TV Highlights

'Welcome To My World' (RTE 1, Friday, 8.30pm) - Dublin born-and-bred Will Flynn heads to Jamaica with his former flat-mate, Garry McKnight. Garry came to Ireland on the invitation of an Irish couple who got married in the hotel where he worked and life has never been the same since. Now, the owner of a pizza company in Donegal, he is delighted to head back to Montego Bay to visit his mother and take Will along for the ride. Will gets to see the good and the bad side of life in Jamaica. Expecting great weather, the pair experience Hurricane Thomas soon after they arrive. Will is astounded by the poverty and the resilience of the people. But he enjoys the food, the music and an insightful visit to the Bob Marley memorial. ____________________________________________________________ 'Gates Of Hell' (History Channel, Wednesday, 9pm) - There are six places on Earth believed to be actual entrances into Hell. They include a volcano in Iceland, a cave in the jungles of Central America and a lake of fire in Africa. According to ancient myth and Christian legend, each is a passage to a terrifying underworld for the damned. Even today, some believe they are still portals. Eerily, they share striking similarities as this documentary visits the six locations, and along the way, reveals how the concept of Hell emerged in history and why it still evokes fear today. ____________________________________________________________ 'Hattie' (BBC 4, Wednesday, 9pm) - Award-winning actress and comedy writer Ruth Jones takes on 'Carry On' actress Hattie Jacques. Happily married for more than a decade to charming Dad's Army actor John Le Mesurier, Hattie is at the height of her popularity when she is seduced by her handsome young driver, John Schofield. While filming 'Carry On Cabby', she begins a clandestine affair with the younger man. Despite the danger of a career-threatening scandal, when the film ends she can't bring herself to end the affair. An eccentric love triangle begins as the two Johns find themselves trading roles of husband and lodger. Hattie uses all her charm and ingenuity to navigate the escalating family tensions and threats of public exposure, but ultimately she must make a heartbreaking decision – which will risk leaving her quite alone. ____________________________________________________________ 'American Idol' (ITV, Thursday, 8pm) -Actress/singer Jennifer Lopez and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Steven Tyler, the frontman of Aerosmith, join 'American Idol' as judges for the 10th anniversary series. In addition, Jimmy Iovine, one of the world's most successful music producers, will join the series as an in-house mentor. Throughout the season, 'Idol' will go behind the scenes to feature Iovine working with and lending his expertise to the contestants as they compete to become the next American Idol. ____________________________________________________________ 'This Sporting Life' (RTE 1, Thursday, 7pm) - Boxer Michael Carruth recalls the struggles he faced on his path to Olympic gold in Barcelona in 1992, his trials on the pro boxing circuit and how he is now hoping to train a whole new generation of Olympic gold medallists. At the Barcelona Olympics, Carruth finally realised his dream and became part of that elite club of Irish Olympic gold medallists, emulating his hero, Ronnie Delaney. The win also earned the soldier a promotion to the rank of Sergeant. He now works as a sports development officer with the Irish Amateur Boxing Association in conjunction with Dublin City Council, travelling to schools where he now shares his talent with a whole new generation of Olympic hopefuls. ____________________________________________________________ 'The Nostradamus Effect: Hitler's Blood Oath' (History Channel, Saturday, 5pm) - The most notorious madman in history was a murderer, a racist, a dictator and seducer of millions. But was this evil genius also a prophet? And did he imagine that his violent behaviour would eventually overtake the world, even if he was no longer alive to see it himself? Hitler's unlikely ascent was spurred by the eerie prophecies of two famed seers, Nostradamus and Erik Jan Hanussen. Hitler would manipulate their work to anoint himself a self-proclaimed Messiah come to save Germany in its time of need. Instead, he plundered Europe, leaving millions dead in his wake. Was he the third Antichrist that Nostradamus predicted? And what role did the occult play in his attempt to rebuild an Aryan master race? ____________________________________________________________ Movie Of The Week: 'Bee Season' (RTE 1, Friday, 11.55pm) - Juliette Binoche and Richard Gere co-star in a family drama about 11-year-old Eliza, the invisible element of her family unit. Her mother and father are both consumed with work and busy avoiding their faltering marriage, and her brother, praised for musical genius, is wrapped up in his own adolescent life, so Eliza ignites not only a spark that makes her visible but one that sets into motion a revolution in her family dynamic when she wins a spelling bee (competition).