John Byrne’s TV choices for the week ahead (Dates covered: Monday Dec 8 – Friday Dec 12).
There's a night with Olly Murs, plenty of Christmas food shows, and Person of Interest just keeps rolling along . . .
Pick of the week
Person of Interest, Monday, RTÉ 2
Straight after last week's season two finale, Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel are back for the third season of this fun procedural. In case you've missed it so far, it's about an ex-CIA agent, John Reese (Caviezel), and a mysterious billionaire, Harold Finch (Emerson), who prevent violent crimes by using an all-seeing Machine that can predict the events before they happen. In the third season premiere it's Fleet Week in New York City, making the hunt for one Naval Officer among a sea of sailors even more difficult for Reese, Finch and Shaw.
Star of the week
Olly Murs
A Night with Olly Murs, Friday, UTV
In this one-hour entertainment special, Olly performs some of his best known hits as well as more recent material from his new album, Never Been Better. He's accompanied in the studio by a live band, and the show features exclusive celebrity appearances and amusing moments.
Here's Olly singing Wrapped Up:
Starting this week
The Librarians, Monday, Syfy UK
Rebecca Romijn is among the cast in this promising show about a group of librarians who set off on adventures in an effort to save mysterious, ancient artefacts. Sounds a bit like Warehouse 13, which was great fun.
The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, Wednesday, UTV
In December 2010, retired school teacher Christopher Jefferies, (Jason Watkins) a Bristol resident in his 60s, goes through his orderly morning routine. However, his life is about to be turned inside out when one of his tenants, Joanna Yeates, disappears without a trace just before Christmas. As the investigation gathers momentum suspicion soon turns to those who live close to her and as a keyholder and landlord Christopher is questioned. What follows is a descent into chaos and a living nightmare for Jefferies. The concluding second part is on Thursday, December 11.
Jamie's Christmas Crackers, Monday, Channel 4
Jamie Oliver shows how to wow friends and families with amazing recipes to raise the Christmas spread to the next level. In his Essex kitchen, Jamie makes a selection of his favourite dishes, from family gatherings to party time specials, including beef Wellington and steamed goose buns.
Neven Maguire: Home Chef Christmas Special, Monday, RTÉ One
Neven Maguire serves up some impressive but easy to create festive dishes. For a starter he makes a platter with air-dried beef, continental-style ham and rocket rolls, pickled beetroot and goats' cheese, and spiced beef croquettes. This year's method for cooking a turkey crown is with spiced butter, then there's cider-glazed ham, followed by chocolate truffles and a spectacular plum pudding parfait.
Choose or Lose, Monday, RTÉ 2
This new series is a comedy panel show hosted by Eoghan McDermott. Two teams, captained by Alison Spittle and Keith Farnan, battle it out over a series of rather silly ‘would you rather’ dilemmas. Teams score points if they match the public’s choices and there's a selection of vox pops from around the country to back up the statistics.
Ending this week
Maia Dunphy's What Women Want, Thursday, RTÉ 2
Many people's perception of what is attractive has become skewed, with worrying consequences. Do people ever really look like their social media photographs? Was the no make-up selfie phenomenon just one big scam? What makes a perfect beauty queen? Do beautiful people really have an easier life? Maia Dunphy comes up with some answers.
Toast of London, Monday, Channel 4
Lorna, an old flame of Toast's turns up in London. He hasn't seen her since they starred in an American soap opera in the 80s. But is Lorna still in love with him, or is she using Toast to make her husband Josh Homme, of the rock band Queens of The Stone Age, jealous?
Drama of the week
The Missing, Tuesday, BBC One
This tense drama starring James Nesbitt and Frances O'Connor is compelling, but a happy ending isn't in sight. In 2009 it's three years after Oliver’s disappearance and no significant progress has been made in the case. Tony and Emily’s marriage is hanging by a thread but then a surprise turn of events brings both Tony and Emily back to Chalons du Bois for the first time since 2006. In the present day, the information that Tony, Julien and Emily received gives them a tenuous lead. With Tony and Emily back in Chalons Du Bois and finally making progress in the case, there is a thawing in their relationship.
Comedy of the week
Not Going Out, Friday, BBC One
In what will almost certainly be the last-ever episode of the gag-tastic sitcom written by and starring Lee Mack, Lee spends time in the bar with Toby worrying that the woman of his dreams is drifting further away. Surely he's going to end with Lucy?
On Demand
Marco Polo, Friday, Netflix
This is yet another new series from Netflix, and apparently their most expensive yet. Featuring a global cast – smart, from a Netflix point of view – this drama is based on the famed explorer's adventures in Kublai Khan's court in 13th century China.
Documentary of the week
Through The Roof: Rental Crisis, Monday, RTÉ One
This observational documentary aims to balance the experience of both landlords and tenants during Dublin’s busy 2014 autumn rental season. It’s a snapshot of the city’s private rental sector amid a critical housing and homelessness crisis. Characters and stories from both sides find pressures, conflicts and challenges in the everyday of renting or letting: from desperate tenants searching for a home or facing possible eviction, to landlords under severe financial pressures.
Film of the Week
Her, Friday, Sky Movies Premiere
Spike Jonze is noted for making quirky movies and this is up there with the best of them. It's basically a post-modern tale about a man who dates his operating system. It's voiced by Scarlett Johansson, so who could blame Joaquin Phoenix's lonely Theodore Twombly for falling in love?
