What's on? Top 10 TV and streaming tips for Sunday

October 13, 2024
What's on? Top 10 TV and streaming tips for Sunday

The Unreal is a new spooky series for all the family, Life Actually looks at life for eight young Irish couples, there's a Nana Mouskouri night on the Beeb, and Ireland face Greece in the Nations League . . .

Pick of the Day

This looks deadly!

Produced by award-winning production company Dyehouse Films, The Unreal is a four-part series for all the family - remember those kind of shows? - and set against the backdrop of Lough Dan in Wicklow.

This is where the Kellys decamp to for a reluctant family staycation.

But the dilapidated holiday park isn’t as dull as it initially seems to 12-year-old Kevin, his screen-obsessed sister Katie and their distracted parents Mary and Tom.

In fact, before long, things get really weird.

Kevin discovers a videotape - remember them? Part two - from an obscure 1980s’ TV show. When he plays the video he accidentally unleashes a strange creature known as the Pooka into the world.

The Pooka causes chaos and naturally enough Kevin gets the blame. No one believes him when he tells them it’s the creature’s fault.

Now it’s up to Kevin and the eccentric caretaker of the park to find the Pooka and send it back where it belongs.

New or Returning Shows

Life Actually, 9.00pm, Virgin Media One

Streaming on Virgin Media Play

This new series follows eight young Irish couples over the course of a year as they navigate the real-life highs and lows of the modern day 'happily ever after’.

In the first episode we meet Aoife and Graham from Wexford who are married, with a house, but have struggled to have a baby. After the heartbreak of two miscarriages, they start their second round of IVF in the hope that 2023 brings a baby.

Dubliners Leanne and Leanne eile met at work and moved in together. It’s Leanne Kane's first same-sex relationship so it was a bit of a shock for her family but they have a wedding to plan and both families are super excited.

Jenny and Sean are seven months pregnant and live with Jenny’s mother and decided to have a surprise wedding before the baby arrives.

Nigerian born Camillat and Michael are married, own their own home and have a three-year-old daughter Casia.

They work full time and have side hussles but Camillat gets called back into the office which puts a spanner into the works.

Nana Mouskouri at the BBC, 9.0pm, BBC Four

A tribute night for the once hugely popular Greek singer opens with a collection of her performances from the BBC archive, including collaborations with Michel Legrand, Cliff Richard and Charles Aznavour.

It also includes A Force de Prier, the song with which she represented Luxembourg at the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest.

Nana Mouskouri follows at 10pm, where she’s joined by Demis Roussos, The King's Singers and James Galway.

Songs include Time in a Bottle, I'm Coming Home, The Other Side of Me and Bridge over Troubled Water.

At 10.45pm there’s Presenting Nana Mouskouri, where she performs a selection of songs, accompanied by her backing group, The Athenians.

Show of the Week follows at 11.15pm, where here guests include Olivia Newton-John (above), The Athenians, Calchakis and The King's Singers.

Finally, there’s Nana Mouskouri at 12.05am, featuring appearances from Morris Albert, The Spinners and Wayne Sleep.

Iarsmaí, 9.50pm, BBC Two

Documentary featuring Irish institutions wrestling with the decolonisation of historical collections acquired during the British colonial period.

Through stolen skulls in Trinity College Dublin, Aboriginal items taken by Irish settlers in Australia in the Ulster Museum and a collection of looted Benin bronzes in the National Museum in Dublin, the film explores what decolonisation means, and why Black Lives Matter protests were a crucial part of the process.

Don’t Miss

Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping, 8.00pm, BBC One

This week, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris (below) explore Switzerland's wellness industry and go through a rigorous training programme that reveals their true biological ages.

The boys head to one of Switzerland's most famous mountains, Mount Rigi, for some fresh Alpine air and learn about the benefits of yodelling.

They also join road racing cyclist Fabian Cancellara for a ride through the scenic countryside.

The Dog House, 8.00pm, Channel 4

Analyst Tom regards dog ownership as a high-risk activity, but his girlfriend offers reassurance. Monty, an 11-year-old Labrador, is relying on Tom to throw caution to the wind.

Boris, the O'Donaghue family's bulldog, has lost his drive since his long-term companion Maggie passed away.

Midge may look nothing like Boris, but perhaps in this case opposites can attract.

New to Stream

Freud's Last Session, Sky Cinema Premiere & NOW

On the eve of the Second World War, two of the greatest minds on the twentieth century, CS Lewis and Sigmund Freud converge for their own personal battle over the existence of God.

Freud’s Last Session interweaves the lives of Freud and Lewis, past, present, and through fantasy, bursting from the confines of Freud's study on a dynamic journey.

Sunday Cinema

M Night Shyamalan's horror, starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Vicky Krieps and Rufus Sewell, is a hugely enjoyable flick.

And I just loved the ending.

A vacationing family discovers that the secluded beach where they're relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly, reducing their entire lives into a single day.

Family Flick

Zootropolis, 2.15pm, BBC One

Disney animated comedy, with the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman and Idris Elba.

In a city populated by animals, a rabbit achieves her dream of becoming the first bunny to become a police officer - but faces prejudice at every turn.

When the disappearance of an otter hints at a terrible conspiracy in the city, she enlists a con-artist fox to solve the mystery.

Sport

It's Greece v Ireland (KO 7.45pm) in what’s both teams' fourth Group B2 match, held at Karaiskakis Stadium.

Greece prevailed 2-0 when the teams met in the second round of fixtures at Aviva Stadium thanks to second-half goals by Fotis Ioannidis and Christos Tzolis.

The Boys in Green face a tough test if they are to make amends away from home, as Ivan Jovanovic's men won their only home match in the group so far 3-0 against Finland.

Darragh Maloney presents, with analysis from Richie Sadlier, and commentary by Des Curran and Ray Houghton.

Click here for TV listings

Click here for more TV news