THE REMOTE IS our weekly look at upcoming TV highlights.
From drama and comedy, to factual and reality TV, we’ll bring you some of the shows to watch out for from both traditional broadcasters and the main streaming services.
There’s quote the Valentine’s Day flavour to this week’s offering, with three separate shows about people trying to find love.
Find yourself a comfy spot.
The enduring popularity of dating shows continues with Virgin Media the latest to try a new format.
The blurb for Generation Dating is says the programme is designed to “find out if you can really put an old head on young shoulders, or ignite a young flame in an old heart.”
Each episode takes two perfect strangers, one older one younger and sets each of them a challenge: find the perfect date. A more meaningful and less cringey version of RTÉ’s Pulling With My Parents perhaps?
When’s it on? Wednesdays at 9pm on Virgin Media One
Some real(ity) love
Another Netflix lockdown success was Love Is Blind. The show sees a group of singles chat to each other from behind a wall to see what kind of connection they have without the benefit of actually seeing one another.
If they have such a connection that they want to pursue it, one of them must then ‘propose’ to their potential new partner. If they partner says yes they then go off and live with each other for a few weeks to see if they want to get married.
All very silly and entertaining at the same time.
When’s it on? Streaming on Netflix from Friday
The Late Late Show Valentine’s Special is back to its traditional format this year meaning a whole load of singletons whooping and hollering under the encouragement of Ryan and Montrose’s hospitality budget.
“It has got to be one of the sure signs that things are going back to normal when The Late Late Show invites the most loved-up couples and single people of Ireland to the studio in the name of love,” Ryan said last week.
Either that or it’s the perfect excuse to go out on Friday and meet someone.
When’s it on? Friday at 9.30pm on RTÉ One
TG4′s excellent documentary series Finné is back. The show explores the personal testimony of people who’ve faced adversity throughout their life to give an insight into how it affected them.
This week’s episode features blues musician Don Baker who had a challenging upbring in the Dublin tenements of the 1960s, where he resorted to petty crime and eventually ended up in the notorious Daingean Reformatory School in Co. Offaly.
He struggled with addiction throughout his life despite tremendous success as an actor and musician, but now at 70, he reflects on his career with a wisdom that only the distance of time can bring.
Upcoming episodes will feature an environmental activist and a mediterranean migrant rescuer.
When’s it on? Wednesdays at 9.30pm on TG4
A new psychological thriller four-parter called The Fear Index starring Josh Hartnett starts this week on Sky Atlantic. Based on a book by Robert Harris, it’s in in many ways a 21st century retelling of Frankenstein.
Hartnett plays Alex Hoffman, a genius computer scientist who is poised to make a killing in the financial markets when he creates AI-driven computer program that exploits fear in the markets. But just as he’s about to launch to investors the programme starts to take on a life of its own.
When’s it on? Thursday at 9pm on Sky Atlantic and on NOW TV
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