SHETLAND | STORYVILLE: GORBACHEV. HEAVEN | HOW TO WITH JOHN WILSON

This article was originally published in The Courier on 10th September 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Shetland – Wednesday, BBC One, 9pm

Time now for D.I. Jimmy Perez to bid adieu to TV’s most incident-packed Scottish archipelago. His final case, which began with a missing teenager and ended up with a radicalised local setting off bombs all over the principality, proved to be a decent send-off for the character. 

Perez will never be regarded as one of the greatest ever made-up crime-solvers - he was no Columbo, Fitz or Tennison – but his quiet, hangdog integrity and compassion were appealing traits. Douglas Henshall, a sensitive actor, was perfectly cast in the role. 

As you’d expect, the finale consists of a series of terse windswept confrontations and dramatic revelations. Plus the denouement is rather poignant.

Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next? – Tuesday, BBC Three, 10pm

Deepfake technology is an increasingly sophisticated form of digital manipulation whereby images of people can be convincingly placed in an entirely different context. In this troubling documentary, presenter Jess Davies talks to three deepfake victims. 

These non-consenting women suffered severe trauma when they were made aware of graphic mocked-up pornographic footage of themselves online. Davies reveals that there is no official legislation to protect victims of this devastating crime in England and Wales. There is nothing they can do. 

She also encounters deepfake creators who, without any fear of legal action hanging over their heads, have no qualms about continuing with this abuse.

Storyville: Gorbachev. Heaven – Tuesday, BBC Four, 9pm

Originally released via iPlayer on 31^st August, purely by chance just a few hours after its subject’s death was announced, this intimate documentary about Mikhail Gorbachev is being swiftly repeated for obvious reasons. 

Filmed towards the end of his life, it shadows the frail former Soviet leader as he reflects upon his controversial legacy. Hailed by many in the west as a hero for his role in ending the Cold War – Gorbachev was the architect of Glasnost and Perestroika – he’s reviled by many in his homeland for destroying the Soviet Union. His policies had, to say the least, long-lasting consequences. 

The film doesn’t ask us to feel sorry for Gorbachev, but he cuts a rather sad and lonely figure.

The Great British Bake Off – Tuesday, Channel 4, 8pm

The latest series of this sugar-coated juggernaut begins, as it always must, with Cake Week. 

A fresh batch of contestants are tasked with producing 12 perfect mini cakes, a sumptuous sponge cake, and a mercifully scaled-down dessert facsimile of a home close to their hearts. Preview copies weren’t available, but this will obviously be business as usual. The Bake Off format takes care of itself, it needn’t ever change. 

The main event is accompanied on Friday at 8pm by The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice, in which host Jo Brand and various celebrity chums cast – oh yes – a sideways glance at the week’s events. We also check in with the first ejected contestant.

Nadiya’s Everyday Baking – Wednesday, BBC Two, 8:30pm

If you weren’t fully sated by Bake Off’s return, then here’s the delightful Nadiya Hussein with more kitchen tips. 

Her latest series is based around a simple mission statement: “baking for you, for me, and for the people we love.” Yes, it’s basically just your standard ‘busy parent’ cookery show - life hacks you can activate before that stressful school run! - but you’d really have to go out of your way to be pointlessly annoyed by it. 

Nigella’s programmes, which revolve around the same premise, are admittedly more compelling because she has such a bizarre presentation style. They’re inadvertently funny parodies of an upper middle-class fantasia. Hussein is far more down to earth and relatable.

My Grandparents’ War – Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm

A wartime-focused version of BBC One’s Who Do You Think You Are?, this returning series follows various celebs as they find out more about the roles their ancestors played during World War One and World War Two. 

The second series begins with Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington, whose grandfather served alongside James Bond creator Ian Fleming in Naval Intelligence. He was subsequently recruited by MI5 and MI6, and went on to commandeer one of the most notorious spying operations of the 20^th century. Another one of grandad Harington’s colleagues? Kim Philby. 

Young master Harington also uncovers a tragic romance. This, clearly, is not your standard family backstory. An eventful panoply of riches, no less.

LAST WEEK’S TV

How To with John Wilson – Sunday 4th September, BBC Two

This comic documentary series provides proof, if proof be needed, that irony and sincerity aren’t mutually exclusive. It’s an utterly charming confection in which the American filmmaker John Wilson provides gentle tutorials on how to get through life. 

Wilson is a sweet-natured nerd with a nice line in droll understatement. He wanders his homeland in pursuit of people and their stories. Some of Wilson's interviewees are rather unusual, but he never mocks them. He's genuinely interested in what they have to say.

Episode one, which initially presented itself as an amusing treatise on the art of small talk, ended up being an affecting study of anxiety, loneliness and grief. A very special little show with a generous spirit, I can’t recommend it enough.

RED ROSE + SKY HIGH CLUB + PORN KING: THE RISE & FALL OF RON JEREMY

This article was originally published in The Courier on 13th August 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Red Rose – Monday, BBC Three, 10pm

Picture, if you will, Black Mirror hijacked by Shane Meadows. That was my initial impression upon watching this intriguing horror yarn about teenage friends from Bolton who gradually become bewitched by a sinister app. 

Troubled protagonist Roch is the first to fall under Red Rose’s mysterious spell. When she answers its ostensibly benign ‘Yes or No’ questions, the app starts granting her wishes. Enter our old friend, the Faustian pact. This won’t end well. 

Red Rose takes its cue from the likes of Carrie et al. It’s a sympathetic study of teenage angst shot through a supernatural prism; a creep-show possessed of some substance. The entire series will be available on iPlayer after episode one goes out.

Disclosure: Locked in the Hospital – Monday, BBC One, 7pm

No one should be living in hospital without any hope of release. That’s supposed to be against the law. And yet so many people have been stuck there, behind closed doors, for decades.

BBC Scotland reporter Lucy Adams focuses on four young men who, despite having committed no crimes, are still locked in secure hospitals. She investigates the sad stories of people with autism and learning disabilities who should not be trapped within this system. Adams also speaks to the families of those patients, all of whom have struggled for years to bring their loved ones home. 

Ministers have stated that they’ll definitely be released by 2024 at the latest, but why has it taken so long?

Sky High Club – Monday, BBC Scotland, 10:30pm/Thursday, BBC Three, 8pm

Loganair, which has its main base in Glasgow, is the UK’s largest regional airline. In this breezy new series, we spend time with its young crewmembers. They’re a close-knit team who thrive on banter. A nice bunch of kids living the high-flying dream. 

Captain Robbie, who’s only 25, met his partner Kirsten at work. It’s a long distance relationship: she lives in Shetland, he’s based in Edinburgh. The sweet highlight of episode one is when they meet for the first time in weeks during a brief flight stopover. A chaste kiss is exchanged. 

We’re also introduced to cabin crewmembers Shannon and Karolina, best friends since primary school, and trainee Omar from Morocco. A nice little show.

Porn King: The Rise & Fall of Ron Jeremy – Monday and Tuesday, Channel 4, 10pm

Veteran porn star Ron Jeremy is currently facing 34 charges of rape and sexual assault. This two-part series features exclusive testimonies from some of the women and industry insiders who have accused him of being a serial abuser. His alleged crimes are legion. 

Jeremy became a star during the so-called ‘Golden Age’ of porn in the 1970s. The Boogie Nights era. This chubby little man with his ridiculous mane and thick moustache cultivated an image of himself as a smart, funny, likeable character; the world’s most unlikely sex symbol, a harmless figure of fun. That was his subterfuge, an entirely disingenuous act. 

He is currently in jail awaiting trial. His victims will be vindicated. 

Shetland – Wednesday, BBC One, 9pm

The case of missing Danny Cairns continues during Douglas Henshall’s valedictory tour of duty as the glowering yet sensitive D.I. Jimmy Perez. 

Last week’s instalment ended with the shocking discovery of a corpse in a suitcase. It wasn’t Danny’s corpse, so he could still be alive (yep, that’s right, I’m quite the amateur sleuth).

This show won’t be the same without Henshall. I wish it all the best, his replacement will no doubt be fine and good, but it’s not like when a Doctor regenerates. Doctor Who thrives on change and the differing personalities of its lead actors. We watch the likes of Shetland because we enjoy the comforting presence of a certain actor as they pretend to solve crimes.

Hotel Custody – Thursday, STV, 9pm

One of the UK’s busiest police custody centres is located in the economically deprived town of Grimsby. This new series observes its staff as they deal with various detainees. You may find yourselves discomfited by its jarring shifts in tone. 

I appreciate that the staff (all of whom come across as decent people) feel compelled to lighten the mood with jokes. That’s understandable. My problem with this series is the way in which it distastefully tries to present itself as a light-hearted workplace documentary with a supporting cast of people struggling with mental illness, drugs and alcohol. 

It provides zero insight into the root causes of these problems. There is no wider context, it’s nothing more than voyeurism.

Hobby Man – Friday, Channel 4, 8pm

In this new series, comedian, journalist and The Last Leg co-host Alex Brooker embarks upon an odyssey to discover new hobbies. It’s never too late to while away your time with another enjoyably pointless endeavour. 

Episode one involves a trip to Edinburgh, during which Brooker hooks up with fellow fun-seeker Scarlett Moffatt. They visit one of the world’s oldest chess clubs, dive headfirst into the world of home brewing, and then head up to Loch Leven for a bit of birdwatching. At the end of their eventful journey, Brooker and Moffatt trade thoughts on which new hobby they enjoyed the most. 

Yep, it’s just another sliver of throwaway Friday night fun from your friends at Channel 4.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Van der Valk – Sunday 7th August, STV

This may be a damning indictment of either A) my prowess as a television critic, or B) the unexceptional nature of 21^st Century Van der Valk, but whenever I happen upon this revival, the only point I feel compelled to make is: what on earth were they thinking with that bland Richard Clayderman-esque rearrangement of one of TV’s most rousing theme tunes? The Simon Park Orchestra must be trashing their trumpets in dismay. 

As for the show itself, well, it’s just another slickly mounted Sunday night ITV cop drama. Marc Warren is reliably watchable as the taciturn Dutch detective, but otherwise it’s indistinguishable from every other show of its ‘dark and gritty’ clue-sniffing ilk.  

Tom Daley: Illegal to Be Me – Tuesday 9th August, BBC One

In over half the countries competing at this year’s Commonwealth Games, being gay is illegal. LGBTQ+ people are often subject to harassment and violence from the authorities and vigilante gangs. 

World champion diver Tom Daley, who is gay, hosted this sobering documentary in which he met with athletes who have understandably lost all hope of their countries ever becoming more inclusive. Those encounters helped Daley to respectfully shape a manifesto of changes the Commonwealth Games could make to show its support for LGBTQ+ rights. 

Six Pride flags were flown at the opening ceremony, a positive symbol seen by over a billion people. These gestures matter, their accumulative effect is important. More global sporting events should follow suit.

SHETLAND + THE FRINGE, FAME AND ME + GOOD GRIEF WITH REVEREND RICHARD COLES

This article was originally published in The Courier on 6th August 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Shetland – Wednesday, BBC One, 9pm

The latest series of this ruggedly atmospheric crime drama will be the last to star Douglas Henshall as D.I. Jimmy Perez, as the actor has decided to move on to pastures new. It’s not the end for Shetland, however; Henshall’s replacement will be announced in due course. My money’s on Paul Chuckle. 

Perez’s final batch of cases begins with a troubled young author of graphic novels who goes missing on the day of his book launch. Has he disappeared of his own volition, or are more sinister forces at play? Meanwhile, Perez makes a hesitant attempt to rekindle his stagnant love life. 

It’s a typically diverting piece of twist-strewn Celtic noir, packaged in a crate of prime red herring.

The Fringe, Fame and Me – Monday, BBC Scotland, 10pm

The Edinburgh Fringe celebrates its 75^th anniversary this year. As we all know, it’s been responsible for propelling hitherto unknown comedians, actors, directors and writers into the stratosphere or thereabouts. This documentary convenes with some of those eternally grateful artistes. 

Chief among them are Bill Bailey, Frankie Boyle, Eddie Izzard, Miriam Margolyes, Michael Palin and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, all of whom talk frankly about the giddy highs and terrible lows of performing at the Fringe when you’re a complete unknown. 

They’re the lucky ones, their self-evident talent won out, but spare a thought for all of those who tried and failed. Nothing is guaranteed in the mercurial world of showbiz. It’s a strange old gamble riddled with anxiety.

Good Grief with Reverend Richard Coles – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm

Coles' husband, David, passed away three years ago. They’d been in love and inseparable for 12 years. Coles is still struggling to process his loss. 

In this ruminative and ultimately positive documentary, he challenges the commonly held perception that grief unfolds through a series of linear stages. Nothing could be further from the truth, we all deal with bereavement in different ways. 

Coles doesn’t offer any pat answers, but he does provide some hopefully useful guidance by trying out various forms of psychophysical therapy. He surfs, boxes, skydives, attends a laughter yoga class and embarks upon a luxury ‘grief cruise’. 

These things aren’t for everyone, but Coles' point is this: embrace whatever works for you. Networks of support exist.

Cryptocurrency: Has the Bubble Burst? – Tuesday, Channel 4, 10pm

Well, has it? In an effort to find out, Ade Adepitan seeks counsel with people who have immersed themselves in the murky crypto world. 

Full disclosure: I have no idea how cryptocurrency works. I barely know what it is. Adepitan is no expert either, hence why he’s ideally qualified to host a documentary in which he tries to make sense of it all from a layperson’s perspective. 

His interviewees include a multimillionaire who believes cryptocurrency is the gold-plated future, a former city trader who regards it as a dangerous pyramid scheme, and a lawyer who highlights the risks of being scammed in this market. 

I think I’ll just stick with my bog-standard high street bank account.

Changing Rooms – Wednesday, Channel 4, 8pm

Series two of this lifestyle behemoth’s revival begins in sleepy Tunbridge Wells, where Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen and co are given free rein to dramatically transform the ‘non-functioning’ living rooms of two neighbouring couples. 

Lozza’s specialist guests this week are sustainable designer Micaela Sharp and retro queen Whinnie Williams. A riot of colour and chic design ensues. 

Changing Rooms Mark II works because it barely alters the format of the original iteration. It’s perhaps easy to forget that during its heyday, home makeover shows weren’t a ubiquitous presence in our TV schedules. It felt quite fresh and innovative. 

Obviously there’s no way of recapturing that novelty, but the spectacle of LLB doing his flamboyant thing is still quite entertaining.

George Clarke’s Old House, New Home – Thursday, Channel 4, 8pm

The ubiquitous Clarke returns – has he ever been away? – with a new vehicle in which he helps people to renovate ancient dwellings. As you’d expect, at the end of each episode they’re living the absolute dream in a space that was once occupied by laughing cavaliers and scrofulous land barons. The circle of life. 

In episode one, Clarke meets a couple who’ve splashed out on an 18^th century barn. He also spends time with a couple who just couldn’t resist purchasing a nine-bedroom Victorian pile of bricks. A fantabulous folly! 

Clarke is utterly harmless, a blandly benign presence. And that’s the fundamental problem: this contraption would be more entertaining if wryly sceptical Kevin McCloud was in charge.

Football Dreams: The Academy – Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm

This new series follows a group of eight to eighteen-year-olds as they compete for potential glory at a prestigious South East London football academy. 

Talented tyros full of raw potential, some of them might end up playing in the Premier League. Most of them, alas, will not. 

It’s a difficult watch at times. The coaching staff are great, they’re fully aware of how sensitive they have to be when dealing with children, but there’s just no getting away from the fact that some of these hope-filled trainees won’t be invited back to the academy. 

And that’s an awful lot to deal with for a kid with his heart set on one prize, and one prize only.

ASHLEY BANJO: BRITAIN IN BLACK & WHITE + IMPEACHMENT: AMERICAN CRIME STORY + FOUR HOURS AT THE CAPITOL

 A version of this article was originally published in The Courier on 16th October 2021.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Ashley Banjo: Britain in Black & White ‐ Tuesday, STV, 9pm

Last year, on Britain’s Got Talent, Ashley Banjo and Diversity performed a powerful interpretive dance piece in response to the murder of George Floyd. 

Banjo knew it would spark a debate, that was the point, but he wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming torrent of criticism he received. In this probing programme, Banjo examines how racism manifests itself in Britain today.

One of his interviewees is the always astute historian David Olusoga, who makes the key observation that, although institutional racism is no longer overt in our society, it still exists in more insidious forms. 

Banjo also meets notoriously bigoted comedian Jim Davidson, who storms off when his logical fallacies are challenged ‐ thus proving Banjo’s point that all forms of prejudice are irrational.

Michael X: Hustler, Revolutionary, Outlaw ‐ Monday, Sky Showcase, 10pm

Michael X was a radical civil rights activist who, in the 1960s and early 1970s, positioned himself as the face of Black Power in Britain. 

Born Michael de Freitas in Trinidad and Tobago, he was eventually found guilty of murder and sentenced to death in his homeland. This documentary attempts to make sense of his complex, murky legacy. 

De Freitas once worked as an enforcer for a notorious slum landlord, until a chance encounter with Malcolm X changed the course of his life. He was a charismatic, articulate and often controversial (self‐appointed) spokesman for Britain’s black community. He was also violent, messianic and ruthless. 

The film features contributions from some of those who knew him, as well as the brother of one of his victims.

Impeachment: American Crime Story ‐ Tuesday, BBC Two, 9:15pm

From the team that brought you vivid dramas about the trial of O.J. Simpson and the assassination of Gianni Versace, comes this fairly promising miniseries about the infamous Clinton‐Lewinsky scandal. 

The tone is slightly camp and knowing, but it’s sympathetic towards Lewinsky. She’s depicted as a harmless ingénue who was betrayed and unfairly vilified. The scene‐stealing villain of the piece is Linda Tripp, the disgruntled civil servant who manipulated Lewinsky into doing her bidding. Clinton is played by, of all people, Clive Owen, although he only turns up at the end of episode one. 

Despite the bleakly amusing tone, this is a fundamentally serious drama about sexism and abuse of power.

Shetland ‐ Wednesday, BBC One, 9pm

Series six of this atmospheric, windswept detective yarn begins with DI Jimmy Perez (the always watchable Douglas Henshall) mourning the recent death of his mother. Shetland is rarely cheerful, but that’s why people tune in: it is, at its core, a rather sad and occasionally quite soulful piece of Celtic noir. Plus the stories are generally solid. 

This week, Perez investigates the murder of a controversial local businessman. As if the poor guy doesn’t have enough on his plate (his widowed dad is struggling with dementia). 

Yes, the sheer amount of crime that occurs in this fictionalised Shetland is fundamentally absurd, but if that can’t be overlooked then other shows of a similar ilk are available.

Four Hours at the Capitol ‐ Wednesday, BBC Two, 9pm

On 6th January 2021, a violent mob of alt-right yahoos ‐ who couldn’t accept that their spiritual king Donald Trump had been dethroned ‐ invaded the Capitol in Washington. Trump, stung and embittered by his humiliating defeat, encouraged his supporters to “fight like hell”. He instigated a riot. 

This blow‐by‐blow documentary, most of it filmed by the protestors themselves, hurls us directly into the chaos. It’s a tense, disturbing study of mob mentality; of how people with axes to grind can be fired up by inflammatory rhetoric and safety in numbers. 

It also reminds us that four protesters and a police officer died during the riot. Four officers subsequently took their own lives. Trump escaped scot‐free.

Extraordinary Extensions ‐ Wednesday, Channel 4, 9pm

The musician and rapper Tinie Tempah is a property developer/designer on the side. That’s why he’s hosting this barely disguised version of Grand Designs, in which he follows various people as they add ambitious extensions to their homes. 

In episode one he meets a pleasant pair of ageing hippies ‐ the husband makes lysergic graphic novelist Alan Moore look like William Rees‐Mogg ‐ who are renovating their 17^th century yeoman’s cottage. He also witnesses a suburban Edwardian home being given a stylish experimental makeover. 

The only real difference between this and Grand Designs is that Tempah is sympathetic towards the participants. He’s a natural presenter too; a relaxed and likeable presence.

Charlene White: Empire’s Child ‐ Thursday, STV, 9pm

Black History Month continues with this poignant programme in which genial journalist and Loose Women host Charlene White examines how the painful legacy of Britain’s empire has shaped the lives of black people in Britain; her own family included. 

It’s basically an episode of BBC One’s Who Do You Think You Are?, but the stolen format works well in this particular context. The more White digs into her tangled family tree, the more saddened she becomes. This, inevitably, is a story of slavery and exploitation. 

“Is it a nice history?” she asks. “No. But I still feel it was something I needed to know.” And she’s also, quite rightly, proud of what her ancestors achieved.

LAST WEEK’S TV

The Larkins ‐ Sunday October 10, STV

A big hit for ITV in the early 1990s, The Darling Buds of May was always due a comeback. Bradley Walsh and Joanna Scanlan are perfectly cast as Pop and Ma Larkin, a bumptious married couple presiding over their large happy family in an early 1960s English village. 

The central premise of these stories has always been appealing: the Larkins are benign bohemian rebels who thumb their noses at snobbery and hypocrisy. From a certain angle they could be mistaken for working‐class socialist heroes. 

But the problem, as before, is that the show is whimsical to a fault. Its relentless bonhomie comes across as smug and ingratiating, rather than charming. Still, a harmless bit of fluff.

Angela Black ‐ Sunday October 10, STV

Joanne Froggatt stars in this stark drama as a victim of domestic violence. Every day, Angela has to pretend that everything is fine. She and her physically abusive and coercively controlling husband are the only people who know the truth. 

Or so it initially seemed: in episode one, Angela was approached by a seemingly sympathetic private investigator who’d been hired by her husband to manufacture evidence that would make her look like an unfit mother. He eventually revealed that his employer was planning to murder her. 

Written by Harry and Jack Williams (The Missing; Baptiste), Angela Black is quite delicately handled for the most part, and its message is important. Victims of abuse can’t just leave, they’re trapped.