Pick of the week
The Meaning of Life
Sunday, RTÉ One, 10.30pm
We are tormented by big questions: Who will win Strictly? Will the election be in November? And what the hell is a skibidi toilet? Well, you can put these piffling matters aside, because Joe Duffy is back to discuss the bigger questions – life, the universe and the man upstairs – with a fresh crew of high-profile guests in a new, extended series of The Meaning of Life. In each of 10 episodes, Duffy will sit down with a celebrity to talk about the things that really matter to them (not Instagram likes) and get insights on how their values and beliefs have shaped their lives, relationships and careers. First up, in an extended opening episode, is a Vogue cover star: disability advocate Sinéad Burke, who talks to Joe about her activism and how she has refused to let her diminutive size diminish her ambition and self-belief. Among those teasing out the big philosophical conundrums in later episodes are legendary Olympic athlete Sonia O’Sullivan, British actor Ricky Tomlinson, Irish tenor and champion para-athlete Ronan Tynan, actor and theatre director Olwen Fouéré, Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole, actor, writer and farmer Mary McEvoy and former RTÉ broadcaster Bryan Dobson.
DI Ray
Sunday-Tuesday, UTV, 9pm
Det Insp Rachita Ray is back on the homicide team following her suspension, in the second series of the crime thriller starring Parminder Nagra. But before DI Ray can even get settled back in, she has to investigate the deaths of two people in a drive-by shooting outside a hospital in Birmingham. One is a nurse, the other is a well-known local crimelord. Over six episodes, Rachida will have to track down the shooter, avert a gang turf war, dampen down racial tensions and restore her team’s faith in her abilities.
The Gone
Sunday, RTÉ One, 9.30pm
Looks like Dublin detective Theo Richter can never say goodbye to the tiny town of Mount Affinity, New Zealand. Having spent the first series of The Gone helping local detective Diana Huai solve a missing couple case – uncovering loads of dark secrets in the process, of course – Richter (Richard Flood) is about to get on a flight back to Ireland when he is yanked back to help Detective Huai (Acushla-Tara Kupe) track down missing Irish journalist Aileen Ryan (Carolyn Bracken). The first series received a cool reception from our own Ed Power for its glacial pace and cliched lead character, but RTÉ's biggest crime, said our reviewer, was trying to pull the wool over licence-payers’ eyes by pitching this as an Irish drama. Still, if you have an interest in local issues in rural NZ, and you’re up for more mystery and intrigue, this could be worth another go.
The Franchise
Monday, Sky Comedy and Now, 10pm
For every blockbuster superhero sequel, there’s a “making of” reel that gives you all the behind-the-scenes insights you never asked for. But what if you got to be a fly on the wall during the making of a mediocre superhero movie, and got to see all the chaos and mayhem that goes into creating something truly meh? A comedy cast has assembled for this new series about a motley crew on the set of a so-so superhero franchise, as they struggle in vain to compete with the Marvels and DCs of this world. Daniel Brühl – who actually stars in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – plays a director who thinks he’s Tarkovsky, with Himesh Patel as first assistant director and Richard E Grant as an insufferable luvvie. With most of us suffering from superhero fatigue, though, has the whole Marvel thing gone too far beyond parody?
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The Case I Can’t Forget
Wednesday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm
It’s the last in the series looking back at some of Ireland’s most memorable criminal investigations, and this final episode looks at how gardaí uncovered a huge sex-trafficking industry in market towns around Ireland. Investigators discuss how women were exploited and sold into sexual slavery in Irish towns and villages, and how the courage of a small group of women brought Ireland’s sex trade out into the open, and led to the country’s first convictions for sex trafficking.
Hector Caribbean
Thursday, TG4, 9.30pm
It’s been two decades since Hector Ó hEochagáin last visited the Caribbean, but I’m sure they haven’t forgotten the mad Irish fella with a big appetite for craic and enough curiosity to put a cats’ home in peril. Hector makes his return to the sunny tropical region in this new series, starting off in Havana, Cuba, where jazz legend Bobby Carcassés helps him get immersed in the city’s vibrant music scene. He also checks out one of Cuba’s traditional crafts – cigar-making – and learns how Havana has evolved since the time of Castro. Hector’s itinerary over the rest of the series takes him from Jamaica to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Montserrat and Trinidad and Tobago. They won’t know what hit them.
The Cleaner
Friday, BBC One, 9.30pm
Paul “Wicky” Wickstead gets to visit some interesting crime scenes as part of his job, but this week he might be getting out of his depth as he is sent to a lighthouse off the Irish coast, manned by a lighthouse keeper named Brennan who’s so grumpy, he makes Roy Keane seem like a Hare Krishna. Wicky is here to clear away the belongings of the keeper’s mate, who has gone missing and is presumed dead, but he has to contend with the keeper’s doom-laden pronouncements, a flock of aggressive seagulls and the ever-present danger of falling into lazy paddywhackery. Greg Davies writes and stars as Wicky, with Conleth Hill as Brennan, in a series based on the German comedy Der Tatortreiniger.
Streaming
Doctor Odyssey
From Thursday, October 24th, Disney+
So, who’d want to be a ship’s doctor on a luxury cruise liner filled with rich and beautiful people, all looking to have a good time at sea? Somebody’s got to do it, and in this US series, Joshua Jackson stars as Dr Max Bankman, who has taken on the job of chief medic on the good ship Odyssey. He’s got two super-skilled nurses to help him, Avery Morgan (Phillipa Soo) and Tristan Silva (Sean Teale), but as the ship heads to warm tropical climes, it’s all work and all play for Dr Max and his team as they see to the passengers’ every needs – medical or otherwise. It’s The Love Boat with added Tylenol. Don Johnson plays the ship’s captain, with the likes of Shania Twain and Gina Gershon making guest appearances.
Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black
From Thursday, October 24th, Netflix
Actor and film-maker Tyler Perry is passionate about making TV shows that speak to black lives, and he’s inked a deal with Netflix to write, produce and direct films and dramas telling compelling stories for a black audience. “I was told many times over many years that black entertainment doesn’t travel throughout the world,” says Perry. “So, to have Netflix continue to disprove that over and over with everything I’ve put on the platform has been phenomenal.” Following the recent success of his film Mea Culpa, here’s a drama series following two women’s divergent life paths. Mallory is a high-flying businesswoman running her own haircare empire; Kimmie is a struggling young woman working the strip clubs of Atlanta’s Magic City. When their worlds collide, sparks fly – and not just from stiletto heels.
Before
From Friday, October 25th, Apple TV+
Billy Crystal stars in this dark, supernatural thriller series, and we can probably safely say that the veteran comedy actor is making a dramatic departure here. Crystal plays a child psychiatrist, Eli, who is dealing with the loss of his wife, Lynn. When he meets a troubled young boy named Noah, he discovers the boy has an eerie connection with Eli’s own past. So far so Sixth Sense. Before long, Eli himself is seeing dead people, and faced with a mystery that he must solve if he’s going to save Noah – and himself.
