Best on The Box This March

Chosen by: Sheena McGinley

Here's a selection of terrestrial viewing spanning from the 18th - 26th of March. You can keep yourself up to date with your telly viewing by visiting our TV Page for our four daily highlights.

Dom Joly and The Black Island. 19th March. 7.30pm. Channel 4.
As a boy, Dom Joly (TV personality of yore, travel writer and journalist) dreamt of becoming Tintin. In this First Cut film, he fulfils his fantasy to become the world-famous Belgian reporter, and attempts to retrace the steps of Tintin's British adventure: The Black Island. He sets out to track down the real-life places that inspired the story and find the Black Island Castle. The ever-enthusiastic Dom dons the costume of his hero, complete with shorts, plus fours, a white shirt and blue jersey, and even dyes his hair ginger. He goes to Brussels and visits the studio where Herge drew the character. Ever faithful to his quest, Dom goes in search of a Snowy the Dog and visits a seaman's bar in an attempt to find a Captain Haddock look-alike.

The Restoration Man. 21st March. 9.00pm. Channel 4.
In this brand new series eight part series, George 'the eyes' Clarke is The Restoration Man , travelling the British Isles meeting the stubborn romantics who want to breathe new life into the architectural treasures he unearths on his journey. His mission is to overenthusiastically help them transform these undervalued gems into brand new homes fit for 21st century living. In the first episode, George meets builder Mark Horton who has for years harboured a dream to live in a unique house. With this in mind he bought an 18th century folly with plans to convert it himself into a luxurious family home. On the 'Buildings at Risk' register for ten years Bath Lodge is just a derelict shell, with no access road or utilities. Architect George is on hand to advise and support, as well as turn detective as he uncovers the history behind this mysteeeeerious building.



New Directors: Artaud on Aran. 22nd March. 11.30pm. RTE2.
In August 1937, the French writer and renowned surrealist Antonin Artaud came to the Aran Islands with a very special purpose. He sought to tap into the last vestiges of pagan primal forces and thereby revitalise European theatre. Instead, he began a strange journey that ended in Dublin six weeks later when he was arrested, imprisoned and eventually deported as an undesirable alien. This is the story of Artaud's misadventure in Ireland that fateful summer.

The Delicious Miss Dahl. 23rd March. 8.30pm. BBC2.
In a new series for BBC Two, author, food writer and former model, Sophie Dahl will be cooking up delicious recipes and reminiscing about some of her own food memories - while wiggling about like a Nigella channelling the joi de vivre of Oliver. In the first, episode Sophie revels in the joy of cooking on a purely "selfish" day. Shutting the world away and answering to no one on a day that is indulgently independent, she cruises the food boutiques and cooks simple dishes for one with the finest of ingredients. Her selfish day begins at breakfast with her take on an 'Arnold Bennett' omelette. And she prepares an indulgent peanut butter fudge for snacking on later. After a sweep of a local cheese shop, for lunch, Sophie constructs a bruschetta with a tower of buffalo mozzarella, shaved fennel and courgette salad on top. Later on, inspired by a picture of an old Hollywood screen siren and an art deco cocktail shaker picked up in a second-hand shop, it's time for a dirty martini aperitif. Naturally. Next week, Sophie turns her attention to romance.



Comedy Rocks. 26th March. 9.00pm. ITV.
Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford will see some of the UK's "favourite entertainers" team up with some of the "hottest music acts", to provide a jam packed hour of prime-time entertainment. Jason will be joined by Merseyside's motormouth John Bishop, comics Jo Brand and Joe Pasquale and ventriloquist Paul Zerdin - as well as live music performances by Pixie Lott and Scouting for Girls? The Scouse bloke who spittles his head off on The Panel, Joe Pasquale and some man who fondles a puppet's undercarriage for a living, teamed with Scouting For Girls?! ITV, you have outdone yourselves.
 

Best of the Rest

Eclipse. 17th March. 9.35pm. RTE1.
Award-winning film, written and directed by Conor McPherson, about the challenges of love and loss and fear of the unknown (namely poltergeists). Starring Aidan Quinn, Ciarán Hinds and Iben Hjejle.

The Lady and the Revamp. 18th March. 9.00pm. Channel 4.
Once the Grazia of its day, The Lady (a British publication, in case there was in any doubt) was a highly respected and influential magazine featuring on its pages anything from the correct length of hem for a Sunday Service to a cure for baldness. But 125 years later The Lady is in need of a new lease of life. Cutting Edge follows the magazine's new editor - journalist and novelist Rachel Johnson - as she faces one of the toughest jobs in her career and tries to turn around the fate of this longest standing women's weekly.

The Restaurant. 21st March. 8.30pm. RTE1.
Returning for its seventh series; Hotelier and business mentor Francis Brennan is the first celebrity chef with an adventurous menu that will be judged by critics Tom Doorley, Paulo Tullio and Kevin Thornton.

Supersize Vs Superkinny. 23rd March. 8.00pm. Channel 4.
Presented by Dr Christian Jessen and Anna Richardson, the magazine show which tackles the dangerous effects of extreme dieting, morbid obesity and eating disorders returns for a new, third series. In the feeding clinic, Dr Christian Jessen pushes the diet swappers to look beyond what's on their plates to explore the psychological triggers that lead to their dangerous diets.

Ashes to Ashes. TBC. BBC1.
Ashes To Ashes, starring Philip Glenister and Keeley Hawes, returns for a third and final series - and it's a real slap in the face for DI Alex Drake. Time-travelling copper Alex thought she'd made it home to the present day but wakes to find herself in a hospital bed back in 1983, having been shot by her boss, DCI Gene Hunt, three months ago. Keep up.


 

Story by Sheena McGinley | 09:00 | Tuesday 16th March 2010 | Music

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