Viva Mary tells the story of a remarkable Connemara woman, there's gothic drama on the double with Fall of the House of Usher and Interview with the Vampire, while Cobra: Rebellion returns for a third run . . .
Pick of the Day
Viva Mary, 10.15pm, RTÉ One
Streaming on RTÉ Player
This documentary’s about a 90-year-old Connemara woman, showcasing her roles as a devoted grandmother, an inspiring mother, a caring friend, an intrepid sailor, a talented musician, a proud emigrant, and a witty storyteller.
Mary is a vibrant 90-year-old who embodies an insatiable zest for life. Her extraordinary story encompasses feminism, emigration, art and education.
Growing up in impoverished Connemara, she witnesses the subjugation of women, but was also guided by her father’s love for art and the west of Ireland.
After World War II, she defies conventions by dedicating herself to educating disabled children in England.
In her retirement, she embarks on a daring Mediterranean solo sailing life.
Through poignant conversations, Mary shares her life, passions, and fears, offering an eloquent portrait of strength and the evolving role of women in Ireland.
Don’t Miss
Cheap Irish Homes, 7.00pm, RTÉ One
Streaming on RTÉ Player
This week’s episode sees Maggie Molloy and Kieran McCarthy (below) meet Avril and Robert, and their daughter Abby.
The couple made an agreement when they first met that one day they would move close to Avril's home in Co Cork.
When Maggie meets them, Avril and Robert are looking for a countryside location, not too far from Avril's family in Glanmire, and want a home where they can grow as a family.
Maze, 9.40pm, RTÉ2
Starring Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (below), Barry Ward and Martin McCann, this drama was inspired by the true events of the infamous 1983 prison breakout of 38 IRA prisoners from the Maze.
The audacious operation was to become the biggest prison escape in Europe since the days of Second World War.
Taskmaster, 9.00pm, Channel 4
Even if you’ve never seen this hugely entertaining show, it’s easy to pick up at any point. How about tonight?
Alex Horne sets Julian Clary, Lucy Beaumont, Sam Campbell, Sue Perkins and Susan Wokoma another set of challenges, before Greg Davies (below) leads the debrief and score-giving back in the studio.
The episode sees Alex having to choke down some vaguely cylindrical meals created by the five contestants.
Greg watches in wonder, delight - and sometimes disgust - as Lucy gets her flowers mixed up, Sam regrets a trip abroad, Julian orders some edible pants and Susan shakes her head at Sue sniffing a door.
Don’t Look Now, 10.10pm, BBC Four
Nicholas Roeg's superb supernatural thriller based on Daphne du Maurier's short story, with Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, is rightly regarded as a classic.
It's also quite disturbing on several levels. I've seen it many times and it still freaks me out. It also shows the spooky side to Venice, one of the most enchanting cities on the planet.
Sutherland and Christie play a couple trying to get over the death of their daughter who head to Venice, where they are shocked by a psychic's claim that the child is trying to contact them.
Although the wife believes her story, the husband remains sceptical - until he begins to be troubled by spectral visions of his own.
Followed at 12 midnight by Scene By Scene: Donald Sutherland.
Most famous for his work in the 1970s with roles in M*A*S*H and Don't Look Now, he talks to Mark Cousins about his life and work, and reveals why he has become known as one of Hollywood's most versatile actors.
New or Returning Shows
Interview with the Vampire, 9.00pm, BBC Two
Here’s a Gothic horror series based on Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles, starring Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid and Eric Bogosian.
It’s set in the present day, so it’s a lot more than just a straightforward TV version of the 1994 movie directed by Neil Jordan, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt
In Dubai, 2022, journalist Daniel Molloy questions Louis de Pointe du Lac - and not for the first time, while in 1910 New Orleans, young Creole Louis encounters the enigmatic and magnetic Lestat.
Life - and death, of course - would never be the same.
Cobra: Rebellion, 9.00pm, Sky Max
Streaming on NOW
Season 3 opens with an unforeseen environmental disaster that causes enormous destruction and loss of life, and the consequences are far reaching for the UK Prime Minister.
The subsequent investigation leads Sutherland and his team to realise that all may not be as it appears.
Embarking on a quest to discover the truth, they find something disturbing and disruptive underneath.
The crisis spirals to encompass not only the urgent threat of environmental destruction, but also the malignant corruption of the arms industry and the rise of shadowy corporate security firms.
Robert Carlyle remains in office at Number 10 alongside Victoria Hamilton, who is back as Chief of Staff Anna Marshall.
Jane Horrocks also joins the cast, entering the cabinet as the new populist Defence Secretary, Victoria Dalton.
Colin from Accounts, 9.00pm, RTÉ2
Streaming on RTÉ Player
If you missed this quirky, low-key Australian comedy first time around, it’s well worth a look.
Starring Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer, it’s a tale of an unlikely couple, brought together by a canine catastrophe.
Gordon's day goes from bad to worse when he is distracted by the impulsive actions of attractive stranger Ashley, and accidentally hits a stray dog with his car.
New to Stream
The Fall of the House of Usher, Netflix
This mini-series is based on the acclaimed Edgar Allan Poe short story (and some of his other work), which was previously made into a film on several occasions.
Typically, it includes themes of madness, family, isolation, and metaphysical identities. The story itself is about two siblings who are battling for their father’s business empire.
Ending Today
The Lovers, 9.00pm, Sky Atlantic
Streaming on NOW
Here’s the final episode of the dramedy about foul-mouthed supermarket worker Janet (Roisin Gallagher) and political broadcaster Seamus (Johnny Flynn).
It's all over between Janet and Seamus, but Janet's boss urges her not to give up on the relationship.
Can they face the truth about their pasts and find a way back to each other?
