Betting on Reform? Wouldn't Bank on it.

Jon Snow, the veteran news anchor, presented Monday's 'Dispatches' (Channel 4) and asked one of the most rhetorical questions ever; 'Can you trust your Bank?'. The answer, of course, is an overwhelming 'No!'. Much of Snow's territory had been well covered before: the move of the local bank from a pillar of respectability to a mad gambler playing with billions in casino capitalism, the LIBOR scandal and the rigging of the inter-lending rules, the neglect of the New Labour years and attempt by all to (mixing of metaphors here by 'thetvreviewguy') jump on the bandwagon after the horse has bolted (actually, as mixed metaphors go, that's not too bad). Snow has a nice line in interview patter, dubbing Ed Balls 'Lightouch Ed' during a face-to-face (the Conservatives were asking for less regulation at the time).There's little cause for optimism; banks and the financial sector ('Big' City Accountants and Law) live to subvert and defeat the Regulator; read Nicholas Shaxson on global tax avoidance and evasion and you'll appreciate how rotten the sector has become. There are good and fine people still in Banking but it has become such an ungovernable monster that it is increasingly becoming impossible to manage and regulate; the Vickers Report, a sort of Glass-Steagall Act for the UK, is not due to be fully implemented until 2019; we'll see how many of the recommendations come into law. Jon Snow's 'Dispatches' demonstrated just how far the sector has sunk in the public mind and how far it has to go to regain even a modicum of respect.

Road to Heaven

Take two comedians, put them on one of the ‘World’s Most Dangerous Roads’ (BBC2) and what could possibly go wrong? Well, not a lot did actually and David Baddiel and Hugh Dennis’ Four Wheel Drive through Ethiopia gave the viewer some amazing scenery to enjoy and gave ‘thetvreviewguy’ a new perspective on Baddiel, someone he had always dismissed on the ’smug’ side of the character spectrum. The presenters had been friends since university days, and it showed as Dennis and Baddiel shared an fun trip together (the former being the responsible one, the latter being the khat smoking chilled out dude). The roads were dangerous, strewn with wrecks and unlit (and night, as narrator Aidan Dunbar said, comes quickly near the Equator). The scenery was astonishing, encompassing  mountainous passes with precipitous ravines and amazing panoramic views. David Baddiel, a well-known atheist, was moved by the piety of the mostly Orthodox Christian Ethiopian people and both he and Dennis seemed almost reverential at the pilgrim site Axum, supposed resting site of the Ark of the Covenant, where the Ark remains hidden from all but the site guardians (of course it’s there, although Steven Spielberg would say otherwise). The ‘journey’ or ‘road movie’ has been a staple of narratives since Homer’s time and this engaging series lets us travel with our hosts and wanting to see more. And as for the Khat? It seems to give the chewer a light-headed high and Baddiel was of the view that, sure it’d be rude not to;‘thetvreviewguy’ agrees with this point of view.

Nice Parking

 'Parks and Recreation' (RTE2) resembles 'The Office' but isn't as cruel as the ground-breaking Gervais launch vehicle and as a result, is perhaps more likeable. Amy Poehler (remember her fiesty Hilary Clinton on 'Saturday Night Live' up against Tina Fey's Sarah Palin?) plays the government official/middle manager Leslie Knope working in the Pawnee Parks and Wildlife Department. She is one of nature's triers; keen, usually enthusiastic but ultimately, not quite reaching her career goals. Yes, there's a bit of 'Everyperson' in her characterisation and the comedy is a gentle roll of a programme that will never be a trendsetter or a huge audience draw but it is ideal passive TV. The writing is witty enough and Poehler is an amiable bumbler, realistic and to be found in more Offices than the David Brents of this World. The cast is very good (Rob Lowe is one of the better kown actors in the latest series). Nothing much happens in 'Parks and Recreation' but that nothing makes for a very relaxing evening ('thetvreviewguy' really is getting older if he thinks this is the scoring criteria for decent TV, but hey, there you go, he is). Look out for the lugubrious Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman is particularly good here) as the perfect counterpoint to Leslie's go-get-it earnestness.This is television for the weary viewer; get youreslf down to 'Parks and Recreation' for some face-time with this entertaining crew.

(Near) Stockholm Syndrome

Now, 'thetvreviewguy' has always been partial to a bit if Scandinavian crime-fic gloom and 'Wallander' (BBC1) lives up/down to all his expectations. Henning Mankell is one of the better exponents of the genre and the casting of Kenneth Branagh as the eponymous down-trodden, depressed detective with a penchant for taking on all the woes of the World (and this being Sweden, there are a lot of woes) is perfect. Branagh's journey from wunderkind to knight of the realm has been seamless; he was an established Shakespearean actor going back to the 1980s. This adaptation hits all the right marks; it's not gloom for the sake of it, instead 'Wallander' matches the subject and psychological subject matter of the books - the 'look and feel' is totally appropriate. If you like Mankell, and if you're into Crime Fiction as 'thetvreviewguy' is, then you'll see Branagh as the natural fit for Kurt Wallander, an emotionally scarred, all too human, cerebral copper. This is about as far as you can get from the CSIs as possible - it's a grown-up series that once again shows the BBC, despite many rightful criticisms, to still be one of the best broadcasters and producers of quality dramas anywhere. 'Wallander' is a must see plasma fare...watch even if afflicted with 'Sunday Night Blues'.