Thursday’s TV tips

Check out our spoiler-free guide to what’s good to watch on the box tonight.

Thursday’s TV tips

Check out our spoiler-free guide to what’s good to watch on the box tonight.

FOOD: The Great Irish Bake Off - The Final (TV3, 9pm)

After last night’s drama, it’s decision time for judges Paul Kelly and Biddy White Lennon in the final of The Great Irish Bake Off!

There are only three bakers left fighting it out for the crown of the Best Amateur Baker in Ireland.

The pressure is on, but will which baker will rise to the challenge?

DRAMA: The Honourable Woman (BBC2, 9pm)

Oscar-nominated actress Maggie Gyllenhaal’s film credits include everything from cult dramas such as Secretary to blockbusters like The Dark Knight.

So, we can safely assume she wouldn’t sign up for just any old TV series. But just what was it about new eight-part political thriller The Honourable Woman that made her want to take on the lead role?

Well, it seems the script, by The Shadow Line writer Hugo Blick, was a big part of it.

Set against the backdrop of the conflicts in the Middle East, Gyllenhaal takes on the meaty role of Nessa Stein, who takes over the family business after witnessing the assassination of her father, a Zionist arms procurer.

There’s an impressive supporting cast too, which includes Stephen Rea, Eve Best, Lindsay Duncan and Andrew Buchan.

FILM: Texas Killing Fields (ITV4, 10pm)

Texas Killing Fields tells the story of a New York homicide detective who transfers a to small Texas town, where he becomes obsessed with catching a serial killer who routinely dumps his victims’ bodies in a nearby swamp.

When the killer realises how determined the detective is, they respond by leaving taunting messages and clues.

It’s not the most uplifting film of the week, but with a great cast list including Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain and Chloe Grace Moretz, it really shouldn’t be overlooked.

It’s complex at times, but you’ll be pondering the film long after the end credits have rolled.

RottenTomatoes.com Rating: 33%

REAL-LIFE: The Secret Life of Students (Channel 4, 10pm)

Every September, a flurry of fresh-faced, eagle-eyed post-college teenagers descend on university towns and cities up and down the country.

So here is the latest in Channel 4’s superbly entertaining series of documentaries – a look into the life of the British students who have headed off for their first term at Leicester University. Cameras will follow the 12 students, as they find their feet in their new home.

The programme will scrutinise not only their grades, but their texts, tweets, photographs and status updates on social media, which it’s expected will all be very telling of their new experiences and on-campus shenanigans.

This four-part series looks set to be quite the eye-opener...

FILM: We Own the Night (UTV, 11.05pm)

A man becomes torn between being loyal to his law-abiding family and the gangsters who frequent the nightclub where he works.

Bobby decides not to follow his father and brother into the police force, preferring to spend his time rubbing shoulders with the mob at their favourite New York nightclub, which he also manages.

But when his boss asks him to get involved in a lucrative drug deal, just when his sibling asks him to consider becoming an informant, he has to decide where his loyalties really lie.

Although largely ignored on its initial cinema release, this is a classy thriller with a great cast.

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Duvall, Eva Mendes

RottenTomatoes.com Rating: 57%

Me, Myself and Irene (Film4, 11.10pm)

Jim Carrey stars in this smash-hit comedy from the Farrelly brothers.

The comedian plays a mild-mannered policeman who has to balance his day-to-day responsibilities with a split personality – a condition which is confounded by his love for a beautiful woman.

After garnering critical acclaim for exceptional performances in The Truman Show and Man on the Moon, Jim Carrey returned to his comic roots and reunited with Dumb And Dumber directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly for this laugh-out-loud comedy.

Carrey is best when playing the wonderfully awful Hank, but his three teenage sons steal the show. Renee Zellweger is a nice addition and well-cast as the love interest.

RottenTomatoes.com Rating: 48%

NEW ON NETFLIX: A Perfect Getaway

Cliff and Cydney (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) are an adventurous young couple celebrating their honeymoon by backpacking to one of the most beautiful, and remote, beaches in Hawaii.

Hiking the wild, secluded trails, they believe they’ve found paradise. But when the pair comes across a group of frightened hikers discussing the horrifying murder of another newlywed couple on the islands, they begin to question whether they should turn back.

Unsure whether to stay or flee, Cliff and Cydney join up with two other couples, and things begin to go terrifyingly wrong as a brutal battle for survival begins…

RottenTomatoes.com Rating:60%

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