Thursday’s TV Tips

Two new female African Hunting dogs meet the 15-year-old resident male.

And the arrival of a new primate species to Dublin Zoo, white-crowned Mangabeys brings great excitement to all the keepers.

PROPERTY: George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces (Channel 4, 8pm)

George Clarke, with his north east twang and easy-on-the-eye looks have made him a housewives’ favourite.

But he’s no Mr Smooth who’s merely fronting shows - George really knows his onions and, after years of working in the construction industry, isn’t frightened of getting his hands dirty either.

He’s back wearing his ‘Amazing Spaces’ hat this week, during which he’ll be visiting some extraordinary places.

First into the spotlight are Olly and Tamsin, who have £1,000 to spend on creating a fairy-tale wooden hideaway, while Barry and Deleck opt for an ocean-inspired theme for their teardrop trailer.

COMEDY: Channel 4’s Comedy Gala (Channel 4, 9pm)

It’s that time of the year again, when the great and the good of the comedy world gather at London’s O2 to perform in front of a packed audience while raising money for charity.

Those included in the line-up are Aisling Bea, Alan Carr, Jack Dee, Jason Byrne, Jason Manford, Jo Brand, Jon Richardson, John Bishop, Jonathan Ross, Josh Widdicombe, Kevin Bridges, Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre, Paddy McGuinness, Paul Chowdhry, Sean Lock, Seann Walsh and Warwick Davis.

Also featured are Adam Hills, who’s fast becoming the face of Channel 4 thanks to his series ‘The Last Leg’ and hosting celebrity versions of ‘Fifteen to One’, and Kerry Godliman, who’s well known for her starring role as Hannah in Ricky Gervais’s kind-hearted comedy drama ‘Derek’.

COMMUNITY: Pride of Ireland Awards (TV3, 9pm)

In the midst of hard times, thousands of Irish people are doing amazing things and making differences that really matter.

They help friends and strangers, reduce pain and suffering, boost good times, heal bad times and simply make Ireland a better place to live.

The Pride of Ireland Awards will recognise and reward these ordinary people who make an extraordinary difference to people’s lives.

The ceremony will be hosted by Saturday’s singer Una Foden and feature celebrities like Shane Filan, Louis Walsh and Conor McGregor.

DOCUMENTARY: Life of Ryan: Caretaker Manager (ITV, 9pm)

Last month, Ryan Giggs, a one-club man who’s dedicated his long career to Manchester United, finally hung up his boots.

Despite being 40 – an age when most pros have long since swapped football studs for golf spikes – you got the impression Giggs could have carried on longer; he was certainly fit enough, crediting his lack of injury to his devotion to yoga.

Instead, Giggs will assist incoming coach Louis van Gaal. Rather than looking back at Giggs’s footballing career, this documentary pays attention to his managerial skills by focusing on the four matches he had in charge of Manchester United following Moyes’ unceremonious departure.

ENTERTAINMENT: TV OD (ITV2, 10pm)

“I’m ridiculously excited about making TV OD,” says Matt Edmondson, host of this new series.

“Finally, I have a valid excuse to spend every waking hour watching telly whilst simultaneously surfing the internet.”

The premise of the show is certainly simple: in each edition, Matt will poke fun at the most talked about shows currently on TV, and will include tweets, online comments and complaints from those who tuned in.

There will be celebrity guests in attendance too. The opening edition sees ex-Westlife member and King of the Jungle Kian Egan discuss his guilty TV pleasures.

DRAMA: The Good Wife (RTÉ One, 11.20pm)

The fifth season of law drama ‘The Good Wife’ continues its welcome return to Irish TV.

Alicia and Cary sue the NSA on behalf of search engine Chumhum, unaware that Lockhart/Gardner’s connection to a former client has complicated matters.

Meanwhile, Alicia’s mom takes steps to support her daughter, and Eli works to secure Diane’s Supreme Court nomination.

Look out for the appearance from the always entertaining Jeffrey Tambor returns as Judge Kluger. Stockard Channing also returns as Veronica.

FILM: Everything Must Go (Film4, 11.30pm)

A man’s heavy drinking costs him his job and leads to his wife kicking him out of the house.

He sets up home on their lawn, amid all the possessions she has thrown out, and to avoid seeming homeless, he begins selling them, leading him to make new friendships with his neighbours and gradually straighten out his life.

Will Ferrell is always worth a look regardless of the project. While this isn’t as good as ‘Stranger Than Fiction’, it passes the time a treat - and youngster Christopher Jordan Wallace puts in a terrific turn as a helpful neighbourhood kid, in only his second professional acting role.

RottenTomatoes.com Rating: 75%

NEW ON NETFLIX: Kicking It

If the commercialism, corruption and greed of modern football has dampened your enthusiasm for the upcoming World Cup, this could be the perfect antidote.

Narrated by Colin Farrell, ‘Kicking It’ tells the compelling story of seven athletes who share a common condition with one billion of our fellow humans: they are homeless.

In the summer of 2006, while the football world's attention was focused on Germany, thousands of players around the globe were training hard and competing to be part of another World Cup ... The Homeless World Cup.

Win or lose, for these players it would be the journey of a lifetime.

RottenTomatoes.com Rating: 56%