TV highlights

'Des Bishop: My Dad Was Nearly James Bond' (RTE 1, Thursday, 10.15pm) - Comedian Des Bishop returns to Irish screens for this one-off documentary that tells the deeply personal tale of his father, Mike, who has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Inspired by his father's illness, the impact it has had on the Bishop family and their sense of humour in dealing with it, the documentary follows the comedian as he develops his latest internationally-acclaimed stand-up show. The show tells his father's story - that of an actor and model who gave up the glamour for a steady job in a department store when his three sons were born. Bishop champions the real heroics of fatherhood in his own inimitable way by challenging common regrets and the ridiculous ideals of manhood that many men try to live up to. ___________________________________________________________ 'Posh And Posher: Why Public Schoolboys Run Britain' (BBC 2, Wednesday, 9pm) - In a documentary with similar applications in Ireland, Andrew Neil tracks his roots as a grammar school boy from a working-class family who made it to the top in political journalism. He believes that he – and others of his generation – had a route to success that's now blocked. Britain's post-war political meritocracy came to an end, he thinks, after the abolition of the grammar schools. In this documentary, Neil hits the road on a personal journey to discover why Britain's political leaders from all parties are emerging from an ever-narrower pool, as he crosses Britain, meeting members of the political class as well as people on the ground worried about the new elite. He visits public schools and comprehensives to reveal the gaping achievement gap which gives the privately educated such a head start. He goes to Oxford to find out why this one institution has produced half the Cabinet and more than 100 MPs. And he shows how young researchers and special advisers to senior politicians, often with no experience in the real world, have a fast-track to the top themselves. ___________________________________________________________ 'Shameless' (RTE 2, Thursday, 9.55pm) - William H Macy stars in this racy and edgy adaptation of the long-running British family drama as Frank Gallagher, the alcoholic patriarch of a large, unconventional, blue-collar family. In the US version, the sprawling Gallagher family has been transplanted to working-class Chicago during the challenging times of today's recession. Making ends meet is always difficult, especially with a mother who is AWOL and a father who usually ends up passed out on the living room floor. Emmy Rossum stars as oldest daughter, Fiona, who is left with the often impossible task of keeping her five younger brothers and sisters on track. ___________________________________________________________ 'The Million Pound Drop Live' (CH4, Friday, 10pm) - Extraordinary game show in which contestants can win or lose life-changing amounts of money live on TV. Filmed in a highly secure location, contestants are given their prize of a million pounds at the start of the show, but are then faced with eight tough questions that are linked to four trapdoors, each representing an answer, in order to hold onto the cash. ___________________________________________________________ 'Freddie Flintoff Versus The World' (ITV, Tuesday, 9pm) - This new series sees cricketing legend and ultimate bloke Freddie Flintoff try his hand at some of the most extreme sports and challenges on offer around the world. But, ever the competitive sportsman, he won't be trying anything out without turning it into a competition so he's also enlisted other athletes who retired at the top of their game to see if they can beat him. Against opponents that include Dennis Rodman, Iwan Thomas and Dennis Wise, Flintoff challenges himself at extreme events, including skeleton bob, wing-walking and rodeo bull riding. In this first episode, he challenges his former England cricket team mate, Darren Gough, to take on three contests in the depths of Mexico. ___________________________________________________________ Movie Of The Week: 'Requiem For A Dream' (BBC 2, Friday, 11.50pm) - Ellen Burstyn stars in this hard-hitting drama based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr, telling the story of four people enslaved by drug addiction. A lonely widow, in hope of an appearance on her favourite television game show, attempts to lose weight by taking prescribed amphetamines. Meanwhile, her son, his girlfriend and best friend find their social drug-taking getting dangerously out of hand.