage things are heading in the opposite direction.
If you’re new to the world of Nashville, you can catch up on seasons 1-3, which are available at Sky Box Sets. You won't regret it.
The Circuit, Channel 4
This black comedy promises the worst dinner party ever. Written by Dennis Kelly (Utopia) and Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe) in their first collaboration in ten years, it's a pilot about the horrors of social engagement.
Having left behind their idyllic life in Strood, Gabe (Adeel Akhtar) and Nat (Eva Birthistle) are invited to a dinner party in their brand new town. Gabe and Nat arrive at Sasha (Tobias Menzies) and Helena's (Victoria Hamilton) impeccable home, only to find their hosts in the middle of an almighty row.
Box Set of the week
Billions, Sky Box Sets from Sunday
This is a pretty impressive and slick Wall Street drama, starring the dynamic duo of Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis.
Shrewd, savvy lawyer Chuck Rhoades (Giamatti) and the brilliant and ambitious hedge fund king Bobby 'Axe' Axelrod (Lewis) play corporate cat and mouse as each uses their considerable smarts, power and influence to outmanoeuvre the other in the frankly appalling world of New York City high finance.
