Cillian Murphy, Emma Watson, Baz Ashmawy, and Robert Plant are among our stars for Sunday.
Pick of the Day
Steve
Netflix
It's three out of three for Cillian Murphy - a hat-trick of must-see performances in a row. First, there was his Oscar-winning turn in 2023's Oppenheimer, then last year's Small Things Like These, and now Steve, another character that gives Murphy the opportunity to indulge his love of playing people under pressure. Adapted by author Max Porter from his novella Shy, Steve follows the head teacher at a last-chance school for young offenders in the south of England. The job has swallowed him whole, and as Steve tries to do the best by everyone over the course of 24 hours, the troubles in his own mind intensify. It's a powerful study of mental health in all its complexity and masculinity in all its hues, with Murphy's portrayal tender and troubling in equal measure.
Beauty and the Beast
BBC One, 2:40pm
Mixing old-school charm with a modern-day pride in ensuring that everyone is part of the fun, this 2017 fine-tuning of the fairytale ups the romance, comedy, and action, keeps those favourite numbers front and centre, and throws in a few new ones too. The plot, however, is the same. Belle (Emma Watson) finds herself the - delete when appropriate - prisoner/guest/friend/true love of the cursed prince (Dan Stevens), while Mr Wrong, Gaston (Luke Evans), smarts and schemes back in the village, and we get those life lessons about being brave, listening to your heart, and why appearances can be deceptive (the latter, of course, is of even greater benefit to the adults than the kids). From Watson to the walk-ons, the casting is perfect, with all of the characters more compelling thanks to the - no pun intended - fleshed-out plot. Now, be their guest!
DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland,
RTÉ One, 6:30pm
Baz Ashmawy, he of hard hat and soft heart, returns for a new season of the feelgood show where everyone lends a hand to get the job done. "We went to Mooncoin, we went to Tallaght, and we went to Clarecastle this year (and Wicklow too!)," he tells RTÉ Entertainment of the upcoming episodes. "I think the way things are in the world now, you could lose faith in humanity - and then you go somewhere and you spend 10 days or nine days on a building site with a thousand people and you're just blown away by it. They're just the best people." In episode one, we meet nine-year-old Cayden and his family in Tallaght. Cayden was born with a condition called Arthrogryposis, which affects his hands and feet, and Baz and co's mission is to widen the doors, put in a new bathroom, and install a ramp at Cayden's home.
Later... with Jools Holland
BBC Two Northern Ireland, 10:50pm
Back for - gulp - series 67 - and what a line-up. The legendary Robert Plant showcases his new collective Saving Grace feat. Suzi Dian. They've just released their debut album of the same name, and it's a gem. Also in studio will be London singer-songwriter Olivia Dean with tracks from her second album, The Art of Loving; French singer-songwriter Jehnny Beth with songs from her second album, You Heartbreaker; and Scottish folk musician James Yorkston and Swedish singer Nina Persson - she of The Cardigans fame - who will perform Love That Tree from the album Songs for Nina and Johanna. Completing the opening show's line-up will be British-born Nigerian Joshua Idehen, a spoken word artist, musician, and poet, who premieres It Always Was.
The Long Good Friday
Channel 4, Streaming
Locked in a perpetual battle with Get Carter for the title of Best British Crime Film of All Time, The Long Good Friday gave Bob Hoskins his most celebrated role - in his first movie as a leading man. He plays Harold Shand, the London mobster whose empire comes crashing down over an Easter weekend. Helen Mirren is superb as Shand's other half, Victoria, and a young Pierce Brosnan makes his big-screen debut. What a way to start! Forty-five years on, The Long Good Friday's ending ranks with cinema's best. Breathtaking - no matter how many times you've seen it.
