BANNED! THE MARY WHITEHOUSE STORY + CONCERT FOR UKRAINE

This article was originally published in The Courier on 26th March 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Banned! The Mary Whitehouse Story – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

Mary Whitehouse isn’t someone who should be regarded with any affection whatsoever, she was an awful bigot. But her curtain‐twitching reign is a fascinating piece of social history. 

This thoroughly researched series attempts to understand Whitehouse with far more wit, courtesy and depth than she ever demonstrated. It illustrates what happens when a small‐minded yet fairly charismatic and articulate person decides to launch a campaign against a world they can’t comprehend. 

It also confirms that Whitehouse had no concept of nuance or satire. A strange, oblivious, exasperating person. 

But she also had a canny knack for getting her puritanical message across in the very mass media she despised. A pioneering grifter. She’d be all over GB News these days.

Rescue: Extreme Medics – Monday, Channel 4, 9pm

This urgent new series follows the fine men and women of the Scottish Trauma Network, an elite team of roving clinicians who serve as an emergency lifeline for the entire country.

Episode one focuses on medical emergencies in some of the most remote parts of Scotland. Patients include a man from Skye who is trapped under an all‐terrain vehicle, a middle‐aged cyclist who has experienced a head‐on collision with a digger in rural Aberdeenshire, and a teenage tree surgeon who has injured himself with a chainsaw. 

We’ve all seen shows like this before, you know what to expect in terms of tone and structure, but that doesn’t detract from the inherent drama and humanity of it all. 

Police Custody USA – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm

Fans of 24 Hours in Police Custody are advised to check out this sombre new series, which is basically the same thing but set way over yonder in that there America. 

It begins with the tragic news of a Kansas man being shot dead at point blank range in broad daylight. A veteran pair of homicide detectives are tasked with solving this brutal crime. Interviews with witnesses lead them to believe that members of the victim’s family may be involved. But who was directly responsible? A young AWOL woman becomes the prime suspect, thus instigating a large‐scale hunt. 

If you fancy a binge, the entire series will be available on All 4 straight after this episode airs 

Concert for Ukraine – Tuesday, STV, 8pm

ITV and STV have joined forces with the Disasters Emergency Committee to stage this two‐hour fundraiser for the people of Ukraine. All sponsorship and advertising revenue generated from the broadcast will be donated to the DEC appeal. They expect to raise over £3 million. 

It’s a live event, so I’m afraid I can’t inform you of the line‐up (deadlines being what they are, I’m writing this nine days before the concert takes place), but the organisers have promised some big names from the musical stratosphere. So do keep an eye out for announcements as they unfold. 

And if you would like make a donation to the appeal, details of how to do so will be shared throughout the programme.

Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars – Thursday, BBC One, 9pm

The television career of Gordon Ramsay is one of life’s great mysteries. He’s a talented chef, no doubt about that, but even after all these years he looks utterly ill at ease in front of a camera. The man is not a natural broadcaster. 

And yet here he is with a derivative new series in which he promises to inject some of his own cash into the coffers of various food and drink entrepreneurs; but only if they’re deemed worthy of such a magnanimous gesture. It’s Gordon’s Den. Ramsay’s Apprentice. The format writes itself. 

I’m recommending this only because you might enjoy seeing what happens when desperate TV executives run out of ideas for their golden‐handcuffed Talent. 

Horizon: How to Sleep Well with Michael Mosley – Thursday, BBC Two, 9pm

Like so many of us, genial medical man Michael Mosley suffers from deeply frustrating sleep problems. As always, however, he’s here to help. 

We’re all aware that a comfortable sleep pattern can improve our physical and mental health, but what’s the key to a good night’s slumber? Mosley, a broadcaster you can trust, meets various experts while trying out bits and pieces of brand new sleep‐orientated technology. His wide‐ranging essay is largely informed by some pioneering Oxford University research. 

As someone who has struggled with insomnia for years, I found the programme quite helpful and informative. I daresay you will too. May the candy‐coloured clown they call the Sandman tiptoe to your room every night. 

Joanna Lumley’s Great Cities of the World – Thursday, STV, 9pm

The great Dame concludes her latest escapade in Berlin. She places this vibrant city in its deeply troubled historical context while showing how it’s moved on and thrived, albeit without ever forgetting the horrors of its past. 

She also rides pillion with a female biker gang, meets a gay and trans model/dance troupe, and sits down with a Holocaust survivor. If that sounds like a jarring shift in tone, please rest assured that Lumley handles it sensitively. 

At the risk of sounding overblown and trite, this series has been a much‐needed balm. It’s just a TV travelogue, I know. Nothing particularly important in the grand scheme of things, but it provided a little bit of hope for humanity. You enjoy your crumbs of comfort wherever you can find them.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Top of the Pops: The Story of 1992 – Saturday 19th March, BBC Two

I was a pop‐crazed youngster in 1992, so no wonder I adored this retrospective. We’ll ne’er be so innocent again.

The nation's favourite pop show was in flux at this stage, it had jettisoned the old guard in favour of presenters who were utterly bland as opposed to pathetically Jurassic. Some of the previous presenters were perfectly pleasant, of course, Janice Long and Kid Jensen chief among them. But in 1992 TOTP tried to keep up with the times, often to hilariously strange effect. Some wonderfully odd and brilliant television ensued. 

These compendiums are vital time capsules; warm‐hearted yet understandably amused essays that revel in the glorious madness of popular culture. Hats off to everyone involved. Get your kicks from it on iPlayer.

Killed By a Rich Kid – Monday 21st March, Channel 4

Three years ago, seventeen‐year‐old Yousef Makki was fatally stabbed on the streets of his affluent Greater Manchester neighbourhood. 

This crassly‐titled yet surprisingly thoughtful documentary paid tribute to Yousef while chronicling the events that led to his eventual tragic fate. It was terribly sad, messy and complicated. 

The programme challenged media‐led preconceptions about knife crime. After all, these young lads weren’t from a disadvantaged area. They had wealth served up on a silver platter, what could possibly lead them to senseless acts of violence? 

Yousef’s story didn’t conform to the usual (simplistic and patronising) narrative. But above all else, this stark document exposed innate failings in the judicial system and societal attitudes in general.