BEST INTERESTS | AFRICA RISING WITH AFUA HIRSCH | COUNT ABDULLA

This article was originally published in The Courier on 10th June 2023. 

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Best Interests – Monday and Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm

This gut-punching four-part drama stars Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen as a happily married couple with two daughters, one of whom has a life-threatening illness. 

Writer Jack Thorne has form for handling difficult material with the utmost care. His estimable credits include the 2021 COVID drama Help and Shane Meadows’ semi-autobiographical The Virtues. 

If you’re familiar with his work, then you won’t be surprised to hear that Best Interests is incredibly moving but never mawkish. It’s honest and authentic, a sensitive meditation on the complex moral quandary surrounding terminally ill patients and their quality of life. 

Thorne sympathises with every single one of his characters. You will too. There are no easy answers.

Sarah Beeny Vs Cancer – Monday, Channel 4, 9pm

Last year, the television personality and property developer Sarah Beeny was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her mother died of the same disease when Beeny was just 10-years-old. 

In this poignant standalone documentary, our host investigates the past, present and hopeful future of breast cancer treatment in the UK. 

While recording an intimate video diary, Beeny – who has four children - reflects upon everything her mother went through in the 1980s. It’s a frank, tender and relatable essay. We’ve all lost loved ones to cancer. 

Beeny meets with various medical experts who provide some insight into how care for cancer patients has changed and improved over the last 40 years.

Africa Rising with Afua Hirsch – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

Journalist and broadcaster Afua Hirsch hosts this fascinating exploration of Africa, a continent which is home to the world’s most culturally diverse population. 

Her eventful journey begins in Morocco, Africa’s leading tourist destination. She meets several young creative people, one of whom is a world-renowned photographer: the Andy Warhol of Africa. His playful post-modern work subverts lazy cultural stereotypes. 

Hirsch also encounters a rapper influenced by traditional Moroccan music, an innovative rug-stitching entrepreneur, and some artists whose work challenges outdated assumptions about sex and gender. 

Hats off to Hirsch and everyone involved with this upbeat and progressive series, it restores a bit of faith in human nature.

Staged – Wednesday, BBC One, 10:40pm

Originally devised during lockdown, Staged is a comedy starring Michael Sheen (that man again) and David Tennant as mildly bickering versions of themselves conversing via Zoom. 

It’s inherently self-indulgent and potentially infuriating, but it more or less works because Sheen and Tennant are likeable and self-aware. Their semi-improvised conversations mock the petty insecurities of successful actors who have nothing much to worry about in the grand scheme of things. 

The latest series begins with a bored Tennant contacting Sheen from a Tokyo airport. 

Hilarity never ensues in Staged, it just ambles along, but spending downtime with Sheen and Tennant is always fairly pleasant. A ringing endorsement, I know.

Count Abdulla – Thursday, ITVX

This likeable new sitcom revolves around an unlikely group of British Muslim vampires. 

Our sweet-natured protagonist is Abdulla (Arian Nik), a nerdy junior doctor and classic horror film fan. He’s not particularly religious, but pays respectful lip service to appease his devout and loving mother (Nina Wadia). 

And then one Halloween party night, while immaculately attired as Christopher Lee’s iteration of Dracula, Abdulla is bitten by an outrageously camp vampire played by Jaime Winstone – imagine, if you will, Fenella Fielding in an even more deranged version of Carry On Screaming!. 

It’s all rather intriguing; a sharp comedy-horror underpinned with a wry message about the subtle nuances of racial identity and faith.

Queen of Oz – Friday, BBC One, 9:30pm

Catherine Tate is a self-evidently talented and versatile actor who’s wallowed in lacklustre material for most of her comedy career. This tiresome sitcom is no exception. 

She plays a disgraced member of the Royal Family who is exiled to Australia. There’s plenty of scope here for some biting satirical commentary on the dysfunction inherent within our monarchy, but Queen of Oz squanders that in favour of Tate playing yet another thoroughly obnoxious person. 

There’s obviously nothing wrong with that in theory, British comedy is festooned with beloved anti-heroes, but Tate’s self-generated characters are actively annoying. 

Oh well, she’ll be back on TV later this year as Donna Noble, one of the greatest ever Doctor Who companions.

They All Came Out to Montreux – Friday, BBC Four, 10:15pm

This absolutely wonderful documentary recounts the rather touching and inspiring story of Claude Nobs, a charismatic music enthusiast who launched the world-renowned Montreux Jazz Festival. 

Nobs had no real knowledge of the music industry back in 1967, he just wanted to invite some of his favourite artists to perform on the banks of Lake Geneva. His maverick pipe dream is currently celebrating its 56^th anniversary. 

Spread over three parts, all of which are shown tonight, the film traces the evolution of a jazz festival which gradually encompassed some astonishing performances from major rock, soul and blues artists. 

God bless Friday music nights on BBC Four, long may they groove into infinity.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Spy in the Ocean – Sunday 4th June, BBC One

Narrated by David Tennant (that man again; there’s a theme developing here), the BBC’s latest oceanic deep-dive introduced us to various creatures gently affixed with non-invasive cameras. Some sperm whales and coconut octopi were the stars of this particular episode.

Whenever one delves into the depths of the ocean, the results are always rather surreal and sweetly comical. Psychedelic whimsy writ large. 

While coasting above the waves, we also met some shore-based monkeys – a great bunch of lads – who’ve worked out how to feast upon oysters. Spy in the Ocean is the very definition of exotic Sunday night comfort viewing.

Gods of Tennis – Sunday 4th June, BBC Two

A companion piece to Gods of Snooker, which was also executively produced by Louis Theroux, this assiduously researched volley of social history focuses on 1970s and early 1980s tennis titans. It’s utterly riveting. 

Television was responsible for creating tennis’ mass appeal. That daily Wimbledon coverage coincided with the emergence of charismatic players such as Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King, who took centre stage in the opening episode. 

Ashe, who passed away in 1993, was African-American. King, whose fresh contributions to the programme provided a vital through-line, is gay. Their stories are thematically entwined. 

Ashe and King, while not always in agreement, both fought for equality.

AGATHA CHRISTIE: LUCY WORSLEY ON THE MYSTERY QUEEN | LOUIS THEROUX INTERVIEWS... | TOKYO VICE

This article was originally published in The Courier on 19th November 2022. 

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen – Friday, BBC Two, 9pm

Historian Lucy Worsley has enjoyed a lifelong fascination with Agatha Christie. In this typically persuasive new series, she seeks to explain how Christie, a rather enigmatic figure, became the most successful novelist of all time. 

In order to achieve that goal, she examines how the many societal changes Christie witnessed during her lifetime directly affected her work. This line of investigation naturally feeds into Worsley’s other stated aim: “to show you that she was a pioneering, radical writer and woman.” 

Like all historians worth their salt, Worsley is commendably obsessed with busting myths and received wisdom. Her detailed portrait of Christie is revealing; you actually get a sense of what she might’ve been like as a person. Mission accomplished.

Between the Covers – Tuesday, BBC Two, 7pm

Sara Cox’s book club guests this week are actor Paterson Joseph, BBC newsreader Sophie Raworth, and the comedians Jenny Éclair and Al Murray. 

One of the classic novels under review is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by the late, great Douglas Adams. Paterson Joseph’s passion for that magnificent work of art is just so delightful to behold. A man after my own heart. 

Also, to the surprise of absolutely no one, World War II buff Al Murray’s favourite novel is Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. Quite right too, it’s a masterpiece. 

Also, please steel yourselves for a wild revelation: Sophie Raworth was once so bored with a book, she chucked it off the side of a boat.

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

The comedian, broadcaster and author Katherine Ryan is the latest subject of this series of one-on-one interviews. 

Alas, preview copies of the episode weren’t available in time for my deadline, but if you’ve enjoyed this series so far, you’ll know why I’m flagging it up. 

Ryan is a smart, funny person. The same goes for Theroux. So it should be interesting. 

I get the impression that Theroux, who’s spent the last 20 years mired in deeply distressing subject matter, is trying to remind viewers that he was once renowned as an exemplary interviewer of celebrities. 

He has, perhaps, gone as far as could with ‘serious frown’ Theroux mode. There’s more room for light and shade in this format.

Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland and Beyond – Tuesday, Channel 4, 9pm

In the penultimate episode of their latest travelogue, celebrity pals Miriam Margolyes and Alan Cumming find themselves at chummy loggerheads on the subject of recreational drug use. This mild conflict takes place in a Santa Barbara ‘drugs den’. 

Their next destination is Palm Springs, which is home to many ageing members of the LGBTQ+ community. Miriam and Alan enjoy a bit of drag bingo and join a gay knitting group.

Their final port of call is Los Angeles, where Miriam takes Alan to meet a young relative she’s never in her life encountered before. 

Suffused with irreverence and total sincerity, these impish adventures are expertly designed to warm your cockles. Cut to: Margolyes raising a knowing Carry On eyebrow.

Tokyo Vice – Tuesday, BBC One, 9:10pm and 10:50pm

This jittery neo-noir thriller is based on the bestselling memoir by American journalist and crime writer Jake Adelstein, who has spent most of his career in Japan. 

The story begins in 1999, when the fresh-faced Adelstein was hired as a crime reporter by one of Japan’s largest newspapers. He was the first non-Japanese person to be employed by them. His first assignment involves a fatal stabbing. This leads him towards a brave – some might say foolhardy - investigation of the notorious Yakuza syndicate. 

As the danger escalates, Adelstein discovers that his main ally is a senior detective from the organised crime division. He’s played by the always compelling Ken Watanabe. The series begins with a double-bill.

You Won’t Believe This – Tuesday, Channel 4, 10pm

A Would I Lie to You? rip-off starring everyday people, this new series involves groups of strangers spinning tall tales, only one of which happens to be true. 

They’re grilled by “an elite squad of police interrogators” while hidden observers search for clues behind a two-way mirror. If they correctly identify the truth-teller, they win £5,000. If they choose the wrong person, that disingenuous suspect pockets the money instead. 

The first group of suspects claim to have opted out of civilisation in a variety of unusual ways. Did one of them really live as an alpine goat? 

The second group have allegedly experienced the worst date ever. Sample claim: “We were caught up in an art heist.”

Unreported World – Friday, Channel 4, 7:30pm

Welcome to Gaza’s clandestine arts scene, where young Palestinians try to express themselves in the face of an Israeli blockade and fierce Hamas censorship. 

In this investigative report, journalist Jonathan Miller emphasises that simple social and creative endeavours, things we take for granted in the western world, are a source of tremendous risk in Palestine. 

His interviewees include a young female singer and actor who has been forced underground. Why? Because women over the age of 14 aren’t permitted to perform in public. 

Miller also meets a Palestinian man who is determined to renovate an old derelict cinema, so that his fellow Gazans can learn from, and enjoy, suppressed works of art. 

LAST WEEK’S TV

The People’s Piazza: A History of Covent Garden – Sunday 13th November, BBC Two

If you’ve ever visited London as a tourist, you’ve probably spent some time in Covent Garden. In this standalone documentary, that perceptive historian David Olusoga traced its centuries-spanning saga. 

Olusoga focused on this small piazza to achieve his usual goal: while examining individual case studies, all of them based within a particular locale, he presented a penetrating essay driven by a deep, empathetic understanding of what can be learned from historical injustices. 

It was also quite funny and colourful at times. He’s very good at this.

The Scotts – Wednesday 16th November, BBC One

Written by and starring Iain Connell and Robert Florence of Burnistoun renown, this likeable sitcom returned for a second series last week. If you haven’t seen it before, then imagine Modern Family set in a Glasgow suburb. A fairly apt description, if I do say so myself. 

The plot of episode one centred upon the imminent arrival of a baby to the extended family fold. A standard sitcom trope, but as always Connell and Florence fleshed it out with some healthy cynicism and understated warmth. They actually like the characters they’ve created, and it’s clearly based on shared experience. 

Best line, delivered by the family matriarch: “I lived through Bible John, Thatcher and a pandemic, I don’t dae jokes.”

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 WEDDING | LOUIS THEROUX INTERVIEWS... | SAS ROGUE HEROES

This article was originally published in The Courier on 5th November 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

The Wedding – Monday and Thursday, BBC Scotland, 10:30pm

This is one of the best things I’ve seen on TV of late. Originally released as six short bittersweet monologues on iPlayer, it’s presented this week as a compilation spread over two episodes. 

The drama unfolds at a Black Scottish wedding. The disparate characters include a gay (second) best man who’s had enough of living in the margins, an unhappy teenage girl struggling with the pressures of social media, a gambling addicted uncle at the end of his tether, and a Nigerian bartender who powerfully reflects upon the violent patriarchal society she’s escaped from. 

A collaboration between several acclaimed Black artists, The Wedding is an utterly compelling and beautifully performed piece. It’s intelligent, insightful, nuanced and moving. It lingers.

Trapped, Disabled & Abused: Dispatches – Monday, Channel 4, 8:30pm

Disabled people in the UK today experience far more domestic violence than non-disabled people. In this Dispatches documentary, reporter Sophie Morgan speaks to disabled victims while exposing the shocking lack of support they receive. 

The programme visits Britain’s only refuge run by – and for – survivors of such abuse. Dispatches have also interviewed over 2000 frontline professionals, including healthcare workers and police officers. Their findings reveal that more than half of those professionals wouldn't know which specialist service to refer a disabled person to. 

I honestly believe that the vast majority of human beings are decent and kind, but how are they expected to assist particularly vulnerable people when there’s no organised system of care?

Between the Covers – Tuesday, BBC Two, 7pm

The latest series of Sara Cox’s cosy little book club welcomes actor Amanda Abbington, former marine turned broadcaster JJ Chalmers, TV’s very own Graham Norton, and Alex Jones from The One Show. 

There is much to discuss as always. Among the new recommendations are The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers; actor Phil Davis describes the basic gist of the novel in a pre-filmed insert. 

Meanwhile, Abbington and Cox cheerfully confess to a bizarre trait - they read the last page of a novel before buying it. If that last page sounds intriguing, they’ll make a purchase. Yep, I know. That’s like watching Jaws for the first time on rewind. Oh well, whatever works for you.

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

This week’s guest is Yungblud, a pop-punk star with an intensely devoted fan-base. 

Yungblud has been commendably open about his mental health issues, and yet he’s been repeatedly forced to answer that age-old credibility question: are you 4 Real? Isn’t he just a careerist stage school kid? 

Louis, of course, has no truck with this crass, binary argument. He’s more interested in exploring the emotional complexities of Yungblud’s position as an inarticulate spokesperson who’s presumably sincere, but who desperately craves love and validation from the people he supposedly speaks for. 

Something occurred to me while watching this: as an interviewer, Louis is up there with the late, great Mavis Nicholson in terms of gently probing acuity and empathy.

Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland and Beyond – Tuesday, Channel 4, 9:15pm

Showbiz pals Miram Margolyes and Alan Cumming are back for another merry travelogue. This time they’re accompanied by Alan’s dog, Lala. Every second series needs a twist. 

And there’s more: as the title suggests, they’re not just confining themselves to the multitudinous joys and beauty of Scotland during this trip. Local boy made good Cumming has a home in sunny California ™. Margolyes, an actor who’s enjoyed an absolutely fascinating career, used to live there too. 

But their journey begins in the Cairngorms. Then it’s off to Dundee, where they meet with mutual pal Brian Cox. As an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church, Cumming conducts a LGBTQ+ wedding. Margolyes strips off. It really is all happening.

Return to Uist – Wednesday, BBC Scotland, 8:30pm

The stars of this charming new series are Alex, his fiancée Susannah and their son Cedar. They’ve decided to make a life-changing move from inner-city London to the remote Outer Hebrides, where they set about building a house and farmstead. An ambitious plan. 

Susannah, a bohemian artist, was raised in Uist, but left as soon as she could. Upon reflection, however, she thinks it might be the perfect environment for her family. 

Alex is a successful gardener and blogger. He’s also the only Black person on the island, so feels a long way from home. 

Return to Uist proves that, with the right cast of characters, TV’s standard ‘in at the deep end’ format will always reap rewards.

Unreported World – Friday, Channel 4, 7:30pm

This week’s destination is rural Guatemala, where young girls are routinely abused and nothing is ever done to protect them. 

I sometimes hesitate to recommend this outstanding foreign affairs strand, which has been running on Channel 4 for 22 years, but only for this reason and this reason alone: I don’t wish to upset anyone with harrowing details. 

But if, after all this time, you trust me and – far more importantly – the estimable journalists from the Unreported World team, you’ll understand that this is a vitally important institution. There is no graphic imagery, but the stories are heart-breaking. 

It goes out in a pre-watershed slot on Fridays, when we’re presumably all kicking off our shoes and trying to escape. That’s not accidental.

LAST WEEK’S TV

SAS Rogue Heroes – Sunday 30th October, BBC One

The latest series from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is loosely based on the formation of the SAS during WWII. 

I say ‘loosely’, as although it’s rooted in actual fact, we’re all aware that Knight is a post-modernist who revels in heightened versions of reality. And there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you remain true to the historical integrity of your story.

People more learned than I have assured me that he’s more or less fulfilled that brief. 

So what we have here is a fairly entertaining WWII drama shot through the irreverent yet fundamentally sincere prism of someone who grew up watching war films on TV. And you’ve gotta love that AC/DC soundtrack.

Raiders of the Lost Past with Janina Ramirez – Sunday 30th October, BBC Two

Dr Janina Ramirez is one of TV’s most engaging historians. Her scholarly essays are always worth perusing. 

In this one, Ramirez dug deep into the murky legend of Howard Carter, the British archaeologist and Egyptologist who unearthed Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. 

Carter didn’t achieve that remarkable feat on his own, of course, but he basked in all the glory and printed the myth. The local Valley of the Kings experts? Why, they were mere guides towards his deservedly ordained crown of ultimate trailblazing glory. Right. Whatever you say, Howie. 

Ramirez didn’t come to bury Carter, she gave credit where it was due. He was a privileged western product of his post-Edwardian times, with all that uncomfortably entails.

 

ROCK TILL WE DROP + THE MYSTERY OF ANTHRAX ISLAND + STORYVILLE: WRITING WITH FIRE

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

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Rock Till We Drop – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

Former pop star Martin Kemp joins forces with rapper Lady Leshurr in this rather beguiling search for talented musicians aged 64 and over. 

They’re aiming to assemble a band capable of storming a 15-minute slot at the Isle of Wight Festival, but that’s not really the point. It’s all about giving older people the opportunity to prove something to themselves and others: an autumnal confidence boost. 

Projects of this nature always run the risk of patronising the participants, but Rock Till We Drop is, thankfully, not that sort of show. No one is mocked or made to look foolish. 

Kemp and Leshurr discover some genuine talents along the way. These nice, interesting people deserve their moment in the spotlight.

Marcus Wareing’s Tales from the Kitchen Garden – Monday to Friday, BBC Two, 6:30pm

Here we go again, folks, another aspirational series in which a celebrity starts a new life in the countryside. 

This one follows the Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing as he follows his dream of setting up a smallholding. That inherently amusing word is constantly invoked throughout the series, so much so that it almost starts to resemble a running gag. But at no point does Wareing observe that it sounds like the name of a Carry On character, one presumably played by Charles Hawtrey. Weird. 

An entirely bland and inoffensive man, Wareing makes Titchmarsh look like Keith Floyd at his most bacchanalian. But he means no harm in the grand scheme of things. He’s a mere smallholder.

Rise of the Nazis: Dictators at War – Monday, BBC Two, 9pm

The final chapter of this grimly compelling and authoritative essay begins in 1943 with the German Army retreating across the Western Front in the wake of its crushing defeat at Stalingrad. Hitler becomes increasingly remote, paranoid and desperate as the German public start to lose faith in his supposed infallibility. 

A prominent dissenter is the extraordinarily brave 21-year-old student Sophie Scholl, who risks her life by joining an underground resistance movement devoted to exposing Nazi lies about the war effort. The group’s ultimate goal is to encourage people to rise up and overthrow their despotic rulers before it’s too late. 

Meanwhile, senior German army officer Claus von Stauffenberg hatches a plan to assassinate der Fuhrer. 

Emergency – Monday to Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm

Stripped over four consecutive nights, this urgent frontline documentary gains access to London’s Major Trauma System, which was set up in the wake of the 2005 terrorist attacks. An interconnected NHS network of hospitals, air ambulances and paramedics, it provides a vital lifeline for major trauma patients. 

Yes, we’ve all seen programmes like this before, but they provide a valuable public service. It doesn’t matter that Emergency cleaves to all the familiar trappings of this genre (e.g. the bombastic narrator who sounds like he’s standing, legs wide apart, on a windswept hospital helipad), because its fundamentally sensitive message rings out loud and clear. 

Nothing can undermine the affecting human drama of these stories. A noble endeavour.

The Mystery of Anthrax Island – Tuesday, BBC Scotland, 10pm

Gruinard Island is a tiny uninhabited mass situated just a few miles off the coast of Wester Ross. During WWII it was used by British scientists as a testing ground for the deadly effects of anthrax. The unfortunate guinea pigs were sheep. It was henceforth classed as a contaminated danger zone. 

However, as this documentary reveals, it became a political cause celebre in the early 1980s when a mysterious group of protesters claimed to have visited the island and unearthed mounds of lethal soil. They deposited this soil outside the perimeter fence at the secretive MoD base Porton Down and near the Blackpool location of the Conservative Party Conference. 

Preview copies weren’t available, but this sounds absolutely fascinating.

Storyville: Writing with Fire – Wednesday, BBC Four, 10pm

According to India’s oppressive caste system, Dalit people are considered to be so impure they don’t even qualify as members of that hierarchy. Dalit women are constantly subjected to horrific acts of violence, while the male-dominated authorities turn a blind eye. 

This deeply angering yet cautiously hopeful film – which has been nominated for the 2022 Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary – follows a brave and brilliant group of female Dalit journalists as they take their pioneering newspaper into the digital age. 

Writing with Fire is both an unflinching indictment of human rights violations and an inspiring celebration of our vital universal need for journalistic integrity. Truth must always speak to power. It’s an important piece of work.

Would I Lie to You? – Friday, BBC iPlayer

The latest edition of this genial panel show welcomes comedian Jo Brand, Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas, Olympic gold-winning hockey player and Question of Sport captain Sam Quek, and the endearingly eccentric maths teacher and broadcaster Bobby Seagull. 

Things we’re asked to believe this week include: Quek waking up the morning after her Olympic triumph with a cheeseburger down her bra; Seagull taking a book with him whenever he visits a nightclub; and team captain Lee Mack looking after a beehive with predictably disastrous results. 

Seagull and Thomas are very good at sounding like they might be lying, even if they aren’t. A useful weapon in this arena. Viewers in Scotland can access the episode on iPlayer from around 9:30pm on Friday night.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Paul Sinha’s TV Showdown – Saturday 19th February, STV

Sinha is a very sharp and likeable man, he’s the perfect host for a nerdy TV quiz show, but alas this format is flawed. There’s too much meandering banter and not enough quizzing. Say what you like about Noel Edmonds by all means, but at least Telly Addicts got down to business. 

And that’s the other major drawback: the contestants are celebrities. ‘Ordinary people’ will always be more au fait with television than the busy pros who appear on it. So what you end up with is an irreverent yet committed quizmaster posing occasionally quite tricky questions to a baffled panel who dance around the answers in the hope of getting laughs. It’s all rather pointless. 

Louis Theroux’s Forbidden America – Sunday 20th February, BBC Two

I’m a big fan of Louis Theroux, he’s facilitated some of the most memorable television documentaries of the last 25 years, but he slipped into repetitive self-parody with his latest report from The Troubled Fringes of American Society. 

A belated sequel of sorts to his 2000 documentary about gangsta rap, it found him looking concerned as he met various rappers from disadvantaged backgrounds who were engaged in futile and often violent feuds: victims of a culture based on macho posturing. 

While I appreciate the point he was (presumably) making – nothing has changed for the marginalised youth of America – the programme itself was Theroux on autopilot. A well-meaning yet insubstantial exercise, it sighed sadly, frowned then ended.

THE LAST STONE + MISSION JOY WITH ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU & THE DALAI LAMA + LOUIS THEROUX'S FORBIDDEN AMERICA

This article was originally published in The Courier on 19th February 2022. 

NEXT WEEK’S TV

The Last Stone – Tuesday, BBC Scotland, 10pm

This expertly crafted documentary recounts the uplifting saga of the British women’s curling team who triumphed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Those four great Scots made history: they were the first British women’s team to win gold in any Olympic event. 

The programme reminds us that curling was once regarded, if it was even regarded at all, as a niche and rather quirky sport; a parochial Scottish concern. Rhona Martin and her teammates changed all that. They captured the nation’s attention and affections: millions watched the nail-biting final live on BBC One. 

Not only is this a tremendous feel-good underdog story, it’s also a significant moment in the evolution of women’s sport.

Richard Osman’s House of Games – Monday to Friday, BBC Two, 6pm

Osman, that avuncular Grand Poobah of undemanding teatime trivia, returns for another weeklong showdown between four previous House of Games winners. They are: comedians Angela Barnes, Kemah Bob and Adrian Edmondson, plus his actor daughter Beattie. 

Barnes is a record-breaking five times champ who knows her pop culture inside out, so much so that you almost get the sense she’s politely holding back at times, lest she hog the limelight by knowing all the answers. 

As for the game itself, well you have to admire a quiz that features a rhyming round linking Hemingway’s Old Man of the Sea to the advertising slogan ‘buy one get one free’. And remember, please do play along at home.

Rise of the Nazis: Dictators at War – Monday, BBC Two, 9pm

Chapter two of this insightful psychological study of Adolf Hitler and his fascist enablers begins with the newly self-appointed Commander in Chief of the German Army doubling down in his efforts to defeat Stalin. 

But he needs a new Machiavellian yes man by his side, as Goering has proved ineffectual. Enter Nazi architect Albert Speer, who despite his lack of military experience proves effective in facilitating Hitler’s demands. 

Meanwhile, the equally deranged Stalin draws up plans for a huge military offensive aimed at driving Hitler’s army from the Soviet Union. But when he’s told by one of his top generals that the operation is doomed, a furious Stalin takes matters into his own hands. Devastating carnage ensues.

Jobfished – Monday, BBC Three, 9pm

Investigative journalist Catrin Nye has spent the last year trying to find out how so many young people ended up working for Madbird, a supposedly successful graphic design agency that doesn’t actually exist. 

The Madbird website boasted an impressive roster of clients. It all looked legit. For several months the new sales team worked hard on a promise of commission – they never actually met anyone from the company in person - but in fact the whole thing had been set up to steal their ideas. Hugely out of pocket, they felt angry and humiliated. 

So just who was behind this elaborate online con, which cruelly took advantage of unemployed people during lockdown? Nye eventually tracks him down in classic door-stepping style.

Moors Murders – Monday, Channel 4, 9pm

This new series gains access to letters written by Britain’s most notorious serial killers, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. It’s a chilling tale of two psychopaths who never exhibited the slightest hint of genuine remorse – the letters reveal them blaming each other for entirely self-serving reasons – but it also grants insight into their attempted coercion of Hindley’s brother-in-law David Smith. 

In 1965, Smith witnessed Brady murdering teenager Edward Evans. Frightened for his life, he helped Brady and Hindley clean up the crime scene. “I would’ve done anything just to get out of that house,” he says in an archive interview (Smith died in 2012). Once he’d escaped, Smith called the police. Brady and Hindley were subsequently arrested.

Mission: Joy with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama – Wednesday, BBC Four, 10pm

In 2015, two great humanitarians sat down for a filmed conversation full of mutual respect and affection. This cheering documentary is the result. 

Tutu (who passed away on Boxing Day 2021) and the Dalai Lama were avuncular kindred spirits: or, in their shared description, “mischievous spiritual brothers”. The holy man banter flows freely as they hold hands, crack jokes and spread their message of tolerance and kindness in the face of adversity. 

You may find yourself agreeing with their steadfast belief that most human beings are fundamentally decent and compassionate. We live in a cruel and unjust world, Tutu and the Dalai Lama are all too aware of that, but their wit, warmth and wisdom are highly persuasive.

#CancelKarenDunbar – Thursday, BBC Scotland, 10pm

Karen Dunbar presents this well-meaning yet confused documentary in which she argues that, during her early ‘00s heyday, comedy was allowed to be “controversial, contentious and occasionally offensive.” 

Not like now, apparently (the programme conveniently ignores the continuing popularity of ‘edgy’ comics such as Frankie Boyle, Jimmy Carr and Ricky Gervais).

It pivots around the false premise that cancel culture is muzzling so-called provocative comedy. Is it? Neither Dunbar nor her interviewees provide any evidence of this actually being the case. 

Our host is a likeable and thoughtful person, but she frets too much and her frustratingly vague report chases its tail while inadvertently fanning the flames of bogus culture war baloney. A missed opportunity.

LAST WEEK’S TV 

Louis Theroux’s Forbidden America – Sunday 13th February, BBC Two

Theroux’s latest series began with a despairing report on the vile young online figureheads of America’s far right movement. 

Racist, homophobic and misogynistic, they’re trying to rebrand themselves as ‘ironic’ social commentators as opposed to outright white supremacists, but that veneer is so transparent it didn’t take much for Theroux to trigger them with his typically direct line of questioning. 

Obnoxious, thin-skinned, hate-fuelled cry babies who crave validation, these dangerous losers are the biggest ‘snowflakes’ of all. They simply cannot handle being challenged on any level. No wonder Trump is their spiritual king. 

Theroux effortlessly exposed their contradictions and lies. He allowed them to express their freedom of speech while offering his right to reply. Democracy in action.

The Most Beautiful Boy in the World – Sunday 13th February, BBC Four

Swedish actor Bjorn Andresen starred as a teenage object of desire in Luchino Visconti’s 1971 film Death in Venice. Visconti ‘discovered’ him during a nationwide search to find a flawless vision of beauty. Andresen became an overnight sensation, but fame proved fleeting. 

This haunting, if flawed, documentary revealed what became of him. Andresen has struggled with depression and alcoholism. His life has been beset by personal tragedy. He came across as a vulnerable soul whose unwanted period of fame - during which he was treated as a sexualised commodity - exacerbated pre-existing traumas. 

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being exploited all over again. I hope he doesn’t add this film to his list of regrets.