John Byrne’s TV choices for the week ahead (Dates covered: Sat Sept 6 – Friday 12)
Plenty of new and returning shows this week – from Imelda May to Strictly and a Michael Bay-directed drama, but sadly it's also goodbye to Veep.
Pick of the week
The Last Ship (Fridays, Sky 1)
This is the second time Michael Bay - the director behind the Bad Boys and Transformers franchises - has waded into small screen waters and this ten-part, post-apocalyptic drama promises plenty of breakneck action from the start. After four months of radio silence, Captain Tom Chandler (a now beardless Eric Dane, from Grey's Anatomy) and the 200-plus crew of the USS Nathan James are leaving the Arctic and heading home - or so they think. A seemingly routine mission takes an unexpected turn when they come under attack from a renegade team of Russian forces. A sceptical Chandler wants to know the real reason behind their voyage, answers duly provided by scientist Dr Rachel Scott (Rhona Mitra, Strike Back). Cue the bad news. While the USS Nathan James has been out at sea, 80% of the planet's population has been wiped out by a global pandemic, a killer virus for which Scott has been tasked to find a cure.
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Star of the week
Imelda May
The Imelda May Show (Sundays, RTÉ One)
Following the great success of her Saint Patrick's Day special, Imelda May's back and hosting her own TV series. Filmed in front of a live studio audience, The Imelda May Show will feature chat and live performances from legendary musicians as well as brand new acts from Ireland and around the world. Here's a flavour: Mary Black, Aslan, The Script, Paolo Nutini, Jools Holland, Wanda Jackson, The Riptide Movement, Damien Dempsey, Sinead O’Connor and many more. Programme one features Jools Holland, Mary Black, Donal Lunny, Zoe Conway and Mairtin O’Connor and the Riptide Movement.
Fans of the show can also watch extra exclusive online content on RTÉ Player, including additional performances and interviews with artists from The Imelda May Show, exclusive to RTÉ Player.
On Radio 1 each Friday beginning September 5, Imelda May will take over the Ronan Collins slot for ten minutes between 12.15 and 12.30pm. During this segment she will introduce two songs and discuss the acts that people can catch on her television show the following Sunday.
Here are highlights from the original Imelda May Show:
Starting this week
Houdini (Sundays, Channel 4)
This two-part US drama follows the epic tale of legendary illusionist and stunt performer Harry Houdini as he emerges as America's first bona fide, world-renowned superstar. From humble beginnings at circus sideshows to sold-out concert halls, Eastern European immigrant Erich Weiss rose to become a household name - Houdini – all across the globe. Academy Award-winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist) stars as Harry Houdini as he finds fame, engages in espionage, battles spiritualists and encounters the greatest names of the era, from US presidents to Arthur Conan Doyle and Rasputin. This could be great fun.
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Also starting this week:
Strictly Come Dancing (Sundays, BBC One)
The celebrity dance contest returns with a dazzling red carpet premiere, as the cast of 2014 – including Mrs Brown's Boys' Jennifer Gibney - is introduced to viewers.
The Design Doctors (Thursdays, RTÉ One)
Back for a second series with a new dynamic design duo, Aoife Rhattigan and Garry Cohn. The show gives viewers a sneak peek into the world of interior design and allows us to see just how the designers create such unique concepts, execute them meticulously, all while giving confidence and inspiration to six desperate homeowners.
Women on the Inside (Mondays, RTÉ One)
New two-part documentary series filmed behind the walls of Ireland’s women prisons and depicts life inside, allowing us a rare glimpse into a world so few of us see.
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Alan Carr: Chatty Man (Fridays, Channel 4)
Fresh from the disastrous The Singer Takes it All, Alan Carr's back on more familiar and firmer territory, his opening guests include Jack Whitehall, Jon Richardson and Matt Forde, while Kasabian perform live in the studio.
Up for the Match (Saturday, RTÉ One)
The first of this year's two Saturday night GAA fans' specials sees Des Cahill and Gráinne Seoige return to hosting duties ahead of the All-Ireland Hurling Final between Kilkenny and Tipperary.
Scott & Bailey (Wednesdays, UTV)
Six brides-to-be are doing just that when they allow an undercover comedy actress to infiltrate their special weekend and reap havoc.
Celebrity Squares (Wednesday, UTV)
Yep. It's back.
Perception (Thursday, Alibi)
Delightfully light, quirky procedural starring Eric McCormack as Dr. Daniel J. Pierce, a schizophrenic neuro-psychiatrist and college professor, who is enlisted by the FBI to assist on some of their most complex cases.
Loose Women (Weekdays, UTV)
The gang return for a new run with more of the usual topical, lively debates, as they discuss the issues that matter to viewers at home - while having lots of laughs along the way.
Ending this week
Veep (Wednesdays, Sky Atlantic)
While it lacks the almost psychotic edge of its British inspiration The Thick of It, Veep has developed into one of the best comedies of recent years, with Julia Louis-Dreyfuss in magnificent, multi-award-winning form as VP Selina Meyer. The third season of Armando Iannucci’s biting political comedy concludes with a double bill of episodes. In the first, the team try to work out how to make her more ‘folksy’ to combat for former baseball coach Joe Thornhill’s lead in the polls. In the season finale, the team celebrate Selina’s impending promotion.
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Also ending this week:
Banshee (Mondays, Sky Atlantic)
Typically, all hell breaks loose in a blissfully anarchic conclusion that tees up the confirmed third season rather nicely.
In the Club (Tuesdays, BBC One)
A twinge in Vicky’s abdomen causes panic when her Parentcraft friends think she’s in labour. But all is not as it seems.
Drama of the week
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (Sunday, UTV)
Tenacious ‘private inquiry agent’ Jack Whicher, played by Paddy Considine, returns. Whicher is drawn into a high‐stakes case when Sir Edward Shore, the former Home Secretary comes to him with a delicate problem. His son, Charles has returned from India, post Mutiny, with his young family. Charles won’t be drawn on the circumstances but reveals an Indian man, Asim Jabour, has followed him to England and has used threating behaviour. Whicher agrees to try and find Asim and put a stop to the threat to the family; he understands that the wrong kind of attention to the situation could place Sir Edward's reputation in jeopardy.
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Comedy of the week
Mom (Tuesday, RTÉ Two)
This is pretty much run-of-the-mill stuff from Chuck Lorre, but any show that features the wonderful Alison Janney is always worth a look, and a couple of weeks ago she won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy for her role as Bonnie Plunkett, the grandmother in Mom. In this week's episode, mom Christy is nervous about going on a romantic weekend getaway with Adam. Meanwhile, restaurant manager Gabriel's wife, Claudia, suspects he is cheating and seeks comfort from Christy.
Here's an interview with Alison Janney on US TV:
On Demand
The Blacklist, Sky Living
Here's a chance to catch up with the entire first season of this fun drama about a major crook helping the FBI for his own ends. James Spader is fantastic as Raymond ‘Red’ Reddington, a suave criminal with contacts that could bring the world to its knees. He’ll tell the FBI all his secrets, but only if agent Elizabeth Keen works with him. Why her?
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Documentary of the week
The Bee (Sunday, RTÉ One)
Award-winning director Garry Keane meets some of the amazing children taking part in the Eason Spelling Bee 2014 as they prepare for the biggest test of their young lives. Children from over 1000 schools from all 32 counties of Ireland took part. From the County finals to the nerve-wrecking Provincial Finals on RTÉ 2fm’s Tubridy, these children experienced tension, panic, disappointment and elation with every word and every syllable spelled as the nation listened with bated breath.
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Film of the Week
Star Trek (Friday, RTÉ One)
JJ Abrams gave the old Enterprise a major reboot with this 2009 origin film, featuring Chris Pine as a young James T Kirk and Zachray Quinto as a near-perfect son of Nimoy version of Spock.
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