TV highlights

'Chaplin: The Waterville Picture' (RTE 1, Tuesday 29th May, 10.15pm) - A fascinating insight into Charlie Chaplin's love affair with the Kerry town of Waterville and its people. With access to the Chaplin archive, this unique film tells the only Chaplin story yet untold. The actor first came to Kerry in 1959 with his wife, Oona O'Neill, and continued to visit until 1969. His daughter, Josephine, still comes here and, along with her sister, Annie, has a house in the area. Julien, her son, went to secondary school in the seaside town and her other son, Arthur (the documentary's narrator), continues to visit. An interesting fact that emerges during the documentary is that GAA legend Mick O'Dwyer's mother cooked for Charlie Chaplin in Waterville. __________________________________________________________ 'Amazing Azerbaijan' (RTE 1, Thursday, 10.15pm) - After 'Running Scared' secured the Eurovision contest for this oil and gas-rich, secular Shia, former Soviet Republic on the easternmost tip of Europe last year, the competition claims to be an apolitical celebration of European unity; but when the president of Azerbaijan declared the victory a national achievement, he offered the nation up to the harsh glare of the international spotlight, for better or worse. According to international observers, the government's record on press freedom, transparency and democratic principals leaves much to be desired. This is a tale of two countries: one, a shiny democratic republic the government proudly puts on display for visiting journalists and dignitaries; the other a repressive and corrupt land with no respect for freedom of expression or assembly, in which bloggers are arrested on trumped-up charges, peaceful protesters are violently beaten, and journalists are threatened and even killed. __________________________________________________________ 'Nazi Gospels' (History Channel, Sunday, 9pm) - The most powerful men in the Third Reich assembled a dark, secret fraternity. Believing in irrational prophecies and engaging in warped rituals, the SS created a pseudo-religious cult that spurred on their sinister vision of world domination. From conducting pagan rites in a remote castle to believing in a knightly order and seeking the Holy Grail and ancient supermen in Tibet, Nazi leaders were obsessed with proving they were the Master Race. When popular religion and established science undermined their totalitarian state, they invented a new set of principles. Based on an amalgamation of superstition, ritual and myth, these 'gospels' provided rules about every aspect of life from love and sex to the purpose of war and explaining the beginnings of the cosmos. Digging deep into the twisted psyche of the Nazi state, this fascinating documentary explores these ideas and how they acquired so much influence. __________________________________________________________ 'The Queen & I' (ITV, Monday, 8.30pm) - For 60 years, the Queen's reign has been recorded, not just by news cameras, but in thousands of home movies shot by ordinary members of the public. For decades, many of these amateur films have remained unseen in attics, cineclub collections and film archives. Put together, these amateur movies provide a unique and often surprising portrait of an ever-changing Britain and the Queen. In episode one are some of the people whose brush with royalty was caught on film. On 23rd March 2012, the Queen and Prince Phillip were in Manchester for the second day of The Diamond Jubilee Tour, and the streets were lined with wellwishers. It was also a big day for John Canning and his fiancée, Frances, who were getting married at Manchester Town Hall. When John found out that the Queen was due to visit on the day of their wedding, he wrote to Buckingham Palace to see if she would care to join their guest list. But on the day itself, as the Cannings exchanged their vows, they had no idea that palace officials had arranged for the Queen to pay them a surprise visit. __________________________________________________________ 'Born In The USSR' (ITV, Monday, 10.35pm) - "We're encouraged to believe in Russia. But this belief is running out. It's clear people are being lied to. And when people lie, they don't want to change anything." Anton, aged 28. This is a film about Russia today and life in the former Soviet Union. The documentary revisits eight participants, now aged 28, and follow the events that have shaped their lives since they were last filmed seven years ago. All eight characters are united by the fact they were born in an empire that no longer exists. Through their eyes, viewers gain a unique insight into the biggest country in the world. __________________________________________________________ Movie Of The Week: 'Case 39' (RTE 1, Wednesday, 9.35pm) - Renée Zellweger stars in this chiller that centres on a kind-hearted social worker who is prompted to rescue 10-year-old Lillith Sullivan from her parents after allegations of abuse suggest that the child is not safe in her own home. But as she digs deeper, the social worker discovers to her horror that the situation is far deadlier than she ever suspected. Creepy.