Big Shots (23:40, Saturday 27th October, C4)
Fine if a tad simplistic documentary on gangster films, that sadly only covered films shot in the UK.
I can't help but feel though that it was just an hour long advert for Film Four's gangster season, and a definite documentary on the subject matter is still waiting to be made though.
Top 10 Tv (22:00, Saturday 27th October, C4)
One of the better series to exploit are ever growing nostalgia needs - and only one thing failed to make sense - Nick Cotton being placed above Davros? Are you quite sure?
Empire of the Nudes: Omnibus (20:10, Saturday 27th October, BBC2)
Fascinating documentary that explored the Victorian's attitude to artisitic nudity, with comparisons made to the porn industry today.
One of the few serious programmes ever made to feature full frontal nudity (and before the watershed too), it was nice to see the subject covered so intelligently & seriously for a change.
The Villa (21:00, Thursday 18th October, Sky One)
This used to be quite fun due to it’s messy sense of fun and general unpredictability as the young single’s snogged, shagged and argued and narrator Mark Little made sly comments over all of the 'action'.
But now the ever annoying Chris Moyles has taken over the narrator’s role, it’s profile has clearly raised as the contestants are all too aware what they’re getting in to, and there just isnt the same sense of drunken abandon that accompanied the first series.
So, perhaps sadly, just one more programme that Sky can add to it’s roster of once good but now shite material.
Band of Brothers (21:00, Friday 12th October, BBC2)
Filmed in a very similar style to the opening 25 minutes of Saving Private Ryan, with fast moving shots of chaos, blood and tragedy throughout, this attempt at an ultra realistic tv war drama is an interesting failure.
There's nothing technically wrong with it - being both scripted and directed well, there's nothing we haven't seen before, and with character's dispatched at an alarming, if realistic, rate, it's hard to become involved and care for the characters.
Worth seeing if you haven't seen SPR, or any other recent war film, but not the special tv event we'd been led to believe it would be.
Bar Wars (23:10, Friday 5th October, C4)
Big Brother, but with a beach paradise setting and the ongoing task of running a bar.
Whilst you get all the nonsense you'd expect - arguments, tears, romance, etc. it's all so blandly done, and the competitors so tedious, that it's hard to really become interested.
Scheduled post pub on a Friday night as presumably even C4 realised that much alcohol is needed to even vaguely enjoy it.
Fortunately though, this intelligent detective series uses it’s basic concept well, and explores themes of guilt, loss, sexuality, education and drug use within it’s running time. The fact that they inevitably solve a crime each week is just a bonus, really.
Warren Clarke’s wonderful in it, and this helps make it one of the few cop show’s where you really feel for the strong arm of the law. Whilst his Andy Dalziel may not always be right, the motives behind his actions are, and he is able to accept the occasional time when he is wrong. But it’s the
But that’s not to say that Colin Buchanan, as D.I. Peter Pascoe in the less showy role, is any less strong. Indeed, he’s really developed over the five years the series has been running, and is a much needed ‘sensible’ element in the show.
This week’s episode, the first of the sixth series, centred around the death of a talented young musician, and whilst there was the normal selection of red herrings thrown in to make things more confusing, all were legitimate candidates for investigation. And whilst the final revelation of the murderer may have surprised, there was no feeling of being cheated or deliberately misled. Which makes such a pleasant change. Highly recommended.
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (21:00, Saturday 27th October, BBC1)
Based on the cult classic sixties tv series, though set in modern day times, it feels oddly timeless, with Mortimer’s detective agency seemingly lost late in the forties, with few signs of modern technology, whilst Vic Reeve’s home in limob feels positively post-modern in it’s design. The chemistry’s there, as always, between Vic and Bob, but other characters often gel less with them. Having said that, the second series is an enormous improvement on the first, with the cast settling in to their roles a little more, and the plotlines gradually becoming more and more ridiculous.
Fortunately the supporting cast often save the day, and Tom Baker’s performance is consistently enjoyable, perfectly suited to the slightly melodramatic role of Wythern, Reeve’s ghost mentor, and it’s unfortunate that he’s not in it more. Amelia Fox looks a little out of place, though anyone who has to look lustily at Bob Mortimer for a career is always going to struggle, but is fine as the love interest.
Charlie Higson’s an undoubtedly talented writer, but some times he takes things a little too far, stretches plausibility to it’s limits, and sometimes it seems tries to be weird just for the sake of it. So it’s good, sure, but not quite as good as it could be.
Attachments (22:00, Thursday 25th October, BBC2)
This Life for website designers, Attachments is the latest beeb drama to centre around twentysomething’s taking drugs, having sex, and, um, websites, and it’s far too self consciously cool to be really appealing, and equally as hard to believe that these people lead such exciting lives.
David Walliams, who for a long time I’ve struggled to like, is fine playing a very, very dull bloke, and perhaps a little too good at it – but if it means he gives up comedy (and ruining Matt Lucas’ career) then I have no issue with him appearing in this sort of thing. The rest of the cast are fine, too, if desperately unlikable. The main problem is that it’s all so smug, and that’s what really annoys. Everyone’s rich, confident and beautiful – part of the ‘me me me’ generation, and even if they aren’t, they act as if it was so. Indeed, this could easily be set in the eighties, if you replaced the website background with, say, finance, and cut out the mobile phones usage.
So it simply doesn’t feel that relevant, or even that interesting, and whilst most would love to spend an evening out with the This Life characters, if you were ever forced to spend more than five minutes with anyone from Attachments, even the most pacified person would end up wanting to glass them.
I’ve never quite been able to understand why Matt Lucas isn’t more popular than he is. Sure, there were a couple of years in the semi limelight as George Dawes on Shooting Stars, but after seeing him tour as Sir Bernard Chumley in his own show, it was hard to see why he hadn’t been given his own tv series.
But now he has, suddenly it doesn’t seem that great an idea. Perhaps it’s due to being toned down, and thus losing much of his trademark innuendo, by the BBC. But it’s more likely that it’s his insistence on working with the very average David Walliams, whose constant mugging and weak impressions really spoil the show. And when you discover that Jamie Theakston stars as well, then you know you’ve got a deeply flawed programme.
All too many of the jokes hit the obvious button, and are seemingly aimed at the introverted teenager who would probably laugh at somebody saying ‘bum’, and whilst the soundbytes from various celebrities sometimes amuse, this week they were all pretty awful - Chris Lowe from the Pet Shop Boys ‘hilariously’ not talking, Tom Jomes trying desperately to be cool, and Howard Donald begging for work, were jokes which seem all too familiar.
Ah well, at least Shooting Stars is set to return soon, so at least we’ll have the chance to witness Lucas being funny again. Because whilst this evokes the odd smile, it provokes groans of despair far more often.
Pop Idol (18:30, Sunday 21st October, ITV)
Now this is just taking the piss. Whilst reality tv is always going to be a tad familiar, and the central subject always to be the tears and happiness of the tedious tv/pop wannabe’s, simply remaking Pop Stars, with Ant and Dec thrown in for good luck, reeks of greed and laziness.
And when Darius arrived on the scene, I’m sure I heard the country sigh a groan of disbelief, and while producer’s claim that it’s entirely coincidental, I find that very hard to believe. Pete Waterman’s an absolute disgrace too, clearly relishing the chance to appear on tv and in the tabloids, and nearly all of what he has to say isn’t constructive, or even intelligent, in the slightest, and mostly simply offensive.
Indeed, coming from such a talentless man makes the situation even more ridiculous, and I’m amazed that none of the contestants have hit back with “You sir, the man behind such atrocities as Rick Astley and Steps, are a talentless egotistical cunt, your opinions are utterly worthless, and only Peter Stringfellow deserves to be savaged by dogs more than you. And only just. Goodbye.”
Okay, there are some moments of comedy in this, as in most reality based television, but it’s surrounded by so much painful whining that it’s impossible to sit through an entire episode without screaming aimlessly at the television screen at least twenty times or so.
And because it’s already such a success, expect more spin offs, a second series of Popstars, and much much more absolutely shite music to hit the pop charts. Oh god. When will it all end…
Have I Got News For You (21:00, Friday 19th October, BBC1)
Oddly enough, for the first time HIGNFY is starting to annoy. The format’s not changed, but that isn’t a problem. And whilst Merton’s still haphazardly funny, and Deayton’s barable (though clearly the most scripted) it’s Hislop, once the programme’s saviour, whose let the whole thing down – now having reached a level of smugness not seen on tv since, oh, about an hour and a half before during the top of the pops anniversary special. But you get what I mean.
Too many of the jokes either revolve around Hislop’s class status when compared to Merton’s, lack of knowledge of today’s pop culture, or number of appearance in court, and it is getting really, really tired.
And so nowaday’s it really matters that the guests are funny, where once it never really did, and this opening week of the latest series let us down. Rich Hall’s normally fantastic, but seemed muted here, and Michael Crick, Jeffrey Archer’s biographer, was presumably only brought out so that they could all mercilessly attack Archer despite him being old, old news.
Alas the good old days of having a guest on just to mercilessly ridicule them, and the chance of someone saying anything which would risk libel action, seem sadly gone. And we’re left with an occasionally amusing show which really fails to entertain. Though it’ll never happen whilst it’s still bringing in the ratings, it’s time to cancel this nonsense now.
Alex Finch.
Know your enemy. A phrase that's always been considered good advice in military circles. And surely now, at a time when we are informed by a salivating media that we are "at war" there couldn't be a more appropriate time for us to get to grips with the political, cultural and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
So full marks and a medal are due to Sean Langan, undoubtedly one of our greatest investigative journalists, for his insightful and enlightening (not to mention death-defying) tour of Afghanistan, which was re-aired on BBC2 this week.
Unlike the vast majority of Western journalists (currently wetting their knickers in excitement over the ensuing military campaign in Afghanistan), Langan was determined to track down the Taliban and understand the workings of their extreme fundamental regime prior to the tragic events of September 11th. During his "Langan Behind The Lines" series (originally screened in February this year), which also included danger-fraught visits to Iran, Iraq and The Gaza Strip, Langan spent days touring the war-torn wasteland of Afghanistan and enjoying/enduring varying relations with its inhabitants.
Never one to shy away from danger, Langan set off on the first leg of his one-man mission - "Kabul Vice" - despite upsetting a camera-shy, senior Taliban official in Kabul. Defying all warnings about the use of his video camera (most filming and photography including family portraits are prohibited by the Taliban) Langan headed for the hills to meet the foot soldiers patrolling the countryside.
Langan's ability to connect and converse with his interviewees was commendable from the start. He joked with them about the prohibitive laws and regulations of their leadership, while they, in turn, teased Langan about his lack of facial hair beards are another Taliban-enforced essential. And contrary to the images of the Taliban currently being force-fed to the West, the soldiers were not the type of guys you'd strive to avoid down a dark alley they were friendly, excessively hospitable and had a remarkable sense of humour. They were ordinary blokes, flaunting with the restrictive rules of their superiors, enjoying a cigarette with a Western man they were keen to get to know. A heartbreaking reminder of the country's dire situation came when Langan joked with a baby-faced soldier about his 'manly' beard only to find out that the young man had no idea exactly how old he was. Birth registration is hardly a necessity in a country so ravaged by poverty and war it's miraculous when someone makes it past the age of 18.
After bringing out the best of the boys in the barracks, Langan headed back to Kabul where he was immediately summoned for a nerve-wracking show-down with the Taliban official he'd previously pissed off. Muddying the waters even more, was Langan's discovery that all foreign journalists had been "asked" to leave the country the day before on pain of death, no less. But Langan wasn't going to take his fate lying down. Flaunting in the face of defamation, he defied his hostile hosts by smuggling a hidden camera into their offices describing the ordeal as "like being sent to the headmasters office". Langan's gutsy determination and ability to keep a cool head even when it looked like he might lose it was breathtaking. I'd already gone over the edge of my seat when another Taliban official dropped by to save Langan's bacon and diffused the situation to such an extent that the formerly austere senior was offering tea and eternal friendship. Phew.
Out of the frying pan into the fire. Next Langan made a visit to the Centre for Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue where we were introduced to the real militant muscle of the Taliban. An overly zealous religious cleric described how punishment was dished out to women who showed any part of their bodies, unmarried couples caught in unsupervised situations and men with long "European" style hair. And woe betide the Afghan who decides he doesn't want to be a Muslim anymore. Being stoned to death seems to serve as an effective deterrent for that particular crime. But despite the severity of the cleric's sanctimonious sermon, Langan managed to keep the atmosphere light chuckling with the attendant guards and asking the cleric curious, rather than probing or judgmental, questions.
In his second programme, "Tea With The Taliban", Langan delved even deeper into the social, moral and political layers of contemporary Afghanistan. His visit to a crumbling sports stadium outside the city where public executions have taken place was both chilling and incredibly sad. Langan was clearly relieved to get out of there although he did point out that less executions have taken place in Kabul over the last few years than in Texas.
Risking his neck again, he visited a plucky young woman who was prepared to be filmed a severely punishable offence. Although she wouldn't answer questions, she read Langan a poem referring to the barbaric and blatantly un-Islamic treatment of women by the Taliban. No moral man or woman in the world could listen to that poem without feeling a lump in their throat. "Mohammed was weeping" she read. So were most of BBC2's viewers.
Continuing his brave quest to talk to the women of the country Langan gained an invitation to a secret girls school. Although women's education and employment has been banned by the Taliban, a network of underground education centres have been established and are operated by local volunteers who consequently run the risk of extreme castigation. The courage, acumen and irrepressible spirit of the English teacher he met there clearly bowled Langan over.
During his only "official" interview, Langan chatted on camera with local men in a pharmacy, which also served as a venue for social congregation. The men discussed their frustration with Western governments, who they feel offer freedom to their own citizens at the expense of the poor. Their English was impeccable, as was their political awareness. There was no fanatical sentiment, no call to bring down the West, no cravings for "holy war". Langan found the citizens of Kabul in a state of frustration and resentment, but more than ready to explain their plight to the people of the West despite the ominous ever-presence of the Taliban, who continually interrupted the proceedings.
One final trip to the front-line for Langan and this time the intrepid reporter travelled through minefields in a Taliban truck. Again, once the bosses were out of the way, the soldiers he encountered were more than happy to be filmed Langan described the last group he met as going "apeshit" in front of the lens. Watching them waving to London while posing and strutting with their weapons was heart-warming, funny and tragic in eaual measures. Clearly unsettled in the densely mined desert Langan was keen to return to the (relative) safety of town, but the men insisted he stay for more talking, filming and a cup of tea clearly, the Taliban are not so different from the Brits after all.
Before he left the country for the rest of his Middle-Eastern extravaganza, Langan paid a visit to Afghanistan's other great ruler the vast Opium plantations which yield a huge percentage of the UK's heroin supply. Although, as Muslims, the majority of people in Afghanistan disagree with the use of drugs, poverty forces many Afghans to cultivate the deadly crops. The farmer/preacher Langan met in the fields was so enamoured by the friendly Western journalist that Langan was virtually forced to stay the night the lauded Afghan hospitality was remarkable to the last.
Although it was filmed just over a year ago, Langan's epic journey in Afghanistan could not have been more pertinent. He dispersed myths, hacked down cultural and religious barriers and gambled with his personal safety in pursuit of the truth. After Langan's riveting reports I was no longer unstrung by the 'oppressive and mysterious' country we are being encouraged to fear. Langan gave us a greater understanding of the collective, though disparate, Afghanistan psyche and a balanced insight into the real lives of its people.
Sean Langan's programme was the most informative, conscientious and thought-provoking journalism I have seen in relation to the conflict so far. The man deserves an award of the highest order. The fact that the film was shot before the September 11th attacks only served to strengthen its impartial validity. My only complaint is that the documentary wasn't screened on BBC1 at a peak viewing time - but then, if we come to understand our "enemy" too well, we might not be so hasty in embracing them as our adversaryŠ
A reposing thought indeed.
Johanna_payton@hotmail.com
Related link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/alert/spotlight/cou_0222_langa.shtml/
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