On TV This Week…(April 6th)

On the rare occasions you do manage to wrestle the remote away from the kids, it’s important to make the most of it! Here are this week’s must-see shows…

With March now firmly behind us, many of our favourite shows have come to a close for another year – leaving sizable gaps in the planner!

But when the great TV scheduler in the sky closes a door, he opens a window. As we move into the new season, we can look forward to the return of old favourites and some brand-spanking new shows beamed directly into our living rooms.

To help you keep track, every week we’ll round up the best your TV has to offer, including season premieres, documentaries, films and more – you need never miss out on the latest and greatest telly again!

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Monday, 06 April – BBC Three, 8.10pm

What better way to end the bank holiday than with a classic adventure film?

Indiana Jones’ (Harrison Ford) debut as the archaeologist/adventurer is regarded by many as the greatest in the series. Indy is at his wry best as he quips (and whips!) his way through Egypt in an effort to keep the fabled Ark of the Covenant from falling into the hands of the Nazis.

This one just gets better with age and with the recent news of a potential franchise reboot, what better time to take a look back at where it all started.

The Island with Bear Grylls (Season 2 *Premiere*)
Wednesday, 08 April – C4, 9.00pm

It’s the battle of the sexes and survival expert Bear Grylls is playing referee!

Two islands out in the Pacific Ocean; one inhabited by male contestants, the other by the fairer (and arguably deadlier) sex. Stripped of even the simplest luxuries of modern day life, the contestants are left to survive on their own instincts.

Each island will be the focus of alternate episodes, starting this week with the lads. Who will come out on top? Get ready to go head-to-head with your partner on a weekly basis!

Mad Men (Season 7 (Part 2) *Premiere*)
Thursday, 09 April – Sky Atlantic, 10.00pm

Join the chain-smoking, whisky drinking staff of Sterling, Cooper & Partners for one final series of this critically-acclaimed drama. Expect the usual politically incorrect behaviour from the infamous ad men as they schmooze their way through the 1960s.

Slick, smooth and seemingly straight out of the movies – no, we’re not just talking about leading man and quintessential cad, Don Draper (played with an extra helping of panache by John Hamm!) The high production value, superb acting and slow-burn storytelling makes this one a very cool customer.

If you haven’t seen the show before, do yourself a favour and go back to the very beginning. Then, once you crawl out from your binge-induced hibernation, catch up with the rest of us for what is sure to be a phenomenal farewell from the boys on Maddison Avenue.

Have I Got News For You (Season 49 *Premiere*)
Friday, 10 April – BBC One, 9.00pm

The sardonic, news-based quiz show is back with regular team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton accompanied by an ever changing celebrity guest presenter. At the helm this week is Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe.

It’s the show that put Boris Johnson on the map…but don’t hold that against them! If you like to take a sideways view of the week’s events, then don’t miss the return of what has very much become essential viewing for the man who takes his current affairs with a large handful of salt.

Daredevil (Season 1 *Premiere*)
Friday, 10 April – Netflix, On-Demand

The online on-demand service has teamed up with Marvel Studios to bring one of the comic book company’s lesser-known heroes to the small screen.

Blinded as a child in a freak chemical spill, Matt Murdock’s (Charlie Cox) other senses evolve to superhuman levels. Lawyer by day and masked vigilante by night, Murdock means to clean up Hell’s Kitchen one crook at a time!

Daredevil will be the first of many superhero-based series appearing on Netflix over the next couple of years. Eventually, the plan is to converge the lot into one series where they team up as street level super-team, ‘The Defenders’. So, if you want to stay in the loop, you’d better start here.

Marvel fans, if you don’t have a Netflix subscription yet, now might be the time to invest in one!