Welcome to our weekly What To Watch television and streaming guide. This week features The Murder of Lord Mountbatten, The Silence of the Lambs, Inside Culture with Mary Beard and more.
The Murder of Lord Mountbatten: 3 Days That Shook Britain
Channel 5, Saturday 18 September at 9:30 pm
Learn about the events surrounding the killing of Louis Mountbatten in August 1979, when his boat was blown up at sea by the IRA off the west coast of the Republic of Ireland. Royal insiders, local journalists and victims’ family members recall the attack minute by minute. The programme also considers Mountbatten’s legacy and how his untimely death never eclipsed his status as one of the most influential royal family members of the 20th century.
The Silence of the Lambs
ITV4, Sunday 19 September at 10 pm
Catch this multi-Oscar-winning classic, adapted from Thomas Harris’s bestseller, starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. Promising FBI student Clarice Starling is assigned to help search for the serial killer known as “Buffalo Bill”. Starling seeks the assistance of Dr Hannibal “the Cannibal” Lecter, a sociopathic former psychiatrist held in a maximum-security hospital for the criminally insane.
Hawking: Can You Hear Me?
Sky Showcase, Monday 20 September at 9 pm
A documentary uncovering the life and career of Stephen Hawking, exploring the remarkable story of a man who became one of the most famous physicists of the 20th century.
Captain Phillips
ITV4, Monday 20 September at 9 pm
Watch Tom Hanks step into the shoes of Richard Phillips, the captain of a US cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009. A tense stand-off ensues between Captain Phillips and Muse (Barkhad Abdi), the leader of the Somali pirates, after the initial staged raid goes awry.
Sicario
Film 4, Tuesday 21 September at 9 pm
Catch this crime thriller starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro. With the war between Mexican drug cartels and the American authorities becoming increasingly vicious, highly regarded FBI agent Kate Macer (Blunt) is sent to join an operation to bring down one of the more ruthless gangs.
Levi Bellfield: Getting Away with Murder?
Channel 5, Wednesday 22 September at 10 pm
This documentary examines the crimes of serial killer Levi Bellfield, who was convicted of the abduction and murder of schoolgirl Milly Dowler, and questions how such a prolific and notorious criminal managed to remain free for so long. Using new evidence, this programme explores Bellfield’s dark past and questions how many other violent crimes he might have committed.
Online Talk: Omer Abel
V&A Online, Thursday 23 September at 7 pm
Join Omer Arbel in virtual conversation with V&A Senior Design Curator, Brendan Cormier to discuss a selection of his most compelling projects. Arbel’s work moves fluidly between the fields of design, architecture, sculpture, and invention and has been displayed the world over. The talk will cover his radical design ethos, one which is rooted in material experimentation and collaboration. Buy tickets here
Inside Culture
BBC Two, Friday 24 September at 7:30 pm
Mary Beard returns with the cultural review show. She asks why we laugh and explores what laughter can tell us about ourselves, our relationships and the world we live in. Mary visits the artist Maggi Hambling in her Suffolk studio to find out why laughter has inspired so much of her work.