TV & Radio

Six must-see TV shows to watch this week

David McWilliams assesses Ireland’s place in the world, Twin Peaks returns and more

Kyle MacLachlan reprises his role of investigating FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper in the 2017 revival of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks

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Kevin Courtney
Mon May 22 2017 - 06:00

Brexit, Trump And Us
Monday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm

Documentary in which David McWilliams takes a look at the effects on Ireland of Donald Trump’s presidency and the UK’s imminent departure from the EU, wondering what it may mean for the economy, the future of the euro, and for a united Ireland. McWilliams also travels to France to look at the recent presidential elections and to England to report on the country’s upcoming general election.

Twin Peaks
Sky Atlantic, Monday, 2am, repeats Tuesday, 9pm

David Lynch’s 1990s cult TV show returns for its third season. Video: Showtime

“Peakers” everywhere had palpitations when David Lynch announced he was making a new series of his iconic show, featuring most of the original cast, and set 25 years after the mysterious murder of Laura Palmer, opens with a double-bill of episodes, and once again stars Kyle MacLachlan as coffee-guzzling agent Dale Cooper, Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne, Mädchen Amick as Shelly Johnson and David Duchovny in his dual role of Denise/Dennis Bryson. Lynch himself reprises his role as FBI regional bureau chief Gordon Cole, and Catherine Coulson is back as the Log Lady, having filmed her scenes before she died of cancer at 71. The new Twin Peaks will also star Laura Dern, Monica Bellucci, Tim Roth, Naomi Watts, Ashley Judd and Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails.

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Broken
Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm

Jimmy McGovern is an old hand at creating gritty, down-to-earth, and usually award-winning TV dramas, so we’re expecting great things from his new six-part drama, particularly since it stars Sean Bean as a priest trying to minister to his flock in an urban parish while at the same time battling demons of his own.

Paula
Wednesday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm

Acclaimed Irish playwright Conor McPherson loves a challenge, and he’s written his first television drama, a dark revenge thriller that carries a strong warning: think twice before sleeping with the handyman. Denise Gough stars as a young science teacher who discovers rats in her basement. She hires good-looking chancer James (Tom Hughes) to deal with the pests, and one thing leads to another, but Paula quickly realises that she’s now in the grip of a dangerous predator.

White Gold
Wednesday, BBC2, 11.45pm

A new six-part comedy starring erstwhile Inbetweeners James Buckley and Joe Thomas and written by Inbetweeners creator Damon Beesley. The pair are joined by Ed Westwick for this 1980s-set sitcom in which they play double glazing salesmen. While two of them will do anything to get a sale, the other is hampered by his moral compass.

Good Vibrations
Thursday, RTÉ One, 10.15pm

Documentary telling the extraordinary story of Cork woman Orla O’Sullivan, a deaf and visually impaired piano teacher who is on a mission to bring the joy of music to both deaf and hearing children. Orla became profoundly deaf at six weeks old following treatment for pneumonia, but although she can just about hear the piano notes with the help of hearing aids, she relies more on “feeling” the sound through the vibrations of the notes. She has developed a tactile and visual teaching method to help deaf and hearing-impaired children learn the piano.