Tonight's TV tips
The name Delia Derbyshire might not mean much to some, but mention her name to many Doctor Who fans and watch their faces light up like a kid on Christmas morning.
She’s one of the music pioneers featured in this documentary revealing how the task of writing music in a post-war world was met in very different ways by the likes of Britten, Bernstein, Cage and Boulez.
Aside from a piece on the avant garde sounds of Delia and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (via a clip of the much-missed Tomorrow’s World), look out for the extraordinary sight of Stockhausen played in helicopters by string quartets.
Plus, there’s John Tavener’s musings in BBC documentary One Man’s Week (his key inspiration: lounging in the garden), and some great talking heads, including broadcaster Sara Mohr-Pietsch.
Perhaps best of all, Paul Morley interviews Philip Glass about his S-Express remix of Hey Music Lover.
At times there is a feeling this comedy was made by feeding data from previous hit sitcoms into a computer, and the resulting cast and script did their best with the result.
Add one Inbetweener (Blake Harrison); the long-suffering mum from Him & Her (Camille Coduri); a few Gavin & Stacey-style supporting characters and plenty of theoretically hilarious situations to generate laughs and tears: stag dos, hen nights and altar-based jilting.
This week, following said wedding day rejection, Alfie (Harrison) had another slap in the face after discovering Carly is now dating his boss Maartie.
Rather than get angry, he decides it’s time to get even... by taking on his love rival in the Margate fun run.
Meanwhile, the heartbroken lad is keen to make amends with Michelle, and asks her to help him train for the race, although she suspects he has other motives.
Justine Michelle Cain and Louisa Lytton co-star.
It’s hard to believe it was only the summer before last that Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker burst onto our screens with The Last Leg, which originally began as an irreverent companion show to the London 2012 Paralympics.
Rather fittingly this fourth series draws to a close on the week that also saw the flame go out on the Sochi 2014 Paralympics.
In this final edition, guest Frank Skinner drops in to join the trio as they look back on the comic moments of the past seven days, which are of course bound to draw on events in the Black Sea resort.
Almost inevitably, they are also likely to refer to East-West matters beyond Sochi as whatever has been in the news will likely also make it into the show.
As well as the chat, there will also be more from Alex’s ongoing efforts to participate in the Rio Paralympics in 2016.
A former CIA agent and her one-time lover, who also happens to be an ex-MI6 officer, find their romantic past getting in the way of their mission when they are both hired as counter-intelligence experts for rival multi-national corporations.
As they try to get one up on each other to gain information about a lucrative product, the pair struggle to keep their relationship strictly professional.
While it’s certainly a thriller, Duplicity leans towards the lighter-end of the genre, offering up a fun and largely entertaining feature that is stopped from being truly involving due to its overly complex plot.
Julia Roberts and Clive Owen are great in the lead roles and their interaction is easily the best part of the movie.
Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti, Dan Daily
64%
It’s a chronicle of the marriage of Frank and April Wheeler, a couple who, to outsiders, have the perfect life, but in reality are people who have drifted apart and feel dissatisfied by their lot.
Every day Frank endures the drudgery of his job, while April cares for their home and children, all the while dreaming of something more fulfilling.
Determined not to reach old age and wonder ’what if?’ April convinces Frank to move with her and the kids for a fresh start in Paris, but what begins as an exciting plan quickly unravels and becomes another bone of contention in their troubled relationship.
With Sam Mendes’ talent behind the camera and the sizzling on-screen chemistry of attractive leads Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, this drama adapted from the novel by Richard Yates is one not to miss – but be warned, it’s unlikely to leave you feeling uplifted.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Michael J Shannon, Ryan Simpkins, Ty Simpkins, Kathy Bates
68%
When wise-cracking teenager Juno discovers she’s pregnant follow a one-night stand with her best friend, she thinks she has everything largely under control.
With the support of her dad and stepmum, Juno decides to put the baby up for adoption – and she thinks she’s found the perfect parents in the shape of the glamorous Mark and Vanessa Loring.
But as the pregnancy progresses and Juno gets to know the Lorings better, she realise the situation is not going to be as straightforward as she first thought.
If the quip-heavy dialogue and quirky characters initially seem off-putting, stick with it, because once it hits its stride, Juno is a touching, perceptive and genuinely funny comedy.
Ellen Page was deservedly Oscar-nominated for her performance in the lead role, but the entire cast is terrific – and nobody does sweetly awkward quite like Michael Cera, who co-stars as the baby’s dad.
Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, JK Simmons, Olivia Thirlby
94%
