Weekend TV guide: 11 of the best shows to watch

The Late Late Show
Friday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm
After weeks of canvassing and debate, the RTÉ/TG4 Exit Poll results will be announced live in studio by David McCullagh and Páidí Ó Lionaird, for the first indications of the nationwide voting patterns in the referendum and European and local elections. Also: Author and influencer Roz Purcell spent years basing her self-worth on how much she weighed – it took her sister Rachel to be diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia for that to change. The siblings discuss the events that led to this realisation and why life is about living and not just a number on the scales. And: Having carved out an impressive career in musical theatre, Colm CT Wilkinson has performed everywhere from Broadway to the West End, and represented Ireland in the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest. Following 30 years in Toronto, Wilkinson is back in Ireland and joins Ryan Tubridy for a look back at his career, as well as treating us to a song. Plus: recently retired Ireland player Jonathan Walters on how the death of his mother at a young age had such an influence on his career, and his plans for the future; openly gay Inter-county referee David Gough on what it was like to come out in the sporting world and what is being done to improve LGBTQ+ education among the wider GAA community; Joe Gogan, father Shane Grogan, on how his son's life changed after an unprovoked attack in August 2012; and music from The Coronas.

The Graham Norton Show
Friday, BBC1, 10.35pm; Saturday, Virgin One, 9.15pm; Sunday, Virgin Two, 10pm

For almost 20 years, X-Men movies have turned jobbing actors into stars. Dark Phoenix, which opens on June 5th, is rumoured to be the final film in the saga, so Graham Norton will be gossiping with the likes of double Oscar nominees Jessica Chastain and Michael Fassbender, as well as James McAvoy and Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner, whose tenure as Sansa Stark comes to an end this week. (Chastain and McAvoy also star in It: Chapter Two, due out in September.)

Saturday Night Fever: The Ultimate Disco Movie
Friday, BBC4, 9pm

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Orginaly broadcast in 2017 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever. John Travolta, Barry Gibb and other members of the cast and crew recall the completely unexpected success of the icon dance film. Meanwhile, Strictly Come Dancing’s Bruno Tonioli, who was a young dancer in New York in 1977, walks us through the steps that made the movie legendary and revisits the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan, where the film was shot. But will anyone mention Staying Alive, the notoriously bad sequel from 1983, directed by Sylvester Stallone?

Front Row Late
Friday, BBC2, 11.05pm
The late-night arts discussion show on BBC2 has gone through many manifestations over the years. From Late Review (arguably the best version thanks to the acerbic wit of regulars Tom Paulin and Tony Parsons) to Newsnight Review and this incarnation, there's nearly always food for thought as highbrow guests give us their take on the latest films, books, plays, stage shows and more. The Hay Festival in Wales is the setting for this week's show as Mary Beard and her panel of guests engage in topical discussion.

Hatton Garden: The Inside Story
Friday, UTV, 9pm
Ross Kemp examines the April 2015 heist in London's diamond district, when a group of career criminals broke into a safe deposit facility and stole some £14 million in precious metals, cash and jewels, an event dubbed the biggest burglary of its type in British history. The documentary gains access to the secret surveillance material that put the thieves behind bars and features exclusive interviews with the detectives who cracked the case as well as Kenny Collins, one of the thieves involved.

The Hit List
Saturday, BBC1, 7.30pm
Husband-and-wife team Marvin and Rochelle Humes first found fame as pop stars in JLS and The Saturdays, respectively. So who better to host the BBC's new music quiz? They'll be challenging contestants to identify as many hit songs and artists as possible, from the 1960s to the current charts and across all genres, in a bid to win £10,000. First up are father-and-daughter Jason and Jasmine, couple Glen and Christopher, and friends Fran and Danielle. If you enjoy shouting out answers, this could be the show for you.

Piers Morgan's Life Stories
Saturday, UTV, 9.15pm
The new series of the chat show kicks off tonight, but it's already made headlines thanks to Morgan's first guest: Melanie Janine Brown, aka Mel B, who talks very candidly about being a Spice Girl and drops the bombshell that she and Geri Horner (nee Halliwell) were more than just bandmates. (Geri subsequently denied it, which could make the Spice Girls' reunion tour a little awkward). It's not the only revelation contained in this candid interview. Mel also talks about her battles with drugs and alcohol, her recent divorce, suicide attempts, and her high-profile romances, including her relationship with Eddie Murphy.

Miley Cyrus & Billie Eilish at Radio 1's Big Weekend
Saturday, BBC2, 9.30pm

On Friday, thousands of pop fans made their way to Stewart Park in Middlesbrough for the Radio 1 Big Weekend, where the acts include Little Mix, Anne-Marie, James Arthur, Jess Glynne, Mumford & Sons and Rita Ora. Clara Amfo and Greg James present a couple of performances from the main stage: pop queen Miley Cyrus, with smash hit Nothing Breaks Like a Heart and favourites like Wrecking Ball and We Can’t Stop, and 17-year-old singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, making her Big Weekend debut.

Marvel's Agents of Shield
Sunday, E4, 9pm

The sixth season of the Marvel series takes begins a year after the death of director Phil Coulson. Shield is rebuilding under the leadership of Mack and the agents investigate a series of energy anomalies formed by hostile strangers emerging from portals. In deep space, Daisy Johnson, Jemma Simmons, Piper and Davis search for Leo Fitz who was last seen in a cryofreeze chamber on a space ship with the chronicom Enoch. However, they soon find themselves in danger when they are attacked by a Confederacy cruiser.

Equator from the Air
Sunday, BBC2, 8pm
Gordon Buchanan explores habitats around the equator from the air, using helicopters, light aircraft, drones and satellite sensing, to examine the environmental challenges facing the animals that live in these environments. The globetrotting journey begins in Africa, where equatorial wildlife competes for space with a fast-growing human population, and features a satellite health-check on a humpback whale. The equipment is also used to monitor humans in the region, detecting illegal mining and watching the development of a refugee camp into a thriving community.

The 1975 at Radio 1's Big Weekend
Sunday, BBC2, 10.30pm
The exuberant Manchester dance-rockers perform hits from their three No 1 albums at Middlesbrough's Stewart Park. The quartet first met back in 2002 while attending school and have gone on to win acclaim for their distinctively arty but still mainstream, pop music. Clara Amfo and Greg James introduce the performance, with tracks likely to include Love It If We Made It, The Sound, Sex, Robbers, Somebody Else, and I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes).

Contributing: AP