Saturday’s TV tips
Coverage of the quarter-finals of the World Boxing Championships from Doha. Hugh Cahill reports from the venue with Bernard Dunne, Mick Dowling and Michael Carruth in studio, and Jimmy Magee and Eric Donovan on commentary.
Computer-animated comedy.
Po the panda is overweight and works in his father's noodle bar but dreams of being a great kung fu warrior like his heroes, the Furious Five.
When Master Oogway announces he is going to select the next Dragon Warrior to fight the evil Tai Lung, Po is desperate to be there to watch the historic ceremony.
But to his and everyone else's surprise, Po finds out that the next Dragon Warrior is him.
Master Shifu and the Furious Five, despite their misgivings, must prepare Po for his destiny - and the fight of his life.
(2010) Will Smith’s diminutive 11-year-old son Jaden takes the lead role of Dre Parker, who begrudgingly leaves Detroit to follow his mother Sherry (Taraji P Henson) to Beijing for her work.
The young man struggles to adjust to his new surroundings but pretty classmate Mei Ying (Wenwen Han) helps with the cultural differences, sparking potential romance.
Unfortunately, class bully Cheng (Zhenwei Wang) is rather fond of Mei too and he humiliates Dre in front of the other students.
After reclusive maintenance man Mr Han (Jackie Chan) saves Dre from a beating at the hands of Cheng and his buddies, the American youngster is forced to take part in an open karate tournament.
So training begins in earnest, sowing the seeds of a touching friendship between the boy and his emotionally scarred mentor.
Strictly is nothing if not glamorous, but there are a few extra sparkles this week as the contestants take their inspiration from the silver screen in a movie-themed show, with Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, Craig Revel Horwood and Darcey Bussell deciding who is a blockbuster and who is a box-office flop.
As ever, Tess Daly introduces the twinkle-toed stars, while Claudia Winkleman chats to them after their performances – and watch out too for the professionals, who will no doubt be kicking off the show off with a spirited effort.
The Plastics are back in the long awaited follow-up to the smash-hit Mean Girls... and now the clique is more fashionable, funny and ferocious than ever!
Starring: Meaghan Martin, Claire Holt, Linden Ashby.
Famous face Vic Reeves and Jimmy Carr battle it out for the contestant’s chair as Paddy McGuinness hosts another star-studded round of the game show.
This week, the Benchmarkers are Joey Essex, Chris Ramsey, Lesley Joseph, John Thomson, Jason Byrne, Amanda Byram, Mark Watson, Edwina Currie and Stevi Ritchie, and the star who wins the opening duel must assess how well the celebrity panel answered to a series of tricky numerical questions if they hope to win £50,000 for their chosen charity.
In the final edition, Tamsin Greig continues this countdown of the most hilarious shows that have made millions laugh over the past 50 years.
From recent series such as The Office and Peep Show, to older classics including Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses and Blackadder, which one will come out on top in a UK poll?
The programme features interviews with genre favourites, including Wendy Craig, Patricia Routledge, Leslie Ash and Alison Steadman, as well as the writers and producers who brought the series to the small screen.
The concluding edition of a two-part tale – told in reverse – takes the Time Lord to a remote Army outpost, where a fearsome alien warlord known as The Fisher King sets in motion a devious plan to ensure his own survival.
As his plot takes effect, the ripples of his actions are felt across the universe in what seems to be an unstoppable chain of cause and reaction.
With the consequences spiraling out of control, the Doctor seeks to bring the devastation to an end – but doing so might mean he has to do the unthinkable. Sci-fi drama, starring Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman, with guests Paul Kaye and Peter Serafinowicz.
BBC Two, BBC Four and Radio 4 are combining their talents to produce a season of programmes to celebrate the 21st anniversary of National Poetry Day.
Among the highlights will be Simon Armitage and Tony Harrison discussing their craft, and a look at the work of Philip Larkin.
But perhaps the best of the lot is this documentary focusing on former poet laureate Ted Hughes.
It features an interview with Frieda, his poet and artist daughter whose mother was Hughes’ first wife, writer Sylvia Plath.
Experts and others who knew Hughes also discuss his life and work, while unseen interviews, readings and photographs illustrate key moments in the career of a man widely regarded as one of the 20th century’s most gifted poets.
They’re the ’posh’ couple from Gogglebox, a couple of real characters who are about to turn from critic to subject with their own TV series.
We’re used to seeing the Parkers at The Salutation, their luxury B&B, but how will they get on when they are faced with a whole host of celebrity guests? And what will they talk about?
The programme is being billed as a chat show full of big names, but it’s hard to imagine anybody but Steph and Dom dominating proceedings.
Nevertheless, the likes of Jerry Springer, Jason Donovan, Louis Walsh and Phil Tufnell are going to give it a go. One thing is for sure – food and wine will be available in copious amounts, which may loosen a few tongues along the way.
(2008) Ben Stiller’s humorous directorial offering unites some of Hollywood’s finest comic talents (Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr – in almost unrecognisable make-up - and Stiller himself) in a slam-bang satire of war epics that features some cutting one-liners and fantastic set-pieces.
Using a simple film-within-a-film conceit, Tropic Thunder takes aim at the image-obsessed film industry as a trio of actors stumble upon a confused drug lord after being stranded in the jungle by their desperate director, who feels that a stint in such a harsh environment will inspire his pampered charges to put in Oscar-winning performances.
Ray is one of Ireland’s best known and best loved presenters and The Ray D’Arcy Show will play to his strengths by featuring an irreverent mix of chat, comedy and music alongside guests from all walks of Irish life.
(2011) Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) manages one of the most luxurious and tightly secured residences in New York City. However, one wrong decision threatens to ruin everything.
Josh entrusts the workers’ pensions to venerated Wall Street titan Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), who lives in the penthouse suite.
t transpires that Arthur is a crook and he is placed under house arrest after he is caught stealing two billion dollars from his investors.
Convinced that the pension money must be hidden somewhere within Arthur’s condo, Josh approaches petty criminal Slide (Eddie Murphy) to plot the perfect heist before the Wall Street magnate flees the country.
(2009) Academy Award winner Natalie Portman and Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal star in this gripping drama.
A young man comforts his older brother's wife and children after he goes missing in Afghanistan.
Starring Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire.
Cast & Credits: Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire
(2011) Rookie cop Rama (Iko Uwais) is part of an ill-prepared SWAT team charged with infiltrating a 15-storey apartment block, which doubles as the headquarters of notorious drug lord Tama (Ray Sahetapy).
Led by Lieutenant Wahyu (Pierre Gruno), the cops have one simple and admittedly difficult objective: fight their way to the top floor and destroy Tama’s criminal network.
Gaining access to the building, the good guys quickly realise they have stumbled into a trap.
Over a loudspeaker, Tama offers residents of the block a princely sum to slay the cops outside their front doors and the drug lord watches with sadistic glee as the corridors become a sea of spent bullets and discarded blades.
However, they underestimate Rama, whose mastery of martial arts is equal to an army of gun-toting goons.
