Monday’s TV tips
More than 20 years after Oliver Stone’s Wall Street became a surprise blockbuster, he re-teamed with Michael Douglas for this sequel.
It follows ruthless stockbroker Gordon Gekko as he’s released from an eight-year stretch in prison, and his subsequent reinvention as an author and lecturer.
He meets a young banker out for revenge on the company who drove his mentor to suicide, and agrees to help – but does he have his own agenda?
Is It Any Good? It lacks some of its forebear’s sharp teeth, but ultimately Money Never Sleeps is a fine sequel – one which is given tremendous relevance thanks to its contemporary, post-crash backdrop. Douglas is, once again, superb. However Shia LaBeouf is less convincing in his role as the young protege.
Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Carey Mulligan, Josh Brolin, Eli Wallach, Susan Sarandon
Returning for a brand new second series, TV3 meets five families who have overcome a huge stigma and come forward to share their experience of having a loved one in prison or having been through the prison system themselves.
Serial offender and recovering addict, Diarmaid (34), is on temporary release from Wheatfield Prison. Father of 2 boys, Diarmaid is on the road to rehabilitation having secured a place in Liberties College, but without proper welfare supports he is fearful for his future.
Carlow based Eve (29) speaks of her heartache at going up and down to Mountjoy Prison to visit her husband Pascal and the on-going impact that his serial offending has had on their four children.
Cork based Hannah’s daughter Mary is serving the remainder of her sentence in an addiction treatment centre.
Settled traveller Hannah is hopeful that Mary is now on the right track and will be able to rebuild her relationship with her young son, but it seems that this hope is a little premature.
Detectives Gordon and Bullock investigate a child trafficking ring preying on Gotham's street kids, including Selina Kyle.
Meanwhile, Penguin resurfaces in the countryside and begins to make his way back to GOTHAM, leaving victims in his wake.
The good. The evil. The beginning.
GOTHAM traces the rise of the great DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told.
In the series premiere, GOTHAM follows Jim Gordon, a cop destined for greatness, as he navigates a dangerously corrupt city teetering between good and evil, and chronicles the birth of one of the most popular super heroes of our time.
The culinary travelogue concept is not a drastically new one – it seems every celebrity chef and his dog (literally, in the case of Rick Stein) have been packed off on a working holiday to soak up the flavours of a far-flung land. Where this series stands out is that each week sees a different famous foodie extolling the virtues of an exotic locale.
This week’s opener finds one half of the Hairy Bikers, Dave Myers, in Egypt – a country whose cuisine is not widely celebrated in this country, but which nevertheless boasts a complex and rich palette of flavours, as well as a food culture which is steeped in tradition.
After fulfilling a boyhood dream of visiting the pyramids, Dave goes in search of a dish with mythical properties at the oasis of Al Fayoum, and visits the banks of the Nile where humans first began farming in ancient times, before joining a family of Nubians for a feast.
When a promising sergeant in the Essex police force is found beaten and shot in his car, the rest of the force are up in arms.
The poor copper in question, Sam Honeywell, had a good many friends, all of whom are keen to get a result in the case. However the car he was found in was burned out, making evidence gathering an arduous task.
At first, suspicion falls on a local drug dealer and son of a crime boss, however it soon transpires he has a watertight alibi. Once the team’s forensic eye turns closer to home, they discover that Sam was having an affair with the wife of his best friend – fellow bobby Carl Parry.
None of this comes as good news to DS Jim Sullivan, to whom the deceased was like a son, so it behoves Nikki and the team to get to the bottom of the specifics as fast as possible, so aspersions aren’t cast in the wrong direction.
The final episode in what has been described as the most and least politically conscientious reality series in Channel 4 history – depending on who you listen to – comes in the form of a welcome catch-up, giving us the chance to find out how previously featured couples have faired.
Remember Brent, the Tourette’s sufferer who was looking for love despite developing some off-puttingly racist tics? It turns out he’s hit it off with bartender Challis, and is now planning to pop the question.
Meanwhile Steve, who has Crouzon syndrome, is also looking forward to proposing. But after just nine months as an item, will his girlfriend think he’s moving too fast?
Ray, who has a learning disability, whisks Jeanette off for a romantic trip to the seaside – but it’s paralysed Carolyne who has the real big news – she’s expecting her first baby.
OCD is the third most common concern reported to St Patrick’s mental-health support services and The World Health Organisation lists it as one of the 10 most debilitating illnesses on the planet. OCD and Me gives us a greater understanding of this secretive and often misunderstood condition.
In an attempt to get an understanding of disturbing mental illness we spend time with some people who have agreed to come forward and talk about their OCD. We also feature experts in the field while spending time in St Patrick’s Hospital in Dublin and an anxiety support groups in Sligo town.
We meet: Jacob a 25-year-old Dublin artist whose daily existence is dominated by his battle with severe contamination OCD where he views himself as ‘OCD clean’ and most of the world as ‘OCD dirty’.
Eileen, in her 60’s, lives in Sligo town and is part of a local anxiety support group. She has lived with her OCD for the last 50 years and says it has destroyed her life.
Simon is a highly functional 32-year-old Dubliner who works for a prominent radio station. He has lived with a variety of forms of OCD and has started talking openly about the condition in recent months.
Former Nascar driver Jensen Ames is framed for murdering his wife and child. The petrol head is sent to Terminal Island Prison, a facility that broadcasts the highly profitable Death Race – a high-octane event where convicts battle to the death in customised cars.
When one of the popular drivers is killed in a suitably violent race, the crooked prison warden convinces Ames to take his place with the promise he’ll be released if he wins.
Jason Statham proves once again that he’s a bona fide action hero with another solid performance, while Natalie Martinez adds glamour as his foxy, albeit unnecessary navigator. One minor grumble is Joan Allen’s disappointing performance as the villainous prison boss.
Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson, Natalie Martinez
A despairing man begins a campaign of vigilante brutality, seeking revenge on the killer of his wife and daughter.
He first sets his sights on an assistant district attorney who allowed a defendant to make a deal to walk free during the court proceedings. Yet his planned vengeance threatens not only the attorney, but the city of Philadelphia and its legal system.
Certainly not for the squeamish as the movie begins with a gory murder scene that sets the tone for the rest of the thriller, but the personal battle between Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) and Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is out-of-the-ordinary enough to keep viewers intrigued for the full run.
Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill, Leslie Bibb, Michael Irby
