John Byrne’s TV choices for the week ahead (Dates covered: Monday Jun 15-Friday Jun 19)
New shows on offer include Karen Gillan's US sitcom Selfie and Celebrity MasterChef, while it's goodbye to Game of Thrones, The Zoo and Bones.
Pick of the week
Madam Secretary, Thursday, Sky Living
It's a good sign that this is yet another show that revolves around a strong woman in a position of power - but it took a few episodes to get into a solid political drama that's sneakily addictive. It stars Téa Leoni as the titular Elizabeth Faulkner McCord, a CIA analyst who is promoted to United States Secretary of State. This week's episode could be a crucial one as Elizabeth, Henry and Isabelle dig deep into the plane crash in the show's opening episode that killed former Secretary of State Vincent Marsh, Elizabeth finds reason to suspect that there's a murderer lurking in the White House.
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Star of the week
Karen Gillan
Selfie, Monday, RTÉ2
After bursting on to the TV scene as Amy Pond in Doctor Who in 2010, Scottish actress Karen Gillan became the coolest carrot-head on UK TV. In 2012 she starred in a superb BBC Four drama We'll Take Manhattan, in which she played 1960s' British supermodel Jean Shrimpton. She also had the lead role in last year's supernatural horror movie Oculus. Here's her first lead part in a US TV show.
In the series premiere of sitcom Selfie – which is basically an update of GB Shaw's Pygmalion, or My Fair Lady if you prefer - social media superstar Eliza Dooley (Gillan) has 263,000 followers who hang on to her every post, tweet and selfie. But when a workplace mishap goes viral, she quickly discovers that being insta-famous isn’t all it's cracked up to be and having online friends is not the same as having actual friends. Realising that her life is only filled with shallow relationships, she enlists the help of her company’s marketing expert, Henry (series star John Cho), to rebrand her and teach her how to connect with people in the real world.
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Starting this week
Celebrity MasterChef, Thursday, BBC One
People just can't enough celeb grub. As usual, Gregg Wallace and John Torode will be on hosting duty as the famous and almost famous face the invention test, the relay invention test, a mass-catering challenge, a two-course meal for guest and cooking for actual paying customers in a professional restaurant kitchen.
This year's line-up includes Scott Maslen (aka Jack Brannen on EastEnders), Tish Potter (Holby City's Diane Lloyd), Craig Gazey (Coronation Street's Graeme Proctor) Amanda Donohoe, Sheree Murphy (Emmerdale's Tricia Dingle), Sarah Harding (Girls Aloud), Mica Paris and the legendary Keith Chegwin.
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Hoff the Record, Thursday, Dave
This is a semi-improvised mockumentary about the Baywatch legend seeking to rekindle the dying embers of his career.
The Lie, Friday, TV3
Jonathan McCrea returns with the big money game show that rewards liars.
It's a Funny Old Week, Monday, UTV Ireland
Comic Jason Manford casts a caustic eye over the week's headlines from new, showbiz, sport and culture.
Arts Night, Friday, BBC Two
Next year is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, which will see a year-long celebration of the Bard’s work. But is the focus on his work to the detriment of other Renaissance figures?
Ending this Week
Game of Thrones, Monday, Sky Atlantic
The fifth season of the gore-tastic epic fantasy drama concludes. While Stannis marches, Daenerys is surrounded by strangers. Plus, Cersei seeks forgiveness and Jon is challenged.
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The Zoo, Thursday, RTÉ One
It's happy birth day at the zoo as a new calf is born in the Asian elephant habitat, and a new lion cub arrives.
A Sporting Chance, Wednesday, RTÉ2
Liam and Rosie decide some team building is required so its down to the race track for some high speed go-karting.
Bones, Wednesday, Sky Living
In the gripping season ten finale, the Jeffersonian team discover a crime that bears startling links to the grisly murders of Christopher Pelant.
The Claire Balding Show, Friday, BBC One
Guests include five-time World Snooker champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis and cricketer Graeme Swann.
Drama of the week
Stonemouth, Thursday, BBC Two
Stewart persuades Ellie to help him uncover the mysterious circumstances of Callum’s death, as the two-part romantic mystery, based on the novel by the late Iain Banks, draws to a close. As Stewart delves deeper into the apparent suicide of his best friend he uncovers secrets and lies in Stonemouth’s close-knit community. He soon realises that his questions are ruffling feathers- even his godfather, local businessman Mike McAvett, is behaving strangely, quizzing Stewart and warning him off.
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Comedy of the week
Modern Family, Monday, Sky 1
As the family comes together at Jay and Gloria’s to celebrate the graduation of brainbox Alex Dunphy, father Phil is devastated to be missing the momentous occasion thanks to an ear infection that prevents him from flying home after a business trip to Seattle. Nothing keeps Phil away from a party, or his daughter’s big day, and with the help of some snazzy gadgets he manages to be there every step of the way – well, almost every step.
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On Demand
Ray Donovan, from Thursday, Sky Atlantic
Sopranos' fans should enjoy the first two seasons of this gritty drama starring Liev Schreiber as LA’s best professional fixer, Ray Donovan. He's the man who makes the city’s celebrities’, superstar athletes’ and business moguls’ most complicated and explosive situations go away. The only problems he can’t solve, in fact, are his own. The absorbing series unfolds when Ray’s father (Jon Voight in top form) is unexpectedly released from prison, setting off a chain of events that shakes the family to its core. Season three arrives in July, by the way.
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Documentary of the week
Lenihan: A Legacy, Tuesday, RTÉ One
This is a brand-new three-part series about three men, three families, three legacies from three different realms of Irish life: politics, business and sports. This opener focuses on Brian Lenihan, the inheritor of an Irish political dynasty, Fianna Fáil party stalwart and Minister for Finance during a time of unprecedented crisis - both economic and personal. The story begins with the family's Civil War connections, a Midlands to Dublin political shift and a father who faced his own health and political crises. It will also look at the impact Brian’s key role in government had on the economics and politics of Ireland—including the loss of his leadership potential to Fianna Fáil as a party.
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Film of the Week
Boyhood, Friday, Sky Movies Premiere
Richard Linklater delivers a 12-year labour of love with this remarkable depiction of a boy’s journey into adulthood. The film follows Mason (Ellar Coltrane) from the age of six to the age of 18, through the difficulties of family life, school, girls and everything else that growing up can encompass. Shot with the same cast, who age in real time, Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke star as Mason’s estranged parents, with Linklater’s daughter Lorelei plays his sister Samantha. Though Boyhood is primarily Mason’s story, all four characters go on a pretty compelling journey.
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