What's on TV: Wednesday, February 8
pay Irrational Man (2015)
Masterpiece Movies , 6.50pm
Breezily light, so that the moral implications can be glossed over even as it dips into darkness, Woody Allen's film at times feels like a summation of the many philosophical exchanges that have dotted his body of work. "What are we talking about here?" asks Abe Lucas, a doleful philosopher signed on to teach at a New England college, "The randomness of life? Aesthetics? Murder?" The film answers him while he bobs between an admiring student, Jill Pollard (Emma Stone), and a colleague desperate for excitement, Rita Richards (Parker Posey). Various narratives serve as a running commentary, and the film is typical of the unadorned storytelling that has become Allen's norm this century. Phoenix's torrid reticence doesn't always complement that directness, although he's the only Allen lead you could imagine pulling off a game of Russian roulette as the movie explores the idea that the unconscionable can save you. CM
Emma Stone, with Irrational Man director Woody Allen.Credit:Getty Images
pay Rillington Place
BBC First, 8.30pm
The grim, oppressive, funereal atmosphere of this miniseries about British serial killer John Reginald Christie is, if not overwhelming, definitely offputting. It does suit Christie's squalid crimes and, broadly speaking, the period in which he committed them (he murdered his eight known victims between 1943 and 1953), but it succeeds more as an exercise in style than in engaging the viewer in narrative and reflection. Tim Roth quickly establishes Christie as a loathsome creep whose pathetic physical appearance belies an aggressively brazen dishonestly and insidious evil. But such creatures are all too familiar; the more curious character is Christie's wife, Ethel (Samantha Morton), whose unhappy devotion persists through every egregious insult and abuse. The fragmented timeline of this first episode does little to illuminate the origins of her pathological loyalty, but the production's drab palette creates a vivid picture of wartime austerity and the attraction of what seamy pleasures remained to be had. BN
This Is Us
Ten, 8.30pm
This comedy-drama series became one of the surprise hits of US television when it aired late last year, and watching this episode, the pilot, it is hard to believe that there was any question that this televisual gold wouldn't proceed into a full-fledged season. NBC snapped up not only a first series, but signed up for three, such is their confidence in this gem, and rightly so. Briefly, the premise is about three adult siblings, their life dramas, plus a neatly woven timeline that leads back and forth into a wider picture of family life. What's magical about it is the richly drawn characters, who are all fabulously real and flawed. There's pretty boy Kevin (Justin Hartley), a frustrated actor and star of a sitcom called The Manny, where he basically has to walk around shirtless. There's his sister Kate (Chrissy Metz), who struggles with obesity, with much of the show's comedy stemming from her experiences at "fat class" alongside comic foil Toby (Chris Sullivan). There's their adoptive brother Randall (Sterling K. Brown), who struggles with his identity and is battling to find closure. This Is Us balances comedy, pathos, empathy and sheer tragedy with deftness and skill. A scene involving dad Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and a doctor is staggeringly heartbreaking. Appointment viewing. Unmissable. ST
Aussie Pickers
7Mate, 9pm
This reality show is the equivalent to spending an hour in a man cave – it's utter man heaven. There's tinkering, pottering, rummaging through junk, looking at old tools, a bit of haggling and a bit of cash to be made, too. The picking in question involves two Sydney "city slickers" touring the NSW countryside to go bounty-hunting for lost antiques and collectables across various junkyards, homesteads and attics. Hosts Lucas Callaghan and Adam McDonald are jovial beardy hipster types who are able to negotiate the hoarding country folk plus the extra inhabitants of the backyards including a 75-kilo aggressive "guard" sheep and a few redbacks. As a nice slice of Australiana and an insight into the nation's heritage as told through old farm equipment, tin advertising signs and other quirky finds such as vintage cameras and teddy bears, this show does have some worth, even if all the collectables don't. ST
Most Viewed in Entertainment
Please explain
Our weekly podcast giving you insight into the stories that drive the nation.
Listen now