{"id":75937,"date":"2025-10-12T14:30:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T14:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/75937\/"},"modified":"2025-10-12T14:30:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T14:30:11","slug":"the-best-new-shows-to-watch-starting-tonight-the-irish-times-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/75937\/","title":{"rendered":"the best new shows to watch, starting tonight \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pick of the weekObituaryTuesday, RT\u00c9 One, 10.15pm<\/p>\n

In The Paper, Domhnall Gleeson tries to bring local newspaper the Toledo Truth Teller back to life as hapless new editor Ned Sampson. In the second series of Obituary, meanwhile, Siobh\u00e1n Cullen<\/a> returns as Elvira Clancy, obituary writer with local paper the Kilraven Chronicle, and she\u2019s busy killing more readers to ensure there\u2019s no shortage of macabre material for her columns. So far she\u2019s got away with her multiple murders, and as series two begins, her career and her love life have been resurrected. But suddenly Elvira\u2019s new-found equilibrium is upended by the death of her dad, Ward, and she finds the only way to deal with her grief is by starting on another killing spree. M\u00e1ir\u00e9ad Tyers<\/a> from The Walsh Sisters joins the cast as the paper\u2019s manipulative new boss, Vivienne, who immediately pits Elvira and her colleague\/boyfriend Emerson (Ronan Raftery) against each other in a battle for promotion. Elvira has another problem to deal with: a scheming intern named Ruby who\u2019s been nicking her story ideas. Obviously she\u2019ll have to die, but before Elvira can dispatch the plagiaristic cow, another killer steps in and does the job \u2013 and Elvira is now feeling the heat as Detective Rose Mulcahy (Noni Stapleton) has made her the chief suspect. Elvira will have to turn amateur sleuth to unmask this mysterious serial killer invading her turf, and Vivienne promises her the editor\u2019s job if she can crack the case. Meanwhile, Elvira\u2019s old boss, Hughie (David Ganley), who knows exactly what she did last series, is biding his time in his prison cell, waiting for the moment he can get out of jail and get his revenge. Forget writing for The Irish Times \u2013 looks like the Kilraven Chronicle is where all the action and excitement is at. <\/p>\n

Riot WomenSunday, BBC One, 9pm\"RiotRiot Women. Photograph: Drama Republic\/BBC <\/p>\n

Sally Wainwright is the screenwriting powerhouse behind such acclaimed series as Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack and Last Tango in Halifax, all featuring strong women in the leads, and now she\u2019s written a new series that requires her cast to not only be strong, but also gobby, snotty and uncompromisingly loud. Riot Women tells the story of five menopausal women who get together to form a punk rock band and kick up some anarchy in the UK. But what do these mumrockers have to rebel against? Quite a lot, as it turns out, including grown-up kids who don\u2019t seem to have grown up, husbands and partners who have either buggered off or simply clocked out, and a world that has all but deleted older women from life\u2019s playlist. Lorraine Ashbourne is pub landlady Jess (drums), Tamsin Greig is retired cop Holly (bass), Joanna Scanlan is teacher Beth (keyboards), Amelia Bullmore is uptight midwife Yvonne (guitar), and Rosalie Craig is hard-drinking Kitty (vocals), with an appetite for self-destruction, but also an abundance of raw talent. Soon they\u2019re writing their own songs and making waves on the music scene, but they still have to juggle complicated lives, jobs and family dynamics \u2013 not to mention hot flushes and other side effects of The Change. \u201cWe write songs about being middle-aged, menopausal and invisible,\u201d says Beth, \u201cand you thought The Clash were angry.\u201d However, there\u2019s a dark secret buried deep in the vinyl vault that threatens to break up the band before it can break big. Wainwright says she was inspired by one of her favourite TV shows as a child, Rock Follies, about three feisty women trying to make it in the music biz in the 1970s. <\/p>\n

HuntedSunday & Monday, Channel 4, 9pm<\/p>\n

What would it be like to be Jason Bourne, on the run with a crack team of fugitive hunters hot on your heels? Pretty stressful, I would imagine, but in this new series of Channel 4\u2019s real-life thriller, 14 people have willingly signed up to become the target. Divided into seven pairs, they\u2019ll have to escape from Stansted Airport and avoid capture by commander Ray Howard, who has an army of hunters and helicopters at his disposal, not to mention state-of-the-art surveillance and facial-recognition tech to track down his prey wherever they are. If they can outwit the hunters and remain at large for three weeks, they\u2019re in line for a share of a \u00a3100,000 prize. Among the fugitives are sisters Emma and Jenni, mother and daughter Saffron and Dionne, farmers Andrew and Robin, and newly engaged couple Cameron and Simran. <\/p>\n

Made of StoneMonday, RT\u00c9 One, 9.35pm\"MadeMade of Stone: David Keohan aka Indiana Stones. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

During the Covid lockdowns, many people pivoted to a different way of working, while others found an unusual new hobby or discovered a hidden talent, whether it was making tea cosies or making up a new TikTok dance. David Keohan found himself fascinated by big stones, and, inspired by a short story by Liam O\u2019Flaherty, set out to revive the ancient tradition of lifting stones. Yes, it was apparently a thing back in the days of the druids, and this documentary tracks Keohan\u2019s quest to learn the history and folklore of stone-lifting. He delves into the archives of the National Folklore Collection, and visits graveyards, beaches, hills and pubs in search of these almost-mythical stones. As he documented his unusual interest on social media, he soon became known as Indiana Stones, able to hoist big rocks like a seasoned weightlifter. Needless to say, don\u2019t try this at home unless you want to become Indiana Groans. <\/p>\n

The End of the World with BeanzTuesday, RT\u00c9 One, 7pm\"TheThe End of the World with Beanz: Martin Beanz Warde and Samantha Mumba. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Comedian Martin Beanz Warde<\/a> tackles some serious issues facing the world today in the second series of the travel show with a difference. Over six eye-opening episodes, Beanz visits places where people are dealing with difficult challenges, from climate change and geopolitical conflict to culture wars. With all that\u2019s going on the world, he certainly won\u2019t be short of raw material. Each week he\u2019s joined on his explorations by a celebrity cohost, including presenter Darren Kennedy, singer and Eurovision winner Niamh Kavanagh, comedians Neil Delamere and Enya Martin, and actor Norma Sheahan. In the first episode Beanz visits Los Angeles, where entire neighbourhoods were destroyed in January\u2019s devastating wildfires. He and singer Samantha Mumba, an LA resident, visit some of the worst-hit areas, and meet an Irish record producer who lost everything in the fires. <\/p>\n

Donal\u2019s Real Time RecipesWednesday, RT\u00c9 One, 8.30pm<\/p>\n

My family knows I\u2019m a devoted disciple of Jamie Oliver\u2019s bish-bash-bosh style of cooking \u2013 no-nonsense, no-fannying-about recipes for busy lives. If any Irish celeb chef could challenge Jamie for the culinary crown in our kitchen, it would be Donal Skehan, and I\u2019ve got my notebook and pen at the ready for his new series of Real Time Recipes. Over 10 episodes, Skehan will share his ideas for no-fuss, uncomplicated and flavoursome meals that can be rustled up in half an hour or less, and don\u2019t require fiddly preparation or fancy techniques. Of course, the series is an accompaniment to Skehan\u2019s latest cookbook, which features recipes for chop tomato pesto pasta, saffron chicken and rice, braised one-pan lamb and chicken katsu in a flash, and of course I\u2019ll be adding it to my kitchen library. <\/p>\n

How I Made \u00a31 Million in 90 DaysThursday, Channel 4, 10pm\"OobahOobah Butler, How I Made \u00a31 Million in 90 Days <\/p>\n

Right, you had me at \u00a31 million \u2013 now tell me how I can make that kind of money in time for Christmas. Well, according to Oobah Butler, you just need to put your conscience aside and be willing to follow some dodgy get-rich-quick schemes, no matter how outrageous and unethical they might seem. He sets out on a quest to boost his bank account by a million quid in just three months, meeting self-styled business gurus and exploring the world of start-ups, unicorns and business ideas that seem just too good to be true. Butler \u2013 who once tried to market an energy drink make out of Amazon delivery drivers\u2019 urine \u2013 soon learns that the entrepreneurial dream is often built on delusion and dishonesty. <\/p>\n

\"TheThe Iris Affair: Niamh Algar and Tom Hollander
\n The Iris AffairThursday, Sky Atlantic & Now, 9pm; Friday, Sky Atlantic & Now, from 9pm<\/p>\n

Niamh Algar and Tom Hollander star in this new tech thriller series where survival depends on brainpower \u2013 and maybe a bit of blind luck. Algar plays Iris Nixon, who has a talent for cracking codes and solving complex puzzles. She\u2019s recruited by brilliant and charming entrepreneur Cameron Beck (Hollander) to help him hack in to some top-secret tech. You don\u2019t have to be a genius to guess that the gadget in question turns out to pose a global threat, so Iris steals the yoke\u2019s activation code and goes on the run with just her big brain to help her avoid capture by Beck and his cronies. She might be a dab hand at sudoku or chess, but can she win this high-stakes game of hide-and-seek? <\/p>\n

StreamingMurdaugh: Death in the FamilyFrom Wednesday, October 15th, Disney+<\/p>\n

Alex Murdaugh<\/a> and his wife, Maggie, had it all: part of a successful legal dynasty that went back generations, highly respected by and influential within their South Carolina community, and enjoying all the trappings of wealth and privilege. But beneath it all was something darker and deadlier, and when their son Paul is involved in a tragic boat accident, skeletons \u2013 and corpses \u2013 start emerging from the Murdaugh closet. When both Maggie and Paul are found dead, the spotlight turns on Alex. This true-crime story, which is inspired by the hit podcast The Murdaugh Murders, stars Jason Clarke as Alex and Patricia Arquette<\/a> as Maggie.<\/p>\n

To Cook a BearFrom Wednesday, October 15th, Disney+<\/p>\n

It seems like ages since we\u2019ve had a good Nordic noir series to get stuck into. Here\u2019s a sort of OG Nordic noir thriller, set in the mid-19th century and dealing with dark, mysterious doings in a remote village in northern Sweden. Its stunning landscapes, marauding bears, fire and brimstone, and member of the Skarsg\u00e5rd acting clan should be noir enough for anyone. Gustaf Skarsg\u00e5rd, from Vikings and Oppenheimer, is the new pastor of the village of Kengis, and he quickly dispenses with the niceties and starts delivering fiery sermons to his new flock. But something evil is afoot: people are vanishing, and some villagers are whispering about bear attacks. The pastor sets out to investigate \u2013 and what he finds threatens to drive the community to the edge of madness.<\/p>\n

The DiplomatFrom Thursday, October 16th, Netflix\"TheThe Diplomat: Rory Kinnear and Keri Russell <\/p>\n

If you think Donald Trump\u2019s White House is a mad circus, get ready for total Capitol lunacy in the third series of the political thriller<\/a> starring Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell and Alison Janney. Russell is ambassador Kate Wyler, and she\u2019ll need to muster all her diplomatic skills to deal with a new crisis facing the administration. The president has died, and Kate\u2019s husband, Hal, was the last person to speak to him. The volatile vice-president, Grace Penn (Janney) \u2013 who Kate has accused of being behind a terrorist plot \u2013 takes over as commander-in-chief, and it\u2019s not long before things go pear-shaped and the US is preparing to go to war with \u2013 of all places \u2013 the UK. Meanwhile, Hal continues to push for Kate to become the next veep, but who is the handsome stranger, played by Aidan Turner<\/a>, spotted flirting outrageously with her? Get ready for another wild West Wing adventure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pick of the weekObituaryTuesday, RT\u00c9 One, 10.15pm In The Paper, Domhnall Gleeson tries to bring local newspaper the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":75938,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[49961,93,61,60,36087,49958,49960,49959,49957,282],"class_list":{"0":"post-75937","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-aidan-turner","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-mairead-tyers","13":"tag-martin-beanz-warde","14":"tag-niamh-algar","15":"tag-samantha-mumba","16":"tag-siobhan-cullen","17":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75937","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=75937"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75937\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}