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.

LUCY WORSLEY INVESTIGATES + TROY DEENEY: WHERE'S MY HISTORY? + INSIDE NO. 9

This article was originally published in The Courier on 21st May 2022. 

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Lucy Worsley Investigates – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

Worsley’s latest series is a characteristically vivid and engaging odyssey in which she challenges the received wisdom surrounding “some of the most dramatic and brutal chapters in British history.” 

Episode one finds her poring over ancient accounts and recently unearthed clues about Britain’s 17^th century witch hunts. It’s an awfully bleak yet fascinating subject. Worsley breathes life into women who were tragically persecuted during an epoch poisoned by violently deranged religious fervour.  

Worsley’s essays are sometimes tinged with whimsical humour, a little bit of light to offset the shade, but she’s on deadly serious form here. There is no room for levity. It’s a disturbing cold case investigated with commendable care and rigour.

Troy Deeney: Where’s My History? – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm

The professional footballer Troy Deeney continues his dedicated stand against structural racism in this informative documentary. 

Education is key, that’s Deeney’s driving point. A more expansive account of black history needs to be embedded within the UK’s school curriculum. British children have to learn about a whole range of ethnic minority role models. A few well-meaning lessons devoted to the likes of Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks aren’t enough. That just won’t do. 

“Learning about the positive contributions black people have made to society will not only empower black pupils,” says Deeney, “but will help stamp out the vile racist abuse me, my family and people of colour as a whole are subjected to.”

Bake Off: The Professionals – Tuesday, Channel 4, 8pm

I don’t understand the appeal of these cake-based programmes, but to each their own. Enjoy what you like, just as long as no one gets hurt in the process. If this column has a message, it’s probably that. 

Anyway. You know the formulaic score: various patisserie artisans compete for Bake Off glory. In round one they have just three hours to create 36 strawberry frasiers. As soon as that challenge was announced I immediately envisioned several full-sized glazed effigies of the actor Kelsey Grammer. That’s because I’m inherently facile. The results don’t live up to my stupid imaginings. Life is a constant disappointment. 

Genuine plus point: the delightful Stacey Solomon is your new co-host.

State of the Union – Tuesday, BBC Two, 10pm

Series two of this anthology drama, which is written by Nick Hornby and directed by Stephen Frears, unfolds as before in snappy ten minute exchanges between a troubled married couple.

Ellen (Patricia Clarkson) and Scott (Brendan Gleeson) meet in a hipster New York coffee shop. It’s a fraught encounter. 

Clarkson and Gleeson are both fine actors, but Hornby’s screenplay is terribly mannered. His writing draws attention to itself in a self-congratulatory way. It makes the dialogue of that insufferable blowhard Aaron Sorkin sound like Shane Meadows at his rawest. Ellen and Scott never come across as real people, they’re just mouthpieces for Hornby’s sub-screwball waffle.

It’s a long ten minutes. Oh well. Other television programmes are available.

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

The best episode of this particular series thus far, ‘A Random Act of Kindness’ is a sad domestic drama that veers off in entirely unexpected directions. 

The excellent Jessica Hynes stars as Helen, a tired, lonely, middle-aged woman trapped in an unhappy relationship with her angry teenage son, Zach. One day, a small bird crashes into Zach’s bedroom window. 

The injured animal is rescued by Bob (Steve Pemberton), a kindly passing stranger with a peculiar linguistic quirk who gradually forms a friendship with Helen and Zach. Reece Shearsmith plays a significant supporting role, as do the laws of physics (that’ll make sense when you watch it). 

This is Inside No. 9 in primarily serious and poignant mode. It lingers.

Grayson’s Art Club: Queen’s Jubilee Special – Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm

Now, you wouldn’t expect Grayson Perry to be much of a royalist. And you’d be right. But he’s fascinated by the monarchy and all the complex things it represents. The Queen in particular is an artist’s dream. Her image and the iconography that surrounds her can be used in all sorts of interesting ways. 

In this typically thoughtful edition of his Art Club, Perry and his wife Philippa invite talented amateur artists to create their own symbolic renderings of Her Majesty. “Whatever they might tell us about her,” says Perry, “might also tell us some revealing things about ourselves.” 

His celebrity guests are Harry Hill and Prue Leith, but as always the real stars are those creative members of the public.

PRU – Thursday, BBC Three, 10pm

This new sitcom follows a bunch of teenagers as they attempt to navigate their way through everyday life at a Pupil Referral Unit, otherwise known as a school for excluded kids. 

Series creators Alex Tenenbaum, Nathaniel Stevens and Teddy Nygh have created something here that’s clearly borne of research and experience. It’s a sympathetic piece of social commentary, albeit one that doesn’t draw self-conscious attention to its fundamentally serious themes. 

The young multicultural cast are entirely convincing, and the writing is quite sharp at times. Will you bust a gut laughing? Probably not. But PRU is a likeable show populated by intriguing characters, and the premise alone makes it worthy of consideration. It has some potential.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Conversations with Friends – Sunday 15th May, BBC Three

BBC Three’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People was one of the best TV dramas of recent years. This adaptation of Rooney’s debut novel is brought to you by the same team. It will almost certainly repeat the success of their previous endeavour. 

The protagonist is Frances, a bright, shy, slightly awkward young woman who performs spoken-word poetry with her more extroverted best pal and ex-girlfriend Bobbi. Complications arise when the duo enter the orbit of a successful author. Frances falls for her handsome actor husband. Bobbi is attracted to his wife. 

As per Normal People, this is a perceptive and emotionally resonant piece of work in which everything rings true. It cuts deep.

Derry Girls – Tuesday 18th May and Wednesday 19th May 19, Channel 4

“There’s no answer to any of this, is there?” 

With that line spoken by Michelle, Lisa McGee pretty much summed up the underlying point of her justly lauded sitcom about Northern Irish teenage friends living through the final years of the Troubles. 

Her two-part farewell didn’t disappoint. Derry Girls was first and foremost a knockabout farce. The characters were daft and endearing. But McGee never lost sight of the sombre background details, even while she was making us laugh. She judged it all astutely. 

The final episode, which revolved around the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, brought her emotions to the fore in an entirely earned way. Sweet, silly and quietly profound; a perfect ending.

MANHUNT: THE NIGHT STALKER + THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF + TASKMASTER

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

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Manhunt: The Night Stalker – Monday to Thursday, STV, 9pm

Two years ago, Martin Clunes starred in a hit true crime drama about the hunt for serial killer Levi Bellfield. This is the sequel. 

Based once again on the diaries of retired police officer Colin Sutton, it follows our unassuming yet dogged hero as he attempts to solve the gruesome case of a serial burglar and rapist who remained at large for 17 years. 

The police had samples of his DNA, but that meant nothing as he wasn’t in their database. His identity remained a mystery until Sutton was eventually called in to make sense of what little evidence they had. 

Manhunt, like Sutton, is methodical. It takes its time, but gets results. Textbook stuff, really, but it doesn’t offend.

Disclosure: On a Cliff Edge – Monday, BBC One, 8:30pm

Recent statistics show that young disabled people are significantly less likely to be in work than people without a disability. 

In this BBC Scotland report, Ian Hamilton reveals that school-leavers aren’t receiving the additional support they need. “Leaving home is an important part of growing up,” he says, “but for young disabled people it’s rarely straightforward.” 

He meets a woman with muscular dystrophy who was told that she wouldn’t be able to cope with university, and a disabled man who was given zero careers advice. 

He also interviews Pam Duncan-Glancy, the first permanent wheelchair-user elected to the Scottish Parliament, who encapsulates the point of Hamilton’s investigation by calling for increased investment in social care, health and employment services.

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

The latest series of this sugar-glazed powerhouse begins with – of all things – a pastiche of Billy Ray Cyrus’ Achy Breaky Heart, ‘performed’ by hosts Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding. 

An obvious attempt to get Twitter talking, it feels more suited to Lucas’ old Shooting Stars stomping ground. But once that’s out of the way, it’s Bake Off business as usual. 

In round one, the contestants are tasked with baking some mini roll sponges, a malt loaf and “an anti-gravity illusion cake”. The highlight, however, is Lucas singing the Flintstones theme in German to a baffled contestant from the Black Forest. Meanwhile, Fielding mooches around in a wacky jumper.

Never Mind the Buzzcocks – Tuesday, Sky Showcase, 9pm

Yes, it’s back. A prologue featuring new host Greg Davies plus members of Blue and B*Witched explains the supposed thinking behind this revival: pop culture is so diffuse these days, the charts don’t really mean anything, so we need a weekly comedy music quiz to bring it all together again. 

Which is fine in theory, but episode one suggests they needn’t have bothered. 

Davies is a funny man, but he doesn’t have much room to stamp his personality on proceedings. Returning team captain Noel Fielding – him again – goes, as always, through the zany motions, while his opponent, Daisy May Cooper from This Country, barely makes an impression. 

It’s all a bit forced and desperate. A zombie resurrection.

The Hairy Bikers Go North – Thursday, BBC Two, 8pm

In which the affable duo of Si King and Dave Myers go motor bikin’ through the north of England, from the west coast to the east. Their culinary journey begins in Lancashire, which has so much more to offer than its clichéd diet of hot pots, black puddings and Eccles cakes. 

They visit an award-winning cask ale pub/brewery, a buffalo dairy farm and an Italian ice cream parlour renowned for its ancient secret recipe. The lads also cook up a traditional steak, mushroom and ale pie while learning a little bit about the Temperance Movement. 

You know what to expect from the Bikers by now: a picturesque and fragrant gravy boat of unpretentious charm. Simple pleasure viewing.

Roaming in the Wild – Thursday, BBC Scotland, 8pm

If you’re in need of some emergency respite, then please allow me to nudge you in the direction of this delightful series. It follows filmmaker Andrew O’Donnell and his pal Mark Taylor as they explore the hidden wilds of Scotland. 

Their first stop is the River Kelvin in Glasgow, a tributary they navigate via a second-hand dinghy. Gently powered by O’Donnell’s wry, lilting narration (“Oh, to be daft on a raft, it’s a wonderful craft.”), this is the calming TV equivalent of a little paper boat circling idly in a pond. It makes Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing look like Deliverance. 

All television is artifice, of course, but Roaming in the Wild lulls you into believing that it fell together accidentally.

Taskmaster – Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm

Greg Davies is far more at home here than he is on Buzzcocks. This entertaining comedy gameshow is his fiefdom. 

As the umpteenth series begins, he welcomes another batch of celebrity competitors, namely Only Connect host Victoria Coren Mitchell, comedians Alan Davies and Morgana Robinson, Guz Khan from Man Like Mobeen and American comic Desiree Burch. 

Their tasks this week include painting a flattering portrait of Davies while lying flat on their backs on those wheeled platforms mechanics use to get underneath cars, and bursting a tethered water balloon using a variety of missiles. 

I’m not ashamed to admit that I let out an involuntary cheer during Coren’s attempt, such is my investment in this genial nonsense. 

LAST WEEK’S TV

Amy Winehouse: A Life in Ten Pictures – Saturday 11th September, BBC Two

This occasional series rests upon a simple yet effective concept: the lives of deceased entertainers are told via significant photographs. Their loved ones gaze upon these images and reminisce. 

The latest edition felt like an addendum to BBC Two’s recent Winehouse documentary, featuring as it did three of the same contributors: her parents and one of her closest, non-celebrity friends. 

But it observed something that the previous programme didn’t: how must it have felt for Winehouse to sing her soul-drenched songs of heartbreak night after night? That’s the last thing you need when you’re in so much pain. 

As always, one was left with the impression of a sensitive, vulnerable person who was destroyed by addiction. Life is unjust.

Fred and Rose West: Reopened – Wednesday 15th September to Thursday 16th September, STV

Earlier this year, a television production company began investigating the notorious case of Fred and Rose West. They handed their findings over to the police, which in turn triggered a reinvestigation. 

That’s good, right? Well yes, but the resulting programme resembled a straight-faced episode of Brass Eye hosted by a bemused Trevor McDonald. Lurid, tasteless, offensive tabloid television. 

I believe at least one of the participants – a policeman who suspected that the Wests claimed several unreported victims – had entirely genuine and admirable motives, but his sincerity was undermined by an irresponsible programme intent on presenting an utterly tragic saga as a serial killer thriller. Admittedly, I only had access to episode one, but that was enough.

 

 

RETURN TO DUNBLANE WITH LORRAINE KELLY + THE GREAT CELEBRITY BAKE OFF FOR STAND UP TO CANCER

This article was originally published in The Courier on 6th March 2021.

NEXT WEEK'S TV

Return to Dunblane with Lorraine Kelly – Thursday, STV, 9pm

25 years ago, 16 children and a teacher were shot dead at Dunblane Primary School. This terribly moving programme captures the sheer scale of that tragedy. 

Kelly reported on the case at the time, but this, wisely, isn’t her story. She’s merely an empathetic conduit. It’s a tribute to the woman and children who were killed that day, and to all of those whose lives they touched. 

It also reminds us that the traumatised people of Dunblane, backed by huge public support, succeeded in their campaign for an almost total ban on private handguns. Through their unimaginable grief and pain, they changed this country for the better. 

In a commendable display of respect for all concerned, the killer is never shown or named.

Jimmy McGovern’s Moving On – Monday to Friday, BBC One, 1:45pm, 2:15pm and 3pm

That title always conjures an image of the firebrand dramatist trudging along a lonely country road like Bill Bixby at the end of The Incredible Hulk. He doesn’t actually write these standalone daytime dramas; rather he curates them as a vehicle for emerging writers. 

The latest batch involves a man meeting his supposedly dead father; a woman struggling to come to terms with the fact that her recently deceased dad had a secret second family; a retiree gaining a new lease of life when his daughter books him some fitness sessions; a gifted teenager whose education is jeopardised when she’s made homeless; and a hearing-impaired woman who faces opposition from her husband when she vows to learn sign language. 

The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer – Tuesday, Channel 4, 8pm

This charitable endeavour stars Daisy Ridley of Star Wars fame and singer Alexandra Burke, plus comedians Tom Allen and Rob Beckett. Mercifully, that faux-surrealist, overgrown student nuisance Noel Fielding is on paternity leave, so your sole host is the charming and legitimately funny Matt Lucas. 

In episode one, the celebs are tasked with baking some millionaire shortbread, a fruity tart (there will inevitably be tired jokes about that), and their own pet hate cakes. 

It’s followed at 9:15pm by the first episode of The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up to Cancer, a reality show which apparently involves Denise van Outen, Nadia Sawalha and loads of people I’ve never heard of. Look, it’s all for a good cause. 

The Repair Shop – Wednesday, BBC One, 8pm

In the final episode of the current series, TV’s nicest man Jay Blades and his genial squad of artisans get to grips with another parade of fascinating artefacts in need of some TLC. 

Highlights this week include an antique arcade machine and the remarkable saga of a rusty 100-year-old watch that was stolen ten years ago, before being recently found under a bush by a dog. Meanwhile, Dom – looking as ever like a hipster Andy Serkis - restores a bespoke wrought-iron gate for a grateful widow. 

As always, it’s less about the repairs themselves and more about the touching human stories behind the various items on display. An artfully upholstered piece of generous, cockle-warming television.

Heathrow: Britain’s Busiest Airport – Wednesday, STV, 8pm

The latest series of this hardy perennial was filmed in November 2020, during the second national lockdown. Only one of Heathrow’s runways is operational and two of its four terminals are closed. With demand for flights having fallen by over 60% worldwide, Britain’s busiest airport is down to an average of 88 departures a day. 

In episode one, we visit this half-empty citadel and note that it is, of course, observing all official safety precautions: masks, social distancing, constant sanitising and, when necessary, medical testing for passengers. And everyone is travelling for essential reasons only. 

The main source of drama is a curious story involving a missing passenger, the details of which gradually reveal an unexpected political dimension.

DNA Journey – Wednesday, STV, 9pm

I know there’s nothing more boring or annoying than people pleading ignorance when it comes to well-known celebrities – it always comes across as performative, above-it-all smugness – but in all honesty I don't really know who Freddie Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp are. They’re sport people, that much I do know. And, like most sport people, they’re nice enough but incredibly dull. 

Unfortunately, these great bantering mates dominate episode one of TV’s latest shameless Who Do You Think You Are? rip-off. It’s an interminable chore, like being forced to look at the ancestry.com profile of someone you’ve never met before, during which even the lads themselves struggle to feign interest in the details of their respective family histories.

The Dog House – Thursday, Channel 4, 8pm

Last summer, in a sunlit corner of the English countryside, a television production company installed some fixed-rig cameras and extra support staff in a home for dogs who have either been given away or abandoned. Their aim: to capture the magic of humans meeting their new dog pals for the first time. The results are like First Dates for poochaholics. 

But it’s not just an excuse to go “aww” for an hour. The series examines that mutually beneficial psychological bond between humans and their animals, plus the importance of carefully matching the right dog with the right family. 

This week, a little boy with anxiety issues makes friends with a similarly anxious Newfoundland. They do wonders for each other.