LOUIS THEROUX INTERVIEWS... BEAR GRYLLS | IMAGINE... DOUGLAS STUART: LOVE, HOPE AND GRIT | OTI MABUSE: MY SOUTH AFRICA

This article was originally published in The Courier on 12th November 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Louis Theroux Interviews… Bear Grylls – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

The adventurer and broadcaster Bear Grylls often comes across as an inadvertently comical figure; a gung-ho action man with zero self-awareness. 

That, of course, is why Louis Theroux wanted to interview him. Grylls can’t really be like that? Well, he is and he isn’t. 

While perfectly pleasant and evidently sincere, he doesn’t appear to have much of a sense of humour about himself. That’s probably because, as the programme suggests, he’s an insecure person who feels compelled to live up to a self-made alpha male image. 

Grylls, to his credit, is candid about his lonely boarding school childhood, and one gets the impression that he’s never fully come to terms with that experience. It’s all rather sad.

Hong Kong’s Fight for Freedom – Monday, BBC Two, 9:30pm

The latest two-part report from BBC Two’s deservedly acclaimed This World strand focuses on some of the Hong Kong protestors who took a stand against their government and China’s authoritarian regime in 2019. 

Their identities are protected, that goes without saying, but to even speak about this at all is testament to their bravery. 

Hundreds of thousands of justifiably angry Hong Kong citizens took to the streets when their long-held autonomy from mainland China was threatened by a newly introduced extradition bill triggered by a murder that took place in Taiwan. That bill is a human rights violation, with far-reaching implications for the people of Hong Kong. 

This World, as always, excavates the details with journalistic rigour.

1966: Who Stole the World Cup? – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm

When England hosted the World Cup in 1966, their eventual triumph was somewhat undermined by the theft of the Jules Rimet trophy. 

As we all know, it was eventually discovered in a bush by a dog called Pickles. This irreverent documentary digs deeper into one of the most farcical sagas in football history. It almost makes you feel proud of good old-fashioned British incompetence. 

Narrated by actor Alan Ford of fictional cockney gangster fame, it plays out like an Ealing comedy crime caper. If this notorious incident had occurred at the start of the decade, you can absolutely guarantee that Peter Sellers would’ve starred in a film adaptation. 

The programme features contributions from some of those involved in the investigation.

Imagine… Douglas Stuart: Love, Hope and Grit – Monday, BBC One, 10:40pm

Scottish-American author Douglas Stuart won the 2020 Booker Prize for his visceral debut novel Shuggie Bain, which tells the semi-autobiographical story of a queer boy and his alcoholic single mother in working class Glasgow. A TV adaptation is on its way. 

Stuart’s latest novel Young Mungo is also a bestseller. 

In this revealing profile, the New York-based Stuart returns to Glasgow in the company of Alan Yentob to reflect upon his tough upbringing. 

He comes across as a pleasant and perceptive man whose pride in where he came from is plain for all to see. His reminiscences are accompanied by contributions from famous fans such as Alan Cumming, Lulu and Stuart Murdoch from Belle and Sebastian.

Grand Designs: House of the Year 2022 – Wednesday, Channel 4, 9pm

In which the perpetually arch Kevin McCloud returns for another mosey around homes nominated for this year’s Royal Institute of British Architects House of the Year award.

McCloud doesn’t do all the heavy-lifting, though, he’s supported by a team of experts. In episode one, they visit five architectural wonders competing for a place on the shortlist. 

Our budding nominees include: an eccentric pink beach house built to withstand fierce weather; a meticulously renovated 1960s household; a highly ambitious DIY eco-home; a boldly reimagined redbrick structure; and a new-build that required major renovation on its vast basement. 

Yes, folks, this will provide tremendous comfort to all of us currently struggling through the cost of living crisis. Approach with caution.

Oti Mabuse: My South Africa – Thursday, BBC One, 9pm

The former Strictly star Oti Mabuse is beloved by all good people. 

In this touching documentary, she reflects upon the legacy of the South African townships where her ancestors were born and raised. 

Celebrity travelogues are ten a penny, but this is so much richer than your standard ‘journey’. Mabuse’s perspective on the socio-political changes in South Africa during her lifetime naturally carries more weight than the ruminations of well-meaning UK celebs who occasionally make programmes on this subject. 

She confronts the struggles of those who suffered under Apartheid while highlighting various hopes for the future. 

A commendably nuanced and thoughtful essay presented by someone with first-hand cultural experience, it’s sad and inspirational in roughly equal measure.

The Horne Section TV Show – Thursday, Channel 4, 10pm

Little Alex Horne is sick and tired of living in the gargantuan shadow of Greg Davies. 

It was Horne who came up with Taskmaster in the first place, he’s the brains behind it all, but his role is that of the hapless sidekick. Davies bullies him both onscreen and off. It’s just not fair, he needs to escape for the sake of his sanity. 

Not really. This is, after all, a self-mocking meta sitcom in which Horne and Davies play fictionalised versions of themselves. 

It follows Horne and his band, The Horne Section, as they attempt to branch out on their own. It’s all fairly charming and totally harmless, but it never raises more than a smile.

LAST WEEK’S TV

The Secret Genius of Modern Life – Thursday 10th November, BBC Two

I recommend this fun new series (a nerd’s paradise) in which Hannah Fry delves deeply into everyday tech developments we more or less take for granted. 

She began with the bankcard, a genuinely life-changing invention. 

You may have noticed that, ever since dear old BBC Four ceased hosting new content, programmes such as this (which would’ve once been a natural fit on Four), have been cropping up with increasing frequency on BBC Two. That’s a good thing. 

Two is, slowly but surely, recovering its former identity as the home of ‘niche’ documentaries, comedies and dramas which would look out of place on BBC One. And I find that quite heartening. 

I know, I know, forever the hopeless optimist.

The English – Thursday 10th November, BBC Two

Written and directed by that esoteric auteur Hugo Blick (Marion and Geoff; The Shadow Line), this revisionist Western miniseries stars Emily Blunt as an aristocratic Englishwoman seeking revenge for the murder of her son, and Chaske Spencer as a Native American and former cavalry scout. 

When they meet on the plains of Wyoming, a deep bond develops between them. 

Blick’s brutal meditation on racism and misogyny is aesthetically indebted to the likes of Altman, Peckinpah and Leone, but it’s no mere homage. 

As with all of Blick’s work, it’s unusual and arresting; a sombre piece tinged with lyrical black comedy. It’s a Brit having fun with various Western tropes, while treating his subject matter with the utmost seriousness. It intrigues.

 

The Suspect | Blackpool's Dance Fever | Animal Airlift: Escaping the Taliban

This article was originally published in The Courier on 27 August 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

The Suspect – Monday, STV, 9pm

Joe O’Loughlin (Aidan ‘Poldark’ Turner) is a reputable psychologist who’s recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. 

Joe becomes a national hero when he stops a young terminal cancer patient from jumping off a high window ledge. He’s also researching a book about attitudes towards sex workers, so when a young sex worker – her identity unknown – is brutally murdered, the police call him in to profile her. A series of weird coincidences – or are they? – ensue. 

On the evidence of episode one, The Suspect is more intelligent and sensitive than your standard TV crime drama. It appears to have some depth. 

Turner is a charismatic actor, but the subtly scene-stealing star is Shaun Parkes as our weary chief investigating officer.

Blackpool’s Dance Fever – Monday, BBC One, 8pm

Blackpool, as every devoted Strictly fan knows, is the universal heartland of ballroom dancing. Why? Well, for almost 100 years, the Blackpool Dance Festival has attracted hoofing contenders from all around the world. It’s an institution, albeit one which has never quite received the widespread attention it deserves. This amiable documentary delves behind its sequined scenes. 

The dancers have various personal stories to tell, they’ve tangoed and strived from all walks of life. Taking part in this event means the world to them. 

It’s also a tribute to those beautiful Blackpool ballrooms, the Winter Gardens and the Tower. I’m not one for sentimentality (I am one for sentimentality), but they’re absolute works of art.

Fastest Finger First – Monday to Friday, STV, 4:30pm and 4pm

There are few things I enjoy more in life than utterly trivial pursuits. So this new weekday afternoon quiz show, which I’m afraid I haven’t seen, sounds like something I’ll enjoy. 

If you’re anything like me – and God knows, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone – you’ll probably be intrigued by the sound of it too. A spin-off from Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, it presents us with various contestants who, should they triumph in this scenario, will secure a guaranteed place on the mothership. A gangplank leading up to one actual million pounds. 

It’s basically a prequel expansion of the first Millionaire round we’re all so familiar with. Your host is Anita Rani.

Jamie’s One-Pan Wonders – Monday, Channel 4, 8:30pm

This week, your friendly neighbourhood millionaire chef whips up some smoky noodle soup, a pan of home-made bread, and a chicken ‘n mushroom pie. 

The whole point of this particular Oliver vehicle is how simple yet delicious his dishes are. These easy to follow recipes won’t take up much of your valuable time either, they can – as per the show’s simply descriptive title – be cooked in just one pan. 

I don’t mind Jamie Oliver, and I’m sure he’d be delighted to hear that. Yes, he’s a rather silly person, but he’s harmless. And he has at least used his magical powers to effect some positive social change, the fella’s heart is in the right place.

Animal Airlift: Escaping the Taliban – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm

Last August, during the West’s utterly chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the former Royal Marines commando Pen Farthing worked around the clock to ensure the safe evacuation of his charitable organisation’s Afghan staff and the animals they shelter. 

The sad images released by Farthing and his team mobilised support from the animal-loving British public. Boris Johnson officially declared his approval. But portions of the British media turned on Farthing when he left a deeply frustrated, angry voicemail for an aide to the Secretary of Defence. He was accused of prioritising pets before people. 

This probing documentary examines the ways in which the widespread perception of a public figure can turn on a dime when politics are weaponised.

999: On the Frontline – Trauma – Monday, Channel 4, 11:05pm

The West Midlands Ambulance Service deal with major trauma cases on an arduous daily basis. In this thematically-linked episode of the stalwart observational documentary series, we follow paramedics in the thick of it all. 

They come to the aid of a woman whose newly born child is experiencing severe breathing difficulties, an 87-year-old man who has fallen off a ladder and damaged his pelvis, and a teenager who was, to say the least, lucky to survive a freak horsing accident. 

I sometimes complain about the hollow voyeuristic nature of programmes in this ‘Oh the humanity!’ genre, and I’ll never be entirely comfortable with them, but 999 does at least boast some semblance of integrity.

Grand Designs – Wednesday, Channel 4, 9pm

After all these years of dealing with sometimes ludicrously unrealistic building projects, you’d think that Kevin McCloud would be a broken man. But no, he’s still somehow managed to retain his wryly sceptical yet fundamentally sympathetic persona. He’s a hero of sorts, a better man than I. 

The umpteenth series of Grand Designs begins with a curved glass family home plonked into the middle of a Manchester suburb. Colin, a man possessed of undeniable ambition, wants to make his dream abode look like it’s floating. 

This doesn’t go down well with his rather more pragmatic Swedish architect, Italian interior designers, and Latvian building company. But – hey! – maybe Colin is a kind of maverick visionary.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Investigating Diana: Death in Paris – Sunday 21 August and Monday 22 August, Channel 4

There are so many conspiracy theories surrounding the death of Princess Diana, hence why there have been so many television programmes made about the death of Princess Diana. 

This series, which concludes on the 28^th and 29^th of August, is just another cog in an ever-revolving wheel. It doesn’t reveal any new information, because of course it doesn’t. Diana’s death was a tragedy, that’s all we can say with any certainty. Anything else is pure speculation. 

Which isn’t to suggest that we should just forget about the whole thing, far from it, but programmes such as this add up to very little. That said, I haven’t seen the last two episodes. Maybe they’ll sort it all out.

Saving Lives at Sea – Thursday 25 August, BBC Two

Imagine if your job involved rescuing people in distress. Perhaps it does, in which case I sincerely doff my cap to you. I’m writing this on a Sunday evening with a cat on my lap while eating a packet of Monster Munch; I have contributed nothing to society and the wellbeing of others. 

Saving Lives at Sea, which returned last week, is a humbling endeavour. Yes, we’ve all seen shows of this nature a thousand times before, but familiarity in this case doesn’t breed contempt. 

Equipped with their own cameras for maximum spume-sprayed drama, these unassuming rescuers set about their business with the utmost professionalism. Lives were saved. It’s just what they do. Someone has to.