UNFORGOTTEN | MURDER IN THE PACIFIC | STEPHEN FRY: WILLEM & FRIEDA – DEFYING THE NAZIS

This article was originally published in The Courier on 25th February 2023.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Unforgotten – Monday, STV, 9pm

There is something oddly comforting about how every series of Unforgotten begins on exactly the same grisly note, with the chance discovery of some human remains. 

We wouldn’t have it any other way, as creator Chris Lang knows only too well. A good, sly, intelligent writer, he cleaves to a proven formula while never repeating himself. 

But will the latest series survive the loss of Nicola Walker, whose character was killed off last time around? Her warm, understated chemistry with co-star Sanjeev Bhaskar was key to Unforgotten’s appeal. 

Well, she’s been replaced by that fine actor Sinead Keenan, and episode one suggests that fans have nothing to worry about. The central dynamic is different, but without being jarringly dissimilar.

A Special School – Monday, BBC Two, 7pm

Our latest visit to Britain’s biggest special education school, Ysgol Y Deri, begins on an atypically downbeat note. 

Thousands of pounds worth of water sport equipment has been stolen. But the staff don’t dwell upon that setback. They can’t, there’s no point. Their pupils are of far more importance. 

Also, Valentine’s Day is on the horizon. When the kids make their smitten feelings known, it’s touching yet never sentimental. 

Produced in partnership with the Open University, this exceptional series is an honest snapshot of the everyday challenges faced by young people with diverse needs, and the dedicated professionals who support them. 

We must never, ever take institutions such as Ysgol Y Deri for granted, they provide a vital service.

Sex Actually with Alice Levine – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm

As she begins series two of her commendably frank and non-judgemental odyssey, Levine visits the world’s first cyber-brothel as part of an investigation into the rise of sophisticated sex robots.

I probably don’t have to stress this point, but just in case: Sex Actually with Alice Levine contains scenes that viewers of a more prudish or sensitive bent may find offensive. Their discretion is advised, but please bear in mind that we’re not dealing here with some snickering gawp-fest a la Channel 4 stablemate Naked Attraction. 

Executive produced by Louis Theroux, it’s a thoughtful show hosted by a witty, warm and inquisitive person with a genuine interest in the multifaceted subject at hand.

Saving Lives in Leeds – Wednesday, BBC Two, 9pm

Brought to you by the team behind that deservedly lauded BBC series Hospital, this is a similarly sympathetic frontline study of our beleaguered NHS doctors and nurses. 

Leeds General Infirmary nestles at the heart of one of the UK’s largest NHS Hospital Trusts. In episode one, we meet a pioneering expert in hand transplantation surgery. His patient lost all his limbs after being electrocuted at work. 

Meanwhile, in the neurosurgery department, doctors struggle with a moral dilemma. They only have one confirmed post-operative bed at their disposal, but they’re dealing with two patients in urgent need of treatment. 

The same problem arises at Leeds Children’s Hospital, where two children with cerebral palsy require beds on the same day.  

Django – Wednesday, Sky Atlantic, 9pm

Loosely based on Sergio Corbucci’s cult Spaghetti Western, this new series follows a tortured drifter who winds up in a makeshift city populated by social outcasts. 

Django takes itself very seriously indeed. It neither immerses itself in subversive mayhem a la Tarantino (whose Django Unchained was also vaguely inspired by the source material), nor takes full heed from the artistry of Corbucci himself. 

It’s a reverent tribute to the Spaghetti Western genre, and that’s the problem; it doesn’t quite understand why people dug those films, with their unique combination of weird black comedy and stylised revenge fantasy violence, in the first place. 

Also, Django looks more like a bedraggled hipster ale brewer than a tough, grungy Western antihero.

Murder in the Pacific – Thursday, BBC Two, 9pm

In July of 1985, Greenpeace’s flagship vessel the Rainbow Warrior was bombed and sank by the French intelligence service off the coast of New Zealand. 

They’d been ordered to prevent Greenpeace from protesting against France’s nuclear testing on South Pacific islands. A photographer by the name of Fernando Pereira was killed during the attack. 

This three-part docudrama examines in authoritative detail an utterly appalling scandal. 

All of those aboard Rainbow Warrior, a prominent symbol of peace, were attempting to draw the world’s attention towards environmental matters of the utmost urgency, they did not deserve to be targeted with violence. 

The first episode focuses on the background and build-up. You will despair.

Stephen Fry: Willem & Frieda – Defying the Nazis – Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm

During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, two heroic Dutch resistance members helped to rescue thousands of Jewish people. Their names were Willem Arondeus and Frieda Belinfante. 

Willem was a struggling artist. Frieda was an accomplished cellist. They both lived openly gay lives. 

In this fascinating documentary, Fry pays tribute to their extraordinary bravery while confronting an uncomfortable truth: Willem and Frieda are barely remembered today, because for decades their homosexuality precluded them from being officially recognised as national heroes. 

That’s no longer the case, and Fry ends the programme on a hopeful note, but his timely message is clear. If we don’t stand up against bigotry in all its toxic guises, abject horror will ensue.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Secrets of the Jurassic Dinosaurs – Sunday 19th February, BBC Two

I’m not a qualified palaeontologist, believe you me, but I have watched quite a few dino-docs over the years. And this one, a two-parter presented by Liz Bonnin, failed to live up to its title. 

At the risk of sounding jaded about such an interesting subject, we’ve heard these secrets before. 

Bonnin joined an international team of palaeontologists as they carefully excavated a dinosaur graveyard in Wyoming. They’re doing good work, more power to their dusty elbows, but they must be irked by TV crews turning up every week to make the same programme about their necessarily slow and painstaking endeavours. Leave ‘em alone. 

Also, the computer graphics looked like they were programmed on a Commodore 64.

Beyond Paradise – Friday 24th February, BBC One

Hapless Kris Marshall stars in this spin-off from the unstoppable Death in Paradise, which relocates from the sun-blessed Caribbean to a sleepy Devon town. But it’s very much business as usual. 

This franchise has never taken itself seriously, it’s a knowingly Scooby Doo-esque spoof of murder mystery tropes. Everyone involved is in on the joke, so in that sense it’s virtually critic-proof. What can I say that the production team and fanbase aren’t already aware of themselves? 

It’s polished nonsense, a clown nose glazed in fake blood, a cosy knockabout whodunit with zero pretensions. On and on it trundles, like Compo in his recalcitrant tin bath. It’s there if you want it, ignorable if you don’t.

A SPECIAL SCHOOL | THE WOMEN WHO CHANGED MODERN SCOTLAND | THE GOLD

This article was originally published in The Courier on 18th February 2023.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

A Special School – Monday, BBC Two, 7pm

Penarth’s Ysgol y Deri is Britain’s biggest special education school. It remained open during the pandemic to provide support for the children of key workers. 

In series two of this uplifting documentary, staff and pupils are preparing for their annual Christmas pantomime. They’re also about to enjoy the first school trip since 2019. 

This isn’t merely a job for the staff, they’re devoted to the welfare and development of the children placed in their care. The headmaster, an abundantly kind and decent man, is even moved to tears at one point. 

One of his colleagues sums up their commendable mission statement: “School is very structured, a safe place, but we want them to take those skills into the real world.”

Inside Our Autistic Minds – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

In the second and final episode of this sensitive series, Chris Packham meets more people who are, like him, on the autism spectrum. 

His interviewees this week are an aspiring teenage rapper, and a teaching assistant who moonlights as a trance DJ. They both love music, but that passion triggers a certain set of problems. 

Packham assists them in the making of personal short films designed to educate their classmates, colleagues and us. This is how they see and hear the world. It’s a touching, candid exercise. 

Packham also spends some time with an expert in autistic hypersensitivity, and a doctor who helps our host to understand his own need for precise daily order.

The Dangerous Rise of Andrew Tate – Tuesday, BBC Three, 10pm

Andrew Tate is a vile misogynist influencer who commands a legion of radicalised male followers. A fascistic cult. 

Two months ago, in his adopted home of Romania, he was arrested on suspicion of human trafficking. This disturbing documentary follows journalist Matt Shea as he gains highly restricted access to Tate’s Romanian compound. 

Tate has zero self-awareness, so he presumably regarded this venture as yet another piece of cleverly controlled self-promotion. Shea, in his quietly Theroux-esque way, encourages Tate to dig an even deeper hole for himself. 

Most importantly of all, we hear from some of the traumatised women who allege abuse by this toxic grifter. Tate’s empire may be crumbling, but what he represents is still frighteningly prevalent.

The Women Who Changed Modern Scotland – Tuesday, BBC Scotland, 10pm

This fascinating series celebrates many of the great Scottish women who, over the last 50 years, have challenged the patriarchy. 

It’s a valuable social document in which our empathetic host Kirsty Wark traces an ongoing battle for equal rights. 

Her odyssey begins in the 1960s, when female footballers weren’t allowed to compete officially. 

From there we progress towards the pioneering efforts of some heroic feminist politicians, a group of slyly empowering journalists who worked on teen mag Jackie during its 1970s heyday, and the origins of Scottish Women’s Aid, a vitally important charitable organisation devoted to the prevention of domestic abuse. 

Societal attitudes have improved, at least to an extent. Wark and co explain why that shift had to happen.

Untold: Help! My Home is Disgusting – Tuesday, Channel 4, 11:05pm

When Kwajo Tweneboa shared the nightmarish details of his social housing situation online – imagine a miasma of cockroaches, mice, mould and overflowing toilets – he was inundated with responses from people struggling in similarly unacceptable environments. So much so, he is now a high-profile social housing campaigner. 

In this documentary, Tweneboa visits people living in various states of utter despair. Whenever they confront their landlords, they are ignored. Pay your rent, or get out. 

Tweneboa’s report highlights the direct correlation between dismal living conditions and the exacerbation of severe mental health issues. He also exposes the sheer number of complaints aimed against some of the biggest housing associations.

The Supervet: Safari Special – Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm

Professor Neil Fitzpatrick, the Supervet himself, is one of television’s most benign and genuinely helpful resident experts. Should your domestic animal friends ever find themselves in times of trouble, Fitzpatrick is the softly-spoken physician you’d want by their side. 

In this Very Special Episode of his long-running vehicle, he ventures off to South Africa.

Fitzpatrick is renowned for his neurosurgical and orthopaedic innovations, he’s improved the lives of countless small animals, but he’s never dealt with anything on this particular scale before. 

While working and learning alongside a dedicated South African team who deal with big cats etc. on a daily basis, he emphasises the importance of protecting these magnificent creatures.

Life and War: Ukraine A Year On – Thursday, STV, 9pm

ITV's Global Security Editor Rohit Kachroo has witnessed the invasion of Ukraine first–hand. In this report, he interviews civilians, medics and soldiers, all of them fighting desperately for survival. 

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the country mobilised to defend itself. It was not, as Putin presumably expected, immediately overcome. Millions fled the country, but many more stayed to face their invaders. 

Preview copies of this programme weren’t available, so I’m obviously not qualified to comment upon its specific contents. But I don’t need to stress why I’m bringing it to your attention. 

ITV, self-evident faults and all, is rightfully renowned for its occasional sober detours into investigative journalism.

LAST WEEK’S TV

The Gold – Sunday 12th February, BBC One

A six-part dramatisation of the Brink’s-Mat robbery, that notorious 1983 heist in which a criminal gang stole a stack of gold bullion worth £26 billion, The Gold is presented neither as a celebration nor outright condemnation. 

Written by Neil Forsyth of Bob Servant and Guilty renown, it’s a nuanced piece about some desperate men struggling under the yoke of Thatcherism. Forsyth doesn’t ask us to sympathise with them unequivocally, but he places their actions in thoughtful socio-political context. 

It’s a fascinating saga, recounted with Forsyth’s usual wit and flair. Also, hats off to the production team for capturing the uniquely overcast aesthetic of early 1980s television dramas shot on film. 

Better – Monday 13th February, BBC One

Would a corrupt cop and an organised crime boss really conduct their clandestine affairs with such wantonly face-to-face abandon? That’s what I found myself dwelling upon after episode one of this watchable, if not entirely plausible, thriller. 

DCI Slack (Leila Farzad) and Col McHugh (Andrew Buchan) are indebted to each other. They’ve been in cahoots for years, but a series of unfortunate events places their relationship in jeopardy. 

Better demands that we suspend a considerable amount of disbelief, which isn’t a great starting point for any drama. It may, however, develop into a serviceable potboiler. 

Farzad and Buchan are solid, and the script is etched in pleasingly sardonic shades of the recently departed Happy Valley. 

THE PIANO | SCOTLAND'S GREATEST ESCAPE | HAPPY VALLEY

This article was originally published in The Courier on 11th August 2023.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

The Piano – Wednesday, Channel 4, 9pm

Imagine, if you can, a far more benign version of Britain’s Got Talent. That's basically what we're dealing with here, a series in which Claudia Winkelman travels around Britain to showcase the prowess of those non-professional musicians who gravitate towards free-to-use pianos in public places. 

Her odyssey begins at London’s St Pancras train station. Unbeknownst to the players, they’re being observed by the classical pianist Lang Lang and ‘00s hitmaker Mika. Each week they choose a favourite, who will eventually join them on stage for a very special concert at the Royal Festival Hall. 

The Piano is unabashedly sentimental at times, but its heart is in the right place. No one is belittled, and you may find yourself wowed by some of the talent on display.

The Agency: Unfiltered – Monday, BBC Scotland, 10pm

Amy and Kirsten are the owners of Scotland’s largest influencer agency. They represent over 20 successful clients. In this new series, we take a peek into their social media-savvy world.

Now, you could argue that the entire concept of influencing is utterly cynical, hollow and depressing. You could also argue that these kids are making an honest living in the belly of the capitalist beast. They’ve spied an opportunity and ran with it. Good luck to ‘em. Amy, Kirsten and their clients come across as nice, unpretentious people. 

This show will never be mistaken for a probing critique of the Zeitgeist. It’s rather stilted and contrived, but it means no harm whatsoever in the grand scheme of things.

First Dates Valentine’s – Tuesday, Channel 4, 10pm

Fred Sirieix and his colleagues presumably regard Valentine’s Day as a sacred occasion. Their very own Prosecco-fuelled Rapture. 

In this year’s love-happy special, our affable matchmakers play host to a ‘clubbing queen’ who’s grown tired of over-keen men, a Swedish baker who initially bonds with her date over a shared love of singing and ballet, and a woman who hasn’t dated since her arranged marriage dissolved a decade ago. 

We also meet Erin, a special effects make-up artist with cerebral palsy. Whenever she mentions her condition to potential online daters, they tend to disappear. Erin experiences her first ever blind date tonight.

Untold: Cheat Detectives: The Loyalty Test – Tuesday, Channel 4, 11:05pm

Preview copies weren’t available, but this documentary sounds like the troubling Yin to First Dates’ fluffy Yang. 

It delves into a murky online phenomenon driven by influencers doggedly devoted to exposing infidelity. But are their motives sincere? Do they really care about the relationships they’re investigating, or are they exploiting people for lucrative hits and views? 

Reporter Daisy Maskell questions the ethics of this growing trend. Her interviewees include a popular TikToker who is generating content based on a hashtag that’s been viewed over one billion times. 

Maskell also speaks to one of the TikToker’s clients, as they put their boyfriend through the test.

Scotland’s Greatest Escape – Wednesday, BBC Scotland, 10pm

Scotland is a beautiful, scenic country. You’ve probably noticed. So no wonder BBC Scotland knocks out travelogues at such a rapid rate of knots. It’s all on their doorstep. 

In this good-natured series, hosts JJ Chalmers and Grado spend time with viewers who took part in a poll to find Scotland’s best holiday destinations. A panel of experts take notes from afar. 

This week’s escapers are lifelong pals Karen and Karen, who sample the charms of some luxurious lodges in the Angus countryside. 

They also enjoy a bespoke overnight cruise around the west coast of Scotland, before winding up in an Ayrshire castle. Falconry and archery ensue. Not at the same time, obviously, that would be disastrous.

Prue and Danny’s Death Road Trip – Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm

The nation’s favourite cake-maker Prue Leith supports assisted dying. Her son, the Conservative MP Danny Kruger, is against it. In this programme, they take a trip around the USA and Canada. As you may be aware, assisted dying is legal in Canada. 

Leith first became aware of this debate when her brother endured a very slow and painful death. She believes that people should be allowed to leave this mortal coil with dignity. Kruger maintains that any potential change to UK legislation could lead to the abuse of vulnerable people. 

They meet a woman whose parents died peacefully together at a time of their choosing, and a doctor who insists that Canadian legislation has gone too far.

The National Comedy Awards For Stand Up to Cancer 2023 – Friday, Channel 4, 9pm

Your deserving nominations this year include Am I Being Unreasonable?, Derry Girls, Ghosts, Would I Lie to You? and Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. Ricky Gervais’ egregious After Life has presumably been included due to some sort of unfortunate admin error. 

This awards ceremony was a must-see TV event in the ‘90s and early ‘00s, an unpredictable live event featuring famous comedians in various states of inebriation. Julian Clary’s infamous remark about Norman Lamont? Spike Milligan’s impudent message to Prince Charles? It all happened here. 

The Comedy Awards are a slicker affair these days, so don’t expect any wild detours along those lines, but at least it’s all held in aid of a good cause.

LAST WEEK’S TV 

Happy Valley – Sunday 5th February, BBC One

That sound you heard at around 10:50pm last Sunday was approximately eight million people yelping “Don’t go in!” when Catherine discovered the whereabouts of Tommy Lee Royce.

Their mesmerising final confrontation was faultlessly written and performed. Writer Sally Wainwright even managed to include a few notes of dry black comedy amidst the rage and recrimination. 

She also toyed with the ambiguity of whether Royce genuinely cared about his son, Ryan. Were his tears a sign of some genuine emotional attachment, or were they shed in self-pity? Wainwright and actor James Norton always ensured that Royce was never a mere pantomime villain. 

An exceptional drama, Happy Valley has taken its rightful place in TV’s marbled Pantheon.

CONSENT | PUTIN vs THE WEST | THE REAL NOLLY

This article was originally published in The Courier on 4th February 2023.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Consent – Tuesday, Channel 4, 10pm

This standalone drama takes place at an elite private school. 

It’s a breeding ground for future leaders, where obnoxious male students do whatever they want without fear of being held accountable. Female students are constantly subjected to sexual harassment ‐ or “banter”, as their toxic abusers call it. 

Archie seems different, however. He’s more sensitive. Archie has fallen for Natalie, and the feeling is mutual. Archie was born rich, whereas Natalie has won a scholarship. At a drunken party, Archie is peer‐pressured into sleeping with Natalie. She doesn’t consent. 

What follows is an acutely angering study of victim‐blaming and institutional corruption. An important piece, Consent is based on hundreds of testimonies from both the state and private school sectors.

Food Fest Scotland – Monday, BBC Scotland, 8:30pm

Those old Radio 1 compadres Edith Bowman and Colin Murray are the hosts of this genial time‐passer, in which they visit some of Scotland’s most popular food festivals. 

We find ourselves vicariously enjoying the Peebles Show in episode one. Bowman’s encounter with a world‐renowned chocolatier is among the gentle highlights. 

Meanwhile, off the coast of North Berwick, chef Julie Lin goes fishing for mackerel. She explains why this relatively inexpensive Scottish superfood should be a nutritious cornerstone of all non‐vegetarian diets. 

Lin also provides some sound snacking advice for people, such as your humble correspondent, who work every day from home. There’s more to life than crisps, apparently.

Putin vs the West – Monday, BBC Two, 9pm

In episode two of this typically authoritative essay from documentarian Norma Percy, Russian President Vladimir Putin asserts his presence in the Middle East. 

The Arab Spring uprisings encourage leaders in the West to enlist Putin as a much‐needed peacemaker. David Cameron feels he’s struck up some sort of mutual agreement with Putin, they seem to be getting somewhere. Putin then declares his support for Assad. 

If you’re unfamiliar with Percy’s style, it basically boils down to this: she weaves morally complex narratives populated by powerful politicians whose accounts she doesn’t necessarily endorse. But we seldom see them talk so ‘openly’ on camera. 

The Shamima Begum Story – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

At the age of 15, Shamima Begum ran away from London to join the terror group IS. Four years later, while pregnant with her third child, she desperately wanted to come home.

Begum had shown very little remorse for her time spent with the group, so the British authorities regarded her as an ongoing threat to national security. They revoked her citizenship. Begum’s lawyers argued that she was a victim of human trafficking, and should therefore be protected by the country of her birth. 

In this documentary, which wasn’t available for preview, she recounts her story in the company of an investigative journalist who’s been trying to get to the bottom of it all for nearly a decade.

Bradley & Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad – Tuesday, STV, 9pm

As their Costa Rican hi‐jinks continue, ‘Bradders’ and ‘Barn’ attempt to climb some 132ft trees in a cloud forest. Avid dog lovers, they also visit a sanctuary that’s home to 2000 free‐roaming canines. 

A journey into the countryside puts them in contact with a former Olympian, who facilitates a father‐and‐son kayak slalom, but that’s a small hill of beans compared to their encounter with a gentleman who shot to fame when he befriended a crocodile. 

Breaking Dad is a charming little show with zero pretensions. Bradley Walsh, a nice man, has some daft contrived adventures with Barney Walsh, a nice lad. Programmes of greater depth are available, but that’s not what this is for.  

Ghislaine: Partner in Crime – Thursday, ITVX

ITV are marketing this four‐part series as the definitive account of the relationship between convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 

I’ve only seen episode one, but it immediately struck me as a dubious exercise in which testimonies from Maxwell and Epstein’s victims are spliced with adamant counterarguments from two of Maxwell’s siblings. 

Why are ITV giving these people a platform? They’re unreliable sources who refuse point blank to accept that their sister could’ve committed those heinous crimes. Their contributions don’t provide journalistic ‘balance’, they actively undermine the voices of the abused women who have chosen to come forward. 

Watch the far superior House of Maxwell instead, it’s still available on iPlayer.  

Travel Man: 48 Hours in Split – Friday, Channel 4, 8:30pm

Much like Bradley & Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad, this chummy travelogue doesn’t pretend to be anything other than an inoffensive scenic detour. 

Joe Lycett’s latest travelling companion is the comedian, actor and writer Aisling Bea. They’re in the Croatian city of Split, which must surely be the coolest name for a city in the entire history of human existence. Face facts, Las Vegas. 

Lycett and Bea don’t like fish, but they gamely rustle up a piscine dish under the tutelage of a local chef who’s determined to teach them the culinary ways of “a Croatian grandma”. Our hosts also investigate a maze of alleys and squares, and a museum full of stuffed frogs. They’re way ahead in Split.

LAST WEEK’S TV

The Real Nolly – Thursday 2nd February, ITVX

A companion piece to Russell T. Davies’ excellent drama about Crossroads star Noele Gordon, this documentary didn’t really add anything, but it was nice seeing footage of the actual Nolly in action. 

As Davies discovered during his research, Nolly was a showbiz all‐rounder of the old school who cared deeply about her work. Crossroads may have been a silly little soap opera, but it was a silly little soap opera that brought pleasure to millions. And she was adored by her colleagues, some of whom turned up to pay tribute. 

I find it rather pleasing that, such is Davies’ benign power within the industry, he’s got us all talking about this versatile trouper forty years after her heyday. 

Building Britain’s Superhomes – Wednesday 1st February, Channel 4

Guy Phoenix is renowned for creating colossal palaces for the mega‐rich. He’s not a qualified architect or interior designer, but by God he gets results. As he never tires of reminding us. 

This relentless migraine of a series follows Phoenix as he oversees ambitious builds while effing and jeffing like a try‐hard teenage rebel. I’m all for swearing, just as long as it’s delivered with some wit and proficiency. Phoenix is a dullard.

This is yet another tone deaf commission from our bubble‐dwelling TV overlords, who don’t understand that the last thing any of us want to see right now (or ever) is an aggressive celebration of extreme wealth. These programmes rub our noses in it, they’re an insult.