Simon brings us his weekly picks for the best on Australian free-to-air TV and Foxtel! Read on for the best in entertainment over the next seven days…
Wednesday 15th July 2015
Louis Theroux: By Reason of Insanity-BBC Knowledge-8.30pm AEST
If you’re a documentary connoisseur a new offering from the gonzo-esque Louis Theroux is almost better than Christmas, and this two part special is the prize present in your stocking. Continuing his travels throughout the US, the special sees Theroux granted unprecedented access to the psychiatric hospitals of Ohio, where he meets committed criminals who have been found not guilty of their crimes by reason of insanity. However, like in Theroux’s previous documentaries, the filmmaker doesn’t judge these people for their actions but rather uses them as a stepping point to discuss the mental health issues that led to their crimes and their ongoing processes of rehabilitation. Inspiring stuff.
Thursday 16th July 2015
The 2015 Espy Awards-ESPN-11am AEST
The Espy Awards is the king of award shows for sports nuts across the globe, so if you consider yourself in that category you might want to chuck a sick day and tune in. Held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, The Espy’s sees some of the best sportspeople from across the world given recognition for their achievements from the past year. This year’s ceremony is set to be hosted by Community’s Joel McHale, so it is sure to be an entertaining watch even if sport isn’t necessarily your thing.
Friday 17th July 2015
Easy Rider-Masterpiece Movies-8.30pm AEST
There is no denying that Easy Rider is one of the most significant films ever made, as it not only skyrocketed the careers of Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson, but it also launched an entirely new approach to filmmaking. Starring Fonda and Hopper as two bikers road tripping across America, Easy Rider was a true celebration of the counterculture of the sixties, even going so far as to show real drug use in a number of scenes. There are few films you HAVE to see, but Easy Rider is definitely one of them.
Saturday 18th July 2015
Mission Impossible-Ten-10pm AEST
Before you catch the next installment in the popular Mission Impossible franchise, Rogue Nation, go back to the start and re-watch Brian De Palma’s original classic. Starring Tom Cruise as the gutsy IMF superspy Ethan Hunt, the film is a fast-paced, never-ending spectacle of action, as Hunt travels across the globe to take down the man who betrayed and killed his team. Though the plot is at some times a tad hard to follow it really doesn’t matter, the action scenes in Mission Impossible are brilliantly executed, making it the perfect film to sit back and enjoy on a lazy Saturday night in.
Sunday 19th July 2015
Sunday Best: In Bob We Trust-ABC2-8.30pm AEST
Father Bob Maguire has been a hugely popular media personality ever since his first appearance on John Safran’s John Safran vs God all the way back in 2004, an appearance which led to him becoming the permanent co-host on Safran’s Triple J show. This documentary, which was filmed over several years by Lynn-Maree Milburn, charts Father Bob’s mission to remain in the priesthood after he was ‘invited’ to retire by Archbishop Denis Hart and Cardinal George Pell back in 2009. As both a tribute to one of Australia’s most enigmatic figures and a true underdog story, this is one documentary that you should settle in on the couch to catch.
Monday 20th July 2015
Little Lunch-ABC3-4.25pm AEST
Normally we wouldn’t be recommending a kids TV show (who are we kidding, of course we would) but when the pair behind Upper Middle Bogan and The Librarians, Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope creates the show, it is definitely well worth a watch. Based on the book series of the same name, written by Danny Katz and Mitch Vane, Little Lunch is a mockumentary about a group of kids in their primary school playground. And if you need any further incentive to watch, one of the children is played by Joshua Sitch, who is the son of Australian comedy royalty Rob Sitch and Jane Kennedy.
Tuesday 21st July 2015
Glue-SBS2-9.30pm AEST
If you’re still attempting to fill the hole in your heart that was left following the end of the acclaimed series Skins, look no further than new British drama Glue. Created and written by Jack Thorne (who was a writer for Skins), this new series follows a group of teens living in the idyllic English countryside who are left shattered when one of their friends is brutally murdered following a wild night out. When a former friend and police trainee (Yasmin Paige) is assigned to the case, the group soon comes to blows as they grapple to uncover the identity of their friend’s killer.
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