Today’s top TV, Netflix and Disney+ picks: The British view of the Irish Civil War documentary and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Queen Cleopatra

Taking Sides

RTÉ One, 9.35pm

One hundred years ago this month, the Irish Civil War staggered to a halt after 10 months of guerilla warfare and mutual atrocities. It was fought between IRA men — who believed that the Treaty, and the subsequent partition of the island, constituted a betrayal of the 1916 Rising — and by former comrades, who insisted on the legitimacy of the new State.

The pro-Treaty side won, of course, but they did so with considerable help from the British, a fact which would contribute to the Civil War’s legacy — long decades of partisan politics and bitterness.

Former Tory minister Michael Portillo is enjoying a second career as a TV presenter and documentarian. In the documentaries Partition, 1921 and The Enemy Files, Portillo has given us a British perspective on 1916 and the Anglo-Irish War, and in this new film he tackles Westminster’s attitude to our Civil War. With access to cabinet memos, secret military reports and the private correspondence of key politicians, he explores the attitude of the British establishment to the Civil War, which must have given them a certain amount of pleasure.

Westminster’s interests lay in protecting British possessions in the north, so they backed the side most likely to preserve the status quo. Pro-Treaty forces would benefit greatly from access to British artillery and armoured cars, to the enduring disgust of the anti-Treaty side.

MasterChef

BBC1, 8pm

The seven best cooks from the opening rounds return to face a tough challenge set by food critic Grace Dent, who asks them to create the ultimate pot-luck supper dish. And with just four places in the quarter final up for grabs, the pressure is on. With John Torode, Gregg Wallace.

Live UEFA Champions League

Virgin Media Two, 7pm

Italian giants and fierce rivals AC Milan and Inter Milan square off in the first leg of their semi-final at the San Siro, which gets underway at 8pm.

Kids

Channel 4, 9pm

A look at the work of children’s services in Coventry, including the case of Xorin, a 17-year-old who moved to Wales after being exploited by a drug gang, and is now trying to rebuild his life.

Marie Antoinette

RTÉ2, 9.35pm

When copies of a lurid pamphlet are circulated in Paris claiming that Chartres is the queen’s lover and father of her unborn child, Louise locks Versailles down and starts questioning Antoinette’s many enemies.

Nope

Sky Cinema Premiere, 10pm

Jordan Peele’s wonderfully original sci-fi thriller stars Daniel Kaluuya as OJ Haywood, a horse trainer who inherits his father’s ranch when he dies in strange circumstances, then becomes convinced that something alien is watching them from the skies. With Keke Palmer.

Queen Cleopatra

Netflix, streaming now

Jada Pinkett Smith produced this docu-series exploring the lives of prominent African queens. Among them, Cleopatra, one of the world’s most powerful woman, a daring queen whose romances were allowed to overshadow her intellect.

Dance Brothers

Netflix, streaming now

What should be titled Dance Brahs; this throwback to nineties rave culture features two Finnish brothers Roni (Roderick Kabanga) and Sakari (Samuel Kujala) struggling to make a living as professional dancers. To help finance their dreams, they decide to start their own club, which brings some income, shelter and a training space. Their unique club and dance routines quickly bring fame, but artistic ambitions and personal relationships collide with commercial demands. Drama ensues.

Missing: Dead or Alive

Netflix, streaming now

Up to 1,500 people go missing in America every single day. This immersive documentary follows officers from a South Carolina sheriff’s department as they search for individuals who’ve disappeared under troubling circumstances.

Life After Reality

Prime Video, streaming now

This Colombian production follows Marcela, a steadfast teacher who suddenly decides to do a reality show. Far from home, her family faces the harsh reality of life without her — on the upside, they can watch her every move on TV. In the event this isn’t your bag, Prime is paying homage to 1990s youth by recently releasing all seasons of Sabrina The Teenage Witch; Beverly Hills 90210 and Freaks & Geeks.

Star Wars: Visions — Volume 2

Disney+, streaming now

Keen to keep the “May the 4th be with you” tradition alive, Disney+ has launched the second volume of the Emmy Award-nominated Star Wars: Visions. Containing a mix of shorts (nine in total) from animation studios scattered across the globe, the sequel brings a dynamic new perspective on Star Wars. Needless to say, the one we’re most looking forward to is the offering from Cartoon Saloon, because who doesn’t want to see Yoda get the Secret of Kells treatment? With the Irish contingent boxed off, expect further contributions from El Guiri Studios (Spain); Punkrobot (Chile); Aardman (UK); Studio Mir (South Korea); Studio La Cachette (France); 88 Pictures (India); D’art Shtajio (Japan); and Triggerfish (South Africa). While you might expect whimsy from the makers of Shaun The Sheep and Wolfwalkers, some shorts will definitely freak out younger viewers.

Sanctuary

Netflix, streaming now

A gritty yet flamboyant dramatisation looking into the underbelly (and undercarriage) of professional sumo. With a history of more than 1,500 years steeped in Japanese traditional culture, it’s also filled with young men hungry for money, females, fame, and power.

Mission: Impossible Franchise

Paramount+, streaming now

The Tom Cruise fest has just reached fever pitch on Paramount+, with the platform adding ALL six Mission: Impossible movies. Well, what else will whet appetites for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One due for release this July.