What’s on? Top 10 TV and streaming tips for Wednesday

Hilary Swank stars in US crime drama series Alaska Daily, Kirsty Young presents D-Day 80: Tribute to the Fallen, there’s more family fun and games on The Dry, and Let the Canary Sing tells the story of Cyndi Lauper . . .

Pick of the Day

Alaska Daily, 9.00pm, Alibi

Newer shows on Alibi tend to be a bit hit and miss, but this crime drama series from ABC in the US does boast Hilary Swank in the lead role.

Worth a look, surely?

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Swank plays Eileen Fitzgerald, a New York journalist who moves to Alaska for a clean start and looks for redemption both personally and professionally after joining a daily metro newspaper in Anchorage.

In her new job she works with Roz Friendly – an Alaskan native and star journalist for the Daily Alaskan – to complete and release reports on the missing and murdered Indigenous women crisis in Alaska.

Fans of Scandal should note that Jeff Perry – who played Cyrus Beene in that bonkers show – appears here as Stanley Kornik, Eileen’s former boss and managing editor of the Daily Alaskan.

New or Returning Shows

D-Day 80: Tribute to the Fallen

D-Day was one of the pivotal moments of World War II. Tomorrow marks the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings, so there’s already a lot of coverage on the box to coincide with the event.

Kirsty Young (above) presents this live broadcast featuring light displays across Normandy and Southsea Common in Portsmouth to create a modern act of commemoration for the anniversary.

In France, the 4,600 headstones of those that fell on D-Day are individually illuminated across the Bayeux War Cemetery, accompanied by readings and music. Petroc Trelawny provides commentary for the blind and partially sighted.

Roy Clarke Remembers – A Foreign Field, 10.00pm, BBC Four

Writer Roy Clarke tells the story of how his one-off 1993 drama A Foreign Field came to life.

He also speaks about the role that Alec Guinness played in getting the drama off the ground and his feelings on seeing one of his scripts being performed by a cast of film icons.

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A Foreign Field follows at 10.15pm, and its stars include Alec Guinness, Leo McKern, Edward Herrmann, Lauren Bacall and Jeanne Moreau.

Two British Second World War veterans travel to Normandy to visit the grave of a deceased friend and search for a French woman who brought joy into their lives.

On their travels, they encounter a former American soldier who is also in the region to reminisce about his wartime days – but is being hindered by his bickering son and daughter-in-law.

Don’t Miss

The Dry, 9.35pm, RTÉ One

Streaming on RTÉ Player

This week’s double episode opens with the old flame reigniting between Shiv and Jack.

Meanwhile Ant kicks Billy out as the first gang of potential house buyers arrive and Karen is in the throes of her own crisis, while Shane and Caroline finally reach the limits of their love, forcing Caroline to turn to Rory for support.

Then at 10.10pm, emotions are running high on the day of the house auction – Bernie is distraught at Shiv’s impending departure, Ant is depressed and Tom is sick from nerves.

As the auction gets under way, Ant begins to regret his involvement and comes up with a plan to thwart the sale. Meanwhile, Caroline struggles to cope alone with her pregnancy.

Off Duty Chef: Bringing It Home, 8.30pm, RTÉ One

Streaming on RTÉ Player

Mark Moriarty cooks a seafood chowder, he serves it alongside Dingle Brown Bread, enriching it with stout.

Next up is his favourite grab-and-go snack for beach walks with his dog Ruby: golden flaky sausage rolls.

To finish he makes a perfect Sunday lunch of a glazed local leg of lamb with buttery new potatoes.

The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, 9.00pm, BBC Two

As his African adventure continues, Romesh crosses the border from Uganda into Rwanda, where he is initiated into the cultural significance of sharing milk by his guide Hippo.

An interesting character, Hippo is a performance artist, genocide survivor and peace activist.

Romesh then helps to maintain the pristine streets of the capital, Kigali, and sees where Rwanda plans to house asylum seekers sent from Britain.

New to Stream

Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial, Netflix

Just what the world needs: yet another docuseries about you know who and you know what.

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But this one is a bit different, as Joe Berlinger’s series features eyewitness testimony of William F Shirer, who wrote The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.

It examines Adolf Hitler and the Nazis’ rise, rule, and reckoning from pre-WWII to the Holocaust and the Nuremberg trials.

Let the Canary Sing, Paramount+

This is the story of Cyndi Lauper’s rise to pop stardom in the 1980s and her ability to survive in the succeeding decades.

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The documentary also highlights Lauper’s LGBTQ+ activism, as well as her Tony award-winning work on the hit musical Kinky Boots.

Through interviews, archival footage and testimonials from close friends and collaborators, the film reveals many of Lauper’s qualities.

Plus, she’s from Brooklyn, so she knows how to talk.

How to Rob a Bank, Netflix

Here’s a documentary chronicling a series of Hollywood robberies that doubles as a stranger-than-fiction life story.

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It’s 1990s’ Seattle and the world’s best bank robber has it all: looks, charm, a sprawling treehouse hideout, and an uncanny ability to disappear using Hollywood-style makeup.

But as law enforcement inches closer, his once-carefree life spirals into a suffocating trap, forcing him and his crew to risk it all in one final heist.

Under Paris, Netflix

This French movie opens in Summer 2024. Paris is hosting the World Triathlon Championships on the Seine for the first time.

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Sophia, a brilliant scientist, learns from Mika, a young environmental activist, that a large shark is swimming deep in the river.

To avoid a bloodbath at the heart of the city, they have no choice but to join forces with Adil, the Seine river police commander.

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