Friday’s TV tips
Darragh Maloney is joined by Brad Friedel, Neil Lennon and Ronnie Whelan for live coverage of the first of the quarter-finals from the Maracanã, Rio De Janeiro at 4.30pm.
It promises to be a mouthwatering encounter, as two of the powerhouses of European football, France and Germany, face off to see who will advance. Both have shown some great form in the tournament so far – whoever wins will have real momentum going into the semi-finals.
Commentary from Peter Collins and Trevor Steven. Kick-off is at 5pm.
Later in the evening, Bill O’Herlihy is joined by Eamon Dunphy, John Giles and Liam Brady for live coverage of the second quarter-final from Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza.
This time it’s an all-South American affair, as Colombia look to topple tournament favourites Brazil. All the pressure will be on the hosts, and dark horses Colombia have impressed up until now – and upset could well be on the cards.
Kick off is at 9pm, with commentary from George Hamilton and Ray Houghton.
With his Sky1 panel show A League of Their Own, and the fact that he and wife Julia are soon to become parents for the second time, comedian and actor James Corden is a busy boy.
He has, however, still managed to find time to try and rid the smug-as-ever banker of all his monies, and has filmed a stint on a celeb special of Deal or No Deal.
Who would have thought that watching strangers opening boxes would be so exciting?
Perhaps it’s the expert stewardship of Noel which means that the intensity never drops. Chummy, friendly and occasionally just a little naughty, the most famous of beard-wearers clearly loves every minute of his time on the show.
James is hoping to clinch that £250,000 jackpot for the Terrence Higgins Trust and Save the Children, and with his friends and family in the audience, does he have what it takes to beat the banker?
You get the feeling that Jon Richardson could win this show with one arm tied behind his back while half awake.
However, despite his enviable maths skills, when it comes to arranging those letters into some sort of order, it seems he blows it to give the others a fighting chance (either that or he’s just a risk taker).
The rest of the regulars have helped turn this into one of Channel 4’s greatest assets, with host Jimmy Carr and Richardson’s fellow team captain Sean Locke effortlessly making the masses giggle, sometimes just by showing up.
This week’s guests are funnywoman/actress Jo Brand and Film 2014 presenter Claudia Winkleman, while comedian/musician Bill Bailey joins Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner.
Simon Bird and Tamsin Greig have long proved themselves forces to be reckoned with on the UK comedy circuit, but their global appeal is really taking off this year.
With a new Australia-based Inbetweeners movie set to boost Bird’s Antipodean fanbase, and Greig’s superb work in Extras impressing the masses across the Pond, this Robert Popper comedy has also made an impact in the States, Australia, New Zealand and Russia.
In the latest of the Goodmans’ Friday night gatherings, the family is distraught when Grandma gets engaged to Mr Morris, her horrible 85-year-old boyfriend who upset everyone and lost his temper the first time he came for dinner two years ago.
Dad couldn’t stand him back then and hid in his shed, but will they get along this time? Meanwhile, Jim collects money for charity dressed in a dog costume that doesn’t leave out any detail.
A pair of irresponsible salesmen for an energy drink business land themselves in trouble after crashing their truck whilst trying to prevent it from being towed away.
Hoping to avoid jail time, they agree to undertake community service, acting as role models to two troubled youngsters – a painfully geeky teenager obsessed with live-action role-playing games and a foul-mouthed youth who has driven away all the other adults he has been previously paired with.
Seann William Scott had a hard time matching his early success in American Pie, but he surpasses it in this fantastic comedy, which features his most impressive performance yet.
Role Models might not be to everyone’s tastes, but if you’re a fan of smutty gags and filth-ridden dialogue then this crude comedy will be right up your street.
Many lines in the film were improvised. The writers did constant rewrites during filming but had to stop due to the 2007 Writers Guild strike.
Starring: Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bobb’e J Thompson, Jane Lynch
77%
The directorial debut of Drew Barrymore, stars Ellen Page (Juno) as Bliss, a small-town teenager with a big dream: to find her own path in the world.
Tired of following in her family’s footsteps of compliance and conformity, Bliss discovers a way to put her life on the fast track...literally. She lands a spot on a rough-and-tumble roller derby team and becomes “Babe Ruthless” — the hottest thing on eight wheels!
Marcia Gay Harden (Mystic River, Pollock) plays Bliss’ disapproving mother, while Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live) and Juliette Lewis (Old School) play roller-derby stars.
84%
