{"id":477444,"date":"2026-05-10T08:09:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T08:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/477444\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T08:09:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T08:09:13","slug":"tv-guide-the-best-new-shows-to-watch-starting-tonight-the-irish-times-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/477444\/","title":{"rendered":"TV guide: the best new shows to watch, starting tonight \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Come to Your CensusSunday, RT\u00c9 One, 6.30pm<\/p>\n

In the second of this two-part series, three more famous faces trawl through the newly released 1926 Census<\/a> to see what was going on in their family 100 years ago. Experts from the National Archives will be on hand to help our celebs interpret the census data and get a picture of their family\u2019s past. For author Joseph O\u2019Connor, Dublin<\/a>\u2019s Liberties was the centre of the action and he learns how his family was shaped by the working-class community in the city centre. Who knows, he might uncover enough material to inspire his next great novel. Every family tree should have its own revolutionary figure, and Eileen Walsh discovers her grandfather fulfilled that role back in the early days of independence. Meanwhile, RT\u00c9<\/a> presenter Louise Duffy delves into the history of the rural community in Co Mayo<\/a> where she grew up, and discovers some strong women who wielded power and influence in the region. <\/p>\n

Historian Liz Gillis hosts the Come to Your Census podcast, which accompanies the TV series. Gillis and a number of archivists and historians were given early access to Census 1926, and in this podcast they explore these unique archives to learn about lives of Irish people in the early years of the Free State. <\/p>\n

Bafta Television Awards 2026Sunday, BBC One, 7pm<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time for the annual telly Baftas, celebrating all that best stuff on the box in the past year, and it\u2019s no surprise to find that Netflix limited drama Adolescence leads the field with seven nominations, and if it doesn\u2019t take home at least a handful of gongs, well, that would be a surprise. But what we want to know is, who are the Irish nominees in the Bafta pack? Well, Graham Norton is up for an award for his ability to corral a bunch of big stars on the big couch every Friday night and get some sense out of them. Also, Philippa Dunne is nominated for her role in the excellent cringe comedy Amandaland (produced by Sharon Horgan\u2019s company Merman), and Trespasses, written by Ailbhe Keogan and set in Belfast in the 1970s, is up against Adolescence in the best limited drama category. The ceremony comes live from London\u2019s Royal Festival Hall and is hosted by actor, comedian and taskmaster supreme Greg Davies. <\/p>\n

Believe MeSunday, UTV, 9pm\"DanielDaniel Mays stars as John Worboys in Believe Me. Photograph: ITV <\/p>\n

John Worboys, known as the \u201cblack cab rapist\u201d, preyed on women in London for years, picking them up in his cab, drugging them and raping them. Despite several women going to the police and reporting what happened to them, Worboys continued to commit his crimes, simply because the police wouldn\u2019t believe the women\u2019s stories. Among the women who came forward was student Carrie Symonds, the future wife of Boris Johnson. This drama series is written by Jeff Pope and stars Daniel Mays as Worboys, with Miriam Petche as Symonds, and tells the story of the women who fought to be heard and believed, and who were failed by the authorities. <\/p>\n

Mark Moriarty: Cook Like a ChefMonday, RT\u00c9 One, 8pm\"MarkMark Moriarty shows us three delicious, restaurant-level dinners on Cook Like A Chef. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Want to up your cooking game and give the Michelin-starred set a run for their money? Chef Mark Moriarty believes anyone can create fab dishes worthy of the best in the business without having to spend the whole day in the kitchen, and in his second series of Cook Like a Chef, Moriarty shares more of his tips and tricks to help you chef like a pro while saving time and heartache. The format for this new series is simple: each week Moriarty takes a key ingredient and creates three different dishes, showing just what you can do with just a little cleverness, creativity and a few helpful cooking secrets. In the first episode, he takes a kitchen staple, chicken, and makes three delicious, restaurant-level dinners with it: chicken and mushroom pan pie, chicken schnitzel with fried eggs and Caesar salad, and chicken chasseur. <\/p>\n

Children of the Blitz Monday, BBC Two, 9pm<\/p>\n

In September 1940, Germany launched the aerial bombing campaign against Britain known as the Blitzkrieg, dropping more than 20,000 tonnes of explosives on London and other towns and cities over the next eight months, killing more than 43,000 people and forcing the evacuation of more than 800,000 children. To mark the 85th anniversary of the end of the Blitz, in May 1941, this documentary hears the first-hand stories from some of the two million children who remained at home and lived through continuous bombardment by the Luftwaffe, many of whom saw their homes destroyed and friends and family members killed. These survivors are now in their 90s and older, but many of them still remember the Blitz as though it were yesterday \u2013 and some of them are only now opening up about the effect it has had on their adult lives. <\/p>\n

A Traveller FamilyMonday, RT\u00c9 One, 9.35pm\"JohnnyJohnny Collins features on A Traveller Family. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Meet the Collinses, a Traveller family that has seen huge changes in Irish life over the generations, and is adapting to the demands of the modern world. Grandfather Big James Collins, now 78, is one of the last of the Traveller tinsmiths, while 20-year-old Johnny Collins is the first in the extended family to go into third-level education. Michael Collins, meanwhile, is a well-known actor and writer while Catherine Collins is an activist for Travellers\u2019 rights. How do you continue to celebrate your Traveller identity amid huge societal changes, and what role does creativity play in Traveller expression? This documentary film looks at modern Ireland through the prism of one family who are upending attitudes about what it means to be a Traveller. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Musician and composer Mary Halvorson: \u2018I\u2019m not trying to be weird. It\u2019s just how I see things\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Final 2026Tuesday & Thursday, BBC One, 8pm<\/p>\n

It may have completely escaped your attention, but the Eurovision Song Contest is on this Saturday, with the first of the two semi-finals on Tuesday, and the second on Thursday. No need to wring our hands over whether Ireland will get through to Saturday\u2019s final, as RT\u00c9 hasn\u2019t sent a singer to Vienna to represent us in this year\u2019s cheesy musical extravaganza. That\u2019s because we are one of five countries who have decided to not to take part in the contest over Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza. So, no Marty Whelan delivering droll commentary on the proceedings and no Irish jury making sure the UK doesn\u2019t get any points. We won\u2019t be watching this year\u2019s contest (we wouldn\u2019t have been watching it anyway), but if you decide to tune in, Finland is the bookies\u2019 favourite to win, with a song called Liekinheitin by Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen. (Finland won once before, in 2006, with Hard Rock Hallelujah by schlock horror band Lordi). Also hotly tipped are Denmark, France and Greece, with Israel in with a 12\/1 chance to bag the grand prix and the UK rank outsiders with a ditty called Look Mum No Computer. They may have to rename it Look Mum Nil Points.<\/p>\n

Uncharted with Ray GogginsWednesday, RT\u00c9 One, 9.35pm\"LiamLiam Cunningham and PJ Gallagher take a motorbike trip through the Himalayas on Uncharted with Ray Goggins. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Ireland\u2019s top celebrities have been taking their phones off the hook and locking themselves away in a bunker, terrified that former special forces operative Ray Goggins will find them and force them to go on a gruelling adventure involving huge physical and mental challenges and possible death. But there\u2019s no escape, and Goggins has flushed out some more famous faces to take part in the second series of Uncharted. In the first series he put the likes of Leo Varadkar, Lyra, Ellen Keane, Thomas Barr and Kneecap through the wilderness wringer and in the first episode of series two he starts as he means to go on, bringing comedian PJ Gallagher and actor Liam Cunningham on a nerve-shredding motorbike trip through the Himalayas, along treacherous, high-altitude trails where one wrong move will have you doing a Tom Cruise stunt with no crew to catch you. Along the way they\u2019ll be stopping for a bit of Zen meditation and for some food at \u201cYak Donald\u2019s\u201d. <\/p>\n

StreamingTucci in ItalyFrom Tuesday, May 12th, Disney+<\/p>\n

Stanley Tucci is back on our cinema screens, alongside Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep, in The Devil Wears Prada 2; he\u2019s also back on our telly screens in Citadel and in this second series of his cultural and culinary travel show produced by National Geographic. Tucci explores five new regions in this series, uncovering in one of them, Le Marche, some foodie gems that many tourists may have missed. He also rediscovers a forgotten grape variety in Campania, and in Veneto he gets dragged into a debate about an age-old mystery: where did tiramisu come from?<\/p>\n

Good OmensFrom Wednesday, May 13th, Prime Video<\/p>\n

David Tennant is a busy man, what with the new series of Rivals (see below) and the third and final series of this fantasy comedy created by Neil Gaiman, based on the 1990 novel he wrote with Terry Pratchett. Tennant returns as the dissolute demon Crowley, with Michael Sheen as the finicky angel Aziraphale. Their friendship has been fractured since Aziraphale was summoned back to heaven and promoted to Supreme Archangel, while Crowley is left wandering the streets of Soho. But Aziraphale has been given the monumental task of overseeing a big event in the celestial calendar \u2013 the Second Coming \u2013 and he\u2019s going to need Crowley\u2019s help to make sure the whole shindig goes off without the complete destruction of the universe.<\/p>\n

Off CampusFrom Wednesday, May 13th, Prime Video<\/p>\n

Based on the best-selling book series by Elle Kennedy, Off Campus charts the lives, loves and lusts of the students at Briar University, with a particular focus on the college\u2019s elite ice-hockey team. Garrett is one of its star athletes, hunky, handsome and supremely confident. Hannah is an aspiring songwriter whose ideal boyfriend is the floppy-fringed, elegantly wasted type. They\u2019re polar opposites, but somehow an attraction blossoms between them. It\u2019ll come as no surprise to hear that the course of true love doesn\u2019t run smooth and that some outside-the-box thinking and smart strategies will be needed to make this mismatch work. <\/p>\n

Rivals From Friday, May 15th, Disney+<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the second season of the series based on the books by the late Jilly Cooper, and the denizens of Rutshire are as ambitious, scheming and horny as ever. David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson, Bella Maclean, Victoria Smurfit, Nafessa Williams and Danny Dyer return in this hugely popular romp set among the hoity-toity types in 1980s England, where bed-hopping is the principal sport. As we land back in the thick of it, the war between the rival media companies Corinium and Venturer is heating up and Corinium boss Tony Baddingham (Tennant) is determined to crush his enemies, including the Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black (Hassell) and Declan O\u2019Hara (Turner), once and for all. <\/p>\n

Dutton RanchFrom Friday, May 15th, Paramount+<\/p>\n

Following on from the Yellowstone prequels 1883 and 1923 comes Dutton Ranch, which serves as a sequel to the original, acclaimed series starring Kevin Costner. This new series follows Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) as they head to Texas, set up a new ranch and, they hope, emerge from Yellowstone\u2019s shadow. But they soon come up against a rival rancher who doesn\u2019t take too kindly to being challenged by these blow-ins from Montana. The series also stars Ed Harris, Annette Bening, Finn Little, Juan Pablo Raba and Jai Courtney. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Come to Your CensusSunday, RT\u00c9 One, 6.30pm In the second of this two-part series, three more famous faces…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":477445,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[265],"tags":[164949,18,117,10894,19,17,13051,128],"class_list":{"0":"post-477444","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-baftas-2026","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-eurovision-2026","12":"tag-ie","13":"tag-ireland","14":"tag-rivals","15":"tag-tv"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116549266516070546","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=477444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/477445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=477444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=477444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=477444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}