Monday’s best TV
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/apr/13/monday-best-tv-highlights Version 0 of 1. Wild Ireland 8pm, ITV It may have been a day or two since you last saw a camera shot swoop over some dramatic landscape. This new series will remedy that dearth as Christine Bleakley travels up and down Ireland, in search of coastal charm. This is abundant, although it’s an interesting decision to visit such areas of outstanding natural beauty with a presenter who is scared of heights. “That’s incredibly scary, Paddy,” she says to her guide at the Slieve League cliffs. “It’s beautiful!” he says. “Just don’t go too near the edge.” John Robinson Inside Harley Street9pm, BBC2 Thanks to the plummy accents that ring throughout the practices, Vanessa Engle’s series on the workings of London’s private healthcare quarter initially feels as though it could slot easily into the posh TV boom of last year. But Harley Street isn’t just for the privileged, and the programme’s gaze soon shifts towards less wealthy patients. Funded by everything from television appeals to entire family’s finances, it’s with these stories that the ethics of putting a (high) price on healthcare seem most murky. Rachel Aroesti Code Of A Killer9pm, ITV The methodical true-story drama concludes, as cop David Baker (David Threlfall) and genetic fingerprinting pioneer Alec Jeffreys (John Simm) go to ever greater lengths to find the man who killed two girls in Leicestershire in the 1980s. We’re moving slowly towards a known end, something the show compensates for by underlining how heavily invested those involved were. Threlfall’s weary determination is particularly poignant. But whether this offers much that a decent article on the case wouldn’t is debatable. Jack Seale Skint9pm, Channel 4 Skint is – by definition – tough viewing, but as prurient sneering at the unfortunate becomes a default of television commissioning, its clearer-headed study of modern British poverty is to be welcomed back for a third series. This one is set in Welsh town Merthyr Tydfil, which has never recovered from the loss of its mines and ironworks in the 1980s. Among the stories in this episode are those of Ash, scrubbing up for a job interview, and mother-of-seven Hayley, looking for loans to improve her home. Andrew Mueller Far Right And Proud: Reggie Yates’ Extreme Russia9pm, BBC3 As terrifying visions of nationalist Russia go, this risky excursion for Reggie Yates really is right up there. In the first of three films, he meets Moscow media hipsters offering unwavering support for Putin, and there’s a worrying lack of irony at work. Most frightening are his experiences with Dmitry Demushkin, a far-right provocateur with a pro-white stance seeking a potential career in legitimate politics. Uncomfortable viewing, bravely handled by Yates and crew. Ben Arnold Game Of Thrones 9pm, Sky Atlantic George RR Martin’s fantasy saga remains the biggest show in town, both in terms of its cultural appeal and the scale of its cast, with Jonathan Pryce one of several new additions for the fifth season. In this opening episode, the fallout from the battle on the Wall continues, as Jon Snow is forced to play the role of middleman between Mance Rayder and the “one true king” Stannis Baratheon. Meanwhile, Tyrion faces new surroundings, and Daenerys deals with the growing pains of dragons. Gwilym Mumford Jack Dee’s Election Helpdesk10pm, BBC2 It’s hard confidently to predict the exact contents of this show, as it will clearly depend on whatever stealth tax-raising, Ukip-defecting, debate-dodging, sandwich-slobbering, gaffe-strewn nonsense is top of the election agenda on the day in question. But as this panel show is overseen by Jack Dee, we can probably safely assume that its intent will be satirical, its tone lugubrious and its emphasis bleakly comic. Even if you’re fed up with all the squabbling by now, this could still be worth a look. Phil Harrison Today’s best live sportTest Cricket: West Indies v England Day one in Antigua. 2.30pm, Sky Sports 2 IPL Cricket: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Sunrisers Hyderabad More T20 action from India. 3pm, Sky Sports 4 Premier League Football: Liverpool v Newcastle United The struggling geordies visit Anfield. 7pm, Sky Sports 1 Scottish Football: St Mirren v Ross County Two struggling teams meet at St Mirren Park. 7.30pm, BT Sport 1 |