Colin Farrell narrates From That Small Island, BBC drama The Gold returns for a new run, Ocean with David Attenborough is the latest must-see nature doc, while Kilkenny meet Galway in the Leinster Hurling Final . . .
Pick of the Day
From That Small Island, 6.30pm, RTÉ One
Streaming on RTÉ Player
Narrated by Colin Farrell, this new series traces 8,000 years of Irish history. No mean feat.
It's a sweeping four-part documentary that brings to life the extraordinary story of the Irish people, from the island's very first inhabitants to the global diaspora that now numbers over 80 million people.
From That Small Island explores questions such as: Who are the Irish? Where did they come from? Why does the world turn green every Saint Patrick’s Day?
Created by writer and filmmaker Bríona NicDhiarmada, it’s produced by the award-winning team behind 1916: The Irish Rebellion.
The series pledges to paint an epic portrait of a people whose impact reaches far beyond these island shores. It also features an original score from Irish composer Colm Mac Con Iomaire.
Shot on location in 17 countries worldwide, across the island of Ireland and from Barbados to Belgium, Singapore to Switzerland, UAE to the United States, the series provides a broad narrative of Ireland and the Irish.
In the first episode, viewers are taken back to the ancient Céide Fields and introduced to the earliest settlers, including the remarkable discovery of the remains of a baby with the Down Syndrome gene, cared for and breastfed over 5,000 years ago.
The series then moves through millennia, from the Viking invasions and Christianization of Ireland to the modern era, spotlighting personal stories and seldom-told truths.
It’s a journey through time, identity, and the enduring spirit of a people whose story continues to help shape the world.
New or Returning Shows
The Gold, 9.00pm, BBC One
The crime drama about the 1983 Brink's-Mat robbery is back, inspired by some of the theories around what happened to the rest of the £26 million gold bullion heist never recovered by police.
The police chase the other half of the stolen gold when it resurfaces. Meanwhile, in Tenerife, John Palmer's successful timeshare business starts to attract unwanted attention.
Our Yorkshire Shop: A Victorian Restoration, 8.00pm, Channel 4
This documentary explores plans to restore a derelict grocer's shop in Masham, to create an elegant cafe and historic bakery, in a bid to revitalise the town.
Joiner Ian Johnson makes a start by restoring the tatty shop front, discovering beautiful period windows and the shop's old 1900s awning hidden under decades of dirt.
New to Stream
Ocean with David Attenborough, Disney+
National Geographic is partnering for the very first time with the world’s preeminent natural historian, David Attenborough, on a feature-length documentary special about the health of the world’s Ocean.
Presented by the 98-year-old broadcaster, the film explains how we can, and must, restore the glory of Earth's vast, interconnected waters.
After filming nearly every aspect of the natural world, Attenborough delivers what promises to be his most powerful message yet.
In this feature-length special, he draws on his lifetime of knowledge and experience to take us on a journey of wonder through the planet’s most spectacular undersea habitats.
He’ll also be revealing that we are currently living in the greatest age of ocean discovery and showing beyond doubt that it is the most important place on Earth.
While Attenborough exposes the biggest problems facing our Ocean, his story is one of hope, and that in front of us is an opportunity for marine life to recover on a scale no one alive has ever seen before.
Don’t Miss
JFK: The Three Miles, 8.05pm, RTÉ2
Here’s another chance to see then US President John F Kennedy's journey through Galway in 1963.
This was a public attempt to reshape America's perception of Ireland and forge bonds between the two nations.
The impression of Kennedy's visit is told from the perspectives of people who were present in Galway on the day he visited.
Walking with Dinosaurs, 6.30pm, BBC One
In Utah, 130 million years ago, a band of armoured dinosaurs battle to reach adulthood, pursued by a group of utahraptors, some of the most formidable predators that have ever lived.
It's a deadly game of cat and mouse that pits heavy armour against vicious claws and lethal cunning and builds to a final showdown amongst the flames of a burning forest.
Sunday Cinema
Four Weddings and a Funeral, 10.30pm, BBC One
Richard Curtis's comedy, with Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, John Hannah, Charlotte Coleman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Simon Callow and James Fleet, makes for a pleasant and familiar end to Sunday viewing.
You might know the basic story: Hugh Grant plays a London man whose misfortunes in love look set to change when he meets an American beauty – played by Andie MacDowell.
But the prospect of a transatlantic relationship succeeding seems slim, so the pair go their separate ways - only for him to realise he is unable to get her out of his mind.
Field of Dreams, 6.15pm, RTÉ2
This film’s like Frank Capra in a baseball cap. Only a cynic would dismiss it.
It’s a very American fantasy – with a universal sentimentality - starring Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, Burt Lancaster and James Earl Jones.
Costner stars as Ray Kinsella, a farmer who hears a mysterious voice inspiring him to mark out a baseball diamond in a cornfield - which, to his surprise, is visited by the ghost of the star player of the 1919 Chicago Black Sox.
This player’s career was cut short by scandal, though he went to his grave claiming innocence.
It later dawns on Ray that the pitch has a greater purpose - to give people who have sacrificed important parts of their lives a second chance.
Family Flick
The Secret Life of Pets 2, 3.45pm, BBC One
Animated sequel, featuring the voices of Patton Oswalt, Kevin Hart (below) and Harrison Ford.
Max the terrier encounters canine-intolerant cows, hostile foxes and a scary turkey when he visits the countryside.
Luckily for the lovable dog, he soon catches a break when he meets Rooster, a gruff farm dog who tries to cure the pooch of his neuroses.
Sport
The Sunday Game Live, 1.30pm, RTÉ2
Streaming on RTÉ Player
It’s another GAA double-header as Kildare face Laois and Kilkenny meet Galway (Throw-ins 1.45pm and 4pm).
Joanne Cantwell presents coverage of the Joe McDonagh Cup final, followed by the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship final, both from Croke Park.
Last season's runners-up Laois were looking to go one better than last season against a Kildare side that were promoted after winning the 2024 Christy Ring Cup.
Kilkenny were looking to win this trophy for the sixth successive year, but Galway have shown considerable signs of improvement since their loss to today's opponents in their opening group match.
Also today: Live UEFA Nations League, 7.30pm on Virgin Media Two.
Tommy Martin presents coverage of the Nations League Final (KO 8pm) at Allianz Arena in Munich. It's an all-Iberian final as Portugal face Spain after beating Germany and France respectively in the midweek semi-finals..
Beaten semi-finalists France and Germany meet in the third place play-off, also live on Virgin Media Two from 1.50pm..
