Thursday’s TV tips

Tonight's telly tips…

Thursday’s TV tips

FILM: Airplane! (Film4, 7.15pm)

(1980) If Star Wars is the ultimate sci-fi movie, this is easily the greatest spoof of all time.

The passengers on board an ill-fated airliner become increasingly nervous when the crazy flight crew are laid low by food poisoning. Meanwhile, the ground control team struggle to ensure the plane lands safely as a traumatised war veteran is forced to take the controls.

Zucker, Zucker and Abrahams’ comic masterpiece is ageless and the cast, which includes Robert Hays and Leslie Nielsen, have never been funnier.

It’s safe to say your sides will ache by the end of the film, for Zucker, Zucker and Abrahams barely give you more than a couple of seconds respite before unleashing the next hilarious gag.

Starring: Robert Hays, Leslie Nielsen, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

HOME DESIGN: Home of the Year (RTE One, 8.30pm)

What makes a House a Home?

Championing individuality, flair and commitment to design, Home of the Year features homeowners around Ireland who have done something extraordinary to the place they call home.

Over eight weeks, 21 homes will compete for the Home of the Yeartitle, with three very different properties featuring each week.

From self-built dream homes, to eco friendly country retreats,Home of the Year features people who have built their dream home, just the way they like it. The series showcases homes all over the country and included; a surprising Semi D, a small terraced homes with a clever interior, a converted church, an architecturally distinct flood proof home, and a family home with clever storage solutions, to name just a few.

Making the tough decisions as to who goes through to the final are our three expert judges; interior design legend Hugh Wallace, award winning architect Declan O’Donnell and textiles and homewares designer Helen James.

Looking for individuality, functionality and clever design, the judges individually score the homes out of 10, the home with the highest combined score, goes through to the final where the ultimate winner will be crowned.

COMEDY: The Big Bang Theory (E4, 8.30pm)

Raj has the kind of problem not many of us will ever have to face in our working lives – he’s concerned that the space probe he helped to design won’t work properly.

Oh dear.

To alleviate the stress he visits a Hindu temple with Howard and Bernadette, but it doesn’t work – he goes berserk when a man accidentally damages his car door, and only some good news calms him down.

Meanwhile, Sheldon and Leonard look forward to playing a board game – until Amy and Penny burst their balloon by saying they’re tired of doing what the boys want and that it’s time they did something the girls enjoy.

Leonard also agrees to start getting used to the idea of no longer living with Sheldon by moving out gradually. He decides to spend one night a week under Penny’s roof, an arrangement that soon takes an unexpected twist.

DOCUMENTARY: The Real Slum Dogs – A Journey of

Hope (3e, 9pm)

Presented by Deric Hartigan, this documentary is a raw and real reflection of modern day life in Kolkata, India.

From the shocking scenes of child labourers working in the city’s main dump at Howrah and the generational prostitution on Kolkata’s main highways to the on-going rescue operations and educational projects provided by the Hope Foundation.

This documentary charters the journey and lives of the forgotten children of Calcutta through the work of the charity organisation as they endeavour to rescue a generation from a life of drug use and sexual abuse.

Throughout this ‘Journey Of Hope’, we come face-to-face with the harsh reality of slum life in the city, meet the children who have been recused from a life of destitution, talk to those on the ground who work tirelessly to make it happen and visit the projects directly funded by the Irish people.

Shocking and inspiring, this gripping documentary will be expose the underbelly of a city and a culture where you have to fight to survive.

DOCUMENTARY: The Truth About Calories (BBC1, 9pm)

Counting calories can become an obsession – just ask anyone who’s ever been on a diet. But we may never look at their numbers printed labels on food packets in the same way again after watching this programme.

Here, Dr Chris van Tulleken wants to know how accurate the figures are, and if counting calories is actually any use to consumers whatsoever. He begins by taking nine randomly selected supermarket foods to an independent testing laboratory – which uncovers that only one label is correct, while the rest fall 10 per cent above or below the stated amount.

Dr Chris then challenges three Glasgow families to find the best way to burn the calories consumed by eating a fry-up for breakfast – and the results are astounding.

Finally, the boffin reveals how to cut down on calorie intake without compromising taste – something most of us would like to know.

DRAMA: Banished (BBC2, 9pm)

Although it lacks the hard-hitting nature of much of Jimmy McGovern’s previous work, there’s still much to admire about this drama.

For a start, the cast is uniformly wonderful, and the subject matter is one we’ve rarely seen depicted on screen. What’s more, the story takes an even more gripping turn this week.

James Freeman is missing, having wandered into the dense bush – a place no man has survived. Sergeant Timmins refuses to risk the lives of his men to search for him, so James is assumed dead – until he reappears at the camp, clearly in distress.

When Marston’s body is found, it seems that James’ life is due to be cut short anyway – he’s found guilty of his murder and sentenced to hang.

However, with no official hangman living in the colony, Governor Phillips must find somebody to do the job – but will anyone be willing to do it?

FILM: A Lonely Place to Die (5*, 9pm)

(2011) Alison, Rob, Alex, Jenny and the relatively inexperienced Ed head into the Scottish wilderness to train for an ascent of the Eiger later in the year.

During a hike through a forest, the friends discover a badly dehydrated, eight-year-old Serbian girl called Anna buried in a chamber in the earth. No sooner have the mountaineers rescued Anna than they come under fire from kidnappers Mr Kidd and Mr Mcrae.

Shot on location in the Scottish Highlands, this adrenaline-fuelled action thriller is punctuated by scenes of violence that become increasingly preposterous.

Julian Gilbey’s film orchestrates a high-stakes game of cat and mouse against stunning yet hazardous vistas.

Cinematographer Ali Asad captures the rugged splendour of the mountains, scaling sheer rock faces and careening through undergrowth as the main cast sprint for their lives.

Starring: Melissa George, Ed Speleers, Alec Newman, Gary Sweeney, Kate Magowan, Holly Boyd, Sean Harris

COMEDY: Inside No 9 (BBC2, 10pm)

Will the second series of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s dark comedy drama series live up to expectations?

The first run caught viewers unawares, winning plaudits for its black humour and inventive plots – but can they do it all again?

If anyone can, it’s this duo. They’ve been collaborating since they met at drama college over 20 years ago, and they’re the kings of their form of humour, having previously worked on The League of Gentlemen and Psychoville.

They’ve attracted some great names for this run, with Julie Hesmondhalgh, Jack Whitehall and Mark Benton among the stars of the first episode, which is set aboard a sleeper train traveling through France – and it’s going to be a long night.

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