There's new documentary series Hell for Leather: The Story of Gaelic Football, Australian drama Scrublands returns, as does Love Island, An Ghig Mhó helps young bands organise gigs, while Jamie Oliver explores dyslexia . . .
Pick of the Day
Hell for Leather: The Story of Gaelic Football, 9.35pm, RTÉ One
Streaming on RTÉ Player
This new, five-part documentary delves into the role of gaelic football in the sporting, cultural and social history of modern Ireland.
Over five years in the making, the series is the first major television history of the game exploring the evolution of gaelic football from its inception to the modern day, and the contribution the sport has made to Irish life.
Filmed in cinema-quality 4K, it also features the final television interviews conducted with GAA icons Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Kerry’s Seán Murphy and Mick O’Dwyer, Dublin’s Jimmy Gray and Mayo’s John O’Mahony.
Chronicling how the game has changed through more than a century of rebellion and revolution, bitter rivalries, triumphs, upsets and comebacks, the series is both a celebration and exploration of a unique arm of Irish life.
Its story is told through the testimonies of players, managers and expert commentators, archive footage and stunning visuals.
The first episode takes viewers on a journey back in time, to the rough and tumble origins of gaelic football.
Episode two will be dropping right after, exclusively on the RTÉ Player.
New or Returning Shows
Scrublands, 10.35pm, RTÉ2
The Australian drama, starring Luke Arnold and Bella Heathcote, returns for a second run.
This time, the cast includes Irish actress Maria Branagan, who plays a character called Toria Doyle.
Returning to his home town after a long absence, journalist Martin's hopes for a peaceful holiday take a U-turn when his childhood friend Jasper is found dead - and the only witness and suspect is his new partner Mandy.
An Ghig Mhór, 8.00pm, RTÉ One
Streaming on RTÉ Player
Up-and-coming bands are paired up with renowned Irish musician mentors, who help them organise and prepare their first big gig in their home towns.
From the sitting room to the stage, the series follows the bands as they attempt to find a venue, sell tickets and deliver the performance of a lifetime.
An Ghig Mhór provides a platform to new emerging Irish bands and shines a light on the hard work, creativity and dedication that goes into putting on your own gig.
In this opening episode, John Spillane helps The Donnys (above) organise a gig in Kilkenny.Folk singer Spillane will share his expertise with the five-piece rock band.
Every band wants to headline Slane, or sell-out Croke Park, but the first step on that ladder is performing your first big gig in your home town.
An Ghig Mhór offers a platform to the next generation of Irish musical talent, with their mentors, family, friends and their home communities encouraging them every step of the way.
BETH, 10.00pm, Channel 4
Sci-fi drama starring Nicholas Pinnock and Abbey Lee as couple Joe and Molly, whose dream of having a child was slipping away.
Just as they turned to adoption, a miracle arrived: a baby girl.
But her birth came shrouded in uncertainty, raising doubts and fears of deception.
Years later, a chance encounter rekindles Joe's unease. Driven by a need for answers, he sets off on a search for the truth, only to uncover a revelation more profound than he ever imagined.
It's a truth that will not only redefine his idea of 'family' but could alter the future of humanity itself.
Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution, 9.00pm, Channel 4
The British chef Jamie Oliver (below) - who is himself dyslexic - examines the challenges and issues faced by children with dyslexia, who are trapped by an archaic education system and unable to unlock their self-confidence and potential.
He speaks to teachers, charities, parents and children who want and need a government intervention, and asks his social media followers to help take the campaign to the UK Government.
Little Fires Everywhere, 10.35pm, RTÉ One
Here’s a Disney drama making its Irish terrestrial debut. It’s based on the 2017 bestseller by Celeste Ng, and stars Reese Witherspoon (below), Kerry Washington and Joshua Jackson.
The picture-perfect lives of the Richardson family are shaken by the mysterious arrival of an enigmatic artist and her daughter in Shaker Heights, an idyllic town founded on the principles of harmony and order.
Shardlake, 9.00pm, UTV
Here’s an historical mystery adapted from CJ Sansom's novels, starring Arthur Hughes, Anthony Boyle and Sean Bean.
In 1536, Matthew Shardlake, a brilliant lawyer with an acute sense of justice, finds his life turned upside down when Henry VIII's right-hand man Thomas Cromwell sends him to the remote monastery of Scarnsea to investigate a murder.
To Shardlake's irritation, he is to be accompanied by Cromwell's arrogant adjutant Jack Barak.
Love Island, 9.00pm, Virgin Media Two
It's back again! Season 12 of the reality show that still gets chins wagging.
A fresh batch of singles - including an Irish entrant - prepare for the summer of a lifetime in the ultimate search for love, with host Maya Jama overseeing proceedings at the villa in Majorca
The Sky at Night, 9.50pm, BBC Four
In a special episode entitled Greenwich: A Journey Through Space and Time, Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Pete Lawrence celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory.
They’re hosting a special dinner party at Flamsteed House in Greenwich for a host of science communicators.
Chris Lintott meets Dr Louise Devoy in the conservation stores of the observatory to look at an object from 1919 that proved Einstein - and a fundamental new property of the universe - right.
Don’t Miss
Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies, 8.00pm, BBC Four
Here’s an interesting spin on a famous event in WWII.
Ben Macintyre brings his best-selling book to the small screen, revealing the true story of five of the double agents who helped to make D-Day such a success.
As well as being a victory of arms and a tactical coup, the event was also a triumph for espionage, deceit and thinking of the most elaborate kind.
