A version of this article was originally published in The Courier on 17th July 2021.
NEXT WEEK’S TV
Reclaiming Amy – Friday, BBC Two, 9pm
Amy Winehouse passed away in 2011. She was 27. In this intimate documentary, her family and closest friends address some of the lurid myths which engulfed her.
It’s essentially a firm yet gentle riposte to the Oscar-winning documentary, Amy, which, according to her parents Mitch and Janis, presented a misleading account of the family narrative. Janis speaks here on camera for the first time.
It’s not a self-serving or angry programme. The participants want to help people understand the complex nature of addiction and mental illness. A portrait emerges of a vulnerable young woman who was supported by her loved ones, but in the end there was nothing they could do to block her path towards self-destruction.
Taken: Hunting the Sex Traffickers – Monday, Channel 4, 9pm
Filmed over three years, this new series boasts unprecedented access to a covert police unit dedicated to the surveillance and capture of human trafficking gangs. We also meet some of the women who have been brutally exploited by these gangs.
Episode one focuses on the unit’s mission to bring down the head of one particular gang, who have made a vast fortune from trafficking South American women and forcing them to work as prostitutes in the UK.
Uprising – Tuesday to Thursday, BBC One, 9pm
This is an absolutely vital jolt of television. Over three consecutive nights, filmmaker Steve McQueen presents an uncompromising account of racial conflict in early 1980s Britain, while exploring the lasting impact of certain key events.
A documentary companion piece to his exceptional Small Axe anthology, Uprising is fuelled by anger and compassion. There is no narration; McQueen allows this story to unfold via the words of people who have experienced vicious racism throughout their lives.
Far-right groups, incessant police harassment, ethnic minorities scapegoated for all the ills of society, McQueen’s point is clear: this isn’t ancient history. Just last week, those disgusting events in football confirmed that racism is still a toxic stain on our society.
Secrets of the Museum – Tuesday, BBC Two, 8pm
Time now once again to revisit the Victoria and Albert Museum in London’s fashionable London, where nimble-fingered artisans toil behind the scenes of an absolute treasure trove.
The undoubted highlight this week is the restoration of a shiny red suit which was once worn by Jim Lea from Slade during their imperial Glam phase. Face facts, Hockney, this is what we want.
A sacred pop artefact, Lea’s suit requires some careful stitching and tender loving care. The great man himself, who rarely makes public appearances, eventually turns up to wax lyrical in typically humble fashion. Lea’s mother, who is now aged 95, is apparently more impressed with his V&A exhibit than she ever was with his raucous chart success.
Craig and Bruno’s Great British Road Trips – Wednesday, STV, 8pm
There are very few cast-iron guarantees in life, but I’m 100% certain that celebrity travelogues will never die. An immortal TV format.
This one stars Strictly’s very own Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli doing what’s required of them: savouring some of Britain’s most scenic drives, while occasionally stopping off to look at things and ‘muck about’. This week they’re in the Yorkshire Dales, where they (sort of) play some cricket, hang around with a traditional blacksmith, lead a classic car convoy, and attempt to herd some sheep.
It’s a cheerful piece of formulaic filler, ever so slightly elevated by the fact that Craig and Bruno genuinely like each other. You can’t fake that camp rapport. They’re pleasant company.
George Clarke’s Remarkable Renovations – Wednesday, Channel 4, 9pm
The charity organisation, Crisis, estimates that around 200,000 people are homeless in the United Kingdom. Something to think about while Richard Clarke returns with yet another phalanx of upwardly mobile visionaries who just can’t wait to renovate abandoned buildings.
The latest series kicks off with Richard and Sarah, who have purchased a Grade II listed bank for £50,000. We’ve all been there. Richard and Sarah – who come across as a pair of oblivious middle-aged hipsters – convert a massive 19th century safe into a luxurious pantry. They also melt down a chunky door and remould it into a freestanding bath.
Clarke, as always, oversees proceedings in the manner of a slightly bemused yet earnest child.
Fishing Scotland’s Lochs and Rivers – Friday, Channel 5, 7pm
If the choice phrase “five fish-loving celebrities” doesn’t automatically entice you towards this series, then nothing I can say will change your mind.
Your celebrity anglers are Ian Botham, Fern Britton, Linford Christie, Les Dennis, and Rosemary Shrager (see my review of Cooking with the Stars for more urgent Shrager news). They’re an avuncular bunch. Blatantly inspired by the easy-going success of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, it’s an undemanding mosaic of tranquil – if you will - piscenery and semi-scripted banter.
Episode one begins just outside Arbroath, home of the legendary smokie (not the 1970s hit-makers), before heading off to the banks of the River Tay. Some friendly local experts are on hand to help them out.
LAST WEEK’S TV
The Sky at Night: E.T. and the BBC – Sunday 11th July, BBC Four
This delightful delve into the BBC archives unearthed several fascinating reports on the search for life on other planets.
Patrick Moore was a lifelong sceptic, this wasn’t a subject he ever took seriously. His close encounter with UFO-spotter Arthur Shuttleworth – a wonderfully Python-esque name – was a particularly amusing highlight.
The programme also featured contributions from estimable broadcasters such as Alan Whicker and James Burke, and some inevitable guest-spots from the uniquely soothing Dr Carl Sagan (very much the Bob Ross of cosmology), science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke and that arch charlatan Erich von Daniken.
The programme is available on iPlayer. You know what to do. And remember: keep your eyes on the skies.
Cooking with the Stars – Tuesday 13th July, STV
A formulaic competition in which various celebs learn how to become professional-standard chefs, this is nothing you haven’t seen a thousand times before. The budding chefs include Shirley Ballas, Griff Rhys Jones, Denise Van Outen, Johnny Vegas and the drummer from McFly. One of the mentors is the aforementioned Rosemary Shrager.
Naturally, Vegas provides a few amusing moments,
but that’s all there is to recommend. Also, some of these people claim to have
never cooked before. I find that baffling. I’m no Galloping Gourmet, but it’s
really not hard to rustle up a decent dish with the right ingredients and some
clear instructions. Cooking with the
Stars is – inevitable food analogy alert – a terminally bland soup.
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