Happy Valley finale, The Apprentice and Great British Menu - TV highlights this week

Words by Sarah Morgan

There’s always been a rich vein of culture running through Ireland. It’s the country that brought us literary greats such as Oscar Wilde, James Joyce and Seamus Heaney; music is also important, from traditional performers to exponents of more modern sounds, including U2 and Snow Patrol.

On stage and screen, the likes of Gabriel Byrne, Pierce Brosnan, Saoirse Ronan and the Gleeson family have excelled, while directors including Neil Jordan and Martin McDonagh have created unforgettable cinematic moments.

The latter has been in the news lately, following the announcement of the Oscar nominations. McDonagh’s latest critically acclaimed work, The Banshees of Inisherin, has received nine nods, including Best Picture. These nominations were just some of those handed out to Irish productions in what has turned out to be a record haul.

Radio host Joe Duffy, who works for national broadcaster RTE, claimed March’s ceremony should be moved from Hollywood to Dublin, while the nation’s news-gatherers also got in on the act. The news site Extra.ie even had the headline “Not Normal, People,” a play on the title of Normal People, the BBC show that made Best Actor nominee (for Aftersun) Paul Mescal a star.

But it’s not just movies where Irish screen talent lies. Its TV output is impressive too. Last November, a delegation from Screen Ireland showcased three promising new drama series at the TV festival Content London – Irish/Belgian co-production Northern Lights, dark crime comedy Obituary and historical show The Liberties. Such programmes are the result of Screen Ireland introducing development funding for TV drama in 2015.

“Ireland is truly a global player in terms of international TV drama,” says Andrew Byrne, head of television at Screen Ireland. “We look forward to continuing to support a diversity of Irish creative talent.”

Before those shows head our way, there’s an opportunity to see another drama, this time a six-parter which has already gone down a storm on RTE One. Sue Deeks, head of BBC Programme Acquisition, says of it: “Set amongst the stunning scenery of West Coast Ireland, North Sea Connection is a dark and brooding thriller which will keep viewers totally absorbed until the very end.”

Lydia McGuinness heads the cast as Ciara Kenny, a member of a family who have proudly fished the waters off Roskillane for generations. She’s now the skipper of the clan’s boat, but her ambitious brother Aidan (Strike star Kerr Logan) is about to make a terrible mistake – he agrees to transport drugs for a Nordic cartel.

What Aidan thinks will be a simple, money-spinning arrangement turns out to be anything but. Predictably, the plan goes horribly wrong – but what isn’t so predictable is how the events play out as the authorities begin an investigation that could spell disaster for all concerned.

Two episodes are will be broadcast each Saturday night for the next three weeks. Perhaps, by then, one of the trio of projects mentioned above will be ready to take its place. But whatever happens, Irish cultural eyes are certainly smiling at the moment – and long may that continue.

Happy Valley (Sunday 05/02/23, BBC1, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

In a recent episode of writer Sally Wainwright’s acclaimed crime drama, it was revealed that the collection for a retirement present for Sgt Catherine Cawood, the dedicated police officer played by Sarah Lancashire, currently stood at over £2,000. Apparently even people she’d previously arrested had been dropping into the station to contribute to the whip round.

Quite a few viewers probably wondered if there was any way they could chip in as well. There’s nothing many of them would like more than for the third and final series of Happy Valley to end with Catherine fulfilling her retirement dream of driving to the Himalayas, preferably with a substantial wad of cash in her pocket and the well-wishes of the local cops and criminals ringing in her ears.

But why have audiences taken Catherine to their hearts? Writer Wainwright believes it’s all down to Lancashire’s performance saying: “I think that she is an extraordinarily empathetic performer. I think she conveys the real subtleties of the tiny, tiny moment-by-moment thoughts in everything she does. The audience really engage with her.”

While Lancashire has been extraordinary, there’s no doubt that Catherine is also a gift of a role. Wainwright describes the character as “very strong and very stubborn”. “I think she has got a very strong streak of irony and comedy. What I often think about Catherine is that she is a good person to whom something very tragic has happened. That informs the character that she is now. That she has got this streak of tragedy that strikes through her, but she is somebody who prior to that was very amusing and entertaining and good fun. She is strong, I think police officers have to be strong.”

As we reach the final episode though, what viewers really want to know is whether Catherine is in for more tragedy. It’s been claimed that even the cast don’t know what will happen as multiple endings have been filmed. What we do know is that is that it’s Catherine’s final shift and some old scores are about to settled, while her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah) is faced with a moral dilemma.

We can also safely assume that it’s going to be tense – episode two had viewers on the edge of their seats just by showing Catherine sitting outside a café in Sheffield, looking through the window as her sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran) lied to her on the phone about being in Leeds.

The following episode raised the stakes even further as dodgy pharmacist Faisal (Amit Shah) progressed from handing out prescription pills to committing murder, and Catherine’s arch-nemesis Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) staged a daring escape from court.

Whatever happens though, it seems this really will be the final series. Wainwright says: “The intention developed through conversations I had with Sarah to make it a three-parter, to make a trilogy. We always said this would be the final season and it very definitely is the final season.”

Maternal (Monday 06/02/23, ITV1, 9pm)

Words by Rob Lavender

Post-pandemic frontline medicine does not look like a particularly fun place to be working, if this consistently good hospital drama from acclaimed playwright Jacqui Honess-Martin is anything to go by. It seems like our fearless medics, all returning to work after having children, just can’t get a break.

This week, Helen (Lisa McGrillis) endures a particularly gruelling late shift, running the Acute Medical Unit for the night, which basically consists of being run ragged for 12 hours. Case after case comes in, one of which is ex-Matron Amanda with her severely ill wife, and when Amanda says that Helen’s is the most demanding job in the hospital, we are inclined to believe her.

It’s not just the weight of the work that preys on Helen, though, and as the night wears on she makes an unsettling discovery about Guy (Oliver Chris). Now she’s not just the busiest in the building but the loneliest, too…

Before dawn breaks and her shift is over, Helen will have found somebody new to confide in. But is Jack (Raza Jaffrey) up to the job of confidant?

While all this is happening, Maryam (Parminder Nagra) and Catherine (Lara Pulver) endeavour to put the stresses and strains of work at the back of their minds for just a short time, embarking on an increasingly rare night out.

Lars and Brigitta are taking full care of Elis for the weekend, giving Catherine, who is in need of a distraction, the perfect opportunity to join Maryam on a Ladies Night organised by Maryam’s friends from the mosque.

There’s a buffet, a DJ and a dancefloor, but Maryam isn’t exactly buzzing to spend an evening with a load of women who treat her like a doctor – and a mum who shows her off as one – but even so, as the evening gets going, she begins to feel some of her anxiety taking a back seat.

But wouldn’t you just know it? They only end up having to leap into action themselves when a medical emergency unfolds before them. The situation presents Catherine with the biggest challenge of her surgical life; while it also leads Maryam to face up to how she is really feeling – and to start being honest with those she loves…

This episode is a strong one for McGrillis, whose character has come a long way after returning to work in the first episode. Helen had just had her third child and, as McGrillis adds when asked about her character, “And her husband is having an affair with a woman that Helen has to work with!

“But Helen can put on a front and go, ‘Okay, I’m just going to swallow this for a bit. I’m going to go in and be the best doctor I can. I’m going to do my ward rounds with a woman that my husband’s been having an affair with.’

“If that was me, I would absolutely fall apart! But Helen has an extraordinary strength”. Which feels relevant to almost any aspect of medical work today.

Consent (Tuesday 07/02/23, Channel 4, 10pm)

Words by Rob Lavender

The actor and comedian Emily Atack’s recent BBC documentary Asking For It? highlighted some of the issues young women face today, particularly surrounding the issue of consent, as applied to the sending of sexually explicit images – so-called ‘cyber-flashing’.

This new one-off drama is similar in its scope, albeit exploring the titular issue of consent in terms of in-person interactions. And although it is essentially a work of fiction, it is inspired by the real-life testimonies of hundreds of young people who have recounted their own actual experiences at school. If that sentence shocks, well, it should.

It follows Natalie (Lashay Anderson, of Hulu series Black Cake and BBC iPlayer drama Rebel Cheer Squad), who earns a scholarship to an elite private school. Once there, she is seen as something of an outsider – she is working class, clever, and does not feel as though she fits into the accepted order of things in this world of wealth and privilege.

She does, however, bond with rich, high academic achiever Archie (played by newcomer Tom Victor). Archie is the embodiment of his posh private school, which has only recently started accepting girls – and his every move, online and off, is dictated by the rules of ‘lad culture’.

The pair may not ordinarily be a good fit, therefore, but Archie inwardly feels like something of an outsider – and Natalie certainly is. They make fast friends. However, one night at a party, boundaries are crossed and trust is broken between the two. Their friendship will never be the same again, but how will the school deal with the accusations? After all, they are made against ‘one of their own’…

The issues raised here are shocking and insidious. It would be tempting to dismiss them as hyperbolic, but remember – this is based on true testimonies from hundreds of individuals, from both state and private schools, made to writer Emma Dennis-Edwards during her research for this drama.

Dennis-Edwards is a writer-performer whose one-woman show Funeral Flowers won the Fringe First Award at Edinburgh Festival, and whose TV work includes writing for BBC series Champion and as story consultant for AMC’s six-part thriller Ragdoll. Consent marks her first original standalone drama on the small screen, and it is a testament to her commitment that she is debuting with such an ambitious and considered – not to mention thoroughly researched – film.

It will be a challenging watch – particularly, one imagines, for parents of teenagers – but a compelling and a vital one if you want to better understand some of the challenges that young people face today. Some of which will, sadly, be familiar to people of any age, while others – those centred on social media and online content in particular – are new and frightening.

The talented young cast also includes Rhea Norwood (Heartstoppers), Ty Tennant (House of Dragons), Denzel Baidoo (Screw) and Alex Heath (The Serpent Queen), while the adults in the piece include Richard Harrington and the ever-excellent Kimberly Nixon.

Great British Menu (Wednesday 08/02/23, BBC2, 8pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

The chefs who take part in this series have a difficult job – in the regional heats, they must compete against each other to come up with innovative, tasty dishes that will impress the visiting series veteran.

The two who pick up the highest scores will then make it through to the judges’ chambers, where the competition gets even tougher. As anyone who watched last year’s series will know, Tom Kerridge, Nisha Katona, and Ed Gamble aren’t afraid to be brutally honest, or dip below five out of 10 when it comes to handing out scores. But perhaps the toughest task on Great British Menu is dreaming up a new theme every year.

For the uninitiated, the series sees tops chefs from across the UK compete to get at least one of their dishes to a prestigious banquet. In the first ever series, which aired in 2006, the feast was in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s 80th birthday. Since then, the dishes have celebrated everything from the Olympics coming to London and British pop music, to the 70th anniversaries of D-Day and the NHS.

This year, the progamme-makers are marking the 65th birthday of Paddington Bear with a banquet that pays homage to British animation and illustration, and some viewers could be forgiven for thinking that overlaps a bit with the 2020 series, which celebrated children’s literature, and last year’s series, where the brief was British broadcasting.

Some of us may even be wondering just how many elevated takes on the humble marmalade sandwich will be put in front of the judges this year. However, as previous runs have shown, Britain’s chefs are nothing if not inventive, so we should be in for a few surprises.

Tonight, Andi Oliver presents as the remaining chefs from the South West region tackle mains and desserts. One of them is drawing inspiration from illustrator Quentin Blake for a venison wellington in the shape of a crocodile with sausage rolls for legs. Another serves a tomahawk steak in tribute to Aardman’s animated movie Early Man, and there’s a pork loin inspired by TV classic Mr Benn.

Then there’s the pre-desserts or palate cleansers, which are based on The Trap Door, The Gruffalo and Horrid Henry, before we get into the pudding proper. Get ready for a Peter Rabbit panna cotta, another Aardman tribute in the form of a chocolate bone in a dog bowl, and Banksy’s famous Balloon Girl image rendered in cheesecake, jelly and a chocolate torte.

But which masterpieces will impress veteran Michael O’Hare and make it through to tomorrow’s regional final? And will the chefs be comforted or worried to learn that for one week only Marcus Wareing is standing in for the harsh-but-fair Tom Kerridge in the judges’ chamber? He’ll be giving his scores alongside regulars Gamble and Katona, as well as this week’s special guest, Oscar-winning animator Susie Templeton.

The Apprentice (Thursday 09/02/23, BBC1, 9pm)

Words by Rob Lavender

Dum da-dum da-dum da-dum da-dum da-dum da-dum dum… It’s week six of the business skills contest and already we have had controversy aplenty, in the form of bullying allegations (refuted by the Beeb), and disgruntled participants unhappy about their dismissals.

Meanwhile previous contestants have been quoted regarding the show’s rigorous filming schedule, some criticising the process, and others merely offering intriguing insights. This all goes to show that, despite claims to the contrary by those who would have you believe nobody is watching anymore, The Apprentice remains very much a cultural talking point.

The hit show’s 17th series continues and this week is sure to be another popular one with the contestants. This year’s crop had barely got their bums on the boardroom seats in episode one when, the closing bars of Prokofiev’s Montagues and Capulets still ringing in their ears, Lord Sugar told them to pack their bags and head to Antigua. Now he’s breaking the news that they’re heading to Dubai. Series 17 may as well have been a crossover with Travel Man.

The challenge this week is to put on a corporate away-day for two international businesses based in the UAE. One team opts to show off the glamour of the famously cosmopolitan city, while another decides on a more traditional approach, heading to the desert to make the most of its natural beauty. And then – well, you know the drill by now: the team with the greatest profits wins, while at least one member of the losing side will get their – ahem – just deserts.

One candidate in particular shined in the Antigua task, and that was canon enthusiast Gregory Ebbs. He quickly became one of the bookies’ favourites to win the whole series, only to be fired in week three after claims he was ‘sidelined’ by his team. Speaking to the press following his dismissal, Gregory said: “It’s a really, it’s a very tough experience.

“Because obviously, you would like to sort of secure luxurious investments, and when you leave the actual process, you leave a lot of people who you’ve built close connections with. So it’s a very challenging sort of experience. But on the whole, generally speaking, I think I enjoyed the process and I think it’s very rewarding.”

Lord Sugar based his decision on Gregory’s teammates’ assertions that he contributed very little to the task, which involved making a cartoon for preschoolers. Gregory explained: “I am of the belief that if you don’t have any necessary experience in the field, sometimes the less you say, is probably the better. Because otherwise there’s no point in saying something which you don’t necessarily stand by or have any evidence-backed conviction within yourself to support it.”

It’s a refreshing view. If every candidate chose to keep quiet on subjects they know nothing about, The Apprentice would be a dull show indeed.

Sam Smith Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Friday 10/02/23, BBC One, 11.30pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

It’s said that everything that glitters is not gold, but Sam Smith certainly seems to have the Midas touch.

The London-born singer-songwriter’s career has been on an upward trajectory since they appeared on the Disclosure song Latch in 2012. Two years later, they’d broken through in America with their debut album, In the Lonely Hour, which was the second-biggest release of the year.

Since then, Smith has won numerous awards, including Brits, Grammys and even an Oscar, the latter coming for Writing’s On the Wall, the theme song for the 24th James Bond movie Spectre.

They’re in the running for another Brit this year, having been nominated for song of the year for Unholy, in which they collaborate with German singer-songwriter Kim Petras; the pair are set to perform it at the ceremony later this month.

Despite their joy at the recognition, Smith, who came out as non-binary in 2019, isn’t impressed that no female musicians are in the running for the artist of the year trophy. They told the Sunday Times: “It is a shame. Things are moving forward, but it’s obvious it’s not there yet.”

The nomination for Smith (and Petras) comes shortly after they became the first musical act on Saturday Night Live in 2023; they also performed on the South Lawn at the White House to celebrate President Joe Biden signing the Respect for Marriage Act, which recognises the validity of same-sex and interracial marriages in the US.

Smith wrote on Instagram: “Watching President Biden sign the Respect for Marriage Act was a landmark moment for freedom of love and hopefully just the beginning of the important work ahead to continue to expand the protections of the LGBTQ+, non-binary and transgender communities; and build towards a world where love is celebrated regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or sexuality.”

Back in October last year, Smith became the latest in a long line of performers to headline at the legendary Royal Albert Hall – and now we’re getting a chance to relive the two gigs they played there thanks to the BBC.

“I definitely wanted this to be different to my other shows,” they told Apple Music ahead of the performances. “I come from a theatre background and really missed that feeling on my last tour. It takes a village of talent to put on my shows, and it’s important for me now to showcase and celebrate the artists around me.”

Despite those words, the sets contained mostly songs from their own back catalogue, including Stay With Me, I’m Not the Only One, Dancing with a Stranger and the aforementioned Unholy, as well as other tracks from their recently released fourth studio album Gloria.

“With this show it was about adding a little Gloria to all my songs,” Smith continued while speaking to Apple. “I always want to change all the songs a little to fit the mood and the tones of whatever project I’m currently releasing. But I am also passionate about playing the songs the way people love them.”

Thankfully, the way they play them IS the way people love them, no matter what. Seems like Smith – and those watching at home – have struck gold again.