Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials
Sunday, Channel 4, 9pm
The actor known for her roles in Doctor Foster, Vigil and Gentleman Jack branches out into documentary making, and her first project is inspired by her personal passion for all things witchy and magical. She travels through the UK and US, meeting real-life witches and also telling hair-raising stories of famous witches from history. It’s not just about witches, though: this is also an exploration into how patriarchal societies in the past felt so threatened by feminine power, they chose to suppress women using superstition, hokum, torture and murder.
ITV Election Debate 2024
Sunday, UTV, 8pm
The great thing about elections is watching the politicians go at each other tooth and nail on TV, tossing insults and hurling accusations left, right and centre left. In this UK election barney, seven candidates from all parties line up to debate the big issues – and hopefully indulge in lots of petty bickering. Among them are the Conservatives’ Penny Mordaunt, Labour’s Angela Rayner and the Lib Dems’ Daisy Cooper, but all dagger eyes will be on Reform UK candidate Nigel Farage, who has abandoned his plans to be Trump’s court jester in order to concentrate on actually getting elected for the first time.
Under the Banner of Heaven
Monday, RTÉ1, 10.35pm
Jeb Pyre is a detective in the fictional city of East Rockwell, Utah; he’s also, like many others in his town, an LDS – a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, also known as the Mormons. But when an LDS woman is found dead, and suspicion points to the church, Pyre’s faith is sorely challenged. Andrew Garfield stars in this miniseries set in the mid-1980s and based on the true crime book by Jon Krakauer, with a supporting cast that includes Daisy Edgar-Jones from Normal People, Sam Worthington from Avatar and Rory Culkin.
Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace – What Happened Next
Monday, UTV, 9pm
So, you’ve reunited foundlings with family members they never knew existed. You’ve done the detective work, examined the DNA evidence and sifted through the archives to bring each case to a successful conclusion. So what do you do after that? Do you just leave them to get on with their new lives? In this special episode, Davina McCall and the team revisit two of the foundlings they’ve helped, including Caroline Harris-Gray, who was left outside a north London hospital in a vegetable box in 1968, and Harvey Shackell, who was found on a doorstep on Christmas night in 1960. The team also make new discoveries about Caroline’s past that open up even more family connections.
Ár mBealaí Ceilteacha
Tuesday, TG4, 7.30pm
It’s the end of a magical journey across Ireland and Wales for Ryland Teifi and his daughters Lowri and Cifa, as the musical travel series reaches its final episode. But there’s some spectacular scenery in store on this last leg, which takes them through Carmarthenshire, Cardigan and the dramatic coastline of Llangrannog, ending with a serene sunset over Aberystwyth. But there’s added intrigue when the family visit a hidden beach steeped in musical heritage following a chance encounter with a singing legend. Who could it be? Tom Jones? Shirley Bassey? My money’s on Aberystwyth-based singer-songwriter Meic Stevens.
Coldplay: Our Glastonbury
Tuesday, BBC2, 10pm
In the run-up to the big rock fest at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, some of the acts set to play this weekend discuss their relationship with Glasto and what the festival means to them. On Monday, Dua Lipa explores her journey to Glastonbury in advance of her headline set at the Pyramid stage on Friday, and tonight it’s the turn of Coldplay, who have appeared at Worthy Farm so many times, they’ve been dubbed the Glastonbury house band. This weekend they’ll be making their record fifth appearance as headliners at the festival, and here they look back on the last 25 years of Glasto, beginning with their debut at the New Bands tent in 1999 and their first headline appearance in 2002.
Prime Ministerial Debate
Wednesday, BBC1, 8.15pm
When UK prime minster Rishi Sunak announced a snap election to be held on July 4th, he took everyone by surprise, not least because the Tories are seen to be in their weakest ever position following their near-wipeout in the local elections. The expectation is that Labour leader Keir Starmer will sweep into Number 10 Downing Street, but even though it seems a foregone conclusion, it’ll be worth watching as the PM and the PM-in-waiting go at it hammer and tongs in this prime ministerial debate, live from Nottingham and chaired by Mishal Husain. That’s followed at 9.30pm by After the Debate, in which Laura Kuenssberg and Clive Myrie get reactions and analysis from across the political spectrum.
Harry Wild
Wednesday, RTÉ1, 9.35pm
Jane Seymour stars as Harriet “Harry” Wild in the second series of the comedy drama. She’s a retired professor of English who has uncovered a hidden talent for solving crimes; her son, local Garda detective Charlie Wild, would call it a hidden talent for sticking her nose in where it doesn’t belong. In episode two, Harry may be wishing she had minded her own business when she and her young sidekick Fergus are hired to investigate a missing persons case in an eerie country village complete with creepy gravedigger and aggressive priest. When they find a skeleton in the woods, and learn that the village has links with the occult, they’re soon wondering if they’re getting out of their depth.
Douglas is Cancelled
Thursday, UTV, 9pm
Douglas Bellowes is a veteran TV news presenter who is above reproach. Loved by the nation, respected within the industry and idolised by his co-presenter Madeline, Douglas can do no wrong – that is, until he cracks a sexist joke at a wedding and it finds its way on to X. Douglas hopes to ride out the situation – after all, he reckons, it was just sexist, not misogynist, and only a few people have seen the post – but soon the incident grows legs and Douglas faces the ultimate punishment: cancellation. But who is the mystery person who has brought the un-PC joke to a wider audience? Hugh Bonneville plays Douglas, with Karen Gillan as Madeline in this four-part comedy drama all about the perils of cancel culture.
Path to Paris
Thursday, RTÉ1, 10.15pm
It’s the ultimate dream for Irish athletes: qualifying for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and this year’s crop of top sportspeople are hoping to make to be among the elite competitors at Paris 2024. This three-part series follows a disparate group of athletes as they train hard to prepare themselves physically and mentally for the greatest tournament of them all, among them boxer Kellie Harrington, gymnast Rhys McClenaghan and para-swimmer Nicole Turner. Episode one features rising star of athletics Rhasidat Adeleke, surfer Gearóid McDaid and para-cycling champions Eve McCrystal and Katie-George Dunlevy.
Glastonbury 2024
Friday, BBC1, BBC2 & BBC4, from 7.30pm
The first full day of Glastonbury kicks off, and that means some of pop’s finest artists beaming straight in to your livingroom, home cinema or mancave. Clara Amfo, Lauren Laverne, Jack Saunders and Jo Whiley are down at Worthy Farm to bring you all the coverage from rock’s biggest music weekend, and we start with former Housemartins and Beautiful South singer Paul Heaton, making his solo debut on the Pyramid Stage without his long-time musical partner Jacqui Abbott. That’s followed by reformed R&B trio Sugababes on the West Holts Stage – their original line-up. Other acts through the night include Dexys, PJ Harvey and Idles, with Dua Lipa headlining the Pyramid Stage, and Jungle delivering late-night beats on the West Holts Stage.
Andy Murray: Will to Win
Friday, BBC1, 9pm
With Queen’s in full swing this weekend, and Wimbledon 2024 just around the corner, this documentary takes a look back at the amazing career of British tennis star Andy Murray, charting his journey from his hometown of Dunblane to becoming the world number one, and looking at the will and determination that drove him to compete at the highest level of the game, winning two Wimbledon titles as well as the US Open, Davis Cup and two gold medals at the Olympics. Murray and his family are joined by several tennis legends for this in-depth exploration of the ups and downs he experienced from the moment he left home as a teenager to begin training for Wimbledon glory.
