LITVINENKO | THERE SHE GOES | THE CHANGE

This article was originally published in The Courier on 17th June 2023.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Litvinenko – Monday, STV, 9pm

In 2006, former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko was fatally poisoned while living in British exile. He’d spent the last few years of his life trying to expose links between Putin’s government and the Russian mafia. 

This four-part drama starring David Tennant is a riveting evocation of the whole murky, tragic affair. 

We follow two British police officers as they spend time with Litvinenko during his final days in hospital. His truth is revealed. 

Tennant is such a great actor, he never draws attention to himself with tics or affectations. You always believe fully in whatever role he’s playing. 

A follow-up ITVX documentary, Litvinenko: The Mayfair Poisonings ‘drops’ on Thursday. 

The Wonders of the World I Can’t See – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm

The comedian Chris McCausland is blind. In this novel new travelogue, he visits some of the world’s most notable historic landmarks. 

An affable dry-witted gent, he’s joined each week by a celebrity travelling companion. They’re tasked with bringing these various places to life descriptively, while doing what they can to convince McCausland that it was worth him bothering to go there in the first place. 

The series begins with a trip to Athens in the company of Harry Hill. Our guides enjoy some sea fishing, pottery making, olive oil tasting, Greek drama lessons and even a few Olympic sports, before arriving at their ultimate destination: the Acropolis. 

Will McCausland enjoy the experience as much as Hill hopes? 

Dr Death – Tuesday, Channel 4, 10pm

Christopher Duntsch is a former American neurosurgeon who killed two of his patients and maimed over 30 others. In 2017 he was sentenced to life imprisonment. 

This solemn eight-part drama boasts a suitably unsettling performance from Joshua Jackson as Duntsch. 

In the opening episode, two concerned doctors (Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater, no less) start to investigate a series of severely botched operations carried out by Duntsch. 

Make no mistake, this case is utterly horrific, but Dr Death dramatizes it with due respect for Duntsch’s many victims. It’s the story of how a deeply disturbed narcissist wilfully destroyed lives, and how he was eventually brought to justice.

There She Goes – Wednesday, BBC Two, 9pm

Jessica Hynes and the hardest working man in show business David Tennant star in this standalone addendum to a poignant series based on the personal experiences of writers Shaun Pyle and Sarah Crawford. 

Their daughter was born with an extremely rare chromosomal disorder. Rosie is now 13. Her already difficult and challenging mood swings are becoming more acute.

As you would expect, There She Goes is an authentic day-to-day depiction of living with a beloved family member who has a severe learning disability. It’s touching, but never sentimental. 

It’s sometimes quite funny too. Humour can arise from unlikely situations, that’s one of the ways we all muddle through life. You carry on.

The Change – Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm

Comedian Bridget Christie writes and stars in this striking new comedy-drama about Linda, a 50-year-old woman who is going through the menopause. 

As she explains to her GP, she’s worried about having “early onset dementia, osteoporosis, ringing in my ears when I’m stressed, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease and a strange mental disorder involving loss of nouns.” 

Hoping to rediscover the person she used to be, Linda leaves her utterly foolish husband (Omid Djalili) behind and embarks upon a soul-searching motorcycle odyssey. 

The Change is funny, frank and distinctive, it lingers. Christie and Djalili, both great, are supported by an exceptional cast including Monica Dolan, Susan Lynch, Liza Tarbuck and Paul Whitehouse.

Ruby Speaking – Thursday, ITVX

Set in a busy Bristol call centre, this fairly amusing sitcom stars co-creator Jayde Adams as a jaded factotum. 

Ruby is teetering on the brink of being sacked, she’s not bringing in the numbers. Anyone who’s ever worked in a call centre (I have) will empathise with her plight. 

Ruby quite likes some of her colleagues, but she’s just so bored with her strictly prepared workaday script. What’s the point? A metaphor for life, if you will. 

Former Coronation Street star Katherine Kelly steals the show as a thoroughly awful ‘inspirational’ boss who clearly couldn’t care less about her staff. Ruby Speaking is quite a sharp little character study. Hilarious? No. But its heart is in the right place. 

Icons of Football – Friday, BBC Scotland, 10:30pm

Former Dundee United striker and football manager Paul ‘Luggy’ Sturrock relates his estimable story in the latest episode of this series about Scottish football legends.

Sturrock, who has Parkinson’s disease, spent his entire career at Dundee United under the tutelage of his much-loved mentor Jim McLean. In the words of sports reporter Hazel Irvine, who contributes to the programme alongside fellow famous fans such as Lorraine Kelly, Sturrock was: “In my memory, one of the most joyous footballers I’ve ever watched.” 

I know nothing about football, it’s just not on my radar, but this KT Tunstall-narrated profile lifted my spirits. Sturrock is quite clearly an exceptional athlete and a thoroughly decent man.

BEST INTERESTS | AFRICA RISING WITH AFUA HIRSCH | COUNT ABDULLA

This article was originally published in The Courier on 10th June 2023. 

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Best Interests – Monday and Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm

This gut-punching four-part drama stars Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen as a happily married couple with two daughters, one of whom has a life-threatening illness. 

Writer Jack Thorne has form for handling difficult material with the utmost care. His estimable credits include the 2021 COVID drama Help and Shane Meadows’ semi-autobiographical The Virtues. 

If you’re familiar with his work, then you won’t be surprised to hear that Best Interests is incredibly moving but never mawkish. It’s honest and authentic, a sensitive meditation on the complex moral quandary surrounding terminally ill patients and their quality of life. 

Thorne sympathises with every single one of his characters. You will too. There are no easy answers.

Sarah Beeny Vs Cancer – Monday, Channel 4, 9pm

Last year, the television personality and property developer Sarah Beeny was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her mother died of the same disease when Beeny was just 10-years-old. 

In this poignant standalone documentary, our host investigates the past, present and hopeful future of breast cancer treatment in the UK. 

While recording an intimate video diary, Beeny – who has four children - reflects upon everything her mother went through in the 1980s. It’s a frank, tender and relatable essay. We’ve all lost loved ones to cancer. 

Beeny meets with various medical experts who provide some insight into how care for cancer patients has changed and improved over the last 40 years.

Africa Rising with Afua Hirsch – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

Journalist and broadcaster Afua Hirsch hosts this fascinating exploration of Africa, a continent which is home to the world’s most culturally diverse population. 

Her eventful journey begins in Morocco, Africa’s leading tourist destination. She meets several young creative people, one of whom is a world-renowned photographer: the Andy Warhol of Africa. His playful post-modern work subverts lazy cultural stereotypes. 

Hirsch also encounters a rapper influenced by traditional Moroccan music, an innovative rug-stitching entrepreneur, and some artists whose work challenges outdated assumptions about sex and gender. 

Hats off to Hirsch and everyone involved with this upbeat and progressive series, it restores a bit of faith in human nature.

Staged – Wednesday, BBC One, 10:40pm

Originally devised during lockdown, Staged is a comedy starring Michael Sheen (that man again) and David Tennant as mildly bickering versions of themselves conversing via Zoom. 

It’s inherently self-indulgent and potentially infuriating, but it more or less works because Sheen and Tennant are likeable and self-aware. Their semi-improvised conversations mock the petty insecurities of successful actors who have nothing much to worry about in the grand scheme of things. 

The latest series begins with a bored Tennant contacting Sheen from a Tokyo airport. 

Hilarity never ensues in Staged, it just ambles along, but spending downtime with Sheen and Tennant is always fairly pleasant. A ringing endorsement, I know.

Count Abdulla – Thursday, ITVX

This likeable new sitcom revolves around an unlikely group of British Muslim vampires. 

Our sweet-natured protagonist is Abdulla (Arian Nik), a nerdy junior doctor and classic horror film fan. He’s not particularly religious, but pays respectful lip service to appease his devout and loving mother (Nina Wadia). 

And then one Halloween party night, while immaculately attired as Christopher Lee’s iteration of Dracula, Abdulla is bitten by an outrageously camp vampire played by Jaime Winstone – imagine, if you will, Fenella Fielding in an even more deranged version of Carry On Screaming!. 

It’s all rather intriguing; a sharp comedy-horror underpinned with a wry message about the subtle nuances of racial identity and faith.

Queen of Oz – Friday, BBC One, 9:30pm

Catherine Tate is a self-evidently talented and versatile actor who’s wallowed in lacklustre material for most of her comedy career. This tiresome sitcom is no exception. 

She plays a disgraced member of the Royal Family who is exiled to Australia. There’s plenty of scope here for some biting satirical commentary on the dysfunction inherent within our monarchy, but Queen of Oz squanders that in favour of Tate playing yet another thoroughly obnoxious person. 

There’s obviously nothing wrong with that in theory, British comedy is festooned with beloved anti-heroes, but Tate’s self-generated characters are actively annoying. 

Oh well, she’ll be back on TV later this year as Donna Noble, one of the greatest ever Doctor Who companions.

They All Came Out to Montreux – Friday, BBC Four, 10:15pm

This absolutely wonderful documentary recounts the rather touching and inspiring story of Claude Nobs, a charismatic music enthusiast who launched the world-renowned Montreux Jazz Festival. 

Nobs had no real knowledge of the music industry back in 1967, he just wanted to invite some of his favourite artists to perform on the banks of Lake Geneva. His maverick pipe dream is currently celebrating its 56^th anniversary. 

Spread over three parts, all of which are shown tonight, the film traces the evolution of a jazz festival which gradually encompassed some astonishing performances from major rock, soul and blues artists. 

God bless Friday music nights on BBC Four, long may they groove into infinity.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Spy in the Ocean – Sunday 4th June, BBC One

Narrated by David Tennant (that man again; there’s a theme developing here), the BBC’s latest oceanic deep-dive introduced us to various creatures gently affixed with non-invasive cameras. Some sperm whales and coconut octopi were the stars of this particular episode.

Whenever one delves into the depths of the ocean, the results are always rather surreal and sweetly comical. Psychedelic whimsy writ large. 

While coasting above the waves, we also met some shore-based monkeys – a great bunch of lads – who’ve worked out how to feast upon oysters. Spy in the Ocean is the very definition of exotic Sunday night comfort viewing.

Gods of Tennis – Sunday 4th June, BBC Two

A companion piece to Gods of Snooker, which was also executively produced by Louis Theroux, this assiduously researched volley of social history focuses on 1970s and early 1980s tennis titans. It’s utterly riveting. 

Television was responsible for creating tennis’ mass appeal. That daily Wimbledon coverage coincided with the emergence of charismatic players such as Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King, who took centre stage in the opening episode. 

Ashe, who passed away in 1993, was African-American. King, whose fresh contributions to the programme provided a vital through-line, is gay. Their stories are thematically entwined. 

Ashe and King, while not always in agreement, both fought for equality.

What to Watch in 2023: NOLLY | SUCCESSION | DOCTOR WHO and more...

This article was originally published in The Courier on 7th January 2023. 

Nolly – ITVX, February

Written by the redoubtable Russell T. Davies, this factual drama covers a particularly tumultuous period in the life of soap doyen Noele Gordon (Helena Bonham Carter). 

Nolly, as she was affectionately known to her friends, became a TV superstar thanks to her show-stealing turn as Meg Richardson in Crossroads. In 1981, while still riding high after 17 years at the top, Gordon was unceremoniously sacked without any warning or explanation. She was utterly devastated. 

Gordon was a fabulous showbiz trouper of the old school, they really don’t make ‘em like that anymore. Her story encapsulates the fickle, cutthroat vagaries of fame. 

The cast also includes Mark Gatiss as Gordon’s dear showbiz chum, Larry Grayson. What’s not to love?

Without Sin – ITVX, available now

ITV’s rebranded streaming service, ITVX, hasn’t scrimped on Major New Drama output since it launched last month. 

The obvious highlights so far are David Tennant in Litvinenko, plus Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce in A Spy Among Friends, both of which can be watched for free in their entirety. The same goes for Without Sin, which ‘dropped’ just after Christmas. 

A stark psychological thriller, it stars Vicky McClure as the grieving mother of a murdered teenager. In an attempt to rebuild her shattered life, she decides to visit her daughter’s killer in prison. 

The killer is played by Johnny Harris, an actor with whom McClure shared several harrowing scenes in the TV spin-off from This Is England.

Welcome to Chippendales – Disney+, January

A canny entrepreneur, Somen "Steve" Banerjee dreamed up that male striptease phenomenon the Chippendales in 1979. He was later found guilty of being an accessory to murder. 

This drama, which received mostly positive reviews when it premiered in America recently, delves into his murky saga. If you’re not familiar with the details, then I suggest you go in blind. Do not Google Banerjee, as Welcome to Chippendales thrives upon its multitudinous truth-is-stranger-than-fiction twists. 

I can’t vouch for the whole series as I’ve only seen two episodes, but if you’re anything like me – a sucker for weird stories about extreme showbiz hubris, crime and corruption - then I daresay you’ll be intrigued from the get-go. 

Masters of the Air – Apple TV+, early 2023

The final part of a trilogy that began with Band of Brothers followed by The Pacific, this Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg-produced miniseries focuses on the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army during World War II. 

The hallmarks of its esteemed predecessors were historical accuracy, sympathetic portrayals of the key characters, and an unflinching approach to the horrors of war. There’s no reason to suspect that Masters of the Air won’t continue in that tradition. 

As always, it boasts a large ensemble cast. Watch out for Austin Butler, who recently shone with his performance as Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s magisterial biopic, and our next TARDIS coordinator, Ncuti Gatwa (more of whom below).

The Idol – Sky Atlantic, early 2023

A drama devised by the musician and actor Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, this sounds – in theory at least – like a frank deconstruction of the modern pop biz. 

Lily-Rose Depp stars as an aspiring pop idol. The sudden pressures placed upon her trigger a nervous breakdown. Enter a self-help guru/cult leader played by Tesfaye, who promises to put her career back on track. What could possibly go wrong? 

That synopsis suggests a scathing showbiz satire on the way vulnerable young people are exploited by opportunistic charlatans, so let’s hope it makes its point with acute anger and sensitivity. 

The Idol, sadly, marks the final screen appearance of Anne Heche, who left us long before her time was due.

Succession – Sky Atlantic, Spring

Glory be, it’s back. One of the most outstanding TV dramas of recent years, HBO’s Succession joins the likes of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and Mad Men in that rarefied category of ‘American Dramas That Really Are As Good As Everyone Says They Are’. 

If you haven’t seen this scabrous show before, the basic gist is this: Brian Cox plays the monstrous multimillionaire patriarch of a deeply dysfunctional family. They’re all awful yet utterly compelling and pathetically comical. 

Created by Jesse Armstrong of Peep Show and The Thick of It renown, it’s an aghast meditation on the terrifyingly all-powerful likes of Murdoch, Trump and Musk. 

Newcomers are advised to gorge on every episode before season four begins.

Doctor Who – BBC One, Autumn

We’ll have to wait a while until we get to see new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa in action, but the anticipation is palpable. 

The next series heralds the return of writer/producer Russell T. Davies – that man again - who revived Doctor Who so successfully back in 2005. 

It’s been a lean few years for the show, its popularity declined under the hapless stewardship of previous head writer Chris Chibnall, but if anyone can reverse this beleaguered institution’s fortunes, it’s RTD. 

The comeback kicks off with three specials starring the beloved pairing of former Doctor David Tennant and his companion Catherine Tate. 

Gatwa – a striking actor who oozes charisma – will take over at Christmas, although a recent teaser trailer suggests we’ll see him before then. Optimism reigns supreme.

INSIDE MAN | MAKE ME PRIME MINISTER | TASKMASTER

This article was originally published in The Courier on 24th September 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Inside Man – Monday, BBC One, 9pm and Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm

Written by Steven Moffat of Doctor Who renown, this arresting new thriller is typically dark and audacious. Your charismatic co-stars are Stanley Tucci and David Tennant.

Tucci plays an erudite American death row inmate whose criminology background is frequently called upon by guilty establishment figures and curious journalists. Imagine Hannibal Lecter without the cannibalism. 

Meanwhile, way over yonder in a picture postcard English village, Tennant turns on the charm as an apparently groovy vicar. 

Moffat – an often dazzlingly bright and witty writer who revels in constructing puzzles – has a whole lot of fun subverting tropes he and we are fully aware of. 

The set-up is irresistible, it’s queasy, odd and unpredictable. Hopefully it all pays off.

Bad Chefs – Monday, ITV2, 9pm

Preview copies weren’t available for this new series, but it sounds like a passable way to while away some time. Apologies in advance if that’s not the case. 

It’s a reality show in which – so it says here – some ‘takeaway addicts’ are forced to ditch their apps and do some cooking from scratch. 

Now, I know what you’re (probably) thinking. That sounds potentially patronising. This is an ITV2 show after all. But let’s give it the benefit of the doubt. 

Maybe it will somehow turn out to be an uplifting show in which people, during this horrific cost of living crisis, discover how to cook decent, healthy meals on a reduced budget. Onwards and upwards, eh?

 Celebrity I Literally Just Told You – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm

A throwaway nugget of mildly diverting escapism, this Jimmy Carr-fronted gameshow revolves around a simple yet effective premise: the answers to every question are seeded by Carr’s links and whatever occurs during the various rounds (an industrious panel of backroom researchers type up questions as the show unfolds). 

Which means, in that time-honoured TV quiz tradition, you can play along at home. Just pay close attention to everything that’s said. 

The latest series kicks off with a charity fundraising sport-themed episode starring footballers John Barnes and Sue Smith, broadcaster and gymnast Gabby Logan, and football manager Harry Redknapp. 

Carr is in his element here, it’s the slick, vaguely Monkhouse-esque vehicle he’s always coveted.

Make Me Prime Minister – Tuesday, Channel 4, 9:15pm

Good grief. This Apprentice-style reality series is so woefully misjudged, it may trigger an actual revolution. 

The premise: twelve contestants, under the watchful gaze of celebrity politicos Alastair Campbell and Sayeeda Warsi, attempt to prove how much better they’d be than the Prime Ministers we’ve endured during the last 40–odd years. 

Two of those PMs – Blair and Cameron – occasionally crop up to issue advice. 

Now, I concede that perhaps I’m a laughably old-fashioned bore with deeply held moral convictions, but politics isn’t supposed to be entertaining. It’s not a game, the decisions these people make have a devastating impact on millions of lives. 

I urge you to watch it, though. You’ll be astonished and angered. It’s jaw-dropping.

Taskmaster – Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm

Glory be! Greg Davies and Alex Lowe have returned for another series of this absolutely charming load of old nonsense. 

You presumably know the score by now: a bunch of comedians have to complete a series of maddening, pointless tasks, most of which require a bit of ingenuity, cheating and chutzpah. 

Our contestants this time around are Dara Ó Briain, Fern Brady, John Kearns, Munya Chawawa and Sarah Millican. The opening round involves a fiendish display of hip-touching, hand-finding and milk-lifting. 

Taskmaster works for one fundamental reason: it seeks only to entertain. It has no truck with cruelty or cynicism. Davies is an ostensibly acerbic MC, but his insults are always delivered with a twinkle.

TRACES + WINTER WALKS + THE STORY OF SM:TV LIVE

This article was originally published in The Courier on 2nd January 2021.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Winter Walks – Monday to Friday, BBC Four, 7pm

This is quite a nice way of easing yourself into whatever 2021 will be: five 30-minute episodes in the company of various well-known folk, as they traipse around the rural hills and dales of Britain. It’s comfortingly sedate and almost quite poetic. There is no music, no crew as such, just solo celebs armed with a 360-degree camera. Stunning sunrise scenery merges with the sound of rivers, birdsong, sheep and trudging feet. Occasionally, the presenters bump into locals. They have a little chat, then move on. It’s lovely. Your unobtrusive wintry guides are Richard Coles, Selina Scott, Lemn Sissay, Sayeeda Warsi and Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. It should make you feel a bit better about the world. 

Bradley and Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad – Monday, STV, 8pm

The affable father/son duo return for more globe-spanning adventures. This time they’re travelling across Europe (the series was filmed pre-COVID, obviously). Their latest journey begins in The Netherlands, where they try a bit of canal jumping, visit a velodrome and attempt to scale the world’s tallest freestanding wall. Preview copies weren’t available, but I think I can state with some confidence that the latest series will be exactly the same as every previous series. Which isn’t a complaint, it’s a satisfyingly formulaic show. The tightknit relationship between Walsh and his son can be quite touching at times. They’re nice people doing fun things. No one gets hurt. What’s not to like?

Traces – Monday and Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm

Finally, a thriller set in Dundee! Albeit mostly filmed in Manchester. Traces isn’t new, it debuted on UKTV in 2019, but a bigger audience is guaranteed on BBC One. Based on an idea by top crime author Val McDermid (who has a fleeting cameo in episode one), it’s an enjoyable potboiler steeped in queasy intrigue. Molly Windsor plays a forensic science student who is convinced that a supposedly fictional case study is based on the murder of her mother. Every bit as grim and grisly as you’d expect from a McDermid-inspired drama, it pivots around solid performances from Windsor, Laura Fraser and Martin Compston. And remember: “There are only so many places you can bury a body in Dundee.”

Staged – Monday and Tuesday, BBC One, 9:45pm

It’s back, that slight, harmless comedy in which Michael Sheen and David Tennant play versions of themselves in lockdown. Their Skype conversations are spiked with childish passive-aggression; the petty vanity of actors. They also appear to be going slightly mad, Sheen in particular. I haven’t seen this second series, it wasn’t available at the time of writing, but series one was a mildly amusing diversion; two fine actors just mucking about in their enforced spare time. But it pales in comparison to Coogan and Brydon (or should that be Brydon and Coogan?) in The Trip, to which it owes an obvious debt. Still, each episode is only 15 minutes long, so it’s not as if they outstay their welcome.

The Man Who Fell from the Sky – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm

In 2015, a stowaway fell to his death from the wheel well of a British Airways Boeing 747. He and a friend, both from Mozambique, were attempting to smuggle themselves into the UK. Documentary filmmaker Rich Bentley has spent the last five years trying to locate the man who survived that terrifying journey. His research unearthed a disturbing yet little-reported fact: asylum seekers dying in that particular way isn’t uncommon. This is a sensitive programme about immigration; a meditation on the human beings behind the dry statistics and racist rhetoric stirred up by the right. Bentley reveals their names, he speaks to their families. He doesn’t provide any neat answers, as that would be offensive. It’s a complex tragedy.

Cheetah Family & Me – Tuesday and Wednesday, BBC Two, 9pm

Whispering Gordon Buchanan always turns up at this time of year to share his love of nature. The affable Scot’s latest adventure involves two Cheetah families struggling to survive in the wilds of South Africa. We follow him on horseback and on foot, a camera rostrum over his shoulder, as he attempts to find out what life is really like for these beautiful, endangered creatures. The little cheetah cubs are beyond adorable, but a mild word of caution for younger viewers in your household: nature can be cruel. When Attenborough eventually retires from the planet, I think Buchanan would be a suitable replacement. A compassionate man who cares about the world around us, his exemplary documentaries are intimate and immersive.

Lucy Worsley’s Royal Palace Secrets – Wednesday, BBC Four, 9pm

The doyen of BBC Four, historian Lucy Worsley churns these programmes out at a remarkable rate. She appears to spend half her life dressed as Catherine of Aragon while delivering pieces to camera. This one was filmed a few months ago, but as Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces she wasn’t going to let the pandemic get in the way of her exclusive right to snoop around Hampton Court, Kensington Palace and The Tower of London. Worsley is an engaging guide, I like her; but while she’s always flirted with twee self-parody, she’s more ‘Lucy Worsley’ here than ever before. She might want to dial down the whimsy in future. It can be suffocating. Some unbidden constructive criticism there.

LAST WEEK’S TV

The Story of SM:TV Live – Boxing Day, STV

Scheduled, rather sweetly, in its old Saturday morning slot, this tribute to the Ant, Dec and Cat kid’s show was surprisingly touching. I was 23 when it started in 1998, so I never paid much attention. But it looks like I missed out on a commendably subversive and sometimes very funny show that understood the cardinal rule of children’s television: don’t talk down to them; they’re smart, they get it. Broadcast live, SM:TV was benign anarchy, a fizzy rollerball of pop and sketches helmed by three bright young things with chemistry to burn. Watching Ant, Dec and Cat, all now middle-aged, reflecting on the best time of their lives made me feel nostalgic for something I never experienced.

Stephen Fry’s 21^st Century Firsts – Wednesday 30th December, STV

Hey! Who remembers Myspace?! In this utterly pointless list show, the cosy centrist tech-lover looked back upon various things that have occurred in the last 20 years. The legalisation of same-sex marriage and the Black Lives Matter movement jostled for airtime amidst the invention of YouTube, social media, reality television, iPhones and selfies. The Coronavirus pandemic made a brief cameo towards the end. Fry admitted that it was a whistle-stop tour, but that was no excuse for a programme in which Harry Potter trampled all over the election of Barack Obama and the vital voice of Greta Thunberg. All of this stuff, this broiling cultural stew, deserves hours of analysis. Fry was just picking up some sweet festive dollar.

DES + LOUIS THEROUX: LIFE ON THE EDGE

This article was originally published in The Courier on 12th September 2020.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

DES

Monday to Wednesday, STV, 9pm

Dennis Nilsen is one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers. His necrophiliac killing spree came to an end in 1983, when human remains were discovered in his drains. That’s where this superior drama begins. 

David Tennant is mesmerising as Nilsen. It’s an understated, almost offhand performance; his matter-of-fact demeanour is chilling. Nilsen initially appeared willing to help the police with their investigation, but Des (his nickname) suggests that his primary motivation was to remain the centre of attention for as long as possible. An arrogant, manipulative psychopath, someone whose motivations you could never fully hope to understand. Des resists the temptation to glibly psychoanalyse him. 

Despite the grisly nature of Nilsen’s crimes, this isn't a graphic, exploitative drama. The murders are never shown on screen, it’s respectful towards his victims. As always, however, you can't stop thinking about their families. I'm as hypocritical as you are, we find these stories fascinating.

INSIDE THE BOMB SQUAD

Monday, Channel 4, 8pm

According to this urgent new series, Britain’s bomb disposal squad are called out more than 2,000 times a year. Most of their destinations are ordinary streets. Boasting unprecedented access, the programme follows some of the elite soldiers who risk their lives in the line of duty. The production crew obviously haven’t been granted access to sites containing suspect devices – doubtlessly much to their relief – so the experts have agreed to wear 360 degree cameras while they carry out their highly dangerous work. They also talk about the psychological effects of dealing with these life-or-death situations. “There is that balance between adrenaline and fear going on,” says one soldier, “but you’re sort of trained to handle it.” Sort of?

LOST AT SEA: MY DAD’S LAST JOURNEY

Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm

In 1983, Peter Bird became the first person to row non-stop and solo across the Pacific Ocean. Tragically, in 1996 he was lost at sea. In this candid, touching documentary, his son, Louis, attempts to understand more about the father he never knew. What drove this warm, sociable man to spend so much time on his own, away from his family, in treacherous conditions? Louis, who was deeply affected by his father’s death, talks to some of Peter’s friends and family members, and pores through his vast archive. The intrepid rower recorded video diaries during his solo journeys and taped a message for Louis “so you won’t forget me”. He hasn’t been able to listen to it until now. 

LAST WEEK’S TV

LOUIS THEROUX: LIFE ON THE EDGE

Sunday 6th September, BBC Two

Theroux has been making documentaries, some of them classics, for 25 years. In this series he reflects on some of his most memorable investigations. It’s a chance for the master interlocutor to turn inwards for once, as he discusses the moral dimensions of his work and his outlook on life. All very interesting. 

The theme in episode one was belief. Theroux has met numerous people with fervent beliefs over the years, all of whom he’s tried to approach with an open mind. That can’t be easy when you’re dealing with racists, charlatans and conspiracy theorists, but it’s a hallmark of his empathetic style. He’s genuinely interested in what makes people tick. 

It also featured catch-ups with notable figures from his past; it was gratifying to learn that the little girls who were forced to perform white power songs by their Nazi mother have renounced those views completely. They didn’t understand what they were espousing. Now they do. Maybe people can change for the better after all.

MINDFUL ESCAPES: BREATHE, RELEASE RESTORE

Monday 7th August to Thursday 10th August, BBC Four

This, folks, is valuable public service broadcasting. Four serene episodes in which a former Buddhist monk delivers lessons in mindfulness. Just his voice and some beautiful natural world scenery. If you struggle with anxiety, as I do, it may help.

 

CORONATION STREET: STORIES THAT GRIPPED THE NATION

This article was originally published in The Courier on 4th July 2020.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

CORONATION STREET: STORIES THAT GRIPPED THE NATION

Monday, STV, 8:30pm

Over the last few months, the Corrie team have carefully rationed the phalanx of episodes they recorded before the world went to pieces. Production is set to resume soon, but this emergency package of compilations should help to bridge any potential gap in proceedings. It’s pure nostalgia, shameless filler, Just Another Clip Show, but there’s a lot to be said for that in times of crisis. Don’t ever underestimate the mild power of mindless escapism, especially when it involves the greatest soap ever baked. It begins with the explosive Mike, Deirdre and Ken love triangle. Of course it does. Mercifully, for once there are no superfluous talking heads, just loads of clips and some affectionate narration from Jason Manford.

THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS

Monday and Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm     

Agatha is a lonely supermarket employee who is about to give birth. She becomes obsessed with Meghan, a pregnant woman with a perfect upper middle-class lifestyle (she’s forever chopping vegetables on her kitchen island). Inevitably, Meghan’s world isn’t as peachy as it seems. This risible Australian psychological thriller – Peyton Place with delusions of grandeur - thinks it’s blowing minds with a series of massively signposted twists etched in flaming neon letters. Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith from Downtown Abbey) almost transcends her surroundings with a fairly sensitive performance, but there’s no getting around the fact that Agatha embodies the offensive stereotype of people with mental health issues as figures to be pitied and feared. It’s 2020, we’re supposed to be better than this. 

BEING BEETHOVEN

Monday, BBC Four, 9pm

Ludwig Van Beethoven was a child prodigy, a natural born genius who was never given the opportunity to be anything else. That’s the poignant theme of the first instalment in this insightful series, which strips away the layers of myth to reveal the human being underneath. An estimable symphony of classical musicians and musicologists rake over Beethoven’s traumatic childhood. One of them, with affection, describes him as “a tiny, friendless, grubby kid who was somehow always in a world of his own all the time.” Fans of that other notable pop genius, Brian Wilson, will recognise the contours of this story: Beethoven’s dad was an aggressive alcoholic and frustrated musician. Peter Capaldi narrates passages from the great man’s jottings.  

THERE SHE GOES

Thursday, BBC Two, 9:30pm

The daughter of writers Shaun Pye and Sarah Crawford was born with an extremely rare, severe and undiagnosed learning disability. They’ve funnelled their experience into this admirably honest and entirely unsentimental comedy-drama, which first appeared on BBC Four in 2018. Series two picks up the story eighteen months later. As before, occasional flashbacks are employed to place their situation in ever-changing context. David Tennant and Jessica Hynes are low-key convincing as the parents of a child whose very existence makes well-meaning people feel uncomfortable. But There She Goes gains its strength from a determined refusal to preach or judge. Life isn’t etched in black and white, it’s strange, sad, difficult and funny. Profound, I know.

LAST WEEK’S TV

COMEDIANS: HOME ALONE

Monday 29th June, BBC Two

One day, probably next year, we’ll be treated to a compilation of clips from programmes made during the Covid-19 pandemic. An important historical document. Footage from this hastily cobbled-together sketch show will almost certainly be included. Future generations will look back in confusion at that strange time when bedraggled famous faces broadcasting pointless froth from the lockdown safety of their own homes was briefly normal; like that scene towards the end of Threads, when post-apocalyptic children gaze uncomprehendingly at crackly VHS footage of Words and Pictures. The penultimate episode featured contributions from the witless Russell Kane and those insufferably smug My Dad Wrote A Porno podcast dullards. World’s Funniest Man Bob Mortimer solemnly providing a list of silly cat names (Gustav Hosiery; The Gift of Barry; Brigadier Knickers) was the sole highlight. God help us if there’s an actual war.