This article was originally published in The Courier on 13th August 2022.
NEXT WEEK’S TV
Red Rose – Monday, BBC Three, 10pm
Picture, if you will, Black Mirror hijacked by Shane Meadows. That was my initial impression upon watching this intriguing horror yarn about teenage friends from Bolton who gradually become bewitched by a sinister app.
Troubled protagonist Roch is the first to fall under Red Rose’s mysterious spell. When she answers its ostensibly benign ‘Yes or No’ questions, the app starts granting her wishes. Enter our old friend, the Faustian pact. This won’t end well.
Red Rose takes its cue from the likes of Carrie et al. It’s a sympathetic study of teenage angst shot through a supernatural prism; a creep-show possessed of some substance. The entire series will be available on iPlayer after episode one goes out.
Disclosure: Locked in the Hospital – Monday, BBC One, 7pm
No one should be living in hospital without any hope of release. That’s supposed to be against the law. And yet so many people have been stuck there, behind closed doors, for decades.
BBC Scotland reporter Lucy Adams focuses on four young men who, despite having committed no crimes, are still locked in secure hospitals. She investigates the sad stories of people with autism and learning disabilities who should not be trapped within this system. Adams also speaks to the families of those patients, all of whom have struggled for years to bring their loved ones home.
Ministers have stated that they’ll definitely be released by 2024 at the latest, but why has it taken so long?
Sky High Club – Monday, BBC Scotland, 10:30pm/Thursday, BBC Three, 8pm
Loganair, which has its main base in Glasgow, is the UK’s largest regional airline. In this breezy new series, we spend time with its young crewmembers. They’re a close-knit team who thrive on banter. A nice bunch of kids living the high-flying dream.
Captain Robbie, who’s only 25, met his partner Kirsten at work. It’s a long distance relationship: she lives in Shetland, he’s based in Edinburgh. The sweet highlight of episode one is when they meet for the first time in weeks during a brief flight stopover. A chaste kiss is exchanged.
We’re also introduced to cabin crewmembers Shannon and Karolina, best friends since primary school, and trainee Omar from Morocco. A nice little show.
Porn King: The Rise & Fall of Ron Jeremy – Monday and Tuesday, Channel 4, 10pm
Veteran porn star Ron Jeremy is currently facing 34 charges of rape and sexual assault. This two-part series features exclusive testimonies from some of the women and industry insiders who have accused him of being a serial abuser. His alleged crimes are legion.
Jeremy became a star during the so-called ‘Golden Age’ of porn in the 1970s. The Boogie Nights era. This chubby little man with his ridiculous mane and thick moustache cultivated an image of himself as a smart, funny, likeable character; the world’s most unlikely sex symbol, a harmless figure of fun. That was his subterfuge, an entirely disingenuous act.
He is currently in jail awaiting trial. His victims will be vindicated.
Shetland – Wednesday, BBC One, 9pm
The case of missing Danny Cairns continues during Douglas Henshall’s valedictory tour of duty as the glowering yet sensitive D.I. Jimmy Perez.
Last week’s instalment ended with the shocking discovery of a corpse in a suitcase. It wasn’t Danny’s corpse, so he could still be alive (yep, that’s right, I’m quite the amateur sleuth).
This show won’t be the same without Henshall. I wish it all the best, his replacement will no doubt be fine and good, but it’s not like when a Doctor regenerates. Doctor Who thrives on change and the differing personalities of its lead actors. We watch the likes of Shetland because we enjoy the comforting presence of a certain actor as they pretend to solve crimes.
Hotel Custody – Thursday, STV, 9pm
One of the UK’s busiest police custody centres is located in the economically deprived town of Grimsby. This new series observes its staff as they deal with various detainees. You may find yourselves discomfited by its jarring shifts in tone.
I appreciate that the staff (all of whom come across as decent people) feel compelled to lighten the mood with jokes. That’s understandable. My problem with this series is the way in which it distastefully tries to present itself as a light-hearted workplace documentary with a supporting cast of people struggling with mental illness, drugs and alcohol.
It provides zero insight into the root causes of these problems. There is no wider context, it’s nothing more than voyeurism.
Hobby Man – Friday, Channel 4, 8pm
In this new series, comedian, journalist and The Last Leg co-host Alex Brooker embarks upon an odyssey to discover new hobbies. It’s never too late to while away your time with another enjoyably pointless endeavour.
Episode one involves a trip to Edinburgh, during which Brooker hooks up with fellow fun-seeker Scarlett Moffatt. They visit one of the world’s oldest chess clubs, dive headfirst into the world of home brewing, and then head up to Loch Leven for a bit of birdwatching. At the end of their eventful journey, Brooker and Moffatt trade thoughts on which new hobby they enjoyed the most.
Yep, it’s just another sliver of throwaway Friday night fun from your friends at Channel 4.
LAST WEEK’S TV
Van der Valk – Sunday 7th August, STV
This may be a damning indictment of either A) my prowess as a television critic, or B) the unexceptional nature of 21st Century Van der Valk, but whenever I happen upon this revival, the only point I feel compelled to make is: what on earth were they thinking with that bland Richard Clayderman-esque rearrangement of one of TV’s most rousing theme tunes? The Simon Park Orchestra must be trashing their trumpets in dismay.
As for the show itself, well, it’s just another slickly mounted Sunday night ITV cop drama. Marc Warren is reliably watchable as the taciturn Dutch detective, but otherwise it’s indistinguishable from every other show of its ‘dark and gritty’ clue-sniffing ilk.
Tom Daley: Illegal to Be Me – Tuesday 9th August, BBC One
In over half the countries competing at this year’s Commonwealth Games, being gay is illegal. LGBTQ+ people are often subject to harassment and violence from the authorities and vigilante gangs.
World champion diver Tom Daley, who is gay, hosted this sobering documentary in which he met with athletes who have understandably lost all hope of their countries ever becoming more inclusive. Those encounters helped Daley to respectfully shape a manifesto of changes the Commonwealth Games could make to show its support for LGBTQ+ rights.
Six Pride flags were flown at the opening ceremony, a positive symbol seen by over a billion people. These gestures matter, their accumulative effect is important. More global sporting events should follow suit.
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