Oliver Callan reflects on the year, there's a look at the tribute band scene in Ireland, Becoming Madonna traces the star’s formative years, and The Repair Shop closes its doors . . .
Callan Kicks The Year 2024, 9.30pm, RTÉ One
Streaming on RTÉ Player
The annual RTÉ tradition returns with a satirical look back on Irish and international events of the year, but in a brand new two-part festive mini-series.
From a Trump load of elections to portals, bike sheds, spies and Swifties, Oliver Callan kicks 2024 with a comedy review of a year we wish we could trade in at a return deposit machine.
From Brat Summer to Kamala’s collapse and Sinn Féin scandals to Simon Harris’ viral disaster, everything worth laughing about features in this essential look back on 2024’s most bizarre and 'ah, here’ moments.
There are Oliver Callan’s spot-on impressions of Mary Lou, Micheál and Simon, alongside the 2 Johnnies, Francis Brennan, Louis Walsh, Taylor Swift and many others.
No headline is safe – from mortifying portals to Oasis tickets or hammy Irish movies Hollywood can’t stop making.
All while Marty parties through Ireland’s best-ever Olympics, a rugby team that wins but still feels like it’s losing, and an international football team we’d all rather forget.
Part two is on RTÉ One tomorrow at 9:50pm.
The Great Pretenders, 6.30pm, RTÉ One
Streaming on RTÉ Player
This documentary explores the vibrant and increasingly popular tribute band scene in Ireland from the perspective of the musicians and the fans.
Behind the mask of every pitch perfect performance, witness individual stories of dedication, expert musicianship and life challenges that bring audiences of all ages together while paying homage to their musical heroes.
This documentary follows the stories of the band members as they try to replicate the sound and the look of music legends.
While some of these bands have made music their full-time commitment, others do it for fun and for the thrill of being on stage in front of a live audience.
Meanwhile, the audience are taken on a journey that not only captivates and educates the younger viewer but allows the more seasoned viewers and fans to renew and relive the sounds of their heroes and icons.
The Repair Shop, 8.00pm, BBC One
It’s the final episode of this run, and Gaspare Frazzitta arrives at the barn with a painting in need of restoration.
Claire Woolston has a treasured family keepsake, a small stained-glass angel, lovingly made for her by her mother in a time of need.
The next visitor is former art school student Colin Bourne, who comes armed with the funkiest pair of pop art shoes for cobbler Dean Westmoreland.
The next item is a challenging restoration for paper conservator Louise Drover as she meets Jaishmin Shah, who’s desperate to preserve the memory of her mum with a well-travelled piece of art.
Becoming Madonna, 9.00pm, Sky Documentaries
Streaming on NOW
This is an unauthorised – so probably more authentic - salute to an uncompromising spirit and a force of nature, someone who’s atrguably the ultimate female music icon of our time.
The origin story of Madonna is a tale of a punk feminist who didn’t care about being slut-shamed, and who refuses to disappear quietly or tastefully – announcing ‘the most controversial thing I ever did was stick around’.
Viewers are promised an intimate and immersive experience as Madonna becomes the artist who conquered the world, in a story told through a wealth of archive and audio interviews.
2024: The Year from Space, 7.30pm, Channel 4
Over 7000 satellites swarm above us, taking millions of images of Earth every day.
This films tells some of the biggest stories of 2024 through awe-inspiring satellite images, offering a unique insight into the beauty and vulnerability of our planet, and humanity, and revealing hidden truths behind many of the year's headlines.
The major events of the year are first seen from space and then unpacked through news archive, user-generated material and commentary from experts and key witnesses back on Earth.
In 2024 there was a solar eclipse, extreme weather, national elections, dramatic solar storms and devastating wildfires.
When a cargo ship hit a bridge in Baltimore (above), the destruction was so extensive it could be seen from hundreds of miles above the Earth.
See TV listings here
