What's On the Box this week?

ON GOD'S MISSION (RTE 1, Tuesday) - Two-part documentary charts the epic story of the origins, impact and legacy of the Irish Missionary Movement. Exploring the origins, impact and legacy of the Irish Missionary Movement, On God's Mission is the epic story of the thousands of Irish men and women who joined the ranks of missionary orders driven by a potent mix of religious fervour and nationalist idealism. Featuring extensive interviews with Bob Geldof, President Mary McAleese, Tim Pat Coogan, President Peter Pinda of Tanzania and John O'Shea of Goal, 'On God's Mission' examines why the Irish joined the missions in such great numbers, what impact they had on the people to whom they dedicated their lives, and reveals how their work has impacted on Ireland's international reputation. On God's Mission is accompanied by compelling film archive dating back to the 1920s and original documentary footage featuring three times Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Father Shay Cullen, and Dr Maura Lynch, a Sister of the Medical Missionaries of Mary. _____________________________________________________________ DAMAGES (BBC 1, Wednesday) - Glenn Close returns in the third series of the drama set in the high-stakes world of New York litigation, following the turbulent lives of revered and reviled New York litigator Patty Hewes and her bright and ambitious young protégé, Ellen Parsons. Ten months after the UNR lawsuit, Patty is the court-appointed trustee representing the victims of financier Louis Tobin's $70bn Ponzi scheme. With Ellen having left to work as an assistant DA prosecuting drug crimes, Patty's immediate challenge is to keep her angry and destitute clients from seeking their own revenge as she sorts through mountains of complex paperwork in search of any ill-gotten gains that Tobin stashed away. _____________________________________________________________ MICHAEL WINNER'S DINING STARS (ITV, Friday) - In the first part of Michael Winner's Dining Stars, the critic visits Longridge in Lancashire and the home of Justine Forest, who lives with her husband and three children and is well known in their hometown for her legendary cooking, especially her baking. "The food I like to cook is very traditional, Sunday roasts, shepherd's pie, good hearty food. Michael Winner in my house eating my food? Oh my gosh, I really don't want to think about it, the pressure is on." As he prepares for his journey to the north, Michael is seen getting ready in his luxury mansion with the help of his assistants, Dinah and Joan who help pick out his clothes and wash his hair in beer. "The north is not a place I frequently go to, it is an alien country, it is another land, but it is beautiful. The people are nice, the people are very nice, but they provide food that is absolutely pathetic and they are incapable of cooking, so, I must say, where I am going does not totally thrill me." Sparks will fly. _____________________________________________________________ MASTERCRAFTS: BLACKSMITHING (BBC 2, Friday) - Monty Don puts three rookies through their paces as they follow their dreams of training to be blacksmiths. The humble smithy was, for centuries, the most important place in the village and it was the craft of the blacksmith - more than any other - that, during the industrial revolution, transformed Britain into the great workshop of the world. It takes four to five years to train properly as a blacksmith. During their six-week course, the trainees learn the foundations of the craft - from how to forge precision decorative panels to making their own tools. _____________________________________________________________ TEENS IN THE WILD (RTE 1, Monday) - In the second year of this acclaimed series, clinical psychologist David Coleman once again takes a group of six troubled teenagers on a 21-day wilderness activities and therapy course. This time, in the wilds of Donegal, he works with girls, aged 14-17, who are struggling with issues including anger management, bereavement, separation and problems at school - all of which have resulted in strained relations with their parents who are at breaking point. For the three weeks, the girls live in an isolated cabin (under the supervision of instructors) on the perimeter of Glenveagh National Park. Far removed from the usual teenage temptations and distractions, David's hope is that the girls focus on their issues and work through them with him, giving each of them the opportunity to start making some positive change in their lives. _____________________________________________________________ MOVIE OF THE WEEK: SERAPHIM FALLS (BBC 1, Friday). In the months following the American Civil War, a colonel hires some mercenaries to help him hunt down a man against whom he has an unexplained grudge. Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan co-star in a tough as nails Western.