TV Highlights

'Hostage In The Jungle’ (BBC 2, Wednesday, 7pm) - On 23rd February 2002, Ingrid Betancourt, a presidential candidate in Colombia’s elections, was kidnapped by the left-wing FARC rebel group along with her assistant and friend, Clara Rojas. She was held for more than six years in the jungle, with only occasional news coming out, including a shocking picture which showed her clearly on the verge of collapse, if not death, in 2007. This film tells how Ingrid and Clara’s friendship fell apart, with them ending up virtual enemies, and how Clara came to have a child with one of the FARC guards. The film explores the dynamics of captivity, including remarkable interviews with both the man who kidnapped Ingrid and her main camp commander. Interspersed with archive of her family and politicians fighting over how to deal with the problems, the film is a raw, first-hand account of how people cope with surviving 24 hours a day with fellow hostages. In Ingrid’s words: “It is often more difficult to forgive your fellow hostages than the guards who keep you.” ___________________________________________________________ 'Buffalo Warrior’ (RTE 2, Thursday, 7pm) - The cape buffalo is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. However, despite its strength, it is vulnerable to a devastating disease, bovine tuberculosis. When an epidemic of TB threatens to spread through South Africa’s Kruger National Park, desperate measures are needed. This one-hour special tells the powerful story of one man’s mission to gain the trust of these mighty beasts and bring them back from the brink of disaster. ___________________________________________________________ 'The Event’ (RTE 2, Friday, 9.35pm) - Episode one of a new series. When his girlfriend, Leila, goes missing during a Caribbean cruise, Sean Walker accidentally uncovers a national conspiracy. Meanwhile, President Elias Martinez decides to release a group of detainees, much to the chagrin of Blake Sterling, the director of National Intelligence. ___________________________________________________________ 'Love/Hate’ (RTE 1, Sunday, 9.30pm) - As Nidge and Trish’s wedding day arrives, gang war is breaking out. John Boy and Hughie generate new plans and new recruits. Darren is worried about John Boy and Hughie’s volatility, not just for himself but for his sister, Mary, and the kids. Relations between John Boy and Darren come to a head and Darren decides that it is in everyone’s interest that he heads for London. But can he end the war before he leaves? The final episode of what has been one of RTE’s best dramas of recent years. ___________________________________________________________ 'Mission Beach USA’ (RTE 2, Monday, 5pm) - Every summer, the sun-soaked beaches of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, host one of the best junior lifeguard programmes in the world: a three-week summer camp for young people who get to train in real-life ocean surroundings and experience something which will give them confidence, test their physical and mental endurance, prepare them for a more disciplined life and create a greater respect for each other and the marine environment. For the first time ever, the Florida Lifeguard Ocean Rescue team have allowed eight Irish 16-year-olds the opportunity to join the course and train with real lifeguards. For most, it will be their first experience of living away from home and amongst people their own age. For all, it will be a truly unforgettable experience. This is the ultimate mix of working hard to achieve goals while having fun and learning amazing new skills, where the dream of an American lifestyle meets the discipline of a tough lifeguard summer school. The friendships they make, the bonds they create and the relationships they form will stay with them forever. ___________________________________________________________ Movie Of The Week: 'Being There’ (RTE 1, Monday, 1.45am) - Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine are directed by Hal Ashby in this enthralling tale of a simple-minded gardener named Chance who has spent all his life in the Washington DC house of an old man. When the man dies, Chance is put out on the street with no knowledge of the world except what he has learned from television. After a run-in with a limousine, he ends up a guest of Eve and her husband, Ben, an influential businessman. Now called Chauncey Gardner, Chance becomes friend and confidante to Ben, and an unlikely political insider. A classic.