TV Highlights for Saturday
Drama: Girlbands Forever
Written and directed by Ciaran Creagh, this film was shot in Boyle, County Roscommon. It portrays one day in the life of a 15-year-old girl in a small Irish town. Though fictional, it is closely based on the life and tragic death of Ann Lovett, who died on January 31, 1984, shortly after giving birth to her stillborn son near a church in Granard, County Longford. Zara Devlin stars in the title role.
Girlbands Forever, BBC Two, 9:00 PM
The final episode of this engaging series focuses on talent show winners Little Mix and their challenges with social media pressures. It also covers the changing line-ups of Sugababes and the return of familiar faces. Following this, BBC Two continues celebrating girl power with an evening lineup including:
- The Spice Girls at the BBC at 10:00 PM
- Sugababes at Glastonbury 2024
- Top of the Pops: Eternal Special
- Ronnie Spector at the BBC
T2 Trainspotting, Channel 4, 11:30 PM
Twenty years after the original groundbreaking British film, director Danny Boyle reunites the cast for this 2017 sequel. While it doesn’t entirely hit the mark, the film remains an entertaining watch.
"Written and directed by Ciaran Creagh and shot in Boyle, County Roscommon, this film is the story of one day in the life of a 15-year old girl in a small town in Ireland."
"It is fiction but closely based on the life and death of Ann Lovett, who died on the 31st of January 1984; some hours after giving birth to her stillborn son in an area close to a church in her home town of Granard in County Longford."
Author's summary: This Saturday's TV highlights include a poignant drama based on a real tragedy, a girlband documentary series finale, and a nostalgic but flawed sequel from director Danny Boyle.