This Week’s TV: The fight against institutionalised rape has only just begun

 

The hunting ground
DR2, Tue 20:45

Officially selected by Sundance Festival – which described the documentary as a “piercing, monumental exposé of rape culture on campuses” – this documentary deals with the touching stories of sexually-assaulted girls who open up about their terrible experiences, fighting to be heard at disbelieving schools and ultimately demanding the justice of the land.

Oscar-nominated film-maker Kirby Dick (The Invisible War, which investigated rape in the US military) exposes a culture that he says “has been covering up rape for decades to protect a very lucrative brand”, proving again how part of US society is not just defective, but broken.

Described by Entertainment Weekly as a “heartbreaking, infuriating and unmissable”, and scoring 77 on Metacritic, don’t miss a documentary that will make you change the way you think about rape.

Also new
The Simpsons never had this problem with ‘The Itchy & Scratchy Show’, but boy does Cult have it with its namesake, its show within a show that proves to be vastly superior viewing.

A disappearance takes two investigators deeper into its mechanics, but as the 46 rating on Metacritic suggests, there are more reasons to avoid the actual series than to watch it.

But who knows, maybe it might become ‘cult’ viewing in years to come – a bit like ‘Ostalgia’, the nostalgia for East Germany that is the subject of One Germany – the other side of the wall (DRK, Mon 23:10).

And continuing on the divide theme, Destination Britain (DR2, Mon 19:55) assesses the situation in Calais where hundreds of refugees and migrants every day search for a way to make it over the English Channel.

Elsewhere, we’ve got the MTV Europe Music Awards (Zulu, Fri 23:30), S2 of absurd Treasure Island caper Black Sails (DR3, Sun 21:00 or Thu 22:45), S4 of British crime series Whitechapel (SVT1, Fri 23:25) and S3 of Friday Night Dinner, (SVT1, Fri 23:00) a sitcom about a British Jewish family embarking on the Sabbath; Rise of the Machines: Mega Lift Helicopter (DR3, Thu 20:10) has to be seen to be believed; and there’s another chance to see the acclaimed US doc Pervert Park (SVT1, Mon 22:00). (BH)

 

K6,Sat 22:55  Cult
K6,Sat 22:55 Cult

 

Coming up soon: Master of none
Netflix strikes again! With 90 on Metacritic, this comedy is waiting to burst out on the 6th.

Dev (Aziz Ansari) is an 30-year-old American actor struggling to get work in New York, mostly on account of his Indian looks – “Come on, do an Indian accent like Ben Kingsley in Ghandi,” he’s told.

Living in a city obsessed with cool technology and superhero movies, he has no real clue about what he wants from his life.

Directed by Ansari himself, who you might remember from Parks & Recreation, Netflix made a great choice when it gave him his own series. You will be as pleased as punch!

 

“I guess you worked in a shop when you were young”
“I guess you worked in a shop when you were young”
“Sorry, we just presumed you would like these lassis”
“Sorry, we just presumed you would like these lassis”

 

Sport of the week
The Euro 2016 playoffs are upon us with Norway vs Hungary kicking off proceedings – the latter’s first hope of a major tourney since 1986. Staying with football, two EPL form clubs face off at Highbury, while Torino entertain Inter in Serie A (TV3 Sport 1, Sun 12:25). Staying on that channel, there are five graveyard NHL games (not Sun or Mon) and lots of NFL as well. (BH)

 

3+, Sun 22:15 & TV3 Sport 1, Sun 19:00 & Mon 02:30    NFL
3+, Sun 22:15 & TV3 Sport 1, Sun 19:00 & Mon 02:30 NFL (photo: pixabay)
K6, Thu 20:30     Euro 2016 playoffs: Norway vs Hungary
K6, Thu 20:30 Euro 2016 playoffs: Norway vs Hungary (photo: Flickr-Ytoyoda)
TV3 Sport 2, Sun 17:55  EPL: Arsenal vs Tottenham
TV3 Sport 2, Sun 17:55 EPL: Arsenal vs Tottenham (photo:Ronnie Macdonald)

 

Film of the week
Ask yourself when Tom Cruise last played a role that was rooted in reality. We’re talking a decade, and all the time, the roles keep on getting more fantastical. Futuristic vehicle Oblivion has its moments, but it was never going to be another Minority Report. Page Eight, Machine Gun Preacher and Lay the Favourite (Zulu, Thu 20:45) complete a dour week for film. (BH)

 

SVT4, Sat 00:15  Machine Gun Preacher
SVT4, Sat 00:15 Machine Gun Preacher
DR1, Fri 22:50     Page Eight
DR1, Fri 22:50 Page Eight
TV3, Sun 21:00       Oblivion
TV3, Sun 21:00 Oblivion