Wednesday's TV tips
There’s a war that few people remember, and yet it lasted for 300 years.
It’s the one involving women and their battle for political and sex equality. There were, according to historian Amanda Vickery in this new, three-part series, a few blokes involved too – hurrah for them.
It begins with an insight into the legal, social and political oppression women suffered before the Suffragette campaign began.
Before they organised themselves into a force to be reckoned with, women were often dubbed unruly or were criticised and patronised for their efforts to speak out in public.
Vickery also introduces viewers to some of the key early figures in what could loosely be termed as the women’s movement, whose actions paved the way for the Suffragettes, including Mary Wollstonecraft and Hannah More, who campaigned for equality in education.
Jo Brand is no stranger to the Bake Off world, having been a contestant on a previous run of the charity edition and having presented the regular series’ spin-off, Another Slice.
Now she’s hosting the latest edition, which sees another quartet of famous faces waving their wooden spoons and mixing bowls in the name of charity.
Heading the line-up is Michael Sheen, who’s more accustomed to playing larger-than-life characters such as Brian Clough, Kenneth Williams and Tony Blair than he is cup cakes.
Someone who will know whether his Blair impersonation is accurate or not is Sarah Brown, wife of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The mixed bag of contestants is completed by Radio 1 DJ Jameela Jamil and comedian and writer David Mitchell.
They will have to prepare 24 portions of shortbread, six mini pork pies and a triple-tiered pavlova if they’re to impress judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.
James Corden had made Britain’s biggest musical bash his own and is a hard act to follow - so much so that the organisers have had to replace him with not one presenter, but two – the omnipresent Ant and Dec.
A new run of their Saturday Night Takeaway began at the weekend, and now they’re back in action here.
This is the 35th edition of the ceremony, and this time it comes live from London’s cavernous O2 and features performances from the likes of Taylor Swift, Paloma Faith, and Madonna – who is making her first appearance at the Brits in 20 years.
Expected to do well is recent Grammy-winner Sam Smith, who has the most nominations with five, closely followed by Ed Sheeran and George Ezra with four each, while Royal Blood have three.
It’s finally here, the culmination of seven weeks of hard work for our leaders and their followers. The 5K runs kick off in the Phoenix Park, Dublin and Blarney Castle, Cork.
Emotions run high as dreams come true and our leaders and 8,000 followers cross the finish line.
Tonight our leaders celebrate all they have achieved as they take to the catwalk for our finale show special.
It’s their time to shine as they strut their stuff in front of family and friends and their final transformation is revealed.
For members of the public, the chance to enter the sequinned, glamorous world of televised ballroom dancing is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – which is where The People’s Strictly comes in.
Last year, viewers were asked to nominate someone who they thought deserved the chance to trip the light fantastic. Out of the thousands of names put forward, six inspirational people were ultimately chosen, all of whom have worked selflessly to improve the lives of others.
Over the next four weeks, we’ll see them learn to dance and perform a routine, culminating in one of them being crowned a champion as part of Comic Relief, but in this opening edition we start by meeting three of the remarkable contestants.
It’s the last in the series, and you don’t have to have read Hilary Mantel’s source novels to know that things aren’t going to end well for Anne Boleyn.
The Queen accuses Cromwell of betrayal when she finds out he tried to protect Mary rather than her daughter Elizabeth, but that’s not the only sign her influence is on the wane. Her enemies are circling, so it’s a particularly bad time for Anne to forget herself during an argument with her sister-in-law and reveal that three men have declared their love to her.
Jane happily rushes to tell Cromwell the news, but adds in a scandalous titbit of her own, as she hints that her husband George’s relationship with Anne is more than brotherly.
Cromwell also extracts the ultimate revenge on those who have dared to cross the King, bringing him ever closer to Henry.
See, Tudor history really is like Game of Thrones...
Pablo Picasso was was one of the 20th century’s most celebrated artists, a man who never rested on his laurels when it came to his work.
He embraced various styles, leading the way in some of them, and remains one of the most famous men to have ever lived – but not just because of the pictures he painted and the sculptures he made.
Picasso also had an eye for the ladies, shall we say. It’s widely regarded that Picasso had seven major relationships with women – two of whom committed suicide, and another two lost their minds.
This documentary examines their relationships with the artist, as well as his feelings towards other women who crossed his path and helped fuel his creativity.
Denzel Washington is on fine form in this sci-fi thriller, as a federal agent investigating the bombing of a ferryboat in New Orleans.
His mission is helped along by a device given to him by the government that can see into the past.
He focuses on one victim in particular who he feels may hold the key to the crime, and becomes convinced that he can prevent the explosion ever even happening.
This is another example of Tony Scott’s fine directorial work, and if you’ve yet to see it, make sure you set the box to record.
A thoroughly engaging effort that will keep your mind ticking over long after the end credits have rolled.
Denzel Washington, Paula Patton, Val Kilmer, Jim Caviezel.
Steven Seagal stars as dedicated Los Angeles police detective Mason Storm, who uncovers a high-level web of political corruption and murder.
Gunned down by a member of his own police force, Storm spends seven years in a coma before awakening to learn that his family was murdered years ago.
Now, years after the crime and not knowing the perpetrators, Storm wants justice--and nothing and no one is going to stop him.
Steven Seagal, Kelly LeBrock, Bill Sadler.
A parole officer who is assigned the case of a convict locked up for arson, and may have also been an accomplice for arson.
The prisoner arranges for his wife to seduce the officer in the hope of persuading him to sort out an early release for him.
The top-drawer cast list alone should be enough to attract your attention to this superb thriller.
Robert De Niro and Edward Norton are perfectly cast as the leads, while Milla Jovovich is gorgeous as ever as the seductive wife.
Plenty of action, that decent cast, and a reasonably original storyline ensures this effort from The Painted Veil director John Curran is worth watching.
Robert De Niro and Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich.
A man who has previously struggled to make any kind of commitment to his girlfriend manages to overcome his doubts and propose.
However, his happiness is short-lived, when he runs into a woman he once had a one-night stand with, and discovers that he is the father of her seven-year-old son.
It’s a whopping great moral dilemma, given that Jack’s fiancee is infertile, and he’s presented with a ready-made family should he want it, so there’s plenty to keep your mind occupied.
Anna Friel is superb as always, and perfectly cast as ’the other woman’, and Andrew Buchan and Romola Garai hold their own up against such a great actress. This is character-driven British drama at its best, and certainly shouldn’t be missed.
Anna Friel, Andrew Buchan, Romola Garai.
