Monday, February 15, 2016

Friday’s best TV: First Dates: Be My Valentine, Earth’s Greatest Spectacles, Stan Lee’s Lucky Man

More singletons take their chances in a show that balances fun and sweetness; Domhnall Gleeson explores the delights of Svalbard, and superpowered Harry Clayton faces kidnapping and conspiracy. Plus: intelligent sci-fi in District 

Bankrupt & Broke: When Celebs Go Bust
8.30pm, Channel 5

Skint celebs have long been a very British source of fascination, allowing for copious head-shaking, and giving gossip mags an excuse to dole out advice about hiding your credit cards in the freezer. Fittingly, the budget for this countdown of famous debtors didn’t quite stretch to 50 Cent, so instead we’ve got the likes of Abz from Five and Tina Malone from Shameless discussing their money troubles. Expect mention of Michael Barrymore, Kerry Katona and former members of Blue. Hannah J Davies

First Dates: Be My Valentine
9pm, Channel 4

As if going on a televised dating show were not nerve-wracking enough, there’s a bit of extra pressure on tonight’s singletons as their liaisons take place in the shadow of Valentine’s Day. The highlight is the return of edgy Frank, who has been paired with nurse Catherine. But as usual, the show locates the right balance between fun and sweetness, introducing self-confessed nerd Sam, Game of Thrones-obsessed Livvy, and jewellery designer Miki, who will all be taking their chances at the Chop House of love. Phil Harrison

Earth’s Greatest Spectacles
9pm, BBC2

Domhnall Gleeson narrates the second of a three-part series celebrating sights generated by Earth’s ongoing state of flux. Norwegian archipelago Svalbard isn’t the most welcoming place, being in the Arctic Circle and spending months in total darkness, but when the sun does deign to deliver some sunlight, it’s almost as if a snowy sheet is whipped away to reveal fantastic fauna, winsome wildlife and spectacular sea creatures. Gleeson uncovers the science behind this astonishing ugly duckling act. Mark Gibbings-Jones

Mr Selfridge
9pm, ITV

The comfort-watch continues with more shopping shenanigans from the roaring 20s. Harry’s playboy ways have landed him with debts that need to be settled urgently, so Jimmy comes up with a plan to bail him out. But will he go for it? After his appearance in the London Herald’s gossip column, Harry pulls his adverts and starts a feud. On the more glamorous front, those manipulative and daring Dolly sisters try to turn on the charm when Harry cuts their credit off and Mae is organising a fashion shoot. Hannah Verdier

Stan Lee’s Lucky Man
9pm, Sky1

This is an extraordinary return for Marvel Comics writer-publisher Stan Lee, now 93, creating a new superhero of sorts. Detective Harry Clayton (James Nesbitt) has acquired a bracelet that enables him to alter luck, of which he has hitherto remained short. Tonight, a woman is kidnapped from her office in London’s financial district and Harry and Suri (Amara Karan) chance on evidence of a conspiracy linked to Harry’s bracelet. Meanwhile, Anna starts to question who paid her to represent Kevin Grey, and Eve prepares to flee. David Stubbs

Spin
9pm, More4

“I’m busy parrying blows when I should be governing.” Season two of the French political drama begins a year on from the election with the president, Alain Marjorie, facing – you guessed it – a crisis. With a cover-up involving Marjorie’s wife, Elisabeth, showing signs of going public and a key ally, interior minister Benoît Hussan, in trouble amid a scandal, Marjorie turns to PR man Simon Kapita for help. By the looks of things, this will be a tough assignment. Think Borgen with rather more sullied and cynical protagonists. Jonathan Wright

AC/DC and the Story of Aussie Rock
10pm, BBC4

The arrival of AC/DC in the UK is like the heavy rock cup final: even if you’re not going, you know it’s happening. This enjoyable doc features the band’s rise to greatness on a ticket of riffs, school uniforms and double entendres, but also tells a far deeper story; of the Youngs and the Alberts and their origins in Glasgow, Holland and London. Bowie faves the Easybeats come out well, too. John Robinson

Film choicesExists (Eduardo Sánchez, 2014) 10am, 12.05am, 3am, Sky Movies Premiere

As if The Blair Witch Project wasn’t enough, director Sánchez goes and stumbles on another pile of found-footage horror. This time five campers hanging out at a remote cabin in the Texan woods fall foul of a fierce, furry critter known in those parts as Bigfoot. One of the gang (apparently chosen for his shakiness-of-hand) records the desperate fight for survival on a video camera, in a fitfully effective tale.
District 9 (Neill Blomkamp, 2009) 1.05am, Film4
A huge spaceship hovers over Johannesburg, but this isn’t an invasion force; the aliens are sickly refugees, gangly arthropods with a taste for cat food. Years on, Sharlto Copley’s middle-manager Wikus is appointed to move the “prawns” from their revolting shanty town, District 9, and finds his allegiances shifting as he learns the cynical motives of the supervising MNU Corporation. Shot in grainy, vérité style, it’s a highly inventive and intelligent sci-fi movie. Paul Howlett

Today’s best live sport

Biathlon The World Cup from Maine featuring men’s pursuit. 4.15pm, Eurosport 1
Premiership Rugby Union: Newcastle Falcons v Leicester Tigers Coverage of the match at Kingston Park. 7pm, BT Sport 1
Scottish Premiership Football: Dundee v St Johnstone Scottish football from Dens Park. 7.15pm, BT Sport 2
Test Cricket: New Zealand v Australia The first Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington continues. 9.25pm, Sky Sports 2

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