This week's best telly includes the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final, new Sunday night drama Ten Pound Poms, the UK’s first-ever gay dating show I Kissed A Boy, Matt Willis' deeply personal documentary about addiction as well as the return of Abbott Elementary, Selling Sunset and Waterloo Road.
Here are 7 TV shows you can't miss this week...
1. Eurovision Song Contest 2023: Grand Final
Saturday 13th May at 8pm on BBC One
Everything has been leading to this moment, the Grand Final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest held for the first time in Liverpool! The 20 acts who made it through the semi-finals will be performing alongside the Big Five; United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany and Italy and last year's winners Ukraine who automatically qualify.
Representing the United Kingdom is singer-songwriter Mae Muller with I Wrote A Song and following a random draw for hosts United Kingdom and Ukraine, Mae will be closing the show in 26th position whilst Ukraine’s entry Tvorchi with their song Heart of Steel will perform in 19th position.
Opening the Grand Final will be last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra with what promises to be a powerful performance titled Voices of a New Generation and during the Eurovision Flag Parade of all 26 Grand Finalists, everyone will be treated to a unique performance by some iconic past Ukrainian Eurovision contestants.
For the first interval performance, during which voting across Europe and the world takes place, the UK’s very own spaceman Sam Ryder will triumphantly return to the Eurovision stage after leading the UK’s biggest success in last year’s Contest for over two decades.
And the final interval act will be The Liverpool Songbook, a celebration of the host city’s incredible contribution to the world of pop music, bringing together six iconic past Eurovision acts; Israel's Netta, Italy's Mahmood, Iceland's Daði Freyr, Duncan Laurence from the Netherlands, Sweden's Cornelia Jakobs and Liverpool's very own Sonia to celebrate 30 years since she came second at Eurovision in 1993. Liverpool has produced some of the world’s most famous and beloved songs in history: these Eurovision legends will all put their own spin on some classic hits.
The result of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final will be decided by juries and viewers watching at home. Votes will come from a jury of five music professionals in each of the 37 countries taking part as well as from the audience, which for the first time will include non-competing ‘rest of the world’ countries.
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2. Ten Pound Poms
Sunday 14th May at 9pm on BBC One
Danny Brocklehurst's new BBC One drama Ten Pound Poms stars Michelle Keegan, Faye Marsay and Warren Brown and follows a group of Brits as they leave dreary post-war Britain in 1956 to embark on a life-altering adventure on the other side of the world.
For only a tenner, they have been promised a better house, better job prospects and a better quality of life by the sea in sun-soaked Australia. But life down under isn’t exactly the idyllic dream the new arrivals have been promised. Struggling with their new identity as immigrants, we follow their triumphs and pitfalls as they adapt to a new life in a new country far from Britain and familiarity.
Annie and Terry Roberts, played by Faye Marsay and Warren Brown are at the heart of the drama as they try to make the best of the situation for their family. But the poor living conditions at the migrant hostel and local attitudes towards immigrants test them in ways they couldn’t have imagined.
They aren’t the only people at the hostel avoiding the truth. Kate, played by Michelle Keegan is a young nurse who arrives without her fiancé and will do whatever it takes to try and rewrite her devastating past.
Bill, played by Leon Ford, has lost his family business back home and is so desperate to prove he’s living the Australian dream that he’ll stop at nothing in order to get a lifestyle he can’t sustain. Teenager Stevie, played by Declan Coyle, comes from a troubled background and hopes to use this new adventure to escape his oppressive father.
Meanwhile, Ron, played by Rob Collins, an Indigenous Australian war veteran, struggles with feeling like an outsider in his own country.
1/6 Continues weekly. All episodes available at launch
3. I Kissed A Boy
Sunday 14th and Monday 15th May at 9pm on BBC Three
The UK's first-ever gay dating show I Kissed A Boy launches this week on BBC Three as pop icon Dannii Minogue plays Cupid for a dating show where the path to love is never straight. It’s loud, it’s proud and it all starts with a kiss.
Ten single guys are matched up and meet for the first time, with a kiss. No small talk. No messages. Just one kiss to test out their chemistry straight away. Will it be a polite peck? Or a passionate snog? And ultimately, will that first kiss lead to love?
I Kissed A Boy promises to be packed with explosive drama, gripping cliffhangers and powerful untold stories, from coming out in a strict religious family to the pressures of body image in the gay dating scene, to navigating self-acceptance, sex and first same-sex relationships.
1-2/8 Continues Sundays and Mondays. Episodes one and two are available from Saturday
4. Waterloo Road
Tuesday 16th May at 8pm on BBC One
After 8 years away from our screens, Waterloo Road returned in January and now it's back for its twelfth series, the second this year, and there's a very familiar face back as ex-deputy head, English teacher and former flame of Kim Campbell, Andrew Treneman, last seen in 2009, is returning.
But is Mr Treneman back to help a struggling Kim take control of the school? Or is he back to stir things up?
Known for its hard-hitting storylines and relatable characters, Waterloo Road reflects a modern society with its portrayal of issues including the cost of living crisis, teen homelessness, racism, sexism, being LGBTQ+, mental health, and everything else facing young teens today.
But amongst the chaos, the students, faculty and parents still make time for friendships, fun, and a few romances.
1/7 Continues weekly. All episodes available at launch
5. Abbott Elementary
Wednesday 17th May on Disney+
Earlier this year, Philly's favourite educators geared themselves up for another school year as Abbott Elementary returned to Disney+ for its second season, but with just ten episodes dropping then, the wait is finally over as the rest of the season arrives this week for the UK to enjoy.
If you somehow haven't heard of the award-winning sitcom, Abbott Elementary is a workplace comedy which follows a group of dedicated, passionate teachers, and a slightly tone-deaf principal, who are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life.
Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do, even if they don't love the school district's less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
It stars Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues, Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Janelle James as Ava Coleman, Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill, Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard all returning.
11-22/22 All episodes available at launch
6. Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction
Wednesday 17th May on BBC One
Musician, actor and dad of three, Matt Willis, may seem to have it all. He’s part of the hugely successful noughties pop band, Busted, has a flourishing acting career and is happily married to TV presenter Emma Willis and have three kids together. However, behind the success is one thing that often dominates his thoughts: his addictions.
In what promises to be a raw and honest documentary as Matt opens up about his past, taking an extensive look into his battle with drugs and alcohol, exploring how it has pushed him to the edge as well as his daily struggle to keep himself clean and sober.
In the film, Matt will talk about how he constantly lives with the fear of relapse and the pressure that puts on himself and his family. As he and Busted prepare for their reunion tour, an environment which in the past has put him at risk of relapse, can he get himself to a place where he feels comfortable and confident going on tour and remaining clean and sober?
And through looking into the various possible reasons for his addictions, as well as some of the methods available to help ease them, can he help himself and others find peace in their daily battle with addiction?
The film will also look back at some of Matt’s darkest days as he begins to explore what could be behind his addiction. Through meeting and talking with others Matt tries to understand why he and fellow addicts become dependent on drugs and alcohol, what help is available, and what the latest developments in treatment are.
He also meets up with his brother, and together they revisit their childhood home, to see if the roots of his addictions can be found in their past. And visits the rehab unit on the South Coast which made a real difference to his recovery and where he spent four weeks in 2008 before his marriage to Emma Willis, coming out the day before his wedding, clean and sober.
He joins in a meeting at the centre talking with current clients about their addiction and recovery experiences and travels to Imperial College London to meet a research team who are studying the differences between the brains of people in addiction and people who aren’t, and looking at treatments to help people in the long and often difficult road to recovery. As well as his personal journey, the film captures the unwavering support Matt has from his bandmates, friends and family, in particular his wife Emma. Together, he and Emma travel to a leading charity in Glasgow which supports the relatives of addicts. Here they meet the children, parents and spouses of people struggling with addictions.
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7. Selling Sunset
Friday 19th May on Netflix
New agents mean new drama as selling Sunset returns for its sixth season and as the top real estate brokers of The Oppenheim Group return with sleek penthouse listings, personality clashes and pregnancies, there's enough shade thrown to cover every cabana in Los Angeles.
Set in the world of LA’s high-end real estate, Selling Sunset follows seven of the city's most successful female realtors who all work under the same roof at the number one agency in the Hollywood Hills and the Sunset Strip.
They work hard and play harder, as they compete with the cutthroat LA market and each other. These ladies will do what it takes to make it to the top of their game, all while trying to keep their personal lives intact.
1-11/11 All episodes available at launch