Preview

Monday True Lives: In Production - Joe Dowling At The Guthrie (RTE 1, 8 p.m.) A behind-the-scenes look at life in the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, during its first season under executive director Joe Dowling in 1996. The documentary centres on the former Abbey Theatre artistic director's Minneapolis production of Philadelphia Here I Come!, featuring Donal Donnelly, who appeared in the original production of Brian Friel's play at the Gaiety Theatre in 1964. 26420637 Pantoland (Channel 4, 8.30 p.m.) First of a timely four-part series celebrating Britain's pantomime industry. Tonight's programme follows entrepreneur Paul Elliott, whose company runs about 20 pantos a year around Britain, with employees like Lionel Blair, Danny La Rue and John Inman proving there ain't nothing like a dame. 3811 Equinox: When Pigs Ruled The World (Chan- nel 4, 9 p.m.) 250 million years ago, a global catastrophe wiped out around 95 per cent of life on the planet. Equinox explores the period and focuses on the lystrosaur, a pig-like creature which emerged as the pre-eminent species after the disaster. 6637 I'm Alan Partridge (BBC 2, 10 p.m.) Another pig-like creature, this time the indefatigable presenter from Radio Norwich. Surely the most wonderfully nasty thing on television at the moment - it makes Larry Sanders look like the Mary Tyler Moore Show. 34366

Tuesday Leargas (RTE 1, 7.30 p.m.) Programme looking at the potential of our freshwater lakes, which we are only just beginning to realise, apparently. 96323922 Timewatch (BBC 2, 9 p.m.) An exploration of the history of the slave trade finds that most of the business was carried out by African traders dealing on the coast with Europeans. 686944 Cutting Edge: The Englishman And His Horse (Channel 4, 9 p.m.) The unelected amateur stewards of the Jockey Club, who have made all the important decisions at British horse races for over a century, are drawn from one narrow, affluent strand of society. The last programme in the current series goes behind the scenes to find out how they do it. 4800 Joanna Lumley In The Kingdom Of The Thunder Dragon (BBC 1, 10.30 p.m.) It sounds like an AbFab spoof, but this is a film following Ms Lumley as she sets off in the footsteps of her diplomat grandfather into the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, one of the most isolated countries in the world. 8123835

Wednesday Champions' League Live (Network 2, ITV, 7.30 p.m.) After beating Barcelona at Saint James's Park, Newcastle travel to the intimidating Nou Camp stadium needing a win to have any chance of progressing to the next stage of the competition. Barcelona have been mighty unimpressive so far as well, so this could be the battle for the wooden spoon. 41109152, 93948602 The Dream Of Gerontius (BBC 2, 7.30 p.m.) Broadcasting live from St Paul's Cathedral in London to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the BBC, Andrew Davis conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a performance of Edward Elgar's masterpiece. 84086930 The Wildlife Specials (BBC 1, 7.55 p.m.) To celebrate 40 years of wildlife filmmaking by the BBC Natural History Unit, David Attenborough presents the first of six new films. This week the cameras follows the life of the polar bear. 411220 Secret Lives: Billy Butlin (Channel 4, 9 p.m.) The homely image of the creator of the British holiday camp is ripped aside with typical glee by the Secret Lives team. He appears to have been an energetic type - he only married his first wife, Dolly, after sleeping with all of her nine sisters. 5133

Thursday Champions' League Live (Network 2, ITV, 7.30 p.m.) Groans and cheers from all over the country as this week's Champions' League matches are spread over two nights, maximising advertising revenue but ensuring plenty of grumbles from footie haters. If Manchester United beat Slovakia's FC Kosice at Old Trafford tonight, they're guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals. 41176824, 336992

Bernard McLaverty (BBC 2, 8 p.m.) The writer of Cal and Lamb, and the recently Booker-nominated Grace Notes, talks to Roisin McAuley about his life and work. 3669 Pommies (Channel 4, 10 p.m.) First of three programmes looking at the experiences of British expatriates living in Australia. None of them seem too happy about their situation - one is "bored", another "intellectually stifled", while a Liverpudlian couple can't wait to get away from the sunny beaches and back to their wet, windswept city. 2311553 By Design (RTE 1, 10.40 p.m.) The fourth programme in the series aims to challenge negative attitudes to the effects of modern technology and communications, using the Aran Islands as an example of how technology offers benefits to the community. 89597027

Friday Random Access Music (Network 2, 7 p.m.) A "music weekend" on Network 2 kicks off this evening with almost 12 hours of music programming. At 7 p.m. Ray D'Arcy meets the Spice Girls in Paris, while programmes follow a long list of Irish performers, including Boyzone, Enya, the Cranberries, Whipping Boy, Phil Lynott, the Pogues, the Hot House Flowers, Ash, Rory Gallagher, the Boomtown Rats and East 17 - spot the odd one out. (See daily listings for Videoplus codes.) The Collectors' Lot (Channel 4, 8 p.m.) The second of six compilations from the series about compulsive collectors and their most valued possessions features Uri Geller, who shows off his Cadillac festooned with spoons. There are also collections of playing cards, handkerchiefs and Punch and Judy puppets. Only in Britain would this be regarded as prime time entertainment. 2770

Films Tuesday: Citizens Band (Channel 4, 11.45 p.m.) Lively stuff from director Jonathan Demme, from the days (1977) before he went all solemn, po-faced and Oscar-winning with the likes of Philadelphia. This is an engaging, humorous portrait of a group of CB enthusiasts has an amusing script, good soundtrack and a solid cast. 916545 Wednesday: Trainspotting (Channel 4, 10 p.m.) Channel 4 paid for it, so they get the chance to show it remarkably quickly, making this a definite picture of the week, if not the year. The talented Anglo-Scottish trio of Boyle, Hodge and MacDonald changed the face of British cinema with this hip, sharp, nasty and very, very funny movie. It purports to be about heroin addiction, but is much more an exercise in style and humour, with a terrific cast, spot-on soundtrack, and hilarious dialogue. But be warned, it's also violent, foul-mouthed and highly scatological. 232268 Friday: The Last Picture Show (RTE 1, 11.45 p.m.) It's a mystery why Peter Bogdanovich has made so few really good films when you look at this, his masterpiece. Everything in this elegiac portrait of life in a small Texas town in the 1950s is so finely done, especially the performances, that it stands as an object lesson in directorial skills. 31750664