{"id":644400,"date":"2026-10-04T09:50:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T09:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/644400\/"},"modified":"2026-10-04T09:50:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T09:50:12","slug":"tv-guide-the-best-new-shows-to-watch-starting-tonight-the-irish-times-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/644400\/","title":{"rendered":"TV guide: the best new shows to watch, starting tonight \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pick of the weekHow to Shop Well NowMonday, RT\u00c9 One, 9.35pm<\/p>\n

We\u2019re all seeing our grocery bills rise on the regular, and with the changes in climate<\/a> come fears about the impact on food prices and farmers. So what\u2019s a shopper to do? This two-part documentary looks at these and related issues, and features the popular content creator Sophie Morris, who\u2019s known for her videos about supermarket products. She\u2019s joined by journalist Claire Brock as the pair ask how we can all spend smarter during a time when the average annual family grocery bill is up by about \u20ac3,000 since 2020. Not to mention the fact we are an island nation depending on imports and exports to keep us afloat. Morris will meet food producers and find out more about what\u2019s behind the rising cost of products, while Brock will look at supermarket psychology and how to shop smarter. <\/p>\n

Highlights DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland Sunday, RT\u00c9 One, 6.30pm\"DIYDIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a new series of DIY SOS, where Baz Ashmawy and team help to improve the lives of people across the country by transforming their homes and gardens. It\u2019s always a tearjerker to watch people row in to help folks like the Connolly family in episode one, who live in Kildare. Ramona Connolly and her five-year-old son Oran have been dealing with the aftermath of their husband and dad Daragh dying suddenly in December 2025. Ramona and Daragh had been in the process of building their forever home at the time, and Ramona was left without a mortgage, life insurance or the means to complete the house. Enter Baz and the DIY SOS team, who step in to complete their home. There won\u2019t be a dry eye in their house \u2013 or ours. There are three more builds to come in this series, in Limerick, Bray and Offaly. <\/p>\n

Three Women Sunday, Channel 4, 11pm<\/p>\n

Back in 2019, author Lisa Taddeo\u2019s non-fiction book Three Women made waves for telling the stories of three different women\u2019s sexual and emotional lives. A six-part drama based on the book aired in the US in 2024 and is now making its way to this side of the Atlantic. We\u2019ll meet grieving writer Gia (Shailene Woodley) who plays a Taddeo-like character who wants to write a book about female desire in America, and her three subjects: a suburban homemaker named Lina (Betty Gilpin), an entrepreneur named Sloane (DeWanda Wise), and a waitress named Maggie (Gabrielle Creevy). We follow as the women try to break free from the relationships and thought patterns that are holding them back in life. <\/p>\n

House of Games Monday, BBC Two, 6pm\"HouseHouse of Games: Michael Sheen. Photograph: Graeme Hunter\/Remarkable Television\/BBC <\/p>\n

This hugely popular British TV show has been presented by Richard Osman since 2017, but this latest series marks a new era. Osman has stepped back (well, he\u2019s very busy with his bestselling cosy crime books) and into his shoes is stepping the Welsh actor Michael Sheen. On this first week back on our screens, the celebrity contestants are actor Stephen Mangan, broadcaster Andi Peters and former EastEnders Shona McGarty and Nina Wadia. They will compete in a series of trivia games, and an overall champion will be named on Friday. <\/p>\n

Deepfake Ireland with Gr\u00e1inne SeoigeMonday, Virgin Media One, 9pm\"DeepfakeDeepfake Ireland with Gr\u00e1inne Seoige. Photograph: Virgin Media One <\/p>\n

Journalist and broadcaster Gr\u00e1inne Seoige discovered in 2024 during her general election campaign that a nonconsensual explicit deepfake image of her was being widely circulated. The person behind the image has never been identified, and in this new one-hour documentary, Seoige speaks about the impact of the incident on her life. She also meets other people who have been impacted by this sort of AI-generated image abuse, as well as experts, campaigners and policymakers. One of the victims she interviews is just 15 years old, while she also speaks to Cara Hunter MLA, who was targeted by a deepfake pornographic video. This is a timely look at how technology is being used to target women in particular \u2013 and how difficult it can be to bring anyone to justice for these 21st-century crimes. <\/p>\n

Portrait Artist of the Year 2026 Wednesday, Sky Arts, 8pm\"PortraitPortrait Artist of the Year 2026 host Stephen Mangan. Photograph: Sky Arts <\/p>\n

Even if you don\u2019t harbour much artistic ability, it\u2019s extremely entertaining to witness the incredible skills of the contestants in this long-running series. In series 13, host Stephen Mangan is joined by three new judges: art historian and broadcaster Katy Hessel, director of Frieze London Eva Langret, and one of Britain\u2019s best-known contemporary portrait painters, Jonathan Yeo. In this first episode, the contestants will be trying to capture the likeness of Lennie James, Sheridan Smith and Vanessa Williams.<\/p>\n

RT\u00c9 Investigates: Fertility UncoveredWednesday, RT\u00c9 One, 9.35pm\"RTÉRT\u00c9 Investigates: Fertility Uncovered <\/p>\n

It\u2019s 40 years since the first baby was born in Ireland via IVF, and now RT\u00c9 Investigates is turning its lens to Ireland\u2019s fertility industry. The industry is booming, and publicly funded IVF is now available in Ireland, helping people on the journey to fulfil their wish of having children. RT\u00c9 Investigates looks at what it\u2019s like to undergo fertility treatment, including how well the system serves individuals and couples during what can be an emotionally vulnerable time. <\/p>\n

The Lion, The Witch and the Ulsterman Thursday, RT\u00c9 One, 10.15pm\"AndrewAndrew Trimble: The Lion, The Witch and the Ulsterman. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

In this one-off documentary, former Ireland rugby international and theology graduate Andrew Trimble looks at the Belfast upbringing and background of the author CS Lewis, who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia. Trimble sets out to examine why Lewis is not always seen as an Irish writer<\/a>, as well as exploring the impact that Belfast had on his work. He visits the author\u2019s family home, discovers more about the childhood trauma that led to him leaving the city, and how his upbringing impacted his work. Then he heads to Oxford, where Lewis spent most of his life, and speaks to historians and writers about Lewis\u2019s legacy. <\/p>\n

No Worries If Not Thursday, RT\u00c92, 10.30pm\"NoNo Worries If Not: Pat and Faye Shortt <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a comedy fix, try the new series of No Worries, which returns this week. We can expect regulars such as Emma Doran, Justine Stafford, Killian Sundermann, Se\u00e1n Burke and Michael Fry, as well as new faces including some of comedy\u2019s bright new talents. Pat Shortt and his daughter Faye are on board, as are Siobh\u00e1n McSweeney, Rachel Galvo and Aoife Dunne. You\u2019ll recognise all of these names as people who are making the Irish comedy scene a very vibrant place indeed. In this series, Ali Fox plays a terrible antenatal coach, Michael Fry murders half a pub, Emma Doran is inappropriate with her niece and Justine Stafford goes on a series of unsettling romcom meet-cutes.<\/p>\n

The Graham Norton Show Friday, BBC One, 10.40pm<\/p>\n

On the sofa this Friday night is actor Bill Murray<\/a>. He\u2019s certainly not someone we see doing a lot of media these days, but he\u2019ll be chatting about his BBC golf show, A Course Called Ireland. This involved Murray and celebrity pals such as Chris O\u2019Dowd, Joanne McNally and Jason Kelce taking a wacky trip around the golf courses of the island of Ireland. Also on the show will be Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsg\u00e5rd to chat about their bonkers comedy fantasy Wicker, and Pen\u00e9lope Cruz to chat about her upcoming film La Bola Negra. The musical guest is queer alt-country star Orville Peck.<\/p>\n

StreamingCarrieFrom Wednesday, October 7th, Prime Video<\/p>\n

Stephen King\u2019s shocking story of school bullying and paranormal powers spawned a hit horror film starring Sissy Spacek, and in recent years the Duffer brothers paid homage to Carrie via the character of Eleven, in Stranger Things. Now King\u2019s debut novel has been turned into a full-length series that promises to bring the story up to date, exploring cyberbullying and toxic social media while sticking firmly to the old-fashioned gore of the original book. Summer H Howell stars as Carrie, who has to navigate family tragedy and the cruelty of her classmates while discovering her own scary powers of telekinesis. It\u2019s a lethal combination that\u2019s bound to end in tears \u2013 and probably bucketloads of blood. Kevin Courtney<\/p>\n

Small ProphetsFrom Wednesday, October 7th, Apple TV <\/p>\n

Mackenzie Crook\u2019s comedy for the BBC has been renewed for a second season, to air in 2027, so it\u2019s handy that Apple TV has bagged the first season of this acclaimed series, to give us a chance to recap on this gentle and surreal suburban drama. Pearce Quigley stars as Michael Sleep, an eccentric type who has never got over the disappearance of his beloved partner, Clea, seven years ago. When his dad, Brian (Michael Palin), gives him an ancient recipe, he discovers he can conjure up strange water-dwelling creatures in his shed \u2013 not sea monkeys but homunculi, magical spirits with the power to predict the future. Crook costars as Gordon, the unlikeable manager of the DIY store where Michael works, with Lauren Patel as Michael\u2019s colleague Kacey, with whom he strikes up a friendship. KC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pick of the weekHow to Shop Well NowMonday, RT\u00c9 One, 9.35pm We\u2019re all seeing our grocery bills rise…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":644401,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[14768,250623,943,93,28871,87670,61,60,170058,282],"class_list":["post-644400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-bill-murray","tag-claire-brock","tag-cost-of-living","tag-entertainment","tag-florence-pugh","tag-grainne-seoige","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-michael-sheen","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=644400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644400\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/644401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=644400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=644400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=644400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}