By The Telegraph (World News) | Created at 2024-09-29 09:05:27 | Updated at 2024-09-30 05:33:11
20 hours ago
Sunday 29 September
Joan
ITV1, 9pm
Sophie Turner, who’s been searching for the perfect role since Game of Thrones, finds it in this captivating drama based on the memoir of the notorious real-life jewel thief Joan Hannington, who charmed her way to pinching hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of gems in London in the 1980s. That background of Eighties high glamour and rampant materialism is used to fabulous effect in Mrs Wilson-creator Anna Symon’s adaptation (again directed by Richard Laxton) which revels in the ever-widening social inequalities of Margaret Thatcher’s Britain.
The opening episode (of six) traces how Hannington, a homeless single mother, grabbed the only opportunities that came her way to pull herself and her daughter out of abject poverty (and domestic violence) into big-time criminality and a life of luxury. Turner captures brilliantly the rebellious streak that stops Hannington from conforming to a society that only wants to keep her down, and how a chance encounter with ambitious antiques dealer – and future partner – Ronald, aka Boisie (Frank Dillane), sets her on a path from petty thief to one-woman crimewave. It’s a rags-to-riches (and prison) rollercoaster. Continues tomorrow. GO
Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping
BBC One, 8pm
On the cusp of 50 and beginning to feel their age, erstwhile Top Gear duo Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris head off on a European road trip in search of healthier lifestyle choices. First port of call is Sweden where friluftsliv, or staying in touch with nature, thrives. Cue naked saunas, forest gyms, hiking, wild-swimming and, inevitably, an abundance of a--- jokes. GO
Big Cats 24/7
BBC Two, 8pm
A final visit to Botswana yields more stories of the everyday struggle for survival of lions, cheetahs and leopards on the Okavango Delta and how even success – the largest lion pride in Africa – can sow its own seeds of destruction. As usual, there’s amazing footage, including a watering-hole battle royale between lions and a crocodile. GO
Nightsleeper
BBC One, 9pm
With the train still hurtling towards London and cyber security boss Abby (Alexandra Roach) in custody, Joe (Joe Cole) has to choose between putting his trust in Saj (Parth Thakerar) or his fellow passengers. Could retired train driver Fraser’s (James Cosmo) audacious plan avert disaster? The nail-biting finale is tomorrow night at the same time. GO
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
BBC Two, 9pm
This week Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse pack their rods for a trip across the Irish Sea in search of the ultimate prize: wild salmon. On the River Finn, which flows 39 miles through both the Republic and Northern Ireland, they find one of the best salmon runs in all of Western Europe. GO
State of Rage
Channel 4, 10pm
A beautiful film about a horrifying situation. This unflinching portrayal of the irreconcilable attitudes
of Palestinians and Jewish settlers on Israel’s West Bank, seen through the eyes of children and young people on both sides of the divide, gives a sad insight into the intricacies, and intransigence, of the situation in Israel and how conflict passes down through generations. GO
The Base: A British Army Scandal
ITV1, 10.20pm
A documentary investigating the brutal murder of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru in 2012 near a British Army training camp in Kenya, and allegations that one suspect – who reportedly confessed to fellow soldiers – has been allowed to walk free for years due to a cover-up. GO
Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) ★★★
BBC One, 2.05pm
James Bobin, of The Muppets fame, replaces Tim Burton as director for this sequel that makes Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland look good enough to eat. Alice (Mia Wasikowska) steps through the mirror to save the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). The Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) is sidelined, but still manages to steal the show. Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman and Barbara Windsor are among the strong voice cast.
Men in Black (1997) ★★★★
Channel 4, 6.10pm
Barry Sonnenfeld’s goofy sci-fi sees Will Smith as a New York cop recruited by “K” (Tommy Lee Jones), a member of a secret agency that not only protects us from alien invaders, but prevents us from knowing that they are even here. The success of this film inspired three MiB sequels (you can ignore those) and ultimately led Marvel to adapt some of their other comic heroes, including Spider-Man. 1990’s Hollywood action at its most rollicking.
The Card Counter (2021) ★★★★
Film4, 9pm
Oscar Isaac shines in this powerful, anger-inducing character study directed by Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, First Reformed). Isaac plays William Tell, an ex-army interrogator who now lives an austere life travelling between casinos playing blackjack, running from the shame of his crimes in Abu Ghraib. When young and naive Cirk (Tye Sheridan) appears, seeking revenge against the officer who ran the prison (Willem Dafoe), Tell must make a choice.
Schindler’s List (1993) ★★★★★
BBC Two, 10pm
Steven Spielberg retells the real story of German businessman Oskar Schindler (played by Liam Neeson) and his efforts to save the Jewish people who worked in his factories. Ralph Fiennes gives a career-making star turn as a Nazi, while the image of the little girl in the red coat will stay with you forever. With seven Oscars to its name, including Best Director and Best Picture, it’s rightly remembered as one of cinema’s greatest films.
Monday 30 September
Philip Schofield Cast Away
Channel 5, 9pm
“It’s my chance to tell my side of my story.” Take it away, Phillip. Sixteen months after quitting ITV’s This Morning, following rumours that he had had an affair with a young runner on the show, Schofield is back on TV (“I have to talk about television in the past tense,” he said last year) and has 10 days, alone, on an uninhabited Madagascan island to examine his conscience and give us his version of events. Some will welcome this surprise opportunity, others will be less forgiving towards a man who so comprehensively sullied his squeaky clean image.
You may remember Ruby Wax, in rather less sensational circumstances, having the same island adventure on Channel 5 last year. Schofield will be totally alone – production crew are stationed 30 minutes offshore – with little but camera equipment for company (his one luxury: lip balm). Food, water, warmth and shelter will all be down to his own endeavours. The cynical among us may wonder if Channel 5 have a strategy for rehabilitating Schofield – a morning show, perhaps? In any case, over the next three nights, we can judge for ourselves: “I know what I did was unwise,” he says, “but is it enough to absolutely destroy someone?” CB
The Penguin
Sky Atlantic, 2am & 9pm
The second week of The Batman spin-off settles into its groove, with the titular Oz (Colin Farrell in heavy prosthetics) stepping up his betrayal of the Falcone family. As a mob drama, it is fairly forgettable. But as a comic-book villain origin story, it sings. It’s helped by Farrell’s cartoon mobster being such a freakishly compelling creation. SK
Kids in the Wild
Sky Nature, 6pm
A charming return for this nature doc, which is themed around wild kids and cubs. This opener follows nine-month-old Frida, a jaguar who must learn to survive the unforgiving Brazilian wetlands of Pantanal. Not easy – baby jaguars are born deaf, blind and helpless. Their greatest threat? Other jaguars. SK
Panorama: The Menopause Industry
BBC One, 8pm; Wales, 8.30pm
Kirsty Wark investigates the multi-billion-pound industry which promises women relief from the symptoms of menopause. Can they be relieved by supplements? By teas? By pyjamas? The sceptical Wark also examines the prescribing practices at a privately run menopause clinic, whose patients are unhappy with its treatment. SK
Mozart: Rise of a Genius
BBC Two, 9pm
The concluding part of this sumptuous profile tells the story of Mozart’s later years – a period of debt, despair and reinvention. Contributors such as Stephen Fry and Adjoa Andoh attempt to wrestle with the enormity of his legacy. While cinematic vignettes lend a poignant weight to the composer’s premature death at the age of 35. SK
How to Survive a Dictator: North Korea
Channel 4, 10pm
In 2022, Munya Chawawa made a film exploring the life of Robert Mugabe, the tyrant responsible for Chawawa’s family fleeing Zimbabwe. This playful follow-up takes aim at another dictator: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. It’s a tricky tone to navigate, but Chawawa does a deft job of balancing sobering insight with comic skits. SK
In My Own Words: Jilly Cooper
BBC One, 10.40pm; Wales, 11.30pm; NI, 12.05am
The novelist proves just as cheeky as her novels in this charming profile. The woman behind the Rutshire Chronicles is a hoot, whether describing every man she sees as “handsome” or labelling criticism as her work as snobbery. “Writers are divided into two types,” she says. “People like me who make lots of money and writers who would love to have my sales.” SK
All That Jazz (1979) ★★★★★
Sky Cinema Greats, 1.55pm
“It’s showtime, folks!” Choreographer Bob Fosse transforms his own life and open heart surgery into a spectacular Fellini-esque musical number in this self-indulgent but fascinating ode to his self-destructive lifestyle. Roy Scheider plays chain-smoking Fosse surrogate Joe Gideon, who keeps himself fuelled by non-stop sex, drugs and ego as he puts together a new stage show, edits his latest film and flirts with Jessica Lange.
The Persian Version (2023) ★★★
Sky Cinema Premiere, 6pm and streaming from Sunday
Maryam Keshavarz’s semi-autobiographical film is bursting with life. It tells the story of a large American-Iranian family in New Jersey, through the eyes of lesbian film-maker Leila (Layla Mohammadi), who gets pregnant following a one-night stand. Leila’s tale is sweet, but the grit comes with the extraordinary story of her mother, Shireen (Niousha Noor), the matriarch who holds the family’s secrets.
Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) ★★★
Great! Movies, 9pm
This is Fatal Attraction with a twist: here it’s a bloke who’s the obsessive crank, but that doesn’t stop it from feeling a bit cheap. On the surface he is the model husband, but Patrick Bergin’s Martin demands what he wants, when he wants it from wife Laura (Julia Roberts), and beats her up if she doesn’t deliver. Driven to stage her own death, Laura begins life anew in Iowa, but Martin is soon back on her trail.
Tuesday 1 October
Industry
BBC One, from 10.40pm; NI, from 11.40pm
Clearly deciding an hour-long panic attack is insufficient, the BBC has launched series three of Industry with a double bill of the most stressful drama on television. If its rat-a-tat financial jargon still occasionally borders on incomprehensible, the pace is as seductively relentless as its frequently grotesque on-screen behaviours are repellent. We join the gang with new de facto lead Yasmin (Marisa Abela) trying to stay in the game with the paparazzi circling after the disappearance of her disgraced dad. Harper (Myha’la), meanwhile, chafes against an ill-fitting new PA job, Eric (Ken Leung) is instantly under pressure after his promotion to partner and Robert (Harry Lawtey) teeters on the brink of a nervous breakdown.
Plenty to be going on with, and an already excellent young cast is gilded with the canny addition of Kit Harington as Henry Muck, a blue-blooded tech bro way out of his depth as his green energy company prepares to go public. One could fault creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay for overconfidence or occasionally over-literal narrative, but never for lack of ambition. When it works – episode two is a cracker – the visceral intensity is impressive indeed. GT
The Great British Bake Off
Channel 4, 8pm
Launching the series with some big-hitting rounds, Biscuit Week follows Cake Week
with the bakers – once again demonstrating some serious skills – challenged to make Viennese sandwiches, a nostalgic mint biscuit and, curiously but brilliantly, puppet theatres made of biscuits. GT
Living Every Second: The Kris Hallenga Story
BBC Two, 9pm
This shattering documentary follows Kris Hallenga, CEO of breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel!, from 2013 to her death in May this year. A decade filled with famous faces and dauntless, award-winning campaigning is interspersed with her brutal treatment, all witnessed by her equally extraordinary twin sister, Maren. Like last year’s documentary on “Bowelbabe” Deborah James, this is an inspiring and unflinching examination of living life while facing death. GT
Twisted Twins
ITV1, 9pm
The tabloid title disguises a fairly rote two-parter examining two cases of murder involving twins. The first travels to Australia, where the disappearance of Lynette Dawson is solved decades later when a podcast refocused the attention of police. Her husband, Chris, duly stands trial, while his identical twin, Paul, stands by him. What all this demonstrates remains elusive, but it’s a grimly diverting story. GT
Into the Jungle with Ed Stafford
Channel 4, 9.30pm
Blending illuminating enquiries into masculinity and fatherhood with an edge of danger, Stafford’s latest episode sees the dads and children foraging for spiders to eat in the Belize jungle, before they take their own jerry-rigged rafts out lobster fishing. GT
Storyville: War Game
BBC Four, 10pm
Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber’s well-conceived, responsibly executed documentary exercise roleplays how a genuine contemporary concern – that of an US civil war – could break out following a contested election. Experts including military analysts, intelligence officials and politicians play versions of themselves; the possibilities they explore are all the more chilling for being so plausible. GT
Up Late with Nicola Benedetti
Sky Arts, 10pm
Nicola Benedetti reunites with Wynton Marsalis to perform sets uniting violin and trumpet, classical and jazz, all recorded at the Edinburgh International Festival Hub. GT
Killer Heat (2024)
Amazon Prime Video
Based on a short story by Jo Nesbø, this modern noir stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a damaged private detective (known as “The Jealousy Man”), brought to a Greek island to investigate the death of a shipping magnate. Along the way, he chafes against the man’s suspicious sister-in-law (Shailene Woodley), snotty identical twin brother (Richard Madden) and an unhelpful police chief (Babou Ceesay). And if the plot isn’t to your taste, the Mediterranean vistas will be.
Aliens (1986) ★★★★★
ITV4, 10pm
James Cameron takes the reins from Ridley Scott in this all-guns-blazing super-sequel that prised open the nightmarish possibilities of the 1979 original, escaping its host like one of its iconic chestbursters. Sigourney Weaver reprises her iconic role as no-nonsense Ripley, who returns to face the alien creatures of the first film, with a crew of marines and an arsenal of weapons in tow. This is Cameron at his very best.
Scarface (1983) ★★★★★
Film4, 11pm
Director Brian De Palma’s eye for the epic elevates to brilliance this tale of the rise and fall of Tony Montana (Al Pacino), a savage Cuban refugee turned Miami drugs lord, based on Howard Hawks’s 1932 film. “The world is yours”, promises the advert on an air balloon on the night that Tony kills his boss. It’s an illumination of the dark side of the American Dream. Michelle Pfeiffer co-stars as Montana’s wife.
Wednesday 2 October
Anna Richardson: Love, Loss & Dementia
Channel 4, 10pm
There are few diseases as cruel as dementia. TV presenter Anna Richardson, best known for breezy lifestyle shows such as Naked Attraction and Supersize v Superskinny, knows this better than most; her father, Jim, is in the early stages of vascular dementia. At the time of filming, he lives semi-independently in an assisted living facility, where he remains in good humour. Yet Richardson is “acutely aware of time”. This sobering film follows her as she meets other families struggling with the disease, which doubles as a grim glimpse into her father’s future.
The most distressing case is that of Richard, a landscape architect who was diagnosed nine years ago at the age of 55. His wife Mary cares for him, although she is struggling to handle the violent swings in Richard’s moods. Elsewhere, there are reasons for optimism. Richardson meets Jordan, a 29-year-old who carries a gene that will almost certainly doom him to dementia. Yet promising drug trials could lead to treatments which mean he never develops symptoms. “It is a massive stride forward,” says Richardson, “but not for the people living with us at the moment.” SK
Where’s Wanda?
Apple TV+
This dark eight-part German comedy follows the exploits of Carlotta (Heike Makatsch) and Dedo (Axel Stein), who have decided to bug their entire neighbourhood in order to find their missing daughter, Wanda (Lea Drinda). Today’s opening two episodes are a dazzling explosion of colour and style, with Wanda’s narration poking fun at the conventions of missing-persons stories. SK
Ludwig
BBC One, 9pm
David Mitchell’s hapless John – the puzzle-setter who has assumed the identity of his detective brother – is finding the cryptic nature of police work irresistible. This week he finds himself sucked into the mystery of a man who went missing during a team-building weekend. The case itself is fairly thin, but Mitchell is a charming comic presence. SK
We Built a Zoo
BBC Three, 9pm
In 2023, TikTok star Kyle Thomas received criticism after posting clips of his family’s exotic animal collection. One of which, a capybara, they owned illegally. In this earnest mea culpa, Thomas seeks to make amends by taking on the arduous task of building an animal sanctuary. SK
The Hunt for Lady Olive and the German Submarine
BBC Four, 9pm
Somewhere beneath the waters of the Channel Islands lies one of the First World War’s greatest maritime mysteries: the fate of German submarine UC18 and the Royal Navy Q-Ship, Lady Olive. Both are said to have sunk the other, but neither have been found. In this absorbing documentary, Karl Taylor and his team attempt to change that. SK
Tomkins: The Last Chance
Sky Documentaries, 9pm
Earlier this year, rugby league legend Sam Tomkins came out of retirement in order to aid Catalans Dragons in their push for the play-offs. This documentary charts the ups and downs of his career, with a focus on his decision to retire in 2023. The highlight is Tomkins wearing a microphone during games. The language is not for the faint-hearted. SK
Philip Glenister and Matthew Graham Remember: Life on Mars
BBC Four, 10pm
Creator Matthew Graham and DCI Gene Hunt himself, Philip Glenister, reminisce about Life on Mars, one of the great detective dramas of the 2000s. The first episode airs at 10.30pm, introducing John Simm as the modern-day detective transported back to 1973. SK
River of No Return (1954) ★★★
Film4, 4.45pm
Otto Preminger’s Western-musical stars Robert Mitchum as widower Matt Calder, who comes out of prison and goes to find his young son (Tommy Rettig), who is being cared for by dance hall singer Kay (Marilyn Monroe). When Kay’s fiancé (Rory Calhoun) robs them, they have to fend for themselves in the wilderness. There are lots of nice things to look at as Preminger showcases the potential of CinemaScope, but the drama is patchy.
Swede Caroline (2024) ★★★
Sky Cinema Premiere, 10pm and streaming from Sat
It was only a matter of time before the world of competitive marrow-growing was given the Spinal Tap treatment. Jo Hartley stars as Caroline, whose potential-champion veg is stolen, ahead of the big competition. Cue a knockabout mockumentary, in which a troop of crack British comic actors (Aisling Bea, Richard Lumsden, Alice Lowe and so on) have a ball. Not groundbreaking, but good, green fun.
Yardie (2018) ★★★
BBC Two, 11.30pm
Idris Elba’s achievement in Yardie is directing a debut feature that does him absolutely no disgrace, and bodes well for further forays behind the camera, while not really coming off. But the ambition of the piece – a period crime picture taking us from 1973 Jamaica to East London in the 1980s – is never in doubt. The main character D (a simmering Aml Ameen) crosses to the UK with a parcel of cocaine, looking for his older brother’s killer.
Thursday 3 October
The Search for Nicola Bulley
BBC One, 9pm
“It was just an accident. There doesn’t always have to be something sinister linked to something that happens. Sometimes bad things just happen,” says Louise Cunningham in this sad but superb documentary about the tragic death of her sister, Nicola Bulley, the 45-year-old whose disappearance from the banks of the River Wyre in Lancashire last year sparked off one of the biggest media furores of recent times.
With extraordinary access – not only does Cunningham contribute but also Bulley’s partner, Paul, her mother and father, the lead investigator Det Supt Rebecca Smith, search leaders, journalists and many more – the facts of the case are carefully and honestly laid out, putting to rest, finally, the torrents of suspicion and conjecture that plagued both the family and the investigation.
Among those interviewed, too, are some of the social media pseudo-sleuths, deluded amateur detectives, psychics and assorted crazies whose pile-ons – in the vacuum left by a lack of evidence – whipped up a storm of conspiracy theories. None have the good grace to admit that their endless empty speculations were no help, and indeed caused a lot of hurt. GO
Heartstopper
Netflix
The teenage comedy-drama romps into a third series as, with summer ending, Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) have new obstacles to overcome and yet more unfamiliar emotions to navigate. Joining the cast are Hayley Atwell, as Nick’s aunt, and Eddie Marsan, as Charlie’s therapist. GO
Boris Johnson: The Laura Kuenssberg Interview
BBC One, 7.30pm
There aren’t many political interviewees who merit bumping an episode of EastEnders but the former Prime Minister still retains star billing at the BBC. Described as the “first major interview” since he resigned – could this sudden reappearance perhaps be connected to the publication of his memoir next week? GO
Fake or Fortune?
BBC One, 8pm
Art sleuths Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould turn their focus on Toronto – via the cathedral city of Lincoln – to investigate whether a painting picked up at a local auction could be by the pioneering, and tragically short lived, Canadian impressionist Helen McNicoll. GO
Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby
BBC Two, 8pm
Rome’s “most legendary” five-star hotel, the Hassler, welcomes Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder, meaning we all get a glimpse of high-end luxury in the grand old style. They have plenty of opportunity to explore the hotel’s long history of celebrity guests (including Diana, Princess of Wales) while, as ever, pitching in with everything from cooking to cleaning. GO
The Sinking of a Superyacht
ITV1, 9pm
A detailed account of events leading up to the sinking of the Bayesian off Sicily in August, which resulted in the deaths of tech billionaire Mike Lynch and six others. Eyewitnesses, investigators, yacht designers and climate scientists discuss the cause of the disaster and the precautions that should be taken by anyone on a yacht in bad weather. GO
All Creatures Great and Small
Channel 5, 9pm
Two more Herriots are in town as James (Nicholas Ralph) welcomes his parents for baby Jimmy’s christening – putting Helen (Rachel Shenton) on edge as she worries about impressing them. But to the delight of the Darrowby inhabitants, Tristan (Callum Woodhouse) returns home from the war – and promptly hijacks the christening. GO
The Hallelujah Trail (1965) ★★★
5Action, 12.50pm
Long before Blazing Saddles came this pleasingly silly spoof Western, which hinges on 40 barrels of whiskey reaching the town of Denver, Colorado before winter sets in. In the barrels’ way are all sorts of giddy obstacles, including Lee Remick’s temperance leader, a gang of Irish teamsters and some hard-drinking Sioux natives. Politically correct, it ain’t. Burt Lancaster and Donald Pleasence star.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) ★★★★★
BBC Four, 9pm
Tennessee Williams’s play about a family fighting over their father’s millions loses none of its crackling fury on screen. Elizabeth Taylor simmers (remarkably, given that she was beset with grief from the death of husband Mike Todd) as the eponymous cat-devoted wife to Brick (Paul Newman). Suggestions that Brick is gay have been suppressed, but the film still covers racy topics for the 1950s, such as infertility.
My Cousin Vinny (1992) ★★★★
Comedy Central, 9pm
Two New York college kids, arrested for murder in the Alabama boondocks, summon family member Joe Pesci to defend them, unaware he’s merely an inexperienced personal injury lawyer. Jonathan Lynn’s comedy is not without its stereotyping, but there are powerhouse performances from Pesci and Marisa Tomei, in an Oscar-winning turn as Vinny’s fiancée, whose mechanical know-how proves vital to the defence.
Friday 4 October
The Cleaner
BBC One, 9.30pm
The gentle sitcom about crime-scene cleaner Paul “Wicky” Wickstead (Greg Davies, who also writes) returns for a third series and, as ever, moves between broad comedy and pathos with ease. The opener concerns Wicky’s latest job, an accident scene involving a grand piano falling into the massive entrance hall of a millionaire’s mansion. Wicky is annoyed to discover that the millionaire is his old schoolfriend Justin (Ben Willbond from Ghosts), who now has the perfect life – wealth, property and an impossibly cute son – that makes him seethe with jealousy. Justin suggests that they get the old gang back together, played by Rosie Cavaliero, Naveed Khan and Vaun Earl Norman.
Wicky’s memories of their daredevil antics as teenagers – “They called me Risky Business at school” – don’t quite match those of his old friends and, keen to prove them all wrong, he embarks on a daft escapade that inevitably results in his girlfriend, police officer Ruth (Zita Sattar), becoming involved. A life lesson is subtly parlayed in each episode and here the denouement, which has a neat twist, packs a real emotional punch as we see that assessing life’s winners and losers isn’t always straightforward. VL
Auschwitz: The Inside Man
PBS America, 8.15pm
This film tells the remarkable story of Witold Pilecki, a Polish resistance fighter who infiltrated Auschwitz to smuggle information out to the Allies, vital in proving the Nazis were systemically killing Jews. VL
Have I Got News For You
BBC One, 9pm
Keir Starmer’s stormy first few months in office should give extra pep to the returning satirical news quiz – its 68th series – and plenty for Ian Hislop and Paul Merton to vent about. Kevin Bridges hosts, while the guests are comedian Chloe Petts and journalist Helen Lewis. VL
Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar
BBC Two, 9pm; Wales, 9.35pm
The second episode (of three) of this entertaining documentary series examines the actress’s romantic attachments; she married seven men, including Richard Burton (twice). “Her life was bigger than any film, more controversial, more drama, more love, more passion,” one contributor says. The film doesn’t shy away from examining the emotional cost of her impulsiveness – to her and those in her orbit. VL
Charlie Cooper’s Myth Country
BBC Three, 9pm
Charlie Cooper (brother of Daisy, and co-creator and star of This Country) is the latest celebrity to try his hand at presenting a travelogue series, and he’s an agreeable guide as he travels around the UK in his campervan. He’s investigating local myths and legends and, in this first episode of three, he starts in East Anglia – home, apparently, to 26 of the UK’s 100 mythical beasts – on the trail of “demon dog” Black Shuck. VL
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol
Sky Max, 9pm
Yet another expansion of the undying Walking Dead universe with this chapter about the friendship between the grizzled Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and the even more grizzled Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride). The new six-part series begins where The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon left off; Daryl has washed up in France and Carol sets out to find him. VL
Guy Garvey: From the Vaults
Sky Arts, 10pm
Elbow frontman Garvey wraps up this series of his “magical mystery tour” of TV music archives with a look at 1988, when an eclectic mix of teen pop and indie bands hit the charts. Among those he chooses are tracks from The Primitives, The Fall, Pop Will Eat Itself and All About Eve. VL
Film of the week: Joker (2019) ★★★
ITV1, 9pm
Wallow in the neon murk of Todd Phillips’s radical rethinking of the Batman villain. Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a narcissistic loner who lives with his elderly mother (Frances Conroy) in a version of Gotham City that is to all intents and purposes Manhattan in the early 1980s. Even Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen), billionaire father of Bruce, is reimagined as a puffed-up, Trump-like plutocrat. Arthur works as a party clown, but dreams of making it as a stand-up. Phoenix uses his pipe-cleaner physique (he reportedly lost more than three stone for the role) to draw out the character’s inherent foolishness; his improvised soft-shoe-shuffle dances are carried off with Chaplin-esque elegance. Yet if Arthur is essentially written as a Scorsese crossover between Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle and Rupert Pupkin (The King of Comedy), the film also draws from the real-life tale of Bernhard Goetz – New York’s so-called “Subway Vigilante”. After a fatal confrontation with some obnoxious Wall Street traders, Arthur becomes Gotham’s own Goetz and a terrifying symbol of underclass resistance. The sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux starring Lady Gaga, is in cinemas from today.
Challengers (2024) ★★★★★
Amazon Prime Video
Luca Guadagnino gives a tennis love-triangle with full-fat racquet-twanging steaminess. Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist star as Patrick Zweig and Art Donaldson, two former doubles partners and best friends who find themselves vying for the affections of Zendaya’s Tashi Duncan, a lissom goddess of the American youth circuit. The alchemical mix puts in motion a professional and personal rollercoaster that is a sheer joy to watch.
The Color Purple (2023) ★★★★
Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm
This deeply moving musical film of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel – adapted in turn for the screen from the 2005 musical stage show – isn’t subtle, but it works a treat – sequins, comedy, uproarious choreography, R&B numbers and all. American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino brings impressively egoless wallop to the central role of Celie, living a hardscrabble life in early 20th-century Georgia. Colman Domingo co-stars.
Bridesmaids (2011) ★★★★
ITV2, 9pm
This film about female friendship is gleefully crude (Paul Feig directs; Judd Apatow is an executive producer). But don’t let that put you off – it’s painfully funny with it, as well as sharply written, developing into a surprisingly poignant evocation of self-scuppering loneliness. Annie (Kristen Wiig) and Lillian (Maya Rudolph) are inseparable lifelong friends, but perfect Helen (Rose Byrne) seems intent on being Lillian’s maid of honour.
Ghost Stories (2017) ★★★
BBC Two, 11.05pm
Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s so-so anthology horror, based on their 2010 stage play of the same name, features three main stories: that of Alex Lawther’s edgy, stranded driver; Paul Whitehouse’s depressive nightwatchman; and Martin Freeman’s shotgun-toting toff who is terrorised by a nursery poltergeist. Though not short of ambition and possessing a fantastic cast, it still falls disappointingly short.
Television previewers
Stephen Kelly (SK), Veronica Lee (VL), Gerard O’Donovan (GO), Poppie Platt (PP) and Gabriel Tate (GT)
