The Bridge
You wouldn’t expect levity, but even by Scandi-noir standards, the opening premise for the new (and final) series of The Bridge is bleak. Henrik is struggling to stay off the sauce, and Saga is in prison for murdering her mother. But after the body of a woman (yes, another one) is discovered, could it be time for the old gang to get back together?
Friday 11 May, 9pm, BBC Two
Genderquake
C4’s latest experiment in manufactured conflict actually results in uplift, as a group of non-binary millennials (and a couple of initially baffled cis folk) are sent to a countryside retreat for debate, tears and, eventually, hugging and learning.
Monday 7 May, 9pm, Channel 4
Carnage
Ludicrous but entertaining new series in which lavishly customised Mad Max-style jalopies head to the desert to engage in spark-showering, brake-squealing fights to the death. Think Robot Wars with a Hollywood blockbuster budget and you’re somewhere close.
Sunday 6 May, 8pm, Sky1
Dear White People
Plenty has changed in the US since the first season of this film spin-off streamed. For a start, the president refused to condemn white supremacists as they marched through an American town. Expect the new season to be darker viewing as the implicit undertones of the show merge with the suddenly more overt dysfunction of Trump’s America.
Available now, Netflix
Only Artists
A new series of this reliably fascinating and thoughtful series, in which writers, musicians and film-makers discuss the nuts and bolts of their trade with each other. We begin with film-maker Carol Morley, who will be shooting the breeze with musician and writer Tracey Thorn. How have their respective industries changed over the several decades of their involvement?
Wednesday 9 May, 9am, Radio 4
Romper Stomper
Set 25 years on from the film of the same name, Geoffrey Wright’s drama series follows a new generation of Australian far-right activists as they attempt to gain a foothold in a divided society. Expect brutal action with worrying real-life resonance.
Available from Thursday 10 May, BBC Three
Later Live … With Jools Holland
The somewhat grizzled music show returns. As the latest series begins, we’ll be hearing from indie maximalists Snow Patrol, south London post-punk scamps Shame, rising singer-songwriter Jade Bird and Detroit soul queen Bettye Lavette. Plan B will be touting his latest wares, too.
Tuesday, 10pm, BBC Two
Riot Girls
A new all-female comedy pilot that uses hidden-camera pranks to make points about issues as varied as the gender pay gap and public transport manspreading. It constantly runs the risk of lapsing into worthiness, but there’s plenty of talent on display too, so it might well find its tone over the course of a series.
Thursday 10 May, 10pm, Channel 4
The Last Detail
Jack Nicholson excels as grizzled navy man Buddulsky, who, with Otis Young’s Mulhall, is escorting a dopey young sailor (Randy Quaid) to military prison. Gradually, the old hands warm to the youngster and treat him to manly delights – a prostitute, beers, a hotdog in a freezing park – in a poignant, funny male-bonding tale adapted from Darryl Ponicsan’s novel.
Sunday 6 May, 11.15pm, TCM
Scandal
What with Homeland’s finale also taking place this week, the occupants of the various fictional White Houses currently doing the TV rounds are in for a busy week. Shonda Rhimes’s political drama is going out for good; there’s plenty to untangle but, happily, the climax manages to be both exciting and emotionally satisfying.
Thursday 10 May, 10pm, Sky Living
