GHOSTS | RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE UK | AM I BEING UNREASONABLE?

This article was originally published in The Courier on 17th September 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Ghosts ‐ Friday, BBC One, 8:30pm

All hats off to the original Horrible Histories team for creating such a rare treat: a family‐friendly sitcom that’s neither bland nor compromised or condescending. It’s funny, daft, clever and sweet, an obvious labour of love. 

The latest series begins with Alison and Mike anxiously welcoming their first guests to the manor house B&B they’ve been working on for all this time. Hopefully the well‐meaning spectral inhabitants won’t get in the way. 

As always, the writers seamlessly blend their driving narrative with nicely‐rounded subplots and some great fleeting gags. My favourite line this week: snooty Lady Button reveals that she once met The Elephant Man. What was he like? “Rather boring, couldn’t see the fuss.”

Mastermind ‐ Monday, BBC Two, 7:30pm

In 1972, Mastermind introduced a hitherto unthinkable solemnity to the TV quiz arena. 

The darkened set, the black leather chair, Magnus Magnusson rattling out questions on a wide variety of subjects, none of which would ever be touched upon by populist contemporaries such as Monkhouse and Forsyth: the intense no‐frills quiz to end ‘em all. 

So no wonder it celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year. A world without Mastermind is no world at all. 

In round one, smooth incumbent host Clive Myrie welcomes contestants whose specialist subjects include hardboiled detective novelist Raymond Chandler, influential Spanish artist Francisco de Goya, Team GB’s performance at the 2020 Olympics, and Peaky Blinders (the latter contestant comes dressed for the occasion).

Cunk On Earth ‐ Monday, BBC Two, 10pm

The bewildered cultural commentator Philomena Cunk started out as a recurring character in Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe. Since then, she’s been spun off into various solo vehicles. 

This one, a parody of self‐consciously epic BBC documentaries, invites that age old question: how do you mock something we automatically roll our eyes at anyway? An awestruck presenter standing atop a mountain while synthetic orchestral music swells is one of the most hackneyed pieces of TV grammar. Making fun of it has become a cliché in itself. 

Diane Morgan, who plays Cunk, is brilliant. She’s a naturally funny performer with a deadpan gift for subtle improvisation, but the scripted material she’s working with only raises an occasional smile. 

Sensationalists: The Bad Girls and Boys of British Art ‐ Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of Sensation, the controversial contemporary art exhibition which put that entire generation of provocative Young British Artists ‐ Damien Hirst, Tracy Emin et al ‐ on the map. This vivid three‐part series places it all in context. 

Those punk‐inspired provocateurs, who went out of their way to overturn the elitist art establishment, were the disenfranchised children of Thatcher’s Britain. 

Episode one unfolds across a canvas of art schools, squats and job centres. It was a political movement, initially at least. Later episodes will presumably examine the ways in which it eventually bolstered the dubious Cool Britannia myth, but episode one captures the anger and desperation of a creative generation with nothing to lose.

Doc Martin ‐ Wednesday, STV, 9pm

The Doc’s valedictory tour of duty continues with an episode in which Ben Miller returns to the show for the first time since series one way back in 2004. 

He plays Stewart, a local park ranger in a state of some distress. Stewart is beside himself with worry about an upcoming survival course he’s agreed to commandeer. If it doesn’t go well, he might lose his job. In an effort to help him out, surgery receptionist Morwenna encourages two series regulars to take part ‐ with, of course, amusing consequences. 

Meanwhile, Louisa, Doc Martin’s eminently sensible and sympathetic wife, agrees to speak at a local school assembly. Alas, complications ensue when several pupils are stricken with a rash.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK ‐ Thursday, BBC Three, 9pm

As the latest series of this fabulous celebration of fabulousness kicks off, extra‐special guest judge Joanna Lumley joins the panel alongside Graham Norton and Michelle Visage. 

But the real stars of the show are, as always, our latest cavalcade of contestants, most of whom would appear to be potential winners. After all, no one competing in Drag Race ever turns up looking like they’ve made a fatal error of judgement. 

It’s a landmark series in that one of the contestants, Dakota, is the first trans woman to participate in this particular version of RuPaul’s global phenomenon. She represents her community with humility, pride and a considerable amount of pizazz. 

As usual, everyone involved is utterly lovely. An uplifting endeavour.

John & Joe Bishop: Life After Deaf ‐ Thursday, STV, 9pm

Joe Bishop, the son of comedian and actor John Bishop, has an autoimmune condition causing progressive deafness. 

In this intimate documentary, Joe and John find out more about what it means to be part of the deaf community. John sets himself a challenge: he will perform an entirely signed stand‐up set for a deaf audience. The bill also includes established deaf comedians. 

John, a self‐evidently nice and empathetic man, doesn’t make it all about him. Far from it, he and Joe are united in their desire to educate people while throwing a spotlight on talented performers who might not otherwise receive mainstream exposure. 

Life After Deaf is followed at 10:45pm by a recording of the concert itself.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Frozen Planet II ‐ Sunday 11th September, BBC One

I’m sure I wasn’t alone last Sunday in considering the legacy of David Attenborough. He’s been an integral part of our lives for seven decades. A universally beloved figure. At the risk of sounding morbid, one can’t help thinking that every public appearance he makes these days might turn out to be his last. 

I mention that only because this exceptional Frozen Planet sequel encapsulated the tone of most of Attenborough’s autumnal works. A paean to Earth inspired by a more or less equal amount of sadness and hope. 

Has any major British broadcaster ever informed and educated with such compassionate insight? Answers on a rhetorical postcard.

Am I Being Unreasonable? ‐ Friday 16th September, BBC One

Now this is great. It’s a new comedy thriller written by and starring Daisy May Cooper (This Country) and Selin Hizli, in which the former plays Nic, a lonely woman married to a boring man she doesn’t love. 

Nic was once in love with her husband’s brother, and the feeling was mutual. They carried out a secret affair, which ended in tragedy. Grief‐stricken Nic witnessed his death, but she can’t share her trauma with anyone. 

And then she makes friends with another local mum (Hizli, Cooper’s real life best bud), who appears to be a kindred spirit. That’s when things take a most peculiar turn. 

Grounded in messy reality, this sharp, funny, honest confection is something to savour.

THE HERMIT OF TREIG + THE TOWER + DOCTOR WHO

This article was originally published in The Courier on 6th November 2021.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

The Hermit of Treig – Tuesday, BBC Scotland, 10pm

Ken Smith is one of the UK’s last remaining hermits. For over 40 years, he’s lived without electricity or a phone signal on the banks of a loch in the remote Scottish Highlands. Two years ago, he allowed filmmaker Lizzie MacKenzie to document his solitary lifestyle. The results are rather beautiful. 

It’s an intimate, meditative film in which MacKenzie gently encourages Smith to explain why he chose to live in almost total isolation. It was, initially at least, a way for him to process some of the grief and trauma he experienced as a young man. 

But Smith, despite being frustrated by his failing health, seems genuinely happy with how things have turned out. This is his life. No regrets.

The Tournament – Monday to Friday, BBC One, 2:15pm

This new Alex Scott-hosted daytime gameshow doesn’t boast any particular angle or gimmick as such. It’s a no-frills general knowledge quiz in which contestants answer exceedingly simple questions such as: “The Scottish city of Dundee stands at the mouth of which river?” And did Oasis once release an album called “Certainly Feasible”? 

It's not a challenging show, it’s a harmlessly generic piece of afternoon filler. And the head-to-head rounds are amusing, as the affable contestants have clearly been instructed to stare at each other with the utmost burning intensity. No mean feat when you’re fielding questions about Homes Under the Hammer. 

Villages By the Sea – Monday, BBC Two, 7pm

Archaeologist Ben Robinson is an enthusiastic, wide-eyed giraffe of a man, and here he is, in this scenic new series, to deliver some engaging history lessons about Britain’s coastal villages. 

His first port of call is Bamburgh in Northumberland, which is situated just a few miles south of the Scottish border. Overlooked by an impressive hilltop castle, Bamburgh is also home to a seventh century Christian burial ground: as Robinson reveals, we can learn a lot about the diet and lifestyle of ancient Britons by examining the state of their teeth. 

He also peers into an ancient well and explains how, many moons ago, this humble little village established a prototypical version of the welfare state.

The Tower – Monday to Wednesday, STV, 9pm

ITV’s never-ending slew of crime dramas continues with this three-part series, which begins with a teenage girl and a policeman falling to their deaths from the top of a residential tower block. So far, so gloomy, but this is an obvious cut above your standard ITV cop show fare; it has slightly more grit and depth than the likes of The Long Call. 

The excellent Gemma Whelan delivers a sensitive, understated performance as the DSI tasked with solving this mystery, the details of which are gradually revealed via flashback. NB: I only had access to episode one, so apologies in advance if it all falls apart.

Grand Tours of Scotland’s Rivers – Wednesday, BBC One, 7:30pm

Paul ‘Not Paul Merton’ Murton and his familiar wide-brimmed hat – Crocodile Dunoon? – have returned for another wander around the watery veins of Scotland. This week’s destination is the River Garry in Perthshire. 

Our genial guide never shies away from some of the darker tributaries of Scottish history; Garry and its surroundings are beautiful, but this episode serves as a reminder that many of the picturesque environments we all enjoy today were once scarred by weirdness, horror and violence. Something to think about during your next family picnic. 

But Murton keeps it light for the most part. That’s his M.O. He’s the 21^st century Tom Weir, and I can think of no higher praise than that.

Nadiya’s Fast Flavours – Thursday, BBC Two, 8:30pm

The effervescent Nadiya Hussein hosts this new home cooking show, which, as the title suggests, is primarily concerned with the ways in which a dash of extra flavour can improve your everyday meals. Feel free to experiment, people! Her macaroni and cheese recipe – which is seasoned with beefy yeast and Worcestershire sauce – looks delicious. 

Yes, this is just another aspirational lifestyle series in which a solvent expert dispenses advice from their vast, perfect, sunlit kitchen; but Hussein is such a likeable presence, her programmes never come across as bizarre and vaguely unsettling upper middle-class fantasies a la Nigella Lawson’s almost Lynchian transmissions from a parallel universe.

The Trial of Louise Woodward – Thursday, STV, 9pm

24 years ago, British au pair Louise Woodward was convicted of the involuntary manslaughter of Matthew Eappen, an eight-month-old infant in her care. Woodward, who was 19 at the time, became the subject of intense media scrutiny. The details of her court case were shared both here and in America, where the crime took place. 

This documentary, which wasn’t available at the time of writing, boasts access to key figures associated with the case. It examines each stage of Woodward’s trial while taking in the aftermath. I’m cautiously recommending this programme, as one hopes – for the sake of all of those directly concerned – that it’s a sensitive and responsible account of a terrible tragedy. 

LAST WEEK’S TV

Doctor Who – Sunday 31st October, BBC1

The most you can ever expect from a Chris Chibnall-penned episode of Doctor Who is that it’s surprisingly decent, and that’s the lofty bar we hit last week when the series returned. 

Chibnall’s trademark clunky dialogue aside, it was an enjoyable, intriguing, occasionally suspenseful and frenetically scene-setting opener in which fan favourites the Weeping Angels and the Sontarans returned alongside this year’s Big Bad: a marauding entity that’s threatening to devour the universe. 

Meanwhile, new companion John Bishop made a fairly promising impression, even though his character is basically little more than a patronisingly-sketched salt-of-the-earth Scouse stereotype. Otherwise, not bad at all; actual fun ensued. Fingers crossed, eh?

Showtrial – Sunday 31st October, BBC One

Like The Tower, this new crime drama proudly presents itself as Actually Being About Something. The abiding theme here is class inequality in Britain today. 

When a young working-class woman went missing after a posh student ball, the police apprehended the daughter of a powerful property developer. An instantly objectionable symbol of arrogant entitlement – the Bullingdon mentality incarnate – she is, of course, putting up a cold front to disguise some private trauma. 

Showtrial isn’t subtle, nor is it especially compelling, but it’s occasionally quite cynical and witty. Well-acted too: all rare commodities in dramas of this nature. Whether it follows through on its vague promise and ambition, well (if you will) the jury’s out.