The Suspect | Blackpool's Dance Fever | Animal Airlift: Escaping the Taliban

This article was originally published in The Courier on 27 August 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

The Suspect – Monday, STV, 9pm

Joe O’Loughlin (Aidan ‘Poldark’ Turner) is a reputable psychologist who’s recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. 

Joe becomes a national hero when he stops a young terminal cancer patient from jumping off a high window ledge. He’s also researching a book about attitudes towards sex workers, so when a young sex worker – her identity unknown – is brutally murdered, the police call him in to profile her. A series of weird coincidences – or are they? – ensue. 

On the evidence of episode one, The Suspect is more intelligent and sensitive than your standard TV crime drama. It appears to have some depth. 

Turner is a charismatic actor, but the subtly scene-stealing star is Shaun Parkes as our weary chief investigating officer.

Blackpool’s Dance Fever – Monday, BBC One, 8pm

Blackpool, as every devoted Strictly fan knows, is the universal heartland of ballroom dancing. Why? Well, for almost 100 years, the Blackpool Dance Festival has attracted hoofing contenders from all around the world. It’s an institution, albeit one which has never quite received the widespread attention it deserves. This amiable documentary delves behind its sequined scenes. 

The dancers have various personal stories to tell, they’ve tangoed and strived from all walks of life. Taking part in this event means the world to them. 

It’s also a tribute to those beautiful Blackpool ballrooms, the Winter Gardens and the Tower. I’m not one for sentimentality (I am one for sentimentality), but they’re absolute works of art.

Fastest Finger First – Monday to Friday, STV, 4:30pm and 4pm

There are few things I enjoy more in life than utterly trivial pursuits. So this new weekday afternoon quiz show, which I’m afraid I haven’t seen, sounds like something I’ll enjoy. 

If you’re anything like me – and God knows, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone – you’ll probably be intrigued by the sound of it too. A spin-off from Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, it presents us with various contestants who, should they triumph in this scenario, will secure a guaranteed place on the mothership. A gangplank leading up to one actual million pounds. 

It’s basically a prequel expansion of the first Millionaire round we’re all so familiar with. Your host is Anita Rani.

Jamie’s One-Pan Wonders – Monday, Channel 4, 8:30pm

This week, your friendly neighbourhood millionaire chef whips up some smoky noodle soup, a pan of home-made bread, and a chicken ‘n mushroom pie. 

The whole point of this particular Oliver vehicle is how simple yet delicious his dishes are. These easy to follow recipes won’t take up much of your valuable time either, they can – as per the show’s simply descriptive title – be cooked in just one pan. 

I don’t mind Jamie Oliver, and I’m sure he’d be delighted to hear that. Yes, he’s a rather silly person, but he’s harmless. And he has at least used his magical powers to effect some positive social change, the fella’s heart is in the right place.

Animal Airlift: Escaping the Taliban – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm

Last August, during the West’s utterly chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the former Royal Marines commando Pen Farthing worked around the clock to ensure the safe evacuation of his charitable organisation’s Afghan staff and the animals they shelter. 

The sad images released by Farthing and his team mobilised support from the animal-loving British public. Boris Johnson officially declared his approval. But portions of the British media turned on Farthing when he left a deeply frustrated, angry voicemail for an aide to the Secretary of Defence. He was accused of prioritising pets before people. 

This probing documentary examines the ways in which the widespread perception of a public figure can turn on a dime when politics are weaponised.

999: On the Frontline – Trauma – Monday, Channel 4, 11:05pm

The West Midlands Ambulance Service deal with major trauma cases on an arduous daily basis. In this thematically-linked episode of the stalwart observational documentary series, we follow paramedics in the thick of it all. 

They come to the aid of a woman whose newly born child is experiencing severe breathing difficulties, an 87-year-old man who has fallen off a ladder and damaged his pelvis, and a teenager who was, to say the least, lucky to survive a freak horsing accident. 

I sometimes complain about the hollow voyeuristic nature of programmes in this ‘Oh the humanity!’ genre, and I’ll never be entirely comfortable with them, but 999 does at least boast some semblance of integrity.

Grand Designs – Wednesday, Channel 4, 9pm

After all these years of dealing with sometimes ludicrously unrealistic building projects, you’d think that Kevin McCloud would be a broken man. But no, he’s still somehow managed to retain his wryly sceptical yet fundamentally sympathetic persona. He’s a hero of sorts, a better man than I. 

The umpteenth series of Grand Designs begins with a curved glass family home plonked into the middle of a Manchester suburb. Colin, a man possessed of undeniable ambition, wants to make his dream abode look like it’s floating. 

This doesn’t go down well with his rather more pragmatic Swedish architect, Italian interior designers, and Latvian building company. But – hey! – maybe Colin is a kind of maverick visionary.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Investigating Diana: Death in Paris – Sunday 21 August and Monday 22 August, Channel 4

There are so many conspiracy theories surrounding the death of Princess Diana, hence why there have been so many television programmes made about the death of Princess Diana. 

This series, which concludes on the 28^th and 29^th of August, is just another cog in an ever-revolving wheel. It doesn’t reveal any new information, because of course it doesn’t. Diana’s death was a tragedy, that’s all we can say with any certainty. Anything else is pure speculation. 

Which isn’t to suggest that we should just forget about the whole thing, far from it, but programmes such as this add up to very little. That said, I haven’t seen the last two episodes. Maybe they’ll sort it all out.

Saving Lives at Sea – Thursday 25 August, BBC Two

Imagine if your job involved rescuing people in distress. Perhaps it does, in which case I sincerely doff my cap to you. I’m writing this on a Sunday evening with a cat on my lap while eating a packet of Monster Munch; I have contributed nothing to society and the wellbeing of others. 

Saving Lives at Sea, which returned last week, is a humbling endeavour. Yes, we’ve all seen shows of this nature a thousand times before, but familiarity in this case doesn’t breed contempt. 

Equipped with their own cameras for maximum spume-sprayed drama, these unassuming rescuers set about their business with the utmost professionalism. Lives were saved. It’s just what they do. Someone has to.

DIANA + PHILLY D.A: BREAKING THE LAW + PETER TAYLOR: IRELAND AFTER PARTITION

This article was originally published in The Courier on 19th June 2021.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Diana – Thursday, STV, 9pm

Princess Diana would’ve turned sixty this year. This feature-length documentary recounts the story of her eventful and ultimately tragic life. 

It’s a sympathetic portrait of someone who was hounded by the press from the moment she emerged into the public eye at the age of nineteen. It doesn’t ignore the fact that Diana used the media to her advantage at times, but such is the nature of celebrity. 

I’m no royalist, but nor am I a knee-jerk cynic. For all her wealth and privilege, Diana was a sensitive human being whose adult life wasn’t especially happy. While the film occasionally borders on hagiography, I have no reason to doubt its overall assessment of her as a genuinely warm, caring person.

Devon and Cornwall – Monday, Channel 4, 8pm

The best thing about this series by a picturesque country mile is John Nettles’ hilariously rich and fruity narration. It’s an absolute masterclass in rococo over-enunciation; he makes Matt Berry sound like one of those fuzzy mumbling teachers from the Peanuts cartoons. 

As the latest series begins, we meet some more people enjoying seemingly idyllic lives. Chief among them are a trawlerman, a wildlife ranger and the head gardener at Cornwall’s Lost Gardens of Heligan. 

It’s a perfectly pleasant programme. Lovely scenery, genial protagonists, what a wonderful world etc. But Nettles catapults it into a bizarre realm far beyond its simple remit. And I’m still not entirely convinced that everyone involved, including Bergerac himself, isn’t in on the gag.

Philly D.A: Breaking the Law – Tuesday, BBC Four, 10pm

This engrossing eight-part series chronicles the controversial first term of Philadelphia’s District Attorney Larry Krasner, a veteran civil rights lawyer hell-bent on fixing the city’s broken criminal justice system. 

An uncompromising anti-establishment figure, Krasner vows to introduce sweeping changes with regards to law enforcement. He feels that far too many Philadelphians are being incarcerated for relatively trivial reasons. Naturally, this places him in direct conflict with the city’s police department (during his former career as a defence attorney, he sued them some 75 times). 

Krasner is a charismatic progressive whose dedicated fight against racism, police brutality and mass incarceration represents some hope for America as a whole. The series begins with a double-bill.

Eat Shop Save – Thursday, STV, 7:30pm

Presenter Ranvir Singh returns for another volley of consumer lifestyle assistance. Her guinea pigs this week are Michelle and Neil from Dudley, who are worried about their unhealthy diet.

Michelle and Neil mostly work from home, hence why they often rely on a quick and easy diet of takeaways. Believe you me, when you’re very busy and working to deadlines, it’s all too easy to slip into that rut. Fortunately, Singh and her team of experts are on hand to improve Michelle and Neil’s fitness levels while helping them to save money. 

But why this couple, who come across as nice people, have decided to address their problems on television is beyond me. That’s just something I will never understand.

The Supervet: Noel Fitzpatrick – Thursday, Channel 4, 8pm

If they ever make a biopic about Noel Fitzpatrick, he should definitely be played by Gabriel Byrne. A quietly charismatic, genial Irishman, Fitzpatrick is a veterinary surgeon who has never met a sickly snout or paw he couldn’t mend. 

He’s James Herriot with cutting-edge RoboCop technology at his disposal. Thank God he’s a force for good, otherwise we’d all be in trouble. A world ruled by cyborg cats is a horrifying proposition. 

The latest episode of this always watchable series focuses on Fitzpatrick’s pioneering experiments in joint replacement treatment. His patients include a beautiful black Labrador with debilitating arthritis and a quite magnificently massive Great Dane who Fitzpatrick sadly describes as “a neurological disaster”. But he’s on the case.

Dragons’ Den – Thursday, BBC One, 9pm

The latest episode of this never-ending series in which tycoons make anxious entrepreneurs squirm for their idle amusement is, of course, business as usual. The Dragons’ Den formula must never bend or yield. 

With Den stalwart Peter Jones still in self-isolation at the time of filming, his old mucker Theo Paphitis once again steps up as a temporary replacement. What a hero. 

This week’s hopefuls include an enthusiastic multi-instrumentalist who has invented a training aid for drummers, a woman with an eco-friendly recyclable shoe range, an LA-raised entrepreneur who has created a culinary alcohol product, and a couple from Leeds who bring four of their six kids along to pitch a mini-first aid course.

Unreported World – Friday, Channel 4, 7:30pm

In this stark report, journalist Seyi Rhodes meets some of the Syrian and Afghan migrants who can no longer find safe refuge in a once welcoming Europe. 

These desperate people, many of whom have been brutally assaulted, are stuck in Serbian limbo. They’ve trekked for miles on foot, only to be beaten back from the European Union by border guards. They’re living in abandoned farmhouses with no electricity or running water. Outside, anti-migrant vigilante groups circle them menacingly. It’s a horrifying situation. 

These men and women have nothing left, no homes to go to. Their lives and careers have been destroyed by war. And if they do manage to escape into Europe, will they really be any better off?

LAST WEEK’S TV

Phil Collins at the BBC – Saturday 12th June, BBC Two

Phil Collins is a curious contradiction. He’s always struck me as an affable fella with a self-deprecating sense of humour. Collins understands why people became utterly sick of his ubiquity in the 1980s. He gets the joke. 

But this archive compilation reminded me of why he was such a bête noire during my militant indie youth: so much of the music he released as a solo artist was terribly bland and self-pitying. Yes, he was a Great Drummer, but there was no evidence of that here. The classic likes of In the Air Tonight weren’t included, as he never performed them on Wogan or TOTP. As such, it didn’t really provide a fair overview of the man’s undoubted talents.

Peter Taylor: Ireland After Partition – Monday 14th June, BBC Two

For almost 50 years, the estimable British journalist and documentary filmmaker Peter Taylor has been covering the political situation in Northern Ireland. 

In this typically authoritative and thoughtful programme, Taylor looked back over his impressive body of work – which taken as a whole amounts to a vital piece of sociopolitical history - to examine the highly contentious and ongoing issue of a united Ireland. 

2021 marks the centenary of the Partition, which split Ireland into two separate states. Initially intended as a temporary measure, it has caused several lifetimes of chaos. While addressing the viewer directly, Taylor placed a complex and highly divisive situation in clear-eyed context. As always, he allowed room for all sides of the argument. Exemplary television.