This article was originally published in The Courier on 4th June 2022.
NEXT WEEK’S TV
My Name is Leon ‐ Friday, BBC Two, 9pm
Set in early 1980s Birmingham against a simmering backdrop of racial tensions, this sensitive drama is told through the eyes of Leon, a mixed‐race ten‐year‐old growing up in care. Leon wants nothing more than to be reunited with his beloved mother and baby brother.
Based on the novel by Kit de Waal, it’s a heart‐wrenching yet ultimately uplifting portrait of a lost child gradually gaining a sense of identity. Newcomer Cole Martin is wholly unaffected as Leon, it's a stellar performance.
He’s supported by an exceptional adult cast including Monica Dolan as Leon’s kindly foster carer, and Malachi Kirby as an accidental surrogate father who gently teaches him about the importance of standing up against injustice. A beautiful film.
Long Lost Family Special: Switched at Birth ‐ Monday, STV, 9pm
In the latest episode of this always poignant and sensitively‐handled series, hosts Nicky Campbell and Davina McCall pose two difficult questions: “What if you suspect you were swapped with another baby when you were born? And what if, as a parent, you discover you’ve been raising the wrong daughter?”
Septuagenarian Rosemary loves her adoptive family, they’ve had a very happy life together, but she understandably feels the need to find out about her biological parents. We all want to know where we came from.
Meanwhile, two Mediterranean mothers articulate the complex emotional impact of having their babies accidentally switched at birth. A clerical error with, to put it mildly, significant repercussions for all concerned.
Cooking with the Stars ‐ Tuesday, STV, 8pm
It’s a fairly quiet TV week, folks, hence why I’m nudging this returning series in your direction. Please do not regard it as a glowing recommendation. I really can’t emphasise that enough.
Hosts Tom Allen and Emma Willis preside over another group of celebs as they attempt to learn the skills of a restaurant chef. Naturally, they’ll need a lot of help to get to that level. Enter various top chef mentors such as Rosemary Shrager.
Among this year’s oven‐ready stars are Anton Du Beke, Dame Kelly Holmes, The Chase’s Anne Hegerty, and comedian Joe Wilkinson. The theme in episode one is classic British dishes. A cook‐off between the first pair of contestants, Du Beke and Wilkinson, ensues.
Lucy Worsley Investigates ‐ Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm
The penultimate chapter of Worsley’s current essay is quite the historical cold case: what were the actual circumstances surrounding those 15th century English princes, both of them heirs to King Edward IV’s throne, who were allegedly murdered in their beds?
I must admit, I’d never heard of this bizarre mystery before watching the programme. My specialist area of historical expertise is (cough) 20th century socio-political pop culture. That’s why the likes of Worsley are always welcome on my screen. She may be right, she may be wrong, but she informs and entertains with persuasive, questioning, sceptical rigour.
I ended up falling down an internet research rabbit‐hole after watching this episode. Still none the wiser, but what a story.
The Bridge: Rocket to a Fortune ‐ Tuesday and Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm
In series two of this reality show, eight strangers from the UK are tasked with building a 1,000‐foot bridge between their basecamp on a remote Vietnamese island and a giant uninhabited rock. Why? Because if they succeed, one of them will win £200,000.
This naturally throws up a thorny moral conundrum: they have to work together as a team while being fully aware that they’re also competitors. Twist # 2: there’s another team competing for the same prize, but at first they’re unaware of each other’s existence.
It’s all rather cruel and dubious, as some of these people are clearly quite fragile. But of course, that doesn’t stop the producers from exploiting the situation for maximum dramatic impact.
Bradford on Duty ‐ Thursday, BBC Two, 9pm
Bradford in the north of England was once one of Britain’s most affluent cities. Decades of deindustrialisation and austerity put paid to that.
In this new five‐part factual series, we follow some of Bradford’s dedicated frontline workers as they campaign to restore much‐needed civic pride and wellbeing to the beleaguered city.
Preview copies weren’t available, but this sounds like a potentially worthwhile endeavour. It promises to shed light upon the everyday struggles of district nurses, police officers and council workers, as well as the people who rely upon them for support.
It will, we’re told, confront vitally important intertwined issues such as homelessness and wealth/health inequality ‐ but with some humour, warmth and hope.
Our Lives: Darts Dreams ‐ Friday, BBC One, 7:30pm
Eighteen‐year‐old Chloe O’Brien from Perthshire is a talented darts player. She’s already established herself as part of Scotland’s youth team, but now it’s time for her to try out for the Scottish ladies’ international squad. This charming documentary charts Chloe’s quest.
She’s sharp and likeable, a protagonist you can get behind. Like all budding sportspeople who want to get somewhere, Chloe is totally dedicated. She’s made sacrifices, it’s an all‐consuming vocation.
The programme subtly cocks a snook at those who look down on darts as ‘not a real sport’. Chloe and her close‐knit Angus Ravens teammates prove that it requires real skill; an acute combination of arithmetic, tactics, spatial awareness and hand‐eye coordination.
LAST WEEK’S TV
Top of the Pops: The Story of 1999 ‐ Saturday 28th May, BBC Two
Last week’s contrived theme: at the very end of the 20th century, just as Prince predicted, we really were all partying as if there was no tomorrow.
Sure, we experienced some apocalyptic anxiety surrounding the Y2K bug, but why worry when Steps ruled the charts? Anyway, nothing bad actually happened and we all enjoyed doing the Tragedy dance.
As usual, this was a historically askew yet harmless exercise in shallow nostalgia aimed at middle‐aged people such as myself.
We all know that 1999 heralded the beginning of the end for TOTP as any kind of cultural force, but the programme neglected to mention that. One hopes that its sad decline will be addressed in future episodes.
Big Boys ‐ Thursday 2nd June, Channel 4
This is a delightful new sitcom I failed to mention when it started a fortnight ago, for tedious logistical reasons more than anything else. I’m recommending it now with full‐tilt enthusiasm.
A tender autobiography penned by Jack Rooke, it stars Dylan Lewellyn from Derry Girls as an awkward gay teenager who forms a close bond with a straight ‘lad’ when they’re suddenly thrown together at university. Jack’s new pal immediately accepts him for who he is.
Big Boys
is funny, frank, sweet and sensitive, it hits every emotional beat ‐ whether
happy or sad ‐ with perfect timing. No wonder the great Russell T. Davies has
been showering it with praise. All six episodes are available on All 4.
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