TV Picks of the Week by Lisa Jewell

Whether you’re staying in or setting the DVR, we’ve your top cultural TV picks for the week ahead.

Documentary – The Stranger – Thursday 15 September, 10.15pm, RTE1

Getting its Irish TV premiere after a successful stint on the film festival circuit, The Stranger pieces together the fascinating story of an English artist who lived as a hermit on a remote Donegal island.

Neal McGregor survived without running water, electricity or heating during the eight years he lived on Inisbofin. The Gaelic-speaking islanders knew very little of him during that time and the film captures the various stories that circulated as to why he had chosen to retreat to the island. Beautifully directed by Neasa Ní Chianáin.

Documentary – Joanna Lumley’s Japan – Friday 16 September, 9pm, UTV Ireland

If you missed the first part of this three part documentary on Japan last week, then fear not as you’ve still got parts two and three to come (and you can catch up on part one on the UTV Ireland Player app).

In this episode, the actress spends time in the most densely populated urban area in the world – Tokyo – and gets a sense of just how much it has changed since the extensive bombing during World War Two. After sampling the nightlife, Lumley heads out to walk an ancient route that once linked Tokyo to Kyoto, the place best known for Geisha culture.

The scenery is fantastic and Lumley has an easy presenting manner that’s perfect for this type of travel show.

Film – Swingers – Friday 16 September, 11.35pm, BBC1

Way before Jon Favreau was directing blockbusters like Iron Man and The Jungle Book, he took an acting role in this 1996 low budget comedy that went on to have cult film status.

Favreau stars as Mike, a New York comedian who has headed out to the bright lights of Hollywood but is struggling to make his way both with his career and his love life.

Vince Vaughan plays the cocky sidekick to Mike and the dynamic between the two friends and also with their wider group of buddies provides plenty of laughs. As you’d expect from a film set during the 1990s swing revival, the soundtrack is toe tappingly good.