This article was originally published in The Courier on 11th December 2021.
NEXT WEEK’S TV
Walking with... Jim Moir – Friday, BBC Two, 7:30pm
The latest episode of this immersive hike-fest stars the artist occasionally known as Vic Reeves (a pseudonym he tends to reserve for his collaborations with Bob Mortimer). Armed with a 360-degree camera, Moir guides us along the Strait of Dover on the Kent coast.
Gentle highlights include encounters with some bee farmers and a man digging for lugworms. He also travels on a miniature steam train, and quite rightly marvels at the area’s exquisite combination of natural beauty and brutalist architecture.
Moir is reliably eccentric and charming throughout. “Looking at things is the best thing ever,” he enthuses. “They should probably teach looking as a lesson at school… because people don’t look as much as they should.”
David Baddiel: Social Media, Anger and Us – Monday, BBC Two, 9pm
Or: ‘Social Media, Anger and My Media Chums’. In this well-meaning yet muddled documentary, comedian and self-confessed Twitter addict David Baddiel declares that social media is “fuelling a divisive culture of outrage, hatred and anger.”
It’s true that social media often bring out the worst in people. Online abuse is a serious problem. The likes of Facebook and Twitter are notoriously lax and inconsistent when it comes to regulating offensive comments. But Baddiel’s essay, which inevitably includes a windy discussion about ‘cancel culture’, fails to tackle these issues in any great depth.
He concludes by stating the obvious point that people should be nicer to each other. Well, yes. And? A peculiar programme.
Jamie: Together at Christmas – Monday, Channel 4, 8pm
Welcome one and all to Jamie Oliver’s funny farmstead kitchen, as he once again insists upon cooking some “epic dishes” for your mouth-watering pleasure.
“This is about saying ‘I love you’ through food,” he gushes, with all the professionally sentimental earnestness he can muster. I don’t actually mind Jamie, he’s an embarrassing yet mostly harmless fool. Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age.
During the latest chapter of his never-ending story, he pretends to host a lavish Christmas dinner for family and friends. The menu includes beef bourguignon, garlic bread stuffed with parsley, and a frozen dessert conjured with assistance from one of his children.
Oh, and the pandemic is all over apparently. That’s the cheering takeaway message.
Strictly The Real Full Monty – Monday and Tuesday, STV, 9pm
An annual fixture on ITV, The Real Full Monty aims to raise awareness of breast cancer and testicular cancer. It encourages viewers to check for lumps; an important message conveyed through the cheeky prism of celebrities performing a choreographed striptease routine. That may sound crass, but it’s an effective piece of socially responsible light entertainment.
This year, as that clumsy title indicates, the contestants are coupled up with dancing partners. Among those sharing their wares are athlete Colin Jackson, Duncan James from Blue, EastEnders actor Laila ‘Big Mo’ Morse, and Martin Roberts from Homes Under the Hammer. They all have personal reasons for participating. Emotional scenes ensue.
Once again, your friendly host and mentor is Ashley Banjo.
The Dog House at Christmas – Thursday, Channel 4, 8pm
There’s an even higher cuteness quotient than usual in this festive edition of The Dog House. After all, are there any here among us who don’t enjoy seeing dogs wearing Christmas jumpers?
December is a particularly busy time of year at Wood Green Animal Shelters, but the staff, as always, are on hand to match prospective owners with dogs in need of rehoming.
This week’s centrepiece involves a human mother of two who is going through a divorce after 22 years of marriage. She hopes that adding a dog to the family might restore some happiness to their home. Enter Michael, a young lurcher cross-terrier who was found wandering stray. We also meet Clarence the one-eyed dachshund.
One Night in Alton Towers – Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm
The basic gist of this new series: comedians Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe roam around some of Britain’s most notable attractions after dark.
I haven’t seen episode one – preview copies were held up in pre-Christmas traffic – but the press blurb suggests they’re being monitored by fixed-rig cameras and a remotely-stationed production team who won’t interfere unless someone looks to be in actual danger.
So that could be enjoyable, although probably not quite as funny as the time Alan Partridge found himself locked in a warehouse for an entire weekend. The image of him mummified in bubble wrap haunts me still.
Brooker and Widdicombe’s first guest is fellow comedian Roisin Conaty.
I Literally Just Told You – Thursday, Channel 4, 10pm
This new gameshow pivots around a simple yet novel and vaguely post-modern concept: most of the questions are written as the show unfolds.
They’re based on things that have been said and seen throughout, so the contestants have to keep their wits about them. Everything is a potential answer. It’s a fun format, the whole thing works a treat.
Host Jimmy Carr wisely jettisons his aloof and caustic stage persona, so much so that he actually comes across as quite warm. The contestants are sometimes ribbed gently, but never unkindly.
You can tell he’s enjoying being in charge of a show that one of his heroes, the great Bob Monkhouse, would surely have approved of.
LAST WEEK’S TV
Superman & Lois – Saturday 4th December, BBC One
Yet another retelling of the Superman legend, this one finds Clark Kent happily married to Lois Lane. They have two teenage sons, one of whom has social anxiety disorder.
It’s essentially a domestic drama in which Superman has to save the world while dealing with his problems at home. And it sort of works. The tone is affectionate and rather charmingly earnest, albeit leavened with flashes of dry humour.
Scheduling it in an early Saturday evening slot, just like 1990s hit Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, is a nice idea in theory, but it doesn't make much sense as the show won’t appeal to young kids. There’s not enough superhero action, and children don’t tend to be interested in conversations about mortgage loans.
You Don’t Know Me – Sunday 5th December and Monday 6th December, BBC One
This four-part thriller is a stark, riveting, thought-provoking piece. It began as most courtroom dramas end: with the accused on trial and about to receive their sentence.
Hero (an impressive turn from Samuel Adewunmi) is a young black man who insists that he didn’t murder a local drug dealer. Having decided to defend himself, he confronts the jury/viewers with the uncomfortable truth of his story.
A contrived dramatic device, sure, but the dialogue and performances are authentic.
Based on a book by criminal defence lawyer Imran Mahmood, it subverts
expectations, embraces moral grey areas and forces us to care about its
characters and their nightmarish predicament. One of 2021’s best TV dramas.
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