Pick of the week
Dancing with the stars
Sunday, RTÉ One, 6:30 p.m.
We warmed up with Strictly Come Dancing on the BBC, but now we’re moving on to Montrose for the main attraction. This season’s celebrity contestants include model Aishah Akorede, Mrs Brown’s Boys star Danny O’Carroll, comedian Gearóid O’Farrelly, taekwondo Olympian Jack Woolley, singer Mickey Joe Harte, TikTok personality Kayleigh Trappe , actor Kin Yasmin Seky, chef Kevin Dundon, broadcaster. Elaine Crowley, Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan and meteorologist Joanna Donnelly. There’s a new judge on the panel this year: professional dancer Karen Byrne, who won DWTS twice with a celebrity partner, will join judges Lorraine Barry, Brian Redmond and Arthur Gourounlian. Jennifer Zamparelli and Doireann Garrihy will perform another glittering floor show.
Highlights
Play nice
Sunday, UTV, 9 p.m.
Niamh Algar and James Norton star as young parents Maddie and Pete in a high-concept drama about two couples whose worlds are turned upside down when they discover their babies were switched at birth. Needless to say, this is all a bit shocking, especially since the kids are now toddlers and firmly tied to the bad parents. As Maddie, Pete and the other couple, Miles (James McArdle) and Lucy (Jessica Brown Findlay), begin to deal with this new reality, they are faced with an agonizing decision: trade their children or just leave things alone. But soon, distrust and paranoia begin to set in as each couple becomes suspicious of the other’s motives.
Opportunity for improvement
Sunday, RTÉ One, 9:30 p.m.
Dermot Bannon takes on four renovation challenges in his latest series, starting with a derelict building in Charlestown, Co Mayo. Its owner, Karen Mulligan, is returning to her home village after 14 years in London and her aim is to create a home she will never want to leave. Can Dermot keep his promises and will there be a dispute over the choice of coating? Quantity surveyor Claire Irwin will be on hand to ensure the project arrives on time and on budget.
The meaning of life
Sunday, RTÉ One, 10:30 p.m.
Champion athlete Sonia O’Sullivan is Joe Duffy’s first guest in this new series which looks at the things that really matter. O’Sullivan will speak candidly about the ups and downs of his career, how being in the public eye has affected his relationships and family life, and how the recent death of his mother has put a lot of things into perspective.
Votail
Monday, RTÉ One, 8 p.m.
This four-part series looks at four of the most iconic elections in recent Irish history – I doubt the damp squib of this year’s general election will be included. First, there is the 1977 election, a time when Ireland was particularly feeling the effects of global inflation, unemployment and oil shortages, and Jack Lynch’s Fianna Fáil was seeking to unseat the Fine Gael-Labour coalition led by Liam Cosgrave.
Michael Lynn: The Fugitive
Monday, RTÉ One, 9:35 p.m.
In 2007, lawyer Michael Lynn fled to Brazil after duping Irish banks out of millions of euros. But he did not escape justice, spending five years in a Brazilian prison before being brought back to Ireland. This documentary tells the story of how investigative journalist Michael O’Farrell found Lynn.
High road, low road
Tuesday, RTÉ One, 7 p.m.
Two celebrities, one destination, different experiences. In the first episode of the new series, comedians Neil Delamere and Colin Murphy travel to Wroclaw, Poland, but one will travel in luxury while the other will have to take the budget route. But who will have the most fun?
The Portuguese gastronomic trails of Neven
Wednesday, RTÉ One, 8 p.m.
Chef Neven Maguire is making his third gastronomic foray into Portugal and, once again, he’s touting the country’s great cuisine. France and Italy may be top culinary destinations, but Maguire believes he’s found a foodie’s paradise in the Iberian Peninsula. This seven-part series sees him traveling from the north to the south of the country to visit different regions and discover their cuisine and food traditions. In the first episode, Maguire visits the picturesque northern coastal town of Viana do Castelo and enjoys freshly caught seafood, traditional cakes and local wines.
First dates Ireland
Thursday, RTÉ2, 9:30 p.m.
Can IT manager Paddy strike the right note with singer-songwriter Dervla? Will Brazilian waiter Luis and Nigerian playwright Doyle make it past opening night? And will Hugh’s lookalike Paul Mescal get the approval of trainee solicitor Aisling? We’ll find out in the 10th series of the dating show, as the First Dates restaurant gets a makeover.
No worries otherwise
Thursday, RTÉ2, 10:30 p.m.
Ireland’s brightest young comedians return for a second season of their sketch comedy show – and this one promises to be bigger, bolder, faster and funnier than the first. Seán Burke, Emma Doran, Justine Stafford, Michael Fry and Killian Sundermann star in a series of crazy sketches, and the titles might give you a clue as to the hilarity that awaits: Winning Shriek, Granny’s Den, Last Dates, Áras Has Fallen and Bros of Tralee. There’s also a new twist on the family roots format, Who (the F**k) Do You Think You Are?, starring Marian Keyes.
Streaming
Jerry Springer: fights, camera, action
From Tuesday January 7, Netflix
In the 1990s, The Jerry Springer Show pioneered a new genre of “trash television,” in which guests threw insults and punches at each other while the audience happily cheered them on. Springer was the anti-Oprah, presiding over a chaotic mix of relationship squabbles, infidelities, and petty squabbles, and pouring fuel on the fire at every opportunity. This two-part series looks behind the 27-year giant of tabloid television, revealing uncomfortable stories of how it was able to destroy lives and reputations in its quest for ratings.
Primitive American
From Thursday January 9, Netflix
Danger lurks at every turn in the 1850s Wild West: at any moment you could be ambushed by another Western cliché. The American director of Primeval, Peter Berg, however, wishes to take a different path: this choral piece promises to be a raw and violent dissection of the pioneering spirit as well as a story of survival in an ultra-hostile environment. Taylor Kitsch plays Isaac, a deeply troubled soul tasked with guiding a young mother, Sara Rowell (Betty Gilpin), and her son Devin through a lawless frontier. As one character observes, “‘Civilization’ and ‘civilized’ are two totally different words.” »
Goosebumps: The Disappearance
From Friday January 10, Disney+
Twins Devin and Cece return to their divorced father, Anthony, who has a habit of telling terrible jokes about his father. He only has one strict rule at home: don’t go into the basement. This of course makes children want to go straight there to discover what is hidden underneath. But when things start to go wrong at home, they and their friends Alex, CJ and Frankie find themselves investigating the mysterious disappearance of four teenagers 30 years ago and dealing with a nasty invasive plant species that is buried in its victims. David Schwimmer stars in this latest series based on RL Stine’s bestselling teen horror novels.
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