HONOUR + FREDDIE FLINTOFF: LIVING WITH BULIMIA + US

This article was originally published in The Courier on 26th September 2020.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

HONOUR

Monday, STV, 9pm

Keeley Hawes stars in this queasy factual drama about Banaz Mahmod, a young Iraqi Kurdish woman who was murdered by men from her own family. A so-called honour killing. Mahmod had been forced into a marriage with an abusive partner. When she fell in love with a good man, her father sanctioned a death sentence. Mahmod went to the police on five occasions. She received no assistance. She was ignored. Hawes plays the sympathetic, newly appointed senior police officer who did everything in her power to bring these men to justice. At first glance, Honour could be mistaken for a standard ITV crime drama. But there’s more to it than that. The tone is nuanced, angry, sensitive, despairing. It lingers.

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: LIVING WITH BULIMIA

Monday, BBC One, 9pm

Over 1.5 million people in the UK suffer from eating disorders. One in four of them are men. In this welcome report, cricketer Freddie Flintoff talks frankly about his own struggle with bulimia while going in search of more information about the illness. Flintoff struggled with fluctuating weight during his cricketing heyday. The tabloid press published terribly cruel articles about his appearance; that’s when he started to make himself vomit after meals. Outdated social norms discourage men from talking about physical and mental health issues, hence why Flintoff meets the mother of a young man who died as a result of his condition. The doctor didn’t listen. One hopes that things are improving. Programmes such as this can only help.

THE SHIPMAN FILES: A VERY BRITISH CRIME STORY

Monday, BBC Two, 9pm

GP Harold Shipman murdered hundreds of his own patients, most of them elderly women. He is the most prolific serial killer in modern history. In this new series, documentary filmmaker Chris Wilson focuses on some of Shipman’s victims via interviews with their friends and families. What can their deaths tell us about our attitudes towards the elderly? And do those attitudes explain how Shipman got away with it for so long? The series suggests that local police and health authorities were slow to follow up on accusations. Wilson’s approach is commendably sensitive. Shipman’s face doesn’t appear until 20 minutes into the first episode, and barely at all after that. His crimes aren’t sensationalised, that’s not why Wilson is here.

LIFE

Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm

Written by Mike Bartlett of Doctor Foster fame, this promising new drama revolves around a large house in Manchester divided into four flats. The residents are lonely Belle (Victoria Hamilton, reprising her role from Doctor Foster), who reluctantly agrees to look after the daughter of her mentally ill sister; David (Adrian Lester), who meets a young woman while on holiday without his wife (Rachael Stirling); heavily pregnant Hannah, whose relationship with her new boyfriend is complicated by the presence of the man who fathered her child; and most compelling of all, Gail (Alison Steadman), who starts to feel that she’s wasted years of her life married to a passive-aggressive ‘japester’ (Peter Davison). There are twists. There are turns.

LAST WEEK’S TV

JONATHAN ROSS’ COMEDY CLUB

Saturday 19th September, STV

Whatever happened to Jonathan Ross? Sachsgate happened; his own stupid, hubristic fault. And here he is, in the autumn of his once occasionally interesting career, hosting a socially distanced stand-up showcase on ITV. A contractual obligation, a way of paying off the school fees. 

Younger readers may find this difficult to believe, but when the Letterman-influenced Ross first cropped up on Channel 4 in the late 1980s, he was a breath of fresh, flippant air. Subversive, even. Still, at least his Covid emergency Comedy Club allows very funny and inventive comedians such as Bec Hill to inveigle their way into the mainstream. Ross, for all his faults, loves comedy. 

But really, the cutaways to his guffawing face during the performances are so unnecessary. The cameras should be pointed at the acts, this is their moment. His potentate-like presence is a terrible distraction.

US

Sunday 20th September, BBC One

Urgh. This miserable comedy-drama stars Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves as a frightfully middle-class couple having one last summer together before splitting up. Writer David Nicholls, who adapted Us from his novel of the same name, is clearly labouring under a chronic delusion. He thinks we will care about these boring, charmless characters. Hollander and Reeves are good actors, but there’s nothing they can do to rescue this arid gust of middle-aged ennui. It’s what happens when comfortably sheltered TV executives commission programmes for the huddled masses.

DES + LOUIS THEROUX: LIFE ON THE EDGE

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

NEXT WEEK’S TV

DES

Monday to Wednesday, STV, 9pm

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

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

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

INSIDE THE BOMB SQUAD

Monday, Channel 4, 8pm

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

LOST AT SEA: MY DAD’S LAST JOURNEY

Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm

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

LAST WEEK’S TV

LOUIS THEROUX: LIFE ON THE EDGE

Sunday 6th September, BBC Two

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

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

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

MINDFUL ESCAPES: BREATHE, RELEASE RESTORE

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

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

 

SUE PERKINS: ALONG THE US-MEXICO BORDER + THE BLACK FULL MONTY

This article was originally published in The Courier on 5th September 2020.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

SUE PERKINS: ALONG THE US-MEXICO BORDER

Monday and Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm

If we must have celeb-fronted travelogues, then I’d rather they were hosted by the likes of Perkins. She’s likeable, witty, compassionate, and always engages sincerely with the issues at hand. In this two-part report she visits the world’s most contentious border. Interviewees include Mexicans who can only touch flesh with their displaced loved ones through tiny holes in The Wall. Perkins also meets wealthy white Americans living the retirement dream; undocumented migrants who couldn’t care less about their hypocrisy. This is both a celebration of Mexican culture and, by direct extension, a condemnation of the Trump regime’s racist narrative. “The more we shut doors,” says Perkins, visibly angry, “the more we shut doors on our own humanity.”

DOG TALES: THE MAKING OF MAN’S BEST FRIEND

Tuesday, BBC Four, 9pm

Dogs: what’s their agenda? How did these once wild creatures evolve into loyal and loving domesticated pets? This illuminating programme provides some answers. In an effort to solve the puzzle of domestication, leading canine scientists conduct ground-breaking experiments involving genetic data and behavioural selection. Most experts agree that dogs first became domesticated around 15,000 years ago, the direct descendants of wolves who chose to become friendly with humans as a survival mechanism. We also gain some remarkable insight into the power of that special emotional bond between people and their pets by visiting a U.S. penitentiary, where specially-trained dogs are used as part of a programme to transform the behaviour of hardened criminals. It seems to work.

CAN WE CURE KIDS’ CANCER?

Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm

A pioneer in its field, the Royal Marsden Hospital has been treating children with cancer for over 60 years. It runs the largest programme of experimental drug trials for young cancer patients in the UK. In this candid programme, we follow hospital staff and three families as they go through the long, arduous treatment process. Three-year-old Charlotte has a very rare form of cancer. She is one of the first children in the UK to receive a new life-saving drug. Teenager Lilly is being treated with a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Toddler Artemis requires a stem-cell transplant. This isn’t an easy watch. Prepare for uplifting moments punctured by cruel shards of reality.

THE BLACK FULL MONTY

Thursday, Channel 4, 10pm

The Chocolate Men are Britain’s only all-male black strip group. These generously-proportioned dancers put on a tactile show; it’s literally in your face. They present a fantasy version of black male sexuality, which has led to accusations of profiting from the perpetration of racial stereotypes. They flatly deny this, arguing that it’s honest graft. This non-judgemental documentary follows them on a successful nationwide tour. One of the dancers, Nigerian-born Django, named himself after the Tarantino film in which a slave becomes an emancipated hero. “We’re the bottom of the food chain,” he says. “This is me taking my power back.” Unfortunately, his good intentions are undermined when he gets carried away during a performance. Disaster looms.

LAST WEEK’S TV

WHEN BOB MARLEY CAME TO BRITAIN

Saturday 29th August, BBC Two

Bob Marley regarded Britain as his second home. It was the springboard for his international career. This tender documentary featured contributions from some of the black Brits whose lives were touched by his positive, almost messianic presence. He provided hope. The undoubted highlight was a charming account of when he and Johnny Nash played a secret afternoon acoustic gig for some astonished Peckham schoolkids. They hung around afterwards for a kickabout in the playground.

DIRTY SECRETS OF BRITAIN’S TAKEAWAYS

Monday 31st August, Channel 4

In this emetic series, “hard-man of hygiene” Gareth Jones (in reality a softly-spoken Welshman) and restaurateur April Jackson join environmental health officers in their fight against unhygienic takeaway outlets. Call me a naively empathetic clod if you will, but I actually felt quite sorry for the businesses whose reputations were ruined. Sure, their hygiene standards were appalling, but who’s to say they wouldn’t have improved following this public inspection? Think on.

CALL THE COPS

Tuesday 1st September, Channel 4

This sobering series is of more social value than most frontline police documentaries. Episode one featured a young man caught in a hopeless spiral of self-destruction, and 29 terrified, starving Vietnamese men and women being trafficked in the back of a van. What they’d been through is unimaginable. Meanwhile, Farage is out there on the beaches with his binoculars, munching pasties and squealing to teacher.