Better Off Abroad
Sunday, RTÉ One, 9.30pm
George Lee meets some Irish emigrants who went in search of the good life in a new two-part documentary series . In part one, Lee meets some of the 5,000 Irish people living, working and prospering in Hong Kong, where opportunities are high and taxes are low. The downside is the uncertainty as Hong Kong makes the transition to full Chinese rule.
An Ríl Deal
Sunday, TG4,8pm
Ireland's answer to Strictly Come Dancing is back as another batch of celebrities attempt to prove they can trip the light fantastic with the best of them. Seven celebrities, including musician Séamus Begley, TG4 kids TV presenter Micheál Ó Ciaraid and actor Linda Bhreathnach, will be paired up with Ireland's leading amateur Irish dancers to perform for judges Breandán de Gallaí, Sibéal Davitt and Roy Galvin, with the eventual champion winning € 5,000 for their chosen charity.
Polataíocht: Power on the Box
Monday, RTÉ One, 7.30pm
Documentary which sees Irish Times journalist Harry McGee exploring how television has changed Irish politics. With elections being won and lost on the small screen, and politicians using television to further their careers – and sometimes having their careers ended by television – McGee holds the black mirror up to Irish politics, looking at the influence of TV on political debate and discourse. In the first of four episodes, McGee visits a Republican convention in the US to see how Donald Trump and his supporters used TV to further their agenda.
Classic Joe Dolan
Monday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm
There was no show like a Joe show, and earlier this year, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra re-recorded some of Joe Dolan's biggest hits, using Dolan's original vocals, for the album Orchestrated Vol 1. The maestro from Mullingar died in 2007, but these new recordings give Dolan's best-known songs a new lease of life. This accompanying documentary features interviews with Nathan Carter, who duets with Joe on one of the songs, and Albert Hammond, who co-wrote two of Joe's biggest hits, Make Me an Island and You're Such a Good-Looking Woman.
The Rubberbandits Guide to Everything
Monday, RTÉ2, 10.30pm
For the final show of the series, the Limerick dole-queue Dadaists tackle a hotly disputed topic - reality. Does it exist or are we all kidding ourselves? Expect a definitive answer from Blindboy and Mr Chrome.
Rillington Place
Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm
In the 1940s and 1950s, serial killer John Christie murdered at least eight women at his Notting Hill London home. This three-part drama, starring Tim Roth as Christie and Samantha Morton as his terrorised wife Ethel, charts his crimes and explores the terrible miscarriage of justice which led to another man being hanged for the crimes.
The Late Late Toy Show Unwrapped
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, RTÉ One, 7pm
The Late Late Toy Show won't just land on our screens on Friday out of the blue. Just like Christmas itself, we need a bit of a build-up to the big event, so the show will be preceded by these three taster episodes, we go behind the scenes as the Toy Show is put together, and meet some of the children who are auditioning to appear on the show. And Tubridy gets out of the studio and heads to Dublin, Cork, Galway and Dundalk to meet the real stars of Christmas; the children.
Lucy and Dustin's Toy Show Teaser
Friday, TV3, 8pm
In recent years, TV3 staged its own rival toy show, hosted by the likes of Bryan McFadden, Maria Walsh and Brian Ormond, but they couldn't topple the mighty LLTS off the top of the tree. This year, they've decided, if you can't beat 'em, preview 'em, so they've recruited Lucy Kennedy and Dustin the Turkey to host this half-hour special aimed at children who won't be able to stay up late to watch the Tubridy extravaganza.
The Late Late Toy Show
Friday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm
Brexit, the toxic US presidential election campaign, the deaths of Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen: it's been a real bad-news year but, finally, a chink of light can get through, because it's time for The Late Late Toy Show. As usual, Ryan Tubridy will put on the Christmas jumper and unveil a smorgasbord of toys, games, gadgets and gizmos – all available from Santa this year. Tubridy will also introduce a neverending parade of talented children, who will sing, dance, juggle and sort out the national deficit better than any grown-up.
