It's a busy night with the belated return of Strictly Come Dancing, Spice Girl Mel C is on The Late Late Show, Adrian Dunbar stars in Ridley, there's a Sidney Poitier documentary, and gritty French drama Athena . . .
Pick of the Day
Strictly Come Dancing, 7.00pm, BBC One
The new season of Strictly begins six days late – which means you can see the next episode - the first live show - tomorrow.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman host the launch of the 20th season, joined by judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse.
They welcome the 15 new celebrities to the Strictly ballroom who will compete on the dancefloor for this year’s Strictly crown.
Featuring a guest appearance by John Legend, along with last year's champions Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice reprising their winning routine.
Don’t Miss
The Late Late Show, 9.35pm, RTÉ One
Tonight's show features Spice Girl Mel C (below), who will talk to Ryan Tubridy about her new memoir, Who I Am, and what it was like to be part of one of the biggest music groups in history.
Singer-songwriter Paul Brady will talk about his career, Irish athlete Ciara Mageean has an amazing year to reflect on, while retired RTÉ Northern Editor Tommie Gorman will reflect on a broadcasting career of over 40 years, and Louis Walsh launches his new boyband, Next in Line.
Irish Olympic medal winner Sonia O'Sullivan will also be dropping by tonight to celebrate Ciara Mageean's record-breaking success.
Baby Driver, 9.30pm, RTÉ2
If you’re looking for an alternative to The Late Late Show, this car chase/romantic drama/musical should tick several boxes. It's a smashing movie.
Writer/director Edgar Wright's Bafta-winning, music-themed action thriller, starring Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey and Jon Hamm, and it’s a fun ride.
After being coerced into working for a crime boss, Baby, a young getaway driver with tinnitus, takes part in a heist which seems doomed to fail, especially as the characters involved lose touch with reality as events spiral out of control.
Roy Orbison: Love Hurts, 9.00pm, BBC Four
Another chance to see this riveting and moving documentary revealing Orbison's legacy as a beloved rock legend and a devoted father through intimate interviews with his three sons.
Alex, Roy Jr and Wesley Orbison discuss the immense talent and fierce determination that provided the driving force behind their father's success and how his family life offered a strong spiritual base to escape the pressures of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle.
If you haven’t seen it before, it’s a great insight into the life and career of a giant of 20th Century music.
It’s followed at 10pm by Roy Sings Orbison, where he performs some of his greatest hits, including Only the Lonely, Crying, Penny Arcade, Blue Bayou, Running Scared, Candy Man, In Dreams, Mean Woman Blues, It's Over, Oh and Pretty Woman.
New or Returning Shows
Culture Night - Live at Lough Boora, 7.00pm, RTÉ One
As part of Culture Night, here’s an event from Lough Boora featuring music and entertainment to celebrate the bog and the important role it has played in preserving Ireland's heritage and the story of its past, with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
Ridley, 9.00pm, Virgin Media One
Adrian Dunbar stars in this British police procedural drama in four standalone stories created and written by Paul Matthew Thompson - the creator of the police drama Vera - and Jonathan Fisher.
When a local farmer is found dead, retired detective Alex Ridley is called upon by his former colleague and protegee DI Carol Farman to assist on an unsolved missing person's case
As they delve deeper, they uncover another body, and a shocking secret.
Am I Being Unreasonable? 9.50pm, BBC One
Postponed from last Friday, this is a brand-new comedy thriller, written by and starring Daisy May Cooper and Selin Hizli.
Bored within her depressing marriage, Nic is haunted by a secluded fact that she cannot share with anyone. Only her son, who she adores, keeps her going.
But when fellow mum Jen arrives in town her life is lit up with laughter and through this kindred soul her dark secret starts to bubble up.
Ghosts, 8.30pm, BBC One
The spectral sitcom starring Charlotte Ritchie, Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Simon Farnaby, returns for another run.
When we rejoin Mike and Alison - and their home's collection of ghosts - they're welcoming the very first guests to their new bijoux B&B.
While serving the couple breakfast, Alison realises that they are not enjoying their break and, fearing a bad review, utilises the surprising skills of Lady Button and Julian to ensure the pair make the most of their weekend away.
Thomas is perplexed yet secretly thrilled by the sudden attention from the Plaguers, who, after admiring Alison's discarded portrait of him now offers celebrity status in Button House, hanging on to his every word.
New to Stream
Sidney, Apple TV+
From producer Oprah Winfrey and directed by Reginald Hudlin, this revealing documentary honours the legendary Sidney Poitier and his legacy.
Not just an iconic actor and groundbreaking Oscar winner, he was also a filmmaker and activist at the centre of Hollywood and the Civil Rights Movement.
Featuring candid interviews with Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Robert Redford, Lenny Kravitz, Barbra Streisand, Spike Lee and many more, the film was produced by Derik Murray, in close collaboration with the Poitier family.
Athena, Netflix
Here’s a gritty French drama directed by Romain Gavras that was screened at the recent Venice Film Festival. If you liked La Haine, you’ll probably enjoy this too.
After the death of his youngest brother following an alleged police altercation, Abdel (Dali Benssalah) is called back from the frontline to find his family torn apart.
Caught between his younger brother Karim’s (Sami Slimane) desire for revenge and the criminal dealings of his older brother Moktar (Ouassini Embarek), he struggles to calm the rising tensions.
As the situation escalates, their community ATHENA is transformed into a fortress under siege, becoming a scene of tragedy for both the family and beyond.
