John Byrne’s TV choices for the week ahead (Fri Feb 08 - Thu Feb 15).
New drama Vegas arrives on Sky Atlantic, Raw is coming to an end, and Simon Delaney hosts the IFTAs. There’s a busy week of telly-viewing ahead, folks.
Pick of the Week: Vegas (Thursday, Sky Atlantic)
Did someone say ‘Viva’? It’s 1960, and the place to be is Las Vegas. The bright lights are barely broken-in but the city is already brimming with high-rollers, showgirls and partygoers looking for a good time. Among them is troublesome Chicago gangster Vincent Savino (Michael Chiklis), who has opened up the latest grand casino on The Strip. His presence is welcomed by the top brass in the city, but as far as rancher and former cop Ralph Lamb (Dennis Quaid) is concerned, he’s just another nuisance ruining this once-quiet corner of Nevada.
Lamb is happy to tend his cattle as long as the city boys keep out of his way. But when a dead body turns up on the interstate highway and the incumbent sheriff is nowhere to be found, mayor Ted Bennett (Michael O’Neill) calls on his buddy for help.
Star of the week: Simon Delaney
Irish Film and Television Awards (Saturday, RTÉ One)
Great to see a ‘Good Edenmore Man’ (© James Eustace) such as Simon Delaney (he's the one in black, by the way) get the gig once again to host the one truly notable annual red carpet event that’s held in Ireland. The Irish Film and Television Awards (or IFTAs) is always a major celebrity event, and this year notches up its tenth time honouring the great and the good of Ireland’s TV and movie talent. Among those up for awards are Love/Hate star Peter Coonan, Ray D’Arcy and Dermot Bannon. Should be great fun (if you like that sort of thing).
Starting this week: Spartacus: War of the Damned (Monday, Sky One)
The last-ever outing of the X-rated Roman drama, so no loss there. Creator Steven DeKnight promises "this season is on a scale you just can’t even imagine", a sentiment echoed by leading man Liam McIntyre: "It ends with every piece of epic that you’d expect from the show." As for the story, after building on the defeat of Commander Gaius Claudius Glaber with a string of major victories, Spartacus (McIntyre) now leads an army of more than 30,000 rebel slaves, and he’s set his sights on Rome’s corrupt elite.
Also starting this week:
Dermot’s Secret Garden (Thursday, RTÉ One)
Back after a brave battle against cancer, Dermot O’Neill’s working on restoring his Victorian walled garden.
Black Mirror (Monday, Channel 4)
Charlie Brooker’s show returns with the tale of a woman who seeks the help of a service that helps people stay in touch with the deceased.
Spiral 4: State of Terror (Saturday, BBC Four)
Borgen may be gone, but the subtitles remain as the French language cop drama returns for a fourth season.
Ending this week: Raw (Sunday, RTÉ One)
So here it is – the season five finale. The day arrives for Geoff (Damon Gameau) to scatter Pavel’s ashes. He now has a decision to make about whether to return to Australia to take over the family restaurant or to stay at RAW. Jojo (Charlene McKenna), surprising everyone by returning from Egypt to attend her Mum’s graduation, helps him to make up his mind. Meanwhile Kate (Kelly Gough) has a nasty surprise, Staunton (Enda Oates) has sold the building and wants his money, which gives Zoe (Amy Manson) a problem because she has ‘borrowed’ Kate’s money to help cover up Shane’s (Keith McErlean) financial problems following the wine con. Elsewhere, Fiona (Aisling O’Sullivan) surprises Max (Cristian Solimeno) by inviting him on a date. Emma (Tara Lee) has to decide what to do about Brian (Dermot Murphy) and Philip (Sam Keeley), as ever, is on hand to help.
Also ending this week:
Lewis (Monday, UTV)
Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox star as Inspector Robbie Lewis and as his partner DS James Hathaway in the season seven finale of Lewis, which sees the pair once again investigating murders against the back drop of the ancient city of Oxford. Is this the end of the line for Lewis?
Drama of the week: Revenge (Tuesday, RTÉ Two)
Anyone else getting a little bit bored with season two as each new layer moves the show further away from its essence? Well, things are set to get even more complicated in this seventh episode as Mason Treadwell delves further into Emily's past. Meanwhile, Kara begins to unravel, putting the Graysons in her crosshairs.
Comedy of the week: On the Couch (Tuesday, TV3)
Created and performed by Barbara Bergin and Gary Cooke, this is a comedy about three couples entering therapy for the first time. This brand new TV3 series aims to explore the uncomfortable space between who we are and who we’d like to think we are. And who wouldn’t want to sneak a peek inside other people’s relationships?
Documentary of the week: Mourinho (Tuesday, UTV)
No one likes him, he don’t care. One of the most successful football coaches of modern times, Portuguese balloon-pricker José Mourinho also has the uncanny ability to rub people – especially his rivals – up the wrong way. His record is hugely impressive, from his truly remarkable time at Porto to successful stints at Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid, and this – as they say – is his story.
