Telly Today: From a hygiene-obsessed millionaire to the birthplace of the double-decker burger

TV picks for Sunday, January 28th…

From the producers of Normal People, this moving comedy-drama is an irreverent, sharp and funny depiction of a family in various forms of denial.

The story centres on 35-year-old Shiv, the eldest daughter, as she returns to Ireland for her grandmother’s wake, taking a break from London and her ‘career’ – with a small ‘c’ – in art. Shiv is six months sober, and it is fair to say her life is not going as planned.

Shiv’s family – who have never really dealt with or talked about the damage caused by the sudden death of her adored elder brother, not to mention her parents’ failing marriage or Shiv’s own chaotic behaviour – are wary of having her back. To make matters worse there’s also her charmer of an ex-boyfriend Jack, who has the uncanny knack of always appearing when she’s at her most vulnerable.

His charming presence reminds Shiv of the excitement and thrill of excess from her youth – to call him a trigger would be an understatement. Can Shiv come to terms with her true addiction and the realities of her life, amid a dysfunctional yet loveable family who are each individually facing their own demons?

In tonight’s first episode, of eight, Shiv Sheridan lands home in Dublin for her grandmother’s funeral, she finds the family are busy preparing for the wake. Sister Caroline is in organised mode, doling out tasks to everyone. As people arrive, the topic of conversation centres on Shiv and her new sobriety. Shiv and her brother Ant take refuge in the kitchen making sandwiches.

The wake progresses to a boozy session. Outside Shiv meets her ex, Jack. The two share a fag and as he leaves, he kisses her. As the party winds down Shiv helps her mother to bed and finally summons up the courage to ask to stay.

ITV1 and STV, 10.15 pm

Hygiene-obsessed millionaire Cassy-Anne, with daughters Bug and Bunny, swap holidays with hard-up nature lovers Sian and Joe in a hilarious episode that shows what happens when the super-glam go off-grid. Cassy-Anne and her privileged kids ditch their usual 5-star trips for a basic, no-frills Shepherd’s Hut when they swap holidays with tree hugging couple, Sian and Joe, whose holidays can be earthy to say the least.

Never without their phones, how will Cassy-Anne and her girls last without technology whilst they get amongst the trees in rural Dorset? With the shower, kitchen, and toilet all outside, it is far from the £1000 per night accommodation they are used to. Whilst they’d normally be pampered around a pool on holiday, this week they learn to forage and have fun on a strict budget holiday allowance of just £100 for food and activities. Bug and Bunny make friends with fellow foragers and learn to appreciate the simpler things in life, but Cassy-Anne struggles with the basic amenities and checks out of the Shepherd’s Hut half-way through the week in favour of a comfortable hotel.

Sian and Joe meanwhile have all the luxuries money can buy at an opulent 5* resort in Hvar, Croatia, where they have the run of the penthouse suite. Champagne in the jacuzzi and a sunset cruise on their own private yacht gets the holiday off to a great start, but the VIP treatment at one of Hvar’s most exclusive nightclubs, where a shot can cost £300, leaves the couple feeling very uncomfortable – proving that money does not always buy happiness. Thankfully, a wine-tasting experience followed by a wonderful romantic gesture from Joe saves the day and the end of the holiday.

Channel 5, 9 pm

George Clarke heads to the United States to explore Americana; the architecture and design movement that’s fascinated him since he was a kid.

Americana is a byword for nostalgia; for a period where the country’s future was big, bold and exciting. Taking the path less traveled, George discovers how the golden age of Americana laid the foundations for the most iconic country in the world and meets the people keeping the spirit of Americana alive.

In this episode, the second in the four-part series, George continues his Americana odyssey in California. Growing up, George’s vision of America was of movies, cowboys, burgers, and cities full of skyscrapers, and California has all these classic staples of Americana.

He gets excited by classic muscle cars, the birthplace of the double-decker burger and a skyscraper built on its side in the middle of the desert! And of course, the influence of Hollywood on Americana is never far away, from a filmmaker’s retreat turned into a wacky hotel to a cowboy film set turned into a real town!

George also walks in the footsteps of the Rat Pack, drinking in their off-the-beaten-track lounge bar and visiting their playground of Palm Springs, home to some amazing mid-century modern homes.

Channel 4, 9 pm