Inside the Freemasons
Monday, Sky 1, 8pm
It’s been 300 years since the birth of Freemasonry, and still we haven’t a clue what it’s all about. Is it all secret handshakes, bizarre initiation rituals and guaranteed career advancement? Or is it just a bunch of middle-aged men dressing up in costumes and playing silly games? This new series takes us inside the United Grand Lodge of England to see for ourselves what these grown men get up to behind closed oaken doors. Assume the position.
Veep
Tuesday, Sky Atlantic, 10.10pm
Well, the political landscape in the US sure has changed, hasn't it? As season six opens, Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is no longer president, and has to adjust to her new life outside the White House. But she's still determined to secure her legacy – whatever the hell that is. With the real White House looking more like an episode of The Three Stooges every week, can Veep keep its comedic finger on the button? Believe me, it's gonna be beautiful.
How to Cook Well with Rory O'Connell
Tuesday, RTE One, 7pm
So, you think you can cook. Ah, but do you know how to cook well? There’s the rub. Anyone can throw a few ingredients into a pot and follow a recipe, but if you want to do it better than the average sloppy Joe, you’ll be tuning into the latest series hosted by the baron of Ballymaloe. Watch the master at work as he prepares a Beetroot and Raspberry salad with labneh (whatever that is), a main course of grilled lightly spiced quail with pomegranate and walnut salad, and Tuscan apple cake for dessert. Yummy. What, we’re supposed to cook this ourselves? Get away out of that. We like watching John O’Conor playing Beethoven, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to try it at home.
Born to Kill
Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm
Sam seems like a normal teenager – polite, considerate and affectionate (eh, is that normal for a teenager?), but deep inside him lurks an ultraviolent urge which he’s finding harder to suppress. This four-part psychological thriller stars Jack Rowan as the youngster going through something far more sinister than an adolescent phase. Romola Garai stars as his mum Jenny, who is hiding a dark secret from Sam – his dad’s a convicted murderer. But Jenny will soon find out to her horror that the rotten apple has not fallen far from the tree.
Girlboss
Netflix, from Friday
So, how do you go from flogging vintage clothes on eBay to creating a multimillion dollar fashion empire? Girlboss is based on the bestselling autobiography of Sophia Amaruso, founder of the Nasty Gal clothing brand. Britt Robertson plays Amaruso in this 13-part comedy charting the ups and downs of building a world-famous brand with a little luck, a lot of sass and a potty-mouth. Call it Keks and the City. Meanwhile, in the real world, Nasty Gal has filed for bankruptcy, as the brand failed to meet expected big targets, but don't let that put a crimp in your enjoyment of this fun fashion fandango.
Versailles
Friday, BBC Two, 9.30pm
We love watching lots of debauchery and decadence, as long as it's accompanied by lavish costumes and sumptuous settings, and laced with a few backstabbings and betrayals, which is probably why TOWIE keeps coming back for more. It's also probably why Versailles has been commissioned for a second series, following more carry-on and shenanigans in the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV. The king faces some fresh threats to his reign in series two, including a high-profile poisoning and an influential rival. Whatever happens in series two, you can be sure of one thing: those elaborate costumes will end up on the marble floor.
