Looking Back

The best new TV shows which began last week are Catastrophe series two (Channel 4), Fargo series two (also on Channel 4) and The Affair series two (Sky Atlantic). Catastrophe showcases some of the best comedy writing being committed to screen at the moment, from Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney. Both The Affair and Fargo are thrillers which couldn't more different from each other. The Affair is a tightly wound portrayal of a marriage breakdown, while Fargo brilliantly conveys the domestic quietude of a small town with a backdrop of menacing violence. 

Looking Ahead

Ardal O'Hanlon stars in new sitcom After Hours (Mondays, Sky One, 8.30pm), a gentle comedy about a man working in a music radio station. 

Pat Short delves into the RTE archives in order to highlight some of the more poignant and interesting music moments of the last 50 years on Irish television, from Louis Armstrong to The Jam. 

Film of the Week is Side Effects, on Film Four (Wednesday, 9pm). This superb thriller from Steven Soderbergh stars Jude Law as a psychiatrist caught up in a dubious prescription scandal.