What to watch this week: James Nesbitt returns as DCI Brannick

Reviews and previews by Emmanuel Kehoe and Nadine O’Regan

TV PICKS OF THE WEEK

Bloodlands, Sunday, 9pm, BBC One

The second season of this thriller set in Northern Ireland focuses on grim-faced DCI Tom Brannick (James Nesbitt) who, with his sidekick DS Niamh McGovern (Charlene McKenna), investigates murder cases. In the first season, a secret about Brannick emerges, but so far he has kept his true identity under wraps from his colleagues. In this season, the corpse of an accountant is found, which again forces Brannick to confront his tangled past. EK

Madame Tussauds: The Full Wax, Tuesday, 7pm, RTE Two

Marie Tussaud monetised the French Revolution by making casts from the heads of guillotined victims during the Reign of Terror. This documentary focuses on her famous waxwork museums in London and Blackpool. EK

How Long Will You Live?, Tuesday, 8.30pm, RTÉ One

In this new series, Dr Phil Kirwan sets out to help people live longer by adopting healthier habits. They’ll be put through rigorous medical and physical tests to assess what negative effects their current daily routines are having on them. The first episode features Carrie Roberts from Waterford, who has just turned 40 and wants to improve her lifestyle. EK

The Split, Tuesday, 10.15 pm, RTE One

The third and final season of this excellent family and legal drama. Nicola Walker stars as solicitor Hannah Stern, who has split from her family’s law firm, and is about to break up with her husband Nathan, played by Stephen Mangan. Now Hannah’s new firm has merged with the family one, while she continues her relationship with Christie Carmichael (Barry Atsma). It’s a high-grade BBC production, with a satisfyingly well-balanced cast of characters. EK

Cunk on Earth, Tuesday, 10pm, BBC Two

Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) is a fictional investigative broadcaster. The problem is, she’s as dim as they come and blissfully unaware of her inability to grasp the meaning of anything. This deadpan conceit can get a little tedious at times, but the character has had a long innings since her first appearance on Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe over a decade ago. “From virtually nothing to virtual reality,” the blurb for her latest spoof documentary goes, “Cunk will comically tell the story of our greatest inventions such as the wheel, the Mona Lisa and nuclear power.” EK

Culture Night Live from Lough Boora, Friday 23 September, 7pm, RTÉ One and RTÉ Player

Imeall, Friday 23 September, 10pm, TG4

Presented by Annie MacManus and featuring the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Culture Night Live from Lough Boora in Offaly has a range of guests including Tolü Makay, FeliSpeaks, Damien Dempsey, Jack O’Rourke, Martin Hayes, Elaine Mai, Maykay, Loah, Ailbhe Reddy and Sinéad White. Also on Culture Night, Imeall (TG 4) features Irish-Sudanese poet Adam Muhammad, rapper Gary McCarthy (GMC Beats), dancers Four Winds and sean-nós performer Cuthbert Tura Arutura. EK

FILM PICK OF THE WEEK

An Cailin Ciuin, Available now, Apple TV+/IFI@Home

Utterly beautiful and arresting, An Cailín Ciúin thoroughly deserves its status as Ireland's official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards. If you haven’t seen this adaptation of the Claire Keegan novel Foster yet, you can now watch it at home via a number of streaming services. The story begins when nine-year-old Cáit, a quiet and watchful girl, is sent to live with her aunt and her husband, who have endured hard times in their past. NO’R

STREAMING PICK OF THE WEEK

Sidney, from Friday, Apple TV+

Produced by Oprah Winfrey and directed by Reginald Hudlin, this new documentary tells the story of Sidney Poitier, actor, filmmaker and activist. It features interviews with celebrities including Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Robert Redford, Lenny Kravitz, Barbra Streisand and many more, and is made with the collaboration of the Poitier family. NO’R

PODCAST PICK OF THE WEEK

How to Fail with Elizabeth Day, available on podcast platforms

How to Fail is a podcast presented by Elizabeth Day in which the British author and journalist discusses “the things that haven’t gone right” with her celebrity guests and finds out how they learned to do things better. A smart and thoughtful podcast, Day is particularly excited this week to welcome Melanie Chisholm, better known as Sporty Spice of the Spice Girls, to the podcast. Over the course of an hour, the pair discuss very difficult times, including Chisholm’s experiences of anorexia and bulimia and, during her lowest points, thoughts of suicide. Recommended listening for Spice Girl fans and beyond. NO’R