GET ON UP: THE TRIUMPH OF BLACK AMERICA | SUCCESSION | CELEBRITY HUNTED

This article was originally published in The Courier on 25th March 2023.  

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Get On Up: The Triumph of Black America – Thursday, BBC Two, 9pm

The British actor David Harewood has lived and worked in America for just over a decade. He’s witnessed first-hand the vast influence of African American culture on popular culture all around the world. 

In this insightful and uplifting two-part series, he pays tribute to several game-changing African American artists. 

It begins in the 1960s, the decade of his birth, when Sidney Poitier and Motown crossed over into the mainstream. Pioneers, they challenged racist stereotypes with their talent, dignity, elegance and tacitly political defiance. They made a difference. 

Harewood also delves into the uncompromising artistry of 1970s Blaxploitation cinema and speaks to actor Jon Amos, who played the adult Kunta Kinte in that landmark TV miniseries Roots.

Succession – Monday, Sky Atlantic, 9pm

So here it is, the fourth and final series of Succession. This scabrous saga is almost over. We’ll miss these compellingly awful people when they’re gone. 

I don’t have access to preview copies, as they are at present buried in a secret lead-lined desert vault owned by Logan Roy, so all I can tell you is this: media conglomerate Waystar Royco is still on the verge of being bought up by a rival tech billionaire. Naturally, this triggers all-out war among the grasping ranks of the Roy dynasty. 

Succession is a bleakly amusing and all too convincing study of the filthy rich villains who corrode our planet. It is, like all great satire, fuelled by anger and despair.  

Bear Grylls Meets President Zelenskyy – Tuesday, Channel 4, 8pm

Grylls may seem like an odd choice of host for a documentary about Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but he was actually invited to participate by the Ukrainian President himself. And he does a pretty good job. 

Mercifully, he doesn’t treat his three tense days in Ukraine like one of his usual action man survival missions. This is a sombre and respectful journey into the heart of a country living under the constant threat of missile attacks. 

Prior to his thoughtful encounter with the commander in chief, Grylls talks to several ordinary Ukrainian citizens who explain what life is like for them on a daily basis. Despite the enormous hardships they’ve been forced to endure, they – and their elected leader – remain defiant.

This World: Murder in Mayfair – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

In 2008, Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen was murdered at her home near Mayfair in central London. The prime suspect is the son of one of Yemen’s richest men. He fled the UK before the police had a chance to question him. 

In this sensitive documentary, Yemeni-British BBC journalist Nawal Al-Maghafi tracks him down. Their telephone conversations are grim. What happened that night? And why hasn’t he made any attempt to contact the police? 

During the course of her investigation, Al-Maghafi also meets with Martine’s father, who has spent the last fourteen years campaigning for justice for his daughter. The BBC has, quite rightly, fallen under fire of late, but this is an exceptional piece of journalism.

Celebrity Hunted – Tuesday, Channel 4, 9pm

If you’ve seen Hunted before, then you know the frantic drill. But just in case: ten ersatz prison escapees – celebs in this iteration, as it’s all in aid of Stand Up to Cancer – go on the run while being tracked by an expert squad reading from a terribly laboured ‘quip-filled’ script. The fun side of state surveillance. 

Our fugitives have no money, phones or access to the internet. The ersatz authorities have just fourteen days to catch them. 

It’s a mildly entertaining exercise in which the comedians James Acaster and Ed Gamble effortlessly steal the show. They won’t split your sides, I’m sure, but you may find yourselves amused by their refusal to take the whole thing seriously. 

The Dog Academy – Thursday, Channel 4, 8pm

Fact: every television programme ever made would be instantly improved with dogs as its primary focus: I, Dog; Doctor Dog; Tales of the Unexpected Dog; Only Dogs and Dogs; Dog. I really could go on. 

So no wonder The Dog Academy is such a pleasing distraction. Various canine behavioural experts get to grips with their four-legged patient’s ailments while chatting to their vaguely troubled bipedal housemates. 

It’s basically a gentle session of relationship counselling, in which the ups and downs of human cohabitation are shown to have a direct impact on the animals we live with. Now, we already know that, but there’s no harm in providing a reminder. 

A good-natured show. And the pooches are delightful, obviously.

Taskmaster – Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm

The fifteenth series of this enjoyable breeze of concentrated silliness plays host to comedians Frankie Boyle, Jenny Éclair, Ivo Graham, Mae Martin and Kiell Smith-Bynoe. 

In episode one, they have to choreograph a silent disco wedding dance with chief Taskmaster Greg Davies’ co-conspirator Alex Horne. Will you be able to guess what songs they’re listening to on headphones? Well no, of course you won’t, but that’s all part of the fruitless fun. 

They’re also tasked with unwinding a ball of string against the clock, hooking as many rubber rings as possible while haphazardly steering a barge along a narrow canal and, in the final round, throwing bricks, balls and other alliterative items into large clay pots.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Challenge Anneka – Saturday 18th March, Channel 5 

A Saturday night staple in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Challenge Anneka lifted the nation’s spirits with its charitable against-the-clock endeavours. 

And now it’s back, with not one iota of the original format altered. Rice is even reunited with trusty Dave the cameraman. If it ain’t broke etc. 

In episode one, Rice was tasked with refurbishing a canine rescue farm. Reader, she succeeded. 

Rice is a natural broadcaster, an engaging pro, and if you can ignore the fact that television personalities shouldn’t have to support ailing charities and small businesses, then this revival will work its entirely well-meaning magic.

The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer – Sunday 19th March, Channel 4

Channel 4’s annual Stand Up to Cancer campaign continued with this spin-off from one of its most popular ‘brands’. 

Round one involved Matt Lucas welcoming various celebs to the tent. Chief among them, of course, being David Schwimmer. Fellow contestant Jesy Nelson was under no illusions: “I know I won’t win it, I’m just here to see Ross from Friends!” 

I’ll never truly understand the appeal of this abundantly harmless series. It is, like Thursdays, New Order and the actor Martin Jarvis, something that’s objectively tolerable and inoffensive. Something that’s just there. But I’m not the target audience, it’s not for me. 

Now, The Great British Crisp Off, that’s a show I could get behind.

RETURN TO DUNBLANE WITH LORRAINE KELLY + THE GREAT CELEBRITY BAKE OFF FOR STAND UP TO CANCER

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

NEXT WEEK'S TV

Return to Dunblane with Lorraine Kelly – Thursday, STV, 9pm

25 years ago, 16 children and a teacher were shot dead at Dunblane Primary School. This terribly moving programme captures the sheer scale of that tragedy. 

Kelly reported on the case at the time, but this, wisely, isn’t her story. She’s merely an empathetic conduit. It’s a tribute to the woman and children who were killed that day, and to all of those whose lives they touched. 

It also reminds us that the traumatised people of Dunblane, backed by huge public support, succeeded in their campaign for an almost total ban on private handguns. Through their unimaginable grief and pain, they changed this country for the better. 

In a commendable display of respect for all concerned, the killer is never shown or named.

Jimmy McGovern’s Moving On – Monday to Friday, BBC One, 1:45pm, 2:15pm and 3pm

That title always conjures an image of the firebrand dramatist trudging along a lonely country road like Bill Bixby at the end of The Incredible Hulk. He doesn’t actually write these standalone daytime dramas; rather he curates them as a vehicle for emerging writers. 

The latest batch involves a man meeting his supposedly dead father; a woman struggling to come to terms with the fact that her recently deceased dad had a secret second family; a retiree gaining a new lease of life when his daughter books him some fitness sessions; a gifted teenager whose education is jeopardised when she’s made homeless; and a hearing-impaired woman who faces opposition from her husband when she vows to learn sign language. 

The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer – Tuesday, Channel 4, 8pm

This charitable endeavour stars Daisy Ridley of Star Wars fame and singer Alexandra Burke, plus comedians Tom Allen and Rob Beckett. Mercifully, that faux-surrealist, overgrown student nuisance Noel Fielding is on paternity leave, so your sole host is the charming and legitimately funny Matt Lucas. 

In episode one, the celebs are tasked with baking some millionaire shortbread, a fruity tart (there will inevitably be tired jokes about that), and their own pet hate cakes. 

It’s followed at 9:15pm by the first episode of The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up to Cancer, a reality show which apparently involves Denise van Outen, Nadia Sawalha and loads of people I’ve never heard of. Look, it’s all for a good cause. 

The Repair Shop – Wednesday, BBC One, 8pm

In the final episode of the current series, TV’s nicest man Jay Blades and his genial squad of artisans get to grips with another parade of fascinating artefacts in need of some TLC. 

Highlights this week include an antique arcade machine and the remarkable saga of a rusty 100-year-old watch that was stolen ten years ago, before being recently found under a bush by a dog. Meanwhile, Dom – looking as ever like a hipster Andy Serkis - restores a bespoke wrought-iron gate for a grateful widow. 

As always, it’s less about the repairs themselves and more about the touching human stories behind the various items on display. An artfully upholstered piece of generous, cockle-warming television.

Heathrow: Britain’s Busiest Airport – Wednesday, STV, 8pm

The latest series of this hardy perennial was filmed in November 2020, during the second national lockdown. Only one of Heathrow’s runways is operational and two of its four terminals are closed. With demand for flights having fallen by over 60% worldwide, Britain’s busiest airport is down to an average of 88 departures a day. 

In episode one, we visit this half-empty citadel and note that it is, of course, observing all official safety precautions: masks, social distancing, constant sanitising and, when necessary, medical testing for passengers. And everyone is travelling for essential reasons only. 

The main source of drama is a curious story involving a missing passenger, the details of which gradually reveal an unexpected political dimension.

DNA Journey – Wednesday, STV, 9pm

I know there’s nothing more boring or annoying than people pleading ignorance when it comes to well-known celebrities – it always comes across as performative, above-it-all smugness – but in all honesty I don't really know who Freddie Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp are. They’re sport people, that much I do know. And, like most sport people, they’re nice enough but incredibly dull. 

Unfortunately, these great bantering mates dominate episode one of TV’s latest shameless Who Do You Think You Are? rip-off. It’s an interminable chore, like being forced to look at the ancestry.com profile of someone you’ve never met before, during which even the lads themselves struggle to feign interest in the details of their respective family histories.

The Dog House – Thursday, Channel 4, 8pm

Last summer, in a sunlit corner of the English countryside, a television production company installed some fixed-rig cameras and extra support staff in a home for dogs who have either been given away or abandoned. Their aim: to capture the magic of humans meeting their new dog pals for the first time. The results are like First Dates for poochaholics. 

But it’s not just an excuse to go “aww” for an hour. The series examines that mutually beneficial psychological bond between humans and their animals, plus the importance of carefully matching the right dog with the right family. 

This week, a little boy with anxiety issues makes friends with a similarly anxious Newfoundland. They do wonders for each other.

BLITZ SPIRIT WITH LUCY WORSLEY + UNFORGOTTEN + CAN'T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEAD

This article was originally published in The Courier on 20th February 2021.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley – Tuesday, BBC One, 8:30pm

Between 7^th September 1940 and 11^th May 1941, Hitler’s Luftwaffe carried out a relentless bombing campaign on British cities. You are aware of this, I know. What came to be known as ‘Blitz Spirit’ has been cited ever since, particularly by mendacious politicians and media outlets, as a benchmark of British resilience in the face of a national crisis: keep calm and carry on. 

In this commendable 90-minute documentary, historian Lucy Worsley separates grisly truth from romantic myth. “This chapter of our history has never been more worthy of a closer look,” she says. Through the experiences of six real people, she shows what life was actually like during that horrific onslaught, and by extension what ‘Blitz Spirit’ really means. Let it never be misappropriated again. A - dare I say it - important essay.

Jamie: Keep Cooking Family Favourites – Monday, Channel 4, 8:30pm

Lockdown has encouraged Jamie Oliver to reflect upon “the ingredients we buy week in, week out.” So here he is, in his massive kitchen, cooking some supposedly affordable meals. It’s something we can all relate to: a millionaire making do. The episode ends with his family enjoying a succulent roast dinner in their sunlit garden. Over a million people in Britain are reliant on food banks. 

May I draw your attention instead to Can’t Get You Out of My Head, the latest mesmerising collage from the incomparable socio-political documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis. A typically expansive work of art, it dissects decades of corrupt power structures and ever-repeating patterns of parochialism, prejudice and paranoia. All six episodes are available now on BBC iPlayer. Enjoy.

DIY SOS: The Big Build – Monday, BBC One, 9pm

Mandy from Bangor has a rare genetic condition, the effects of which leave her bedbound for over 80% of the time. Her two children have inherited the same condition, which causes them to struggle with their own mobility issues. Dad, Davey, basically has to care for them all. 

It’s a sad situation; they’re missing out on the joys of family life. “I just want to be a mum and a wife again,” says Mandy. 

To bring them closer together, their house requires a major renovation. Enter big-hearted, hard-hatted Nick Knowles and his DIY SOS team, who together with a local designer and hundreds of volunteers, set about transforming the lives of this family in just nine days. Emotional scenes ensue.

Unforgotten – Monday, STV, 9pm

I’m not the world’s biggest fan of dour ITV police procedurals (that honour goes to an ex-pat called Terry from Rio de Janeiro), but Unforgotten is a reliable cut above your standard cop show fare. 

Generally speaking, the dialogue, plotting and characterisation don’t rely on the usual genre clichés. It’s compassionate and intelligent, its analogous stories devoted to finding justice for people who have fallen through the cracks in society. It also benefits from the natural chemistry between Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar as a pair of refreshingly ordinary, relatable sleuths. 

Their latest case begins with the discovery of a dismembered corpse in a scrapyard (I’m aware of how gruesome that sounds, but my point still stands). As always, we’re then introduced to characters who were connected to the deceased in some way.

Million Pound Pawn – Tuesday, STV, 8pm

During the current pandemic-induced economic crisis, Britain’s high-end pawnbrokers have continued to make a tidy living from cash-poor customers. The makers of this almost hilariously insensitive series don’t appear to have a problem with that: the money-guzzling pawnbrokers we meet are depicted as canny capitalists doing an honest day’s work. 

I urge you to watch it, if only to marvel at the utter wrong-headedness of blasting something like this into our faces in 2021. 

I’ll admit to feeling a vague pang of sympathy during the scene in which Dene from ‘80s pop has-beens Black Lace struggles to get a good evaluation on his Rolex, but that doesn’t excuse how misjudged the rest of it is.

Stand Up & Deliver – Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm

The art of stand-up isn’t something you can easily learn in a matter of weeks, but that hasn’t stopped Channel 4 and Stand Up to Cancer from hosting this show in which five professional comedians train five novice celebrities. At a climactic charity concert, the celebs must perform a five-minute act they’ve created themselves. 

The mirth-making mentors are David Baddiel, Nick Helm, Judi Love, Zoe Lyons and Jason Manford. Their quivering guinea pigs are Shaun Ryder, Reverend Richard Coles, Corrie actor Katie McGlynn, dancer Curtis Pritchard and Baroness Warsi. 

Helm can barely disguise his contempt for everything Warsi stands for, but his coaching methods are worryingly effective. The whole thing is excruciating, that’s the point. That and the good cause, obviously.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Trump Takes on the World – Wednesday 17th February, BBC Two

I know, I know, we’re all utterly sick of this pathetic mewling husk of a man, but we’ll just have to accept that the horror of his quasi-fascist presidency will haunt us forever. And who better to make some sense of it than the exceptional documentarian Norma Percy? 

Over the years, with award-winning documentaries such as The Death of Yugoslavia, she’s displayed a remarkable knack for procuring candid contributions from heavyweight political insiders. This bleakly compelling series is no different. 

In episode two, she exposed the ego-driven chaos of Trump’s Middle Eastern foreign policy. He’s a terrible businessman, a tactless diplomat, a pig-headed narcissist who refuses to listen to experts. A despicable human being. And he’ll never be held to account.

Raiders of the Lost Past with Janina Ramirez – Friday 19th February, BBC Two

In this new series, the intrepid art and cultural historian follows in the footsteps of three controversial men who traversed the globe in search of lost treasure. 

She began her journey in Crete, on the ancient site of the so-called Minotaur’s Palace. It was here, in 1900, that the hugely affluent English architect Arthur Evans authored, in Ramirez’s words, “one of the most contentious discovery stories of all time.” 

Evans, like so many classically-educated products of his time, believed that Britain was the natural successor to Ancient Greece. A fascinating man, but a textbook colonialist and blinkered self-publicist. 

Ramirez is an engaging teacher. Like any historian worth their salt, she exposes uncomfortable truths with scalpel-tooled precision.