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.

THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE | DETECTORISTS | MAYFLIES

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

THIS WEEK’S TV

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse – Christmas Eve, BBC One, 4:55pm

This is beautiful. An animated adaptation of the children’s book by Charles Mackesy, it follows a lonely little boy who befriends a kindly mole in the snowy British countryside. They’re kindred spirits. “I think everyone feels a bit lost sometimes,” mutters the mole, “I know I do.” 

They meet a tethered fox, who would normally devour the mole under different circumstances, and a majestic white horse. “Life is difficult,” says the horse to his newfound friends, “but you are loved.” 

Mackesy’s treatise on loneliness and anxiety is told with poetic child-friendly sensitivity. It’s preceded on BBC Two at 3:55pm by Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, The Horse, and Me, a charming profile of the author/illustrator.

A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story – Christmas Day, BBC Four, 7pm

Mark Gatiss, that ghost of Christmas ever-present, is the brains behind this filmed stage adaptation of the Dickens classic. 

It’s a fine production. You know the story inside out, but Gatiss and co deliver their own little twists and tweaks. An immortal text, it will always be retold by people who understand its innate power. Gatiss was born to retell it. One gets the impression that he’s been working towards this moment throughout his entire life and career. 

If you have children in the house on Christmas Day, children who know nothing of Scrooge and his various iterations, then I daresay they’ll be bewitched. Sure, it’s no The Muppet Christmas Carol, but nothing is (apart from The Muppet Christmas Carol).

Ghosts – Christmas Day, BBC One, 7:25pm

I’m surprised it’s taken this long for Ghosts to take its rightful place in our Christmas Day schedules, as it quite obviously belongs there. A family-friendly sweet-treat. Still, here it finally is, so let’s all sing Hosanna (if you like). 

The ghosts decide to show their eternal thanks to Alison and Mike by performing a panto. As always, a few hiccups aside, the extended family band together. It all turns out fine in the end. 

The appeal of Ghosts lies in its seemingly effortless ability to fuse silliness, irony and earned emotion. Prepare yourselves, this year, for a certain ghost being reminded of their last Christmas as a corporeal entity. The pathos isn’t overcooked, it’s lovely.

Call the Midwife – Christmas Day, BBC One, 7:55pm

At the risk of sounding like a comforting ‘80s BBC continuity announcer, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a visit to Poplar. 

1967 is almost at an end. The Summer of Love passed them by, they’re still recovering from a tragic train crash. But life goes on. The midwives swiftly move into a new maternity ward; there are babies, mothers, fathers and families in need. 

I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: you can always tell when someone who’s never actually watched Call the Midwife dismisses it as sentimental fluff. Blandness personified. Nah, it fuses that fluff with a certain amount of grit and a whole heap of empathy. Some good things are deservedly successful.

Doc Martin – Christmas Day, STV, 9:05pm

The end is nigh for this fondly regarded comedy-drama starring Martin Clunes as a lovably taciturn country medic. 

In this final episode, our lugubrious antihero closes down the village grotto when he begins to suspect that ‘Santa’ might be spreading a contagion. Cue much consternation and gnashing of teeth. This being Doc Martin, of course, everything comes up roses. We wouldn’t have it any other way. 

At 8:30pm on Thursday, fans can also enjoy ITV’s Farewell Doc Martin, a retrospective celebrating the whole merry shebang.

Detectorists – Boxing Day, BBC Two, 9pm

Writer/director Mackenzie Crook’s Detectorists is one of the best British sitcoms of recent years. It ended perfectly in 2017, but now it’s back for one final episode. 

Preview copies weren’t available, but I trust Crook to deliver the goods. He wouldn’t unearth this cherished gemstone, this self-evident labour of love, if he didn’t feel it deserved to see the light of day.

The Danebury Metal Detecting Club is in dire straits. Property developers are sniffing around its soil. Disaster beckons until Lance (Toby Jones) secures permission to search ten acres of undetected land. 

Can he reverse the fortunes of the DMDC? Is that expedition worth the effort if it irreversibly threatens his friendship with Andy (Crook)?

Mayflies – Tuesday and Wednesday, BBC Scotland, 10pm/Wednesday and Thursday, BBC One, 9pm

A two-part adaptation of Andrew O’Hagan’s acclaimed novel, this for me is one of the obvious festive TV highlights. 

The synopsis doesn’t sound very Christmassy, I know: Jimmy (Martin Compston) is a successful Ayrshire-born author based in London.  One day, out of the blue, Tully (Tony Curran), his best friend since adolescence, calls him back home. Tully has terminal cancer and refuses treatment.  He wants to go out his way. 

Tully asks Jimmy to help him put his final affairs in order. First step: Tully marries his girlfriend (Ashley Jensen). 

Mayflies is being shown at this time of year because it’s a touching, witty, warm and authentic meditation on enduring friendship and love. It reminds us of what’s important.

INSIDE NO. 9 + HOUSE OF MAXWELL + CHIVALRY

This article was originally published in The Courier on 16th April 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Inside No. 9 – Wednesday, BBC Two, 10pm

The latest series of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s exceptional anthology begins with something fans have long been waiting for: a reunion with their erstwhile League of Gentlemen cohort Mark Gatiss. 

They play old university friends meeting up for the first time in years. Lawrence (Shearsmith) has arranged an off-season (and highly symbolic) pedalo ride on a remote lake. Much to Lawrence’s chagrin, Darren (Pemberton) has brought his new girlfriend (Diane Morgan) along. She thinks they’re heading for a fun boat party. In fact, they’re going nowhere. You can never go back. Sometimes people just drift apart. 

A compact study of loss and nostalgia, but with jokes, the episode confounds expectations in typical Inside No. 9 style.

Yorkshire Midwives on Call – Monday and Tuesday, BBC Two, 8pm

This gently uplifting factual series follows a team of homebirth midwives based in Bradford. On average they look after 160 women each year. Thoroughly nice people, these midwives are also great at what they do. 

The series grants insight into the practical details of their workaday labours, while examining the bittersweet emotional aspects. Naturally, they always form an attachment with their patients. But once a midwife’s work is done, she has to move on to another family. 

The series also spends time with some of the pregnant mothers who have decided to give birth at home. They all have their reasons. After watching this, some younger viewers may feel inspired to add midwifery to their list of potential job options.

House of Maxwell – Monday, BBC Two, 9pm

If their accounts are to be believed, some of Ghislaine Maxwell’s closest friends were shocked by the revelation that she’d trafficked underage girls for the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his wealthy friends. The final episode of this grimly compelling series attempts to explain how Maxwell and Epstein got away with their crimes for so long. 

It features heartrending interviews with two of their many victims, both of whom describe the horrific ordeals they went through. We also hear from some of the lawyers who acted on behalf of the victims. Their anger is palpable: the system, the establishment, betrayed those vulnerable young women. 

Prince Andrew makes his presence felt in the final 20 minutes. He isn’t spared.

Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof – Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm

Wim Hof, aka The Iceman, is a Dutch motivational guru renowned for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures. It’s a skill he attributes to a unique combination of breathing exercises, yoga and meditation. 

Hof is the benignly eccentric star of this otherwise drab and dubious reality series in which eight celebs face a series of extreme sub-zero challenges in the mountains of northern Italy. It’s basically I’m a Celebrity with a spiritual self-help angle, or The Apprentice hijacked by a hippie Alan Sugar. Which sounds amazing, I know. It’s not amazing. It’s a tiresomely formulaic piece of television. 

A snow-capped turkey, it has to be seen at least once. Just so you can prove that it really happened.

Life After Life – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Kate Atkinson, this is not your standard period drama. Structurally ambitious if nothing else, it explores various alternative possible lives for its protagonist. 

Ursula is born in 1910 to an upper middle-class English family. That’s the only fixed point in time. The splintered story then unfolds as a series of vignettes in which Ursula’s lives are beset by tragedy. 

I appreciate the stark philosophical ‘What if?’ message - life in all its permutations is cruel and unpredictable – but the overall effect is rather cold, calculated and alienating. It falls short of its profound ambitions. 

I haven’t read the book, but I gather it explores this premise in a far more affecting way.

Chivalry – Thursday, Channel 4, 10pm

Steve Coogan and Sarah Solemani write and star in this new comedy-drama inspired by the #MeToo movement. Highly sensitive territory, but it’s clear from recent interviews that Coogan and Solemani have thought deeply about how to handle this subject within a semi-comedic context. Whether they succeed remains to be seen. 

Set inside the A-List Hollywood film industry, it examines the tense professional relationship between a serious feminist auteur and a bigshot film producer with a reputation for dating much younger woman; an awkward dinosaur trying to navigate his way through a modern world he doesn’t quite understand. 

Episode one shows only vague promise, but I’m inclined to trust these writers. They obviously have something to say.

The Rising – Friday, Sky Showcase, 9pm

A young woman, Neve, has been murdered and dumped in a lake. The next day, she returns as an invisible, inaudible ghost. Neve can’t remember what happened, but she’s determined to track down her killer. And from thence does this new supernatural drama from Sky unfold. 

Episode one is quite arresting. It establishes the central mystery without any undue fuss: a no-filler thriller with hints of emotional depth. The ghostly premise and rural, gloomy lakeside community setting stir memories of the excellent French drama Les Revenants. While it may not live up to that comparison, it strikes me as something that could be worth sticking with. 

Unless you have an aversion to ghost stories, I daresay you’ll be intrigued.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Rock Family Trees: The Birth of Cool Britannia – Saturday April 9, BBC Two

In the early 1970s, music journalist Pete Frame begat his treasurable Rock Family Trees: hand-drawn artworks tracing the complex roots of famous bands and musical movements. 

Frame’s work formed the basis of a fondly-remembered late 1990s TV series. Last Saturday it returned for an enjoyable one-off special exploring the origins of Britpop. 

This was the story of three closely intertwined bands: Suede, Elastica and Blur. It served as a reminder that early Britpop had nothing to do with the jingoistic laddism of Oasis. It was sexy, arch and arty. 

Brett from Suede and Justine from Elastica (who were once romantically involved) reminisced with warm, self-deprecating and occasionally regretful candour. Blur, strangely, were unavailable for comment.

The Brian Cox Interview – Tuesday April 12, BBC Scotland

The title says it all. Dundee’s very own Brian Cox sat down for a half-hour chat with BBC Scotland’s Amy Irons. 

Actors can often be hard work – humourless, pretentious and full of hifalutin self-regard – but Cox came across as a genuinely nice man. He’s been a very successful and esteemed thespian for over 40 years, but his leading role as Logan Roy in Succession has turned him into a kind of cult global treasure. 

He’s understandably delighted by this late career development. He’s also a pragmatic jobbing actor who understands that talent operates in tandem with random acts of good fortune. 

Hats off to Irons, too. A very good interviewer. Her questions were considered and concise.    

SHAUN THE SHEEP: THE FLIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS + GHOSTS + THE AMAZING MR BLUNDEN

This article was originally published in The Courier on 18th December 2021. 

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas – Christmas Eve, BBC One, 6pm

I never cease to be tickled by the deft comic timing and inventiveness of the Aardman Animations team. At their best they’re right up there with the likes of Tex Avery. High praise indeed, but I reckon they deserve it. 

The latest festive sojourn to Mossy Bottom Farm is typically delightful. When Shaun’s cute little cousin Timmy accidentally hitches a ride on the Proclaimer-esque farmer’s truck, an urgent rescue mission kicks into gear. A busy village market is no place for an innocent lamb. 

I do, however, have a mild complaint: the farmer’s hapless dog really doesn’t deserve the hardship he constantly endures. It’s just not fair and it makes me feel sad. I am 47-years-old.

Two Doors Down – Monday, BBC Two, 9:30pm

As we eavesdrop once again upon these suburban Glasgow neighbours, ‘tis just a few days before Christmas. Prosecco and nibbles abound, although Christine (Elaine C. Smith) opts for a liquid diet of Stella, J.D. and Coke. She’s mourning the recent death of a friend, you see. It’s what she would’ve wanted. 

Christine’s ersatz piety – she’s just returned from church – is a source of mirth throughout. The episode also gets tremendous mileage from the phrase “Pat over the back”, which has an inherently funny rhythm to it, and you may find yourself inspired by a kazoo-based game of Name That Tune. 

As always, nothing and everything happens all at once. A constant muffled soundtrack of Christmas music enhances the unease.

Mandy: We Wish You a Mandy Christmas – Monday, BBC Two, 10pm

Diane Morgan is best known as the gormless cultural commentator Philomena Cunk, who first appeared on Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe. This, however, is Morgan in auteur mode: a pleasingly peculiar sitcom in which she plays a lonely oddball from a high-rise estate. 

I enjoyed series one with reservations; Mandy isn’t hilarious, but I admire Morgan’s commitment to this strange little universe she’s created. And it never outstays its welcome, as each episode is only fifteen-minutes long. 

In the grand tradition of yuletide comedy specials, this is a riff on A Christmas Carol. Raddled performance poet John Cooper Clarke cameos as one of Mandy’s spectral visitors. You rarely see curios like this on TV anymore. I’m glad it exists.

Madame Tussauds: The Full Wax – Wednesday, STV, 9pm

This wry documentary peers behind the curtains of London’s legendary wax museum. At first glance it appears to be quite a glib endeavour, but it gradually unveils a surprisingly potent theme about the transience of fame. 

If a celebrity is no longer considered relevant, their effigy will be banished to a backroom or melted down altogether. And visitors obviously don’t want to be confronted with disgraced celebs a la Savile: Tussauds doesn’t even have a chamber of horrors these days. 

Highlights include the rictus-grinning likeness of Prince Harry being carried around like a deactivated Auton, and the various interjections from cocksure creative director Justin, who comes across as a spectacular wally.

Ghosts – Thursday, BBC One, 8:30pm

The original Horrible Histories team: arguably the most talented British comedy ensemble since The League of Gentlemen? Ghosts is remarkable in that it’s a family-friendly sitcom which neither patronises children nor tips too many knowing winks at their parents. It also combines comedy and pathos in a seemingly effortless way. 

In this Christmas special, a homeless man pitches his tent on the grounds of Button House. Inevitably, the only characters who want to send him packing are the WWI Captain and the trouser-shy Tory MP. But even they become swayed by his plight. That’s not a spoiler, Ghosts is rarely downbeat. 

Special guest-star Jennifer Saunders is entirely at home in this dotty environment.

The Amazing Mr Blunden – Christmas Eve, Sky Showcase, 7pm

Written and directed by Mark Gatiss, this adaptation of Antonia Barber’s supernatural time-travel yarn for children is, without any shadow of a doubt, the best solo venture the League of Gentleman alumnus has undertaken since his first self-penned episode of Doctor Who. He’s in his absolute element here. 

The protagonists are a pair of contemporary teenage kids who find themselves whisked back to a Victorian manor house. The mysterious Mr Blunden (Simon Callow), who arrives on their doorstep just before Christmas, is the catalyst. 

Gatiss, who co-stars alongside Tamsin Greig, pitches the mood perfectly: a strange, cobwebbed dream that won’t frighten children unduly, but it might unsettle them in the best possible sense. 

A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Mezzotint – Christmas Eve, BBC Two, 10:30pm

And if Blunden doesn’t deliver enough Gatiss for your Christmas buck, he’s back again with yet another M.R. James adaptation. Weirdly, he’s never managed to pull these off. 

His child-friendly Blunden adaptation is more atmospheric than any of his ghost stories for adults. They always comes across as functional, churned-out Tales of the Unexpected episodes. This one stars Rory Kinnear as a man who becomes obsessed with a painting of a hooded figure. You can predict the ending from the premise alone. 

It’s not bad as such, but it lacks the genuine eeriness and lingering impact of those classic 1970s adaptations of James’ work. It doesn’t jolt, it merely unfolds. You’ll probably retire to bed with a shrug.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Sting: Reel Stories – Saturday 11th December, BBC Two

When viewed from a certain angle, Sting is the perfect pop star. He’s handsome, talented, ridiculous and pretentious. A borderline brilliant construct. Squint in another direction, however, and he’s just an utter buffoon. 

His enduring appeal lies somewhere in the middle, as this interview with the affably sycophantic Dermot O’Leary confirmed. The Reel Stories format is simple yet effective: musicians are forced to watch old clips of themselves. O’Leary prompts them for a response. That's it, but it's enough.

Sting looked genuinely sad and occasionally amused while watching footage of The Police in their imperial phase, but he couldn’t quite manage to poke fun at himself. His underlying pomposity was palpable. If only he could loosen up a bit, we might all like him more. Some advice for Sting, there.

 

 

TV Column: DRACULA + DOCTOR WHO

This article was originally published in The Courier on 28th December 2019.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/category/lifestyle/entertainment/tv-film/

NEXT WEEK’S TV

DRACULA

New Year’s Day to Friday, BBC One, 9pm

If, like me, you eventually grew tired of Steven Moffat and Mark Gattis’ unbearably self-indulgent Sherlock, you might be pleasantly surprised by their muscular take on Dracula. A 19^th century period piece, it borrows heavily from Bram Stoker’s novel while going its own freewheeling way (e.g. traumatised solicitor Jonathan Harker recounts his terrible tale to a drolly straight-talking, Godless nun). Despite containing flashes of slyly affectionate meta-commentary on established vampire lore, this Dracula isn’t a send-up. It’s witty, yes, but it’s also grimly atmospheric and unabashedly horrific. It may be one of the goriest dramas ever made by the BBC. Main selling point: a commanding performance from saturnine Danish actor Claes Bang as an utterly ruthless, cocksure Count.

DAME EDNA RULES THE WAVES

Hogmanay, BBC One, 9:05pm

The great Dame emerges from semi-retirement to host this one-off special from her enormous luxury yacht (it’s three times the size of Wales). Her celebrity shipmates include Sharon Osbourne, Judge Rinder, Emily Atack and Anita Rani, all of them eager to be insulted in inimitable passive-aggressive Edna fashion. Now aged 85, Edna’s material isn’t quite what it was. Her opening monologue falls flat, sadly, although it does contain this touching tribute to her late sidekick Madge Allsop: “She went peacefully… she died in my sleep.” All is not lost, however: once the guests come out, traces of her sharp improvisatory wit can still be detected. She can’t help being naturally funny, that gift never disappears completely.

DOCTOR WHO

New Year’s Day, BBC One, 6:55pm

The Doctor returns with a skittish two-part Bond pastiche called Spyfall (like Skyfall; such wit), featuring guest-stars Stephen Fry as a Q-style MI6 official and Lenny Henry (more of whom below) as a villainous billionaire businessman. I’m no fan of tin-eared showrunner Chris Chibnall; he is, at best, a competent hack. Spyfall is Chibnall at his best. It’s a fairly enjoyable run-around in which a mysterious race of aliens launch an attack on international intelligence agents. Chibnall pulls off a couple of decent set-pieces, Ryan and Yaz actually get to do something for once, and Jodie Whittaker makes her mark whenever the script allows her to. Things can only get better?

IMAGINE… LENNY HENRY: YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK

Thursday, BBC One, 12am

This thoughtful profile of Sir Lenworth has, for some mystifying reason, been buried at midnight. So what if you can watch it whenever on iPlayer? He deserves better. It’s a poignant companion piece to his recently published autobiography, in which he focuses, not on his years of fame and fortune, but on his early struggle to make a name for himself on the ‘70s working men’s club and television circuit: a seemingly insurmountable task for a black teenager in a predominantly white - and covertly racist - environment. He reflects upon the importance of delivering race-based jokes before the audience got there first. It was a defence mechanism, he had no choice. Today he’s a figurehead for the diversity movement.

LAST WEEK’S TV

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

22^nd December to Christmas Eve, BBC One

The zillionth adaptation of Dickens’ festive classic starred Guy Pearce as Scrooge and Stephen Graham as Marley. It was written by Steven ‘Peaky Blinders’ Knight, hence the knowingly mannered, sooty charcoal aesthetic and salty language. Knight was obviously more interested in exploring Scrooge’s eloquent nihilism than his eventual redemption, but it was the resolutely dark Christmas Carol we deserved this year. An enjoyably nasty addition to the canon.

MARTIN’S CLOSE

Christmas Eve, BBC Four

Mark Gatiss – that man again – wrote and directed this boring adaptation of an M.R. James ghost story about a 17^th century nobleman accused of murdering a young woman with learning difficulties. I admire Gatiss’ commitment to reviving the BBC’s Christmas tradition of supernatural yarns, but his efforts tend to be little more than fanboy homages. They lack the haunting impact of the adaptations he adores. RIP Jonathan Miller.

GAVIN & STACEY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Christmas Day, BBC One

There are few things worse than a reunion with people you didn’t much care for in the first place. This unnecessary comeback confirmed the wisdom of that stone-clad sitcom edict: don’t bother. Have Corden and Jones learned nothing from Only Fools and Horses and David Brent: Life On The Road? It’s a nice enough show, fairly well-observed, but leave it where it belongs: somewhat fondly remembered in the third tier.

TV Review: DOCTOR WHO + LITTLE WOMEN + ERIC, ERNIE & ME + ERIC & ERNIE'S HOME MOVIES

A version of this article was first published in The Courier on 30th December 2017.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/category/lifestyle/entertainment/tv-film/

DOCTOR WHO: Christmas Day, BBC One

LITTLE WOMEN: Boxing Day to Thursday, BBC One

ERIC, ERNIE & ME: Friday, BBC Four

ERIC & ERNIE’S HOME MOVIES: Friday, BBC Two

A piece of television history occurred on Christmas Day when Peter Capaldi regenerated into Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to play the lead in DOCTOR WHO.

As epochal though that moment was – Whittaker’s brief burst of screen time was suitably tantalising - it didn’t overshadow the brunt of this enjoyable festive special, during which outgoing show-runner Steven Moffat gave Capaldi the emotional farewell he deserved.

Instead of signing off with an epic bang, Moffat marked the end of this era – the first twelve years of ‘Nu-Who’ basically - with a relatively low-key, character-driven hour in which the dying Doctor, having fought, loved and lost for thousands of years in an eternally evil-scarred universe, couldn’t go on any longer. He didn’t want to regenerate, he just wanted to quietly die in the Arctic tundra.

And not, as it turned out, for the first time. Moffat, who can’t resist sewing new fragments into Doctor Who’s vast ongoing tapestry, conjured a bittersweet storyline in which the Doctor’s original incarnation – David Bradley doing a pretty good job of replacing the late William Hartnell, despite the first Doctor’s political incorrectness being jarringly overplayed  – also tried to stave off his imminent regeneration. 

Here were two iterations of the same Time Lord separated by aeons, yet united by fear, confusion and weariness. Nothing says Christmas quite like a double dose of existential fatalism.

It wasn’t as depressing as that sounds, of course. Moffat juggled pathos and gags while building towards an uplifting final act in which both Doctors came to realise the importance of their place in the universe. They lived to fight another billion days.

The Twelfth Doctor’s turnaround was admittedly rather sudden – all it took was a group hug from his loyal companions – but in the context of a moving recreation of the Christmas Armistice of 1914, I’ll let that pass. Moffat’s heartfelt Christmas messages – death can never erase memories of loved ones, human beings are essentially kind – never came across as trite.

Moffat had his faults, as did Russell T. Davies before him, but this was a dignified last stand. He’ll always be one of the best and most ambitious writers Doctor Who has ever had.

One of the modern show’s most talented directors, Rachel Talalay did a typically beautiful job. I hope we’ll see more of her standout work during the Whittaker era.

Capaldi and Bradley were ably supported by the excellent Pearl Mackie in her final performance as companion Bill – oh if only she’d been paired with Capaldi from the start – and Mark Gatiss delivering a sensitive guest performance as a World War One Captain (and grandfather of classic Doctor Who stalwart Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart) stoically facing down death.

This was a touching celebration of everything the Doctor and the hit TV series Doctor Who stands for. The Twelfth Doctor’s pre-regeneration speech, though grandly performed by the great Peter C, was a tad overlong but just about succeeded as both a meta and in-universe declaration of the selflessly heroic Time Lord’s core attributes.

If incoming showrunner Chris ‘Broadchurch’ Chibnall heeds Moffat’s checklist, then Doctor Who and Jodie Whittaker should be in safe hands. I remain cautiously optimistic.

The umpteenth adaptation of the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott, LITTLE WOMEN hopefully managed to introduce this immortal coming-of-age saga to a new generation.

After all, its themes are eternally relevant. Young women in the late 19^th century share the same fundamental concerns as their modern counterparts. Attitudes may have evolved, but the human condition is unchanging.

Heidi Thomas, creator of Call the Midwife, captured the charm, wit and gender-political thrust of Alcott’s source material, while newcomer Maya Hawke (daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke) shone brightly as proto-feminist Jo.

You’d have to be a total numbskull to botch this timeless celebration of female strength and charity. Thomas is not that numbskull.

Morecambe & Wise were always a gifted double act, but it wasn’t until the brilliant writer Eddie Braben refined their onscreen personae that they found a permanent place in the nation’s collective heart.

Eric was an innate comic genius. Ernie was the consummate foil. It was Braben, however, who lit the Eureka bulb of making them both funny in different ways. Inspired by Laurel and Hardy, these three wise men (including one Wiseman) struck cascading comedy gold.

Braben received his due in ERIC, ERNIE & ME, an affectionate drama starring Stephen Tompkinson as an inspired freelance writer who was eventually driven to extremes of nervous exhaustion by the crushing burden of creating an annual Christmas spectacular for millions of expectant viewers.

I’m automatically suspicious of tears-behind-the-laughter biopics, but this one had no truck with voyeuristic sensationalism. How could it? There’s no dirt to be found beneath the fingernails of this story, just sweat, toil and the nerve-straining demands of cheering people up for a living.

The boys themselves were the stars of ERIC & ERNIE’S HOME MOVIES, a truly heart-warming documentary boasting recently unearthed silent footage – most of it shot by Eric – of them enjoying their offstage lives in the ‘50s, ‘60s and early ‘70s.

One usually endures other people’s family mementoes with a polite smile while scanning for the exit, but watching these priceless documents in the intimate onscreen company of delighted friends and family members – most of whom had never seen them before either – was an honour.

I was glad when it ended, but only because the lump in my throat was becoming painful to the point of asphyxiation.

Morecambe and Wise were the beloved funny uncles we never knew in person.

This beautiful programme confirmed what we’ve always known. We loved them because they loved each other.