Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian’s baby is celebrated in Brian & Arthur’s Very Modern Family, there’s the highlights from last night’s Oscars, Paula Yates and the season finale of The Last of Us . . .
Pick of the Day
Brian & Arthur’s Very Modern Family, 9.35pm, RTÉ One
TV star Brian Dowling and Dancing with the Star’s judge Arthur Gourounlian are having a baby, and Brian’s younger sister Aoife is their surrogate.
This documentary captures the highs and lows of their journey to parenthood.
It chronicles Brian, Arthur, and Aoife’s experience from learning that they’re going to have a baby, to shopping till they drop to designing their dream nursery, to toasting the impending arrival with their friends at the baby shower.
Finally, there’s the delivery at the National Maternity Hospital as Blake is born by caesarian section – and in the days and weeks that follow, Brian and Arthur navigate early parenthood.
The documentary also follows Aoife as she suffers from pregnancy-related carpal tunnel and prepares both mentally and physically for the birth not knowing how she’ll feel when the baby arrives.
What will the birth be like? How will Brian and Arthur feel when they hold their newborn baby? How will Aoife feel after the birth?
Through the different lenses of Brian, Arthur and Aoife, the documentary explores their experience and the challenges they face to bring baby Blake home.
Don’t Miss
Oscars 2023, 9.30pm, RTÉ2
All the best moments from last night’s Academy Awards ceremony as the great and good of Hollywood gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to celebrate another 12 months of movie-making. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel (below).
You’ll know by now how the Irish contingent performed, but this event remains the biggest night out in the movie world.
Stories from the Street, 9.00pm, Virgin Media One
Another episode of the observational documentary looking at the lives of rough sleepers in Dublin and the world they inhabit.
The pressure is on as Martin and Shauna are expecting a baby. Their ongoing search for accommodation brings them to a building occupied by the Revolutionary Housing League.
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Then there’s Michelle, who is recently out of homelessness and has started a job when arrest warrants from her past catch up with her.
The programme also features Tommy, whose battle with homelessness and addiction hasn’t stopped him becoming a rapper.
Cops, Cash and Fraudsters – Panorama, 8.00pm, BBC One
Every year, scammers steal billions from the public, and fraud now represents around 40 per cent of all reported crime in the UK.
Over the last year, Panorama has had exclusive access to Kent Police as their detectives try to catch the fraudsters.
The programme explores why so few cases are prosecuted and shows how fraudsters target the vulnerable, often using sophisticated techniques to dupe victims.
Mastermind, 7.30pm, BBC Two
Clive Myrie (above) hosts the first semi-final as he invites four heat-winners to brave the black chair once again to answer questions.
The specialist subjects include The Great Escape, Oscar-winning performances of the 1990s, the life and death of stars, and Peep Show, before they are tested on their general knowledge.
New or Returning Shows
Paula, 9.00pm, Channel 4
Part one of a two-part profile of Paula Yates, featuring never-before-heard audio interviews she recorded after the death of her partner Michael Hutchence in 1997.
Part one focuses on Paula’s rise to fame, her groundbreaking appearances on The Tube and the huge fame she and husband Bob Geldof experienced after the success of global charity Live Aid.
With contributions from Terence Trent D’Arby, Robbie Williams, Nicky Clarke and Vanessa Feltz.
The Witches of Salem, 9.00pm, Sky History
Streaming on NOW
Witches of Salem unravels the hysteria that unfolded during the Salem witch trials and led to the execution of 20 women in an affluent New England community.
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This docu-drama is a real-life horror story with young teenage girls tragically accused and convicted by the shadowy adults lurking in the background.
The series draws on extensive historical documents and court records to bring this drama to life. Narrated by Mark Strong.
Between the Covers, 7.00pm, BBC Two
Sara Cox returns with the sixth season of the programme that celebrates the joy of books and reading, and is joined by guests Angela Scanlon (below), DJ Spoony, Rob Rinder and Cerys Matthews.
They all bring their favourite books to champion, and review this week’s book club choices of In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan, and Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.
Ending Today
The Last of Us, 9.00pm, Sky Atlantic
Streaming on NOW
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In the season one finale, Joel and Ellie reach the last leg of their long and strenuous journey as they arrive at the current base of the Fireflies in Salt Lake City.
Only Connect, 8.00pm, BBC Two
Victoria Coren Mitchell (below) asks the questions in the final of the quiz, with two teams battling it out to succeed last year’s winners the Data Wizards and be named champions.
The contestants must use patience, lateral thinking and sheer inspiration to make connections between groups of four things that may at first appear not to be linked.