IT TAKES A FLOOD... + JOANNA LUMLEY & THE HUMAN SWAN + THE OUTLAWS

This article was originally published in The Courier on 30th October.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

It Takes a Flood… - Tuesday, STV, 9pm

It’s no coincidence that, as COP26 unfolds in Glasgow, green themes abound on television this week. And here’s the urgent centrepiece. 

Directed by acclaimed Scottish filmmaker Kevin Macdonald (Touching the Void; The Last King of Scotland), this compassionate documentary examines the devastating physical and psychological damage of the floods that hit Britain during the summer of 2021. 

Told via testimonies from people whose homes and businesses were destroyed in a matter of hours, it provides stark evidence of our omnipresent climate change crisis. And it’s only going to get worse. One in six homes in the UK are now at risk from flooding. 

Macdonald’s film is a vital emergency warning; its message cannot be ignored.

Blair & Brown: The New Labour Revolution – Monday, BBC One, 9pm 

The final chapter of this probing essay begins in 2005, when New Labour won a third term in office; albeit with their majority slashed by 100 seats. It charts the growing tensions between Blair and Brown, and the eventual ‘coup’ that finally allowed the latter to become PM. 

When Brown was handed the keys to 10 Downing Street, he was generally well-liked and trusted; a welcome alternative to Blair. But the honeymoon period was fleeting. 

Despite his fairly commendable handling of the global financial crisis, Brown’s days were numbered. The Tories and their allies in the media went in for the kill. By 2009, after 12 years in power, New Labour were no more. Out of the frying pan…

Joanna Lumley & The Human Swan – Monday, STV, 9pm

In September of this year, environmental activist Dan Burton tragically lost his life in a mid-air collision. He was circumnavigating Britain alongside fellow campaigner Sacha Dench; their electric paramotor mission was launched to raise awareness of climate change. COP26 in Glasgow was to be their final destination. 

Joanna Lumley followed this story from the ground. Burton and Dench’s families encouraged her to complete the programme. The results are sensitive and inspiring. 

Burton and Dench come across as modest yet remarkable people. As Lumley admits, feeling small and helpless is an understandable reaction to the situation we’re in. The worst case scenario is overwhelming. But we can still make a difference.

The Outlaws – Monday, BBC One, 10:35pm

For some strange reason, BBC Scotland have demoted episode two of Stephen Merchant’s enjoyable comedy drama to a graveyard shift. Its primetime 9pm slot has now been filled by a series called Scotland from the Sky, which may be essential viewing for all I know, but it still feels like a foot-shooting blunder. This is a crowd-pleasing show. 

Anyway. This week we find out more about our sympathetic gang, while the plot kicks into second gear. Merchant, unlike his erstwhile comedy partner, has a fundamental grasp of narrative structure and character development. The Outlaws is funny, compelling and good-natured. I actually care about these people and their predicaments. It deserves to be a hit.

Growing Up Green – Monday, BBC Scotland, 11pm

The Findhorn Foundation is a unique rural community in the North East of Scotland. Built on an eco-friendly ethos of natural sustainability, it’s a green oasis of calm. This documentary communes with three young adults who were raised there. 

People from ‘the outside world’ often assume that they’re members of a weird religious cult, but that’s clearly not the case. The programme carries no sinister subtext: these kids are astute, intelligent and well-adjusted. 

They’re fully aware that wagging a self-righteous finger is counterproductive, they’re not here to preach, but the gentle message they expound is now more important than ever. The cat and I have already booked a one-way ticket.

Orkney: Britain’s Green Islands with Julia Bradbury & Alex Beresford – Tuesday, STV, 8:30pm

And here’s another healthy gust of environmental cheer for us all. It’s a new series in which the eternally peripatetic Julia Bradbury and ITV weatherman Alex Beresford travel around the Orkneys – via electric transport, of course – to marvel at the considerable benefits of wind turbines. 

They meet a local jam-maker whose energy bills have been reduced by two thirds, and a miller whose mill harnesses running water, while visiting a fishing community that’s thrived since going green, and a natural harbour used as a test site for wave energy. 

They also reveal how surplus turbine-generated electricity is being converted into hydrogen, which can be used instead of fossil fuels. They’re way ahead up there.

Sort Your Life Out – Thursday, BBC One, 8pm

“The average family home contains thousands of items we don’t really need, and living in all this clutter is making us miserable.” So says Stacey Solomon at the start of this sunny lifestyle series, in which she helps people to declutter their lives. 

This week she visits a single working mum of three girls. Solomon and her team gently encourage them to let go of certain things, but never in a judgemental way. “I’ve got three childhoods in here,” says Mum with a bittersweet smile. 

It’s an emotional experience for all concerned. I was reminded of the toys and drawings-friendly single-parent household I grew up in. The exceedingly likeable Solomon is in her natural habitat here.

LAST WEEK’S TV

The ‘80s: Music’s Greatest Decade? With Dylan Jones – Saturday 23rd October, BBC Two

Former GQ editor Dylan Jones seems to be under the impression that the 1980s are in danger of being forgotten as a major pop decade. Which is nonsense, its enormous influence is a matter of record (there’s a pun there if you want it). 

But here he is anyway, with a new series in which he celebrates the emergence of synth-pop, hip-hop, acid house and guitar-based indie. 

Episode one was a breathless overview; pretty much your standard 1980s pop doc, replete with the usual nods to sociohistorical context. But it was elevated by contributions from Jazzie B, Cookie Crew, Nile Rodgers and Trevor Horn, all of whom deserve their own documentaries.

The Long Call – Monday 25th October to Thursday 28th, STV

This numbingly generic crime drama had the sticky fingerprints of Broadchurch all over it. Practically a carbon copy, in fact. These flavourless, unambitious, churned-out ITV thrillers are fascinating in a way; they have no depth or individual character whatsoever. A lazy compendium of clichés. 

This one starred yet another jobbing cop with a divine panoramic view from the window of his inexplicably enormous house. Even the inclusion of an evangelical religious cult commandeered by Martin Shaw and Juliet Stevenson couldn’t rescue it. 

 

THE OUTLAWS + BLAIR & BROWN: THE NEW LABOUR REVOLUTION + CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

This article was originally published in The Courier on 23rd October 2021.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

The Outlaws – Monday, BBC One, 9pm

An agreeable comedy thriller co-devised by writer/director Stephen Merchant, The Outlaws follows a group of strangers doing community service in Bristol. 

Our mismatched antiheroes are: an obnoxious Daily Mail-reading businessman; a militant left-wing black woman; a studious Asian teenager who shoplifts as a cry for help; a damaged reality TV star; a black teen from a high-rise estate who’s in trouble with a local gang (Merchant’s co-writer Elgin James is a former gang member); Merchant himself playing a variation on his usual blundering character; and a roguish ex-con played by Christopher Walken (yes, really). 

It’s knowingly presented as a microcosm of modern Britain, albeit one inhabited by Christopher Walken. The entire premise is fraught with potential embarrassment, but Merchant and James are clearly coming from a good place. The results are rather sweet, sharp and addictive.

Blair & Brown: The New Labour Revolution – Monday, BBC Two, 9pm

The penultimate episode of this riveting series confronts Blair’s defining legacy: the war in Iraq. It gradually becomes a psychological study of this haunted man, as he struggles to present his case for the defence. 

Blair trots out his familiar spiel, presumably honed over several sleepless nights. “I think about the decision and its consequences virtually every day,” he says. But still he can’t fully admit that he made a catastrophic mistake. 

Clare Short, who resigned in opposition to the war, reveals that there was no serious plan in place to take care of the Iraqi people once Saddam was dethroned. “Which is disgraceful,” she sighs. Brown, meanwhile, more or less admits that the government’s actions “were not proportionate.”  

Curb Your Enthusiasm – Monday, Sky Showcase, 10:40pm

It’s (somewhat) remarkable to consider that this impeccable sitcom has been running, off and on, for over 20 years. It’s always a pleasure when another season rolls around, as Larry David and co rarely disappoint. 

The latest run begins with an episode titled The Five Foot Fence. I wish I could tell you what this entails, but unfortunately preview copies weren’t available. However, I'm fairly certain it will involve comical misunderstandings, ludicrous petty grievances and various characters losing patience with our hero. Guest stars this year include Jon Hamm, Woody Harrelson and Tracey Ullman. 

Curb Your Enthusiasm is an A-grade farce orchestrated by a true comic maestro; how blessed are we to live in its epoch.

Who Do You Think You Are? – Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm

TV’s ever-popular celebrity gene-fest continues with a particularly poignant episode in which TV presenter and former England footballer Alex Scott finds out more about her Jewish and Jamaican ancestry. 

She’s proud to discover that her great grandfather fought against Mosley’s fascists during the Battle of Cable Street. The other side of her family were part of the Windrush generation, but up until now she’s never known anything about their lives in Jamaica. 

The story she uncovers during her visit there is terribly sad on a number of levels. It involves slavery, poverty and mental illness. This is Who Do You Think You Are? at its best: a sensitive and perceptive piece of far-reaching history.

Impeachment: American Crime Story – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9:15pm

In episode two of this darkly comic drama about the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, the protagonists finally meet. It charts the early stages of their clandestine affair, during which the unworldly Lewinsky fell for a powerful and utterly disingenuous man who made her feel special. We’re essentially watching a predator grooming his victim. 

Meanwhile, the press start to dig into allegations of sexual harassment. Clive Owen is very good as sleazebag Clinton, he captures his husky snake oil charm to a tee. 

But the star turn once again is Sarah Paulson as the Machiavellian Linda Tripp, who looks and operates in ways not dissimilar to Pauline from The League of Gentlemen. She’s sad yet formidable. It’s an outstanding performance.

My Kind of Town – Wednesday, BBC Scotland, 8pm

Cumnock in Ayrshire is famed for coalmining and being the home of Labour Party founder Keir Hardie. But there’s more to it than that. 

As Glasgow prepares to host COP26, the latest UN conference on climate change, Cumnock is in the process of becoming Scotland’s first green town; hopefully a blueprint for communities in the rest of the country. 

In episode one of this new series, genial host Ian Hamilton and his guide dog Major find out how Cumnock has changed in the 40 years since Thatcher closed the pits. Thankfully, it seems to be thriving. 

Now the UK’s largest manufacturer of fire engines, the factory in question is pioneering the use of zero emission electric vehicles. 

Peckham’s Finest – Wednesday, ITV2, 10pm

This buoyant reality show focuses on various young black people living in the London district of Peckham. They’re a likeable bunch; spending time with them just shooting the breeze and going about their daily business is a thoroughly pleasant experience. 

This week, pole dancer Kelechi teaches a class for two plus-sized women who want to feel better about themselves. It’s a success. Meanwhile, DJ and local radio presenter Gilly hopes to give something back to his community by creating a new creative hub for local kids; a place that will inspire them. 

Peckham’s Finest is a refreshingly positive endeavour. There is no manufactured drama or conflict, it seeks only to spread good cheer. Imagine that!

LAST WEEK’S TV

The Trick – Monday 18th October, BBC One

In 2009, shortly before the UN summit on climate change, hackers stole thousands of emails from the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia. The perpetrators were climate change deniers who falsely claimed that the emails contained proof that global warming is a lie. 

This standalone drama revisited ‘Climategate’ from the perspectives of those directly caught up in it, chief among them Professor Philip Jones (the brilliant Jason Watkins), a respected scientist who suffered a nervous breakdown as a result of the attack. 

A hugely important subject, but unfortunately it was handled in a frustratingly unfocused and stiffly expositional way. Jones was the emotional core, but too often it strayed away from him. A well-intentioned disappointment.

The Love Trap – Wednesday 20th October, Channel 4

One handsome eligible bachelor. A mansion full of beautiful women. Yes, this new series is just never-ending American reality series The Bachelor in thinly disguised UK trousers. But it’s worse. Much worse. 

Half of the women, we're told, are there for a legitimate chance of romance, but the other 50% are only interested in the prize money. It’s up to our personality-deficient hunk to decide who’s on the level and who should literally be dropped through a trapdoor. I wish I was making this up. Begone, gold-digging woman! Truly a misogynist’s dream. 

What an idiotic, offensive and profoundly depressing misfire. It’s 2021. We’re supposed to be better than this.

BROWN & BLAIR: THE NEW LABOUR REVOLUTION + DEMENTIA & US + SAVILE: PORTRAIT OF A PREDATOR

A version of this article was originally published in The Courier on 2nd October 2021.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Blair & Brown: The New Labour Revolution – Monday, BBC Two, 9pm

This fascinating series traces the epochal rise and fall of New Labour, a nominally successful project in which the Labour Party made itself electable by abandoning its socialist principles.

The timing isn’t accidental: Labour, post-Corbyn, are currently struggling to repeat that trick. The key difference between then and now, as the programme makes clear, is that Tony Blair once presented himself as a plausible and vaguely charismatic leader. 

Episode one illustrates how Labour managed to overhaul its image. Blair comes across as an ambitious, ingratiating salesman. Brown, a serious political thinker, emerges as the better man. 

They both provide telling contributions, as do Mandelson and Campbell. Once Johnson’s reign is over, I hope the team behind this project – who tackled Thatcher’s legacy a few years ago – are able to make a similar series about him.

Scotland’s Sacred Islands with Ben Fogle – Tuesday, BBC Scotland, 8pm

Ben Fogle, with his face like a bemused Easter Island statue, is an affable and mostly harmless buffoon. He presumably means well, as you’ll see in this slightly peculiar Hebridean travelogue/spiritual quest. 

His journey begins in the Inner Hebrides, where he explores its enduring connection with the peaceful tenets of Christianity. These islands have, for aeons, been a magnet for pilgrims, hippies, artists, musicians and poets: people who just want to get away from the noise of life on the mainland. 

One of our host’s interviewees is a transgender woman who hasn’t faced any prejudice at all within her remote island community. If Fogle’s goal was to present the Hebrides as some sort of utopia, then he’s succeeded.

Dementia & Us – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

The symptoms of dementia cannot be strictly diagnosed. It affects people in a complex variety of ways. Filmed over two years, this revealing two-part series follows four people with dementia as they and their loved ones adjust to life with this cruel, debilitating disease. 

The tone at first is somewhat optimistic: people always find a way to thrive with love and laughter. How else are we supposed to get through this unjust ordeal? If you’re diagnosed with dementia, that doesn’t mean your life is over. Far from it. But there is no happy ending. 

Dementia & Us is an honest, sensitive, sad, unflinching and important piece of television. It strikes a nerve. It matters.

Murder Island – Tuesday, Channel 4, 9:30pm

Crime writer Ian Rankin is the brains behind this new genre-bending reality series, in which eight members of the public investigate a specially-written murder mystery. Preview copies weren’t available at the time of writing, but the premise is intriguing. 

Our amateur sleuths pitch up on a craggy island in the hope of solving that week’s case and winning a £50,000 reward. They’ll receive expert guidance from (presumably fictional) police officers while encountering various suspects – all of whom appear to be harbouring dark secrets. Episode one apparently involves a fatal land dispute. 

It sounds, in essence, like a more extravagant version of that old Cluedo TV adaptation from the 1980s, so it could be lots of fun.

Our Lives: Boots & Beards – Wednesday, BBC One, 7:30pm

A Scots-Asian hillwalking group, Boots & Beards is a healthy, heartening community endeavour. This delightful documentary meets its Glasgow-based founders, cousins Naveed and Kashif, who devised the concept five years ago as a way of bringing friends and family members together. It blossomed from there. 

We follow the group – which includes men, women and children - as they return to Scotland’s great outdoors after a year in lockdown. They’re also preparing for their one hundredth walk. 

As with all Our Lives documentaries, this is a sweet celebration of good, inspiring, ‘ordinary’ people. Treat yourselves to a pick-me-up marathon on iPlayer. When viewed from a certain angle, the world’s not so bad after all.

Iceland with Alexander Armstrong – Wednesday, Channel 5, 9pm

According to ‘Xander’ himself, the only thing he knew about Iceland before making this series is that it’s where Bjork comes from. Oh, and there are puffins. So you do get the impression that he’s actually learning something about that beautiful, rugged isle. 

To his credit, he seems genuinely smitten with the geography, people and culture of Iceland. In episode one he circles an active volcano via helicopter, meets a nice woman who believes in elves, hangs out with Iceland’s ‘scary’ 2019 Eurovision entrants, visits a male genitalia museum and marvels at an actual massive organ (oh, please yourselves etc.).

Iceland comes across as an impeccably groovy and eccentric place. They’re way ahead over there. 

Savile: Portrait of a Predator – Thursday, STV, 9pm

How did Jimmy Savile, one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders, manage to commit his crimes without punishment? This damning report reveals all. Well, sort of. 

Savile was a calculating opportunist who inveigled his way into environments – hospitals, nightclubs, television studios – where he could prey upon vulnerable young people. 

He formed a shield of protection around himself via supposedly altruistic charity work and friendships with powerful establishment figures such as Margaret Thatcher and Prince Charles (neither of whom, the lawyered-up programme hastily points out, were aware of his heinous ulterior motives). 

Those with suspicions either turned a blind eye or felt powerless to challenge him. A sickening saga, it features testimonies from victims, witnesses and a former Yewtree detective. One hopes that programmes such as this will encourage people to listen to victims of abuse.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Spice Girls: How Girl Power Changed Britain – Tuesday 28th September, Channel 4

The final episode of this surprisingly thoughtful and touching series followed the individual Spice Girls in the wake of their split. They weren’t prepared for life in the spotlight on their own; they’d always had each other for protection. 

The grubby tabloid media had a field day with them. The sheer amount of sexism and misogyny they were subjected to was appalling. Mel B also experienced blatant racism. 

This wasn’t ‘just’ the story of a successful pop group, it was a frank critique of the double standards that women are forced to endure in a male-dominated world. And via testimonies from their fans, it proved that the Spice Girls actually meant something. The power of pop is a beautiful thing.

The Cleaner – Friday 1st October, BBC One

Episode four of this enjoyable farce took place in a stately home, where crime scene cleaner Wicky (writer/star Greg Davies) encountered a rude, patronising aristocrat played by the great Stephanie Cole. 

She told the police that a burglar had fallen down the stairs – hence the bloody mess – but it eventually transpired that she’d beaten him to death with a golf club. Her failed attempt to buy Wicky’s silence confirmed that, for all his verbal blundering, he’s a fundamentally decent man who’s good at his job. 

This instalment, which hung together neatly, also featured a fantastic cameo from Donald Sumpter – who’s been an old man since birth – as a mad, bellicose bigot. Good, clean, grisly fun.