TV Highlights

'Homeland' (RTE 2, Friday, 9.45pm) - This special double bill episode sees Brody approached to run for disgraced congressman Richard Johnson's seat in the House of Representatives, as Carrie and Saul have identified Tom Walker's contact in DC, only to discover that he has diplomatic immunity. They must tread lightly, or risk triggering an international incident. When a sure-fire technique for turning the diplomat proves ineffective, Carrie must improvise a solution to get him to co-operate. One of the best dramas on TV so far this year. _____________________________________________________________ 'The Secret Life Of A Superpower' (BBC 2, Wednesday, 9pm) - It was the biggest information leak in US diplomatic history - over 250,000 US diplomatic messages, or 'cables', between the US State Department and US embassies all over the world - which turned into a global sensation by the website WikiLeaks. The cables dominated newspaper headlines and front pages, but what does this vast trove of documents really tell us about American diplomacy, and what impact has the leaking of the cables had? In the first in-depth television analysis of the secret documents, Richard Bilton lifts the lid on a superpower's secret thoughts and aspirations, plans and strategies, struggles and fears. In this two-part series, he speaks to people at the top of the US government about their experiences of the leaking of the cables and he finds out first-hand what the impact of the leak has been for US diplomats. ____________________________________________________________ 'ICA Bootcamp' (RTE 2, Thursday, 9.30pm) - A new series sees 12 more wide-eyed recruits heading to ICA HQ where essential life-skills training, and the mentors, await. With the recession kicking in, modern life has become a whole lot tougher for Ireland's pampered twenty-somethings. A whole generation is waking up to the fact that they never learned the skills that could help keep the wolf from the door in difficult economic times. Enter the ICA mentors - Josephine the crafts instructor, Marie the kitchen supremo and chief mentor Imelda - to show the young spendthrift singletons the error of their ways. Each week, four young women will eschew the trappings of modern life - from fake tan to expensive brunches - and sign up for a week-long, intensive back-to-basics course. The recruits are set a series of challenges that will require them to tap hitherto unknown pools of resourcefulness, determination and pluck. One will be chosen each week to go forward to the grand final. It will be the challenge of their lives, as they host the An Grianán Spring Fete for the cream of the ICA who will ultimately judge the winning recruit. _____________________________________________________________ 'The Voice' (BBC 1, Saturday, 9pm) - With millions of viewers around the world, 'The Voice' is one of the biggest international TV formats of the past few years. We've already had it in Ireland and it all begins tonight on the Beeb with the first of the blind auditions and a spectacular group performance by the four coaches - Jessie J, Will.i.am, Danny O'Donoghue and Sir Tom Jones. The premise is simple: only people with real vocal talent will be invited to blind auditions, where each artist auditions on stage for the four A-list coaches who sit with their back towards them. The coaches hit a button on their chair if they are impressed with their voice, and then coming face-to-face with the artist for the first time. Unconcerned with appearance, their auditions are about one thing and one thing only: their voice. _____________________________________________________________ 'The Mormon Candidate' (BBC 2, Tuesday, 9pm) - John Sweeney investigates the beliefs of Mitt Romney, the man most likely to take on Barack Obama later this year, and asks whether America is ready for a Mormon President. Sweeney meets polygamists, an old Mormon tradition the official Church has turned its back on, discovers secret oaths and rituals Romney would have taken, finds ex-members cut off from their families who claim Mormonism is a cult and comes face-to-face with a Mormon Apostle. The Church says Mormonism is now the world's fastest-growing religion, with 14 million members. It's also one of the richest, with an estimated wealth of $30 billion. Romney himself has given more than $4 million to the Mormon Church over the past two years. But mainstream America remains suspicious of them. _____________________________________________________________ Movie Of The Week: 'Laurel Canyon' (RTE 1, Friday, 11.55pm) - Frances McDormand and Alessandro Nivola co-star in this very watchable indie film directed by Lisa Cholodenko. When an uptight young man and his fiancée move into his libertine mother's house in LA, the resulting clash of life attitudes shakes everyone up. Dark comedy and great ensemble acting make this a must for the recorder.