The Death of a President - Fifty Years On

The assassination of President John F Kennedy happened 50 years ago, more than half a life time in the past. Yet ‘The Day President Kennedy Died’ (ITV) made that fateful day seem shockingly contemporary. Narrated by Kevin Spacey, the documentary interweaved eye witness interviews with some amazing footage; the events of those 48 hours (if you include the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby) resonate to this day. If the President’s car hadn’t been open-top, if they it had been raining the roof would have been down, if not Dallas at that time and that moment…so many ifs leading to time’s arrow and that moment when shots were fired by Oswald or Oswald and/or others (we can never really know). The testimonies of the Secret Service Agents, Doctors, Reporters and Witnesses were absolutely riveting as was the footage of Kennedy’s last day. Not only was JFK the first TV President, he was also, tragically, the first TV assassination – though no TV coverage comes close to the hand-held Zaprudder footage. The documentary leaned towards, but never pandered to, the conspiracy view of the shooting. One was left asking could Oswald really have had the wherewithal acting alone to kill the President of the United States? There’s also the feeling of what might have been had John F Kennedy not been killed on that sunny November; would he have been the greatest reforming figure since FDR (as hypothesised by Oliver stone)? Or would Kennedy been no better or no worse than LBJ in Vietnam and on the Home Front? A superb documentary about an epochal moment in American History.

An End to Zee Leetle Grey Cells

The end of an era. ‘Agatha Christie’s Poirot has been played by David Suchet for the last 25 years and ‘Curtain; Poirot’s Last Case’ (ITV) ended with a bang and a whimper. These productions, along with the Morse family of superior crime dramas, have always been a good yard ahead of the usual ITV gruel of ‘Personality’ TV, gameshows and X Factor type dross. But ‘Poirot’ was like a beacon in the dark morass of schlock and like all good English Country murders, suitable entertainment for the whole family. Yet, because of the subject matter in this episode – the Belgian Detective’s demise and his commission of a shocking act – spoiler implied – this was a much darker episode than usual. The moustachioed moocher is near the end of his life and returns to the scene of his first great mystery. He is now in a wheelchair and, in his own words, relies on the ‘Tim-nice-but-dim’ Captain Hastings ‘to be his eyes and ears’. There is murder afoot in this country mansion but with none of it being even a hat-tip to the 'Midsomer Murder' jokey slayings. We’ve never seen Suchet play the role with more darkness; the last episode also has a spectre-like essence to it, it is most unlike the series. Christie fans knew what was coming but the ensemble cast and production values made this a couple of hours worth watching that still surprise. A wonderful denouement to an epic series. Now, where is ‘thevreviewguy’, who doesn’t get ‘Downton Abbey’, going to turn to for his quality period drama?

Not so Gaga

Where do you stand on ‘twerking’? Well, think back a few months ago and it seemed that Lady Gaga was the wild child and cause celbre de jour, if one is allowed to mix one's French. Now, she seems like a very classy lady indeed compared to Miley Cyrus (if you’re reading this a a couple of years in the future you might well be asking ‘Miley Who?’) ‘The Culture Show Special’ (BBC2) turned its beady on Miss Gaga with a quirky half hour interview slash profile of the great lady herself. Ms Gaga is nothing if eccentric but Miranda Sawyer’s profile, (Gaga was promoting her new album, ‘Art Pop) portrayed a likeable and thoughtful artistic soul trapped in the body of a 3am-belter Pop singer. The music is a take it or leave it but she herself is trying to articulate an artistic statement and form an aesthetic sensibility and came across as a pretty nice woman too. Sawyer and Gaga did not appear to spend too much time together but there was a connection between the two that made for an exceptional and interesting interview. The mega star looked wannner and paler than usual but there was something very endearing about how she was almost shy during the interview. Miranda Sawyer has become an accomplished presenter and has found the sweet spot in her presenting of these Culture Show Specials. While ‘thetvreviewguy’ is scarcely gaga about Gaga, he does have a softer spot for one of popular culture’s biggest eccentrics.

Lucy Lets Loose

Readers of this blog, and there are some, will know of this writer’s affection for Dr Lucy Worsley, History and the BBC’s Lord Peter Wimsey jolly super girl. She’s back again on BBC Four presenting the intriguingly entitled ‘Harlots, Housewives and Heroines’ and a spiffing programme it is too. From salons in France to barrows in London, we surveyed the 1660s and the Restoration. Dr Lucy, for ‘thetvreviewguy’ shall be calling her that from hereon in, looked at the lot of women in Charles II’s time – and if, gentle womenfolk, you were one of his Mistresses, then your lot in life was pretty good. Charlie 2 had 13 illegitimate children and stationed his lovers close to Home or in various royal palaces. Dr Lucy positively revelled in dressing up as both courtesan and puritan. The viewer was left wondering where Charles got the time for his amorousness; his activities fuelled avid gossip at Court and among the hoi polloi too. We learnt of how Pepys, whom Dr Lucy called a ‘perv’, had a collection of lithographs of the King’s Mistresses. Being a royal doxy meant living a ‘codefied relationship’; there were rules about how to be treated and it was usually with more respect than most other women. Long may Dr Lucy reign over us with her distinctive breathlessness, grace and cheeky smile. Definitely one for your consideration, fops and fopesses.

The Dream

The documentary maker has a simple goal; to tell a story. But this central function is complicated by a myriad of factors: who to interview, what footage to use, choice of music, balance of the programme etc. So, by any criterion, 'Martin Luther King and the March on Washington' (BBC2) had a high bar to reach. And it cleared this bar by a mile. Narrated by Denzel Washington, this was a tale from the not to distant past of how Martin Luther King's Dream speech came to be given and the events on that extraordinary day in 1963. The American South was blighted by vile post-Civil War racist segregation. The mobilisation of tens of thousands of Blacks and Whites to protest the 'urgency of now', the soaring rhetoric of Dr King, the eventual persuasion of the Kennedy Administration to act - all combined to make this event one of the most empowering in American history. JFK's team feared endorsing the event because of the prospect of violence - this was a very real concern for Kennedy's advisors; contingency plans were made for the possibility of rioting on the Mall. But there was no violent protest, just the attendance of thousands rapt in awe, crying, riveted by Dr King's peroration. The 'Dream' lives on - and the courage of those who used passive resistance and civil disobedience eventually led to Barack Obama in the White House. Dr King's speech still as the power to reduce the listener to tears: 'Free at Last, Free at Last, Thank God Almighty, we are free at Last!'

Flying Dinosaurs in Montana?

Dinosaurs and TV go hand-in-hand - 'thetvreviewguy' blames Steven Spielberg for most of the Hoop-lah. Before 'Jurassic Park', dinosaur-mania wasn't quite as fevered. ‘Horizon - Dinosaurs: the Hunt for Life’ (BBC2) looked at our wiped out ancestors (again), through the eyes of Dr Mary Schweitzer, a smart, and to this dinosaur of a reviewer, hottie of a scientist who says she is this close to extracting DNA from a dinosaur fossil. She does a lot of her field-work in Montana, and the viewer was spared none of that State's beauty and wildness – but was spared from the crazy part of the population that lives there. Dr Shweitzer has pioneered work looking at the biology of dinosaurs rather than focusing purely on the palaeontology. We followed her on her trip to the Gobi dessert and heard why she believes dinos and birds have more in common than you might think. These sort of programmes can make 'thetvreviewguy' feel quite inadequate about his career, which doesn't involve looking for T Rex Fossils or work-travel to Mongolia. This 'Horizon' was a lot more hit than miss but perhaps in looking to centre the narrative exclusively on the doubtless excellent work of Dr Schweitzer, the programme makers missed an opportunity to give a more rounded presentation of all the latest research in the dinosaur world. Chewy though.

Tears of a Clown - Miller on Hancock

Poor Tony Hancock. A giant of 1950s and 1960s British television comedy, he died at his own hand and is one of the great comic heroes for a generation of comedians. In an affectionate and moving portrait, 'Ben Miller - My Hero Tony Hancock' (BBC1), Miller interviewed friends and writers who knew and worked with the legend of the small screen. What came across was a man who, crippled by anxiety, peaked to too quickly and couldn't cope with his 'fame' which never compensated for his depressive tendencies. Ben Miller never judged, and the tone was mixed - respectful of Hancock's achievements - a prime time BBC comedy slot at 32, married to a model - and, to 'thetvreviewguy', amazement that Hancock ever looked less than middle-aged. But there was sadness around the man - he drank excessively, was unable to sustain his success and ultimately succumbed to taking his own life. As a TH enthusiast, Miller was careful not to slip into hagiography; this was a full picture of a remarkable and in many ways admirable human being. The sad clown is a cliché but perhaps never so true as in Hancock's case. His suicide was all the more tragic for him not being able to see the joy and laughter he gave to millions. Poor Tony, he didn't realise that he had made a difference.

Just the Ticket

Buses...they get us from routes A-Z, we love them, we hate them, but,if you're stuck with public transport, we can't do without them. 'The Route Masters...Running London's Roads' (BBC2) looked at the Bus network in London. Similar to a to a slew of transport fly-on-the-wall documentaries, this was a nostalgic, informative and, at times, moving look at the lives of the drivers, controllers, managers and some of the passengers that try to get from Home to Work and Back Again on a daily basis. It worked as a documentary as it allowed the subjects and participants to speak for themselves; the portraits rang true instead of seeming patronising or staged. So whether it's the retired merchant banker that now drives a bus., the daughter continuing in her father's footsteps as a driver or the retirees, talking of the glory days of conductors and being able to nip of the back of the bus for some shopping, all the tales added to a warm fuzzy of a joint enterprise (not the reality though of being stuck on the top floor with a sod-casting violent yob). There wasn't really a golden age, however, as forty years ago, a huge amount of the Routemasters ran late - now, computerisation makes control of traffic flow a lot easier, but certainly not easy. These are enjoyable little social histories of Britain, and this is ethnographic television that will be looked on with the same nostalgic glow sixty years from now as we look on some 60s and 70s period pieces now. Worth waiting for.

What Did The Greeks Ever Do For Us?

The Greeks, just like the Romans, have given us an awful lot. But so have television programmes about them and 'Who Were The Greeks? (BBC2) presented by Dr Michael Scott discoursed on ground so covered that its threadbare. So how do you make this stuff new? You can't. But you can
let the material speak for itself and Scott did a great job of re-hashing the facts about Athens, classical architecture, drama and philosophy in only an hour. Surely anyone who watches BBC2 knows about Socrates by now? How, (in a pre-Christian) reality as allegory, he was put to death for standing up for his beliefs? Maybe some don't - so we got another telling of the tale. The film-pieces in Athens were of particular interest to 'thetvreviewguy' having been on the Acropolis less than two years ago and having been suitably impressed. Greece might be going through the wringer now, but the history and literature of Classical Athens is still breath-taking. We even got a re-cap on the original Olympic Games which were anything but 'sporting' as we could understand the concept today. Dr Scott did a more than competent, highlighting, again, how Greek sculptures were not the monochrome marble art works we see then as now but were coloured and this made a huge difference to the aesthetics of the pieces. A good History about Greeks, for all, not just geeks.

Out for the Count

'Count Arthur Strong' (BBC2) is one of the funnier comedies this Summer. Co-written by Fr Ted author Graham Linehan, its an adaptation from that bastion of quality, BBC Radio 4 (where it was originally authored by Steve Delaney, who plays the epponymous 'Count'). As laugh out loud family comedies go, this is really up there (yes, this may not be a category festooned with original offerings but give this show a chance and you will have a laugh). The 'Count' is a retired 1970s TV half of a double act who forgets things. Not only does he forget things, he...eh..uhm...where was I? Ah yes...Arthur Strong...the setting has moved from Doncaster to London...and Roy, sorry, RORY Kinnear is the amiable Sancho Panza. This week's episode, where Arthur tries to learn the Internet and ends up as a 'troll' within ten minutes had this reviewer really enjoying the craft on display from the actors and writers. This is gentle, affectionate, yet clever character-based comedy - just been commissioned for a second series - is full of, er, uhm, great, eh, diversions and whimsy - an Ice Cream Van that doesn't sell Ice Cream but is to hook peple into Jack the Ripper Tours, who Arthur thinks did all the killings in Balham. There's an art to adaptations and this one has 'thetvreviewguy' rushing back to listen to as many of the radio shows as he can. This is a silly programme, sometimes extremely silly, and all the better for it. Arthur is a brilliant comedic creation and this show is well worth a look.

Fighting Them on the Beaches

Peter Snow is an interesting presenter - smart, on the viewer's side and a somewhat manic, enthusiastic, bringer of 'the fun' presenter you don't get that often these days. His 'D Day As It Happens' (Channel 4), a two-parter over June 5th and 6th in 'real-time' was a fine example of making History interesting, relevant and contemporary. Assisted by the TV Friendly ex- Colonel Tim Collins and War Camerawoman Lorna Ward, Snow 'followed' the progress of six men and one woman for over this, the Greatest Day. We are so used to the 'Band of Brothers' WWII format of story-telling now that we see battles and crucial events as involving heroic and not so heroic individuals rather than forces of History (which also apply). The format worked because the time-line was re-constructed so accurately; we knew what Soldier X or Y was doing at 10.43 due to painstaking research of the photographic and other archives. D Day was an incredible turning point in World History and it is right that it be remembered so often, and in this instance, so well. Allied mistakes were highlighted as was Hitler's cause of eventual downfall - hubris and a gross overestimation of his military intelligence (falling for the feint 'Operation Fortitude' while 'Overlord' kicked into action). Good History and very watchable Television.

I'm a 21st Century Time Traveller, Get Me Out Of Here!

'Groan!', 'thetvreviewguy' hears you say...'not another TV History Programme about Queen Elizabeth's 1st's Reign!' Dr Ian Mortimer's new series, 'The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England' (BBC2) is a cut above the rest (although, worryingly, produced by arch-Tory David Starkey). A simple conceit (based on a best-selling book) - imagine you're a Time Traveller in this distant epoch - what do you encounter, what are the customs, how are they different from today? It has to be said that Elizabethan England was a pretty vile, sadistic, backward, superstitious and frightening place to live. Forget Shakespeare, here was a land where sadism reigned - from bull baiting through to domestic violence through to capital punishment. Thank Fuck for the Enlightenment, is all this time traveller can think when confronted with a country where you could be put do death in a cruel and unusual manner for not believing in God, being a Witch, being a Catholic, robbing a Chicken or being a vagrant. Prisons were mere holding pens until execution. This was a bad place to be alive and to be poor (or a woman from any social background)  - really grim, not cool at all. Elizabeth and the Court were a bunch of blood-sucking leeches that relied on terror and violence to maintain their status. A horrible Age brought to life by Dr Mortimer.

Agent Scully Could Do Better...

Gillian Anderson will always be Special Agent Dana Scully for 'thetvreviewguy'. Such was the impact of the 'X Files', that it was hard for Anderson, a talented and impressive actress, to break out of the career-defining role. But break-out she did and eagle-eyed spotters will have seen her in classy ventures like 'The Last King of Scotland' and she's currently starring in the new TV production 'Hannibal'. Which brings us to 'The Fall', (BBC2/RTE1) which stars Anderson as a Senior Met Police Officer brought in to Belfast to review a murder case where she rapidly realise she's hunting a serial killer. Despite an excellent cast (Jamie Dornan extremely menacing as the murderer [its ok, we know he is, 'Colombo-like'] and John Lynch as conscientious Officer), we never escape from the predictability of the 'murder most horrid' school of detective TV which is now the mainstream. The subtleties, plotting, characterisation and cerebrum stroking of shows like 'Lewis' or 'Endeavour' are becoming less and less the norm. There's undoubtedly a viewership for this but 'thetvreviewguy' won't be tuning in for a second episode of stalking, slashing, strangulation and dark, dark lighting. Actors, writers and
directors stand by their work, but in this case, through no fault of the actors, sadly, they 'fall'.

The Appliance of Science

What would you like to with your life? Would you like to be an internationally renowned physicist, an accomplished musician, a fine Draughtsman, an inspirational educator, a rebel against authority or a beloved Pater Familias? 'The Fantastic Mr Feynman' (BBC2) looked back on the incredible life of Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman, a man who managed to do all these things, as well as being one of the designers of the Atom Bomb as part of the Manhattan Project, a role of which he would feel great remorse once the Bomb was dropped. Feynman packed so much into one lifetime that it is hard to see how someone could be as much a polymath in today's era of specialisation and information overload - he was, perhaps, the last Renaissance Man. Science was baffling to 'thetvreviewguy' when he was a lad, and Feynman, with his sense of the poetic, the aesthetic and his belief that creativity, not data, is at the heart of all our endeavours, would inspire anyone with his enthusiasm, his style and his love of life. Instrumental in unearthing the root cause of the Challenger disaster, Feynman's distrust of authority came from his father who cautioned him not to respect rank or 'epaulettes' (as he called it) for their own sake. While the mathematical genius manifested in the man is something most of us can only admire from afar and maybe try to understand, it was the humanity in the life of the fantastic Dr Feynman itself that stands as his legacy, as much as his work.

Take a Walk on the Wild Life

Derek Mooney is fast establishing himself as the ‘For Hire’ RTE Presenter and general Voiceover guy. In 'Secrets of the Irish Landscape' (RTE1), he provided the necessary once again and his love of the natural world (see his previous, usually understated, work for RTE) is never far from the surface. This (and its become a staple of Nature Documentaries) beautifully shot documentary looked at the geological and botanical links between Ireland, Spain and Iceland and at how relatively new the undulating, lush green Irish landscape is. We heard about the stalwart research of Robert Praeger a century ago and how he walked the country, recording the plant life on each walk, sometimes covering up to 50 kilometres on a weekend logging his finds. If it weren't for these pioneers, we would be considerably more ignorant about the World around us. While 'thetvreviewguy' found the extraneous shots of Mooney's Four Wheel Drive resembled uncomfortable, half-hearted, product placement, this is a modest negative when compared to the knowledge imparted by the featured scientists and assorted experts.  Geology and botany are really never ending subjects, which means that such documentaries will always be throwing up new material. And, yes, the Icelandic views did look spectacular - another country that 'thetvreviewguy' has to add to his 'to do' list. The programme makers really made Ireland look good and must have an eye on being picked up Stateside or becoming a DVD hit with the tourist market. A fine production.

The Road to Nowhere

The brief spat between the LSE and the BBC over ethics should not detract from John Sweeney's secret-camera footage of North Korea on 'Panorama' (BBC1). Sweeney was accompanied limpet-style by his official North Korean guides - North Korea is a nightmare of a failed political entity, where famine is endemic and forced labour camps punish dissidents and non-dissident alike. It is also a country where electricity is a luxury, a fucked up, Star Trek anti-utopia of a polity, where the Kims rule like Gods and their people are fed an Orwellian diet of News Speak. It is, in short, Hell on Earth. While those with even a passing familiarity with the nature of the regime will have learnt nothing new, the footage will have been a welcome addition to the knowledge of those not au fait with what goes on in this closed state. Sweeney was brought to Hospital where there were no patients and some of us were hoping for a 'Scientology' type explosion from him, but the circumstances were just too pathetic for that. His trip to a Library allowed him to ask the immortal question as to whether they had '1984' in stock, and of course, they didn't. It would also be funny if it just weren't so tragic. 'Panorama' is hitting the mark again; it could do with being 45 minutes or an hour long but still can be a must-see.

Royally Unwell

Television loves many things, among which are looks, smarts and eccentricities. Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, has all three in spades and her brief series, 'Fit to Rule: How Royal Illness Changed History' was both entertaining and informative, and looked at how malady and monarchy have coincided over the years. While examining more celebrated instances such as the madness of King George, Worsley was particularly good at focusing those figures forgotten or over-looked. Poor Queen Anne (1665 to 1714). Such was the expectation of bearing an heir and a spare, Anne endured 17 pregnancies, with only one son being born, William, and he lived to be only eleven years of age. While 'thetvreviewguy' would be a Republican at heart but at the same time, found the programme fascinating, principally for the reminder of just how far we have come on in medicine and life expectancy over the last four centuries. Lucy Worsley is a charming host, bringing the viewer on a quasi-guided tour of royal illness and this was good, solid television, probably more BBC 4 oriented, but well-suited to a BBC2 slot also. While some more shallow viewers (like 'thetvreviewguy'?) may have been partially drawn into watching for Ms Worsley's 'Posh Totty' status, she is an accomplished Historian and confident Presenter, a welcome addition to the telly game...a Princess among Women.

Say Hello, Wave Goodbye

Can we survive a mega-tsunami? Such was the question asked on BBC2 in an eponymous programme. The territory is not new: a gigantic rock slide in the Canaries - think half of an island collapsing post earth-quake, leading to a calamitous series of tidal waves travelling up to Britain and Ireland and across the Atlantic. The diagnosis wasn't good; while not the 'Global Killer' scenario beloved by Disaster Movies, it would lead to tens of thousands of deaths and huge displacement of social and economic activity, i.e. everyday life. Most of the Caribbean would be devastated by 10-30 metre waves, there would be, in Disaster Movie Lingo, no hiding place. Sharp use of graphics and actual tsunami footage mad for a powerful, if grim, look at the Sum of All Fears (done it again there 'tvreviewguy'). The thought of having no-where to run is indeed a chilling one. The various featured Boffins posited that much of the US Eastern Seaboard would be swept away with very little warning time for evacuation (maybe as little as 2-4 hours). In some ways, you can't plan for such an event and just have to accept it as a risk and try not to think about it. We are due such an event in the next few hundred to thousands of years, or tomorrow - who knows, humans may be living on Mars or still stuck on our vulnerable planet. Either way, it won't be fun to be around for.

Breaking Good

'Breaking Bad' shouldn't have been that successful. Who really wants to watch a programme about a middle aged Chemistry Teacher and a former stoner student of his 'cooking' crystal meth? Yet it  works. The series has us constantly coming back to moral dilemmas, brilliant writing and the bad luck of the key characters which seems to be forever 'breaking bad'. Bryan Cranston plays Walter White as a tortured soul, trying to fund his cancer treatment and keep his family on the road by going into the drugs trade. You already have a classic writing archetype right there; 'fish out of water'. Aaron Paul is superb as his dipshit but usually likeable accomplice, Jesse Pinkman. Anna Gunn, as White's wife Skyler, is a strong female character, doing her best in recessionary America, coping with her Husband's cancer and here son's cerebal palsy. New Mexico is an uncredited star in the series; the scenery is stunning, and the frontier wilderness symbolises the unchartered territory White now has to walk down. There is humour, violence, tenderness, great characterisation and some excellent dialogue. If the extended TV Series Arc is the new 'Movie', 'Breaking Bad' can righteously be said to take its place in this canon. But the real find for 'thetvreviewguy' so far is Bob Odenkirk as the seedy, corrupt lawyer Saul Goodman (again, great use of surnames by the writers); worth watching 'Breaking Bad' just for him alone.

Something to Choo-Choo On

Yet ANOTHER railway programme, and yet ANOTHER fly-on-the-wall documentary but 'The Railway: Keeping Britain on Track' chugs along nicely. The first episode featured the unpleasantness that is Kings Cross, a dirty, crowded, decrepit yoke of a station which we see undergoing a much needed modernisation (one of the participants gets confused by the pristine new concourse, confusing it with the gleaming, uber-cool St Pancras. Kevin Whately's narration provides the reassuring quality control that a lot of the rail network is missing. There were examples of great customer service but also documenting of passenger frustration and outrageous peak inter-city fares ('thetvreviewguy''s eyes popped out on hearing that a peak return to Newcastle was well over 200 Pounds). Who'd work in a Railway? Well, many of the participants, whether it was their first rung on the ladder or accident, resembled your average Office - except managing and running very big toys. Train Drivers are pretty unpopular but 'thetvreviewguy' would rather have a rested and contented driver than a pissed off one. We saw the darker side of the job; suicides. Many commuters get angry at the inconvenience caused by a suicide but 'Keeping Britain on Track' featured a heart-breaking story of a Father having to identify his Son (which was just told, as a story) which would change the viewpoint of most people hearing it. A series that's unlikely to go off the rails.

Dancing Classes Unite

Stephen Poliakoff (BBC2) is one of the greatest living television playwrights, as excellent in his own way as Dennis Potter was in his. His latest, 'Dancing on the Edge', concerns the ties between an English Black Jazz Band and Aristocratic and sometimes Royal London in the 1930s. But this being Poliakoff, there's more than just the juxtaposition of the two worlds, faded glories, and the 'FitzGeraldean' transitory nature of youth and beauty. There's more depth to his characters in one episode than you'd get in an entire series of 'Downton Abbey' - these are no mere cut-outs, but seem very real. His understanding of how history rhymes with the present day has always been one of the author's strong points and 'Dancing on the Edge', through superb use of music, and sheer craftsmanship of writing, acting and directing, shows 'thetvreviewguy' that Poliakoff is back to his very best. This is the closest you'll get to the vibrancy, the emotion and the journey of live theatre on-screen and so much credit has to go to the strong cast; plaudits go to Chiwetel Ejiofor as Band Leader Louis, Joanna Vanderham as the intoxicating Aristo Pamela, John Goodman as the outwardly charming but sinister millionaire Mr Masterson, wannabe svengali music journalist Stanley Mitchell played by Matthew Goode and to the two enchanting female singers in the band, Wunmi Mosaku and Angel Coulby. Well worth marking your dance card for.

A Ripping Yarn

'Ripper Street' (BBC1) is a damn fine piece of telly. Take the anarchist campaign of the 1880s in London's East End, the background of the Jack the Ripper slayings, an intelligent script, some fine acting, eye-catching cinematography and the fact that the external scenes were shot half a mile down the road from where 'thetvreviewguy' resides (in South-West Dublin rather than East London) and there's the sum of Sunday night quality TV. Matthew Macfadyen is as good as ever playing the troubled, principled DI Edmund Reid, Adam Rothenberg convinces as the mysterious Pinkerton employee Homer Jackson and Michael McElhatton is outstanding as the uber-political and duplicitous Commissioner Munro. As for last Sunday's plot, who could possibly believe that Russian agents were running amok on the streets of London killing their enemies? (er...on second thoughts...!) Anarchism, both peaceful and violent, isn’t an easy topic for mainstream, prime-time television but 'Ripper Street' covered this and the growth of trade unions and employer backlash with a surprisingly progressive outlook. Watch out for the developing love interest between the (shock-horror) married Reid and the feisty Deborah Goren, played with élan by the excellent and, in the eyes of 'thetvreviewguy', delectable Lucy Cohu. If you like your Detective Victoriana, this will be right up your 'Ripper Street'.

One Small Step

Fate singled out Neil Armstrong. A bright, modest, American Farm Boy became the first man on the moon and 'Neil Armstrong - First Man on the Moon' (BBC2) captured much of the life and times of this 'Hero for Human Kind' (yes, 'thetvreviewguy' would put it that high; Armstrong never claimed to be a 'USA Jock' - for him, it was about the mission). Interviewing family and friends, we saw that Armstrong was distinctly uncomfortable with his fame; the ice-cool fighter pilot who accidentally became the World's most famous man was incredibly ill at ease with nearly all of the hoopla associated with being the planet's most famous 'Star Man'. Space travel has stalled since the early 1970s; no manned mission to Mars, no permanent base on the Moon, no (though planned) mass space tourism. This programme was a timely reminder of the massive NASA team effort to land two men on the nearest celestial body and return them to Earth. Post landing, Armstrong was variously a lecturer, farmer, car sales ambassador but most of all, he tried to return to being that private citizen he once was before the Apollo programme. In this day of instant celebrity, it was gratifying to see the modesty and grace with which Armstrong accepted his fame and also moving...he wasn't able to lose his fame. A brilliant clip showed Neil Armstrong at a 'Star Trek' Convention. Life and 'Art' paying tribute to each other in perfect harmony. He had a wonderful life

On the Beaten Tracks

Another account for the train lovers out there among you (you know who you are) is running on BBC2; 'Locomotion: Dan Snow's History of Railways' covers ground that has been chartered many a time. If you think you've seen Michael Portillo or Jeremy Clarkson present similar programmes in recent years and for the BBC, then you'd be right. Snow brings the same enthusiasm to this series as his colleagues did to theirs. A stock set of images has developed in thes genre; a look at the large-scale engineering, iconic shots of a steam trains rolling through the countryside and photos of the railway builders and the like. Snow re-created the labour of a Navvy and it wasn't easy; they'd usually live in appalling conditions and of the many that died, some were buried in unmarked graves. The presenter touched on the evolution of transport and this would have made for a far more interesting and original exposition; Snow mentioned how 'the need for speed' became more of a driving element in the human condition as travel by horse was replaced by transport by steam-powered locomotive. So while the material lacks the shock of the new, 'Locomotion' nevertheless appeals to the Train Spotter side of 'thetvreviewguy'. Made like a comfortable sleeper service, reliable and reassuring.

Tanks for the Memories

Mark Urban is a somewhat unusual Defence Hack; cerebral, not showy, and always ready to explain things to the viewer, frequently via Jeremy Paxman on 'News Night'. Urban was at his most urbane (see?) when presenting 'Tankies - Tank Heroes of World War II' (BBC2), which followed the path of Six men of the Fifth Royal Tank Regiment from the Desert Campaign through D Day and the invasion of Germany. In a mix of interviews, re-enactment and some historical footage, Urban brought their stories to life. Much of the war-lore will be familiar ground; the camaraderie, the loss of young life, the terror and the exhilaration. Being a 'Tankie' took a particular type of grit; principally, the ability to survive close confinement for many hours at an end without being overcome by the claustrophobic surroundings. The men typically saw this as their duty, accepted death as a regrettable but necessary part of war and took on the Wehrmacht and their formidable anti-tank weapons that were used at various times to devastating effect. Urban's style is to tell a story and follow it up with keen analysis; he made the fog of war clear. As he observed himself, most of the veterans are dying at a faster and faster rate; this programme will serve as an historical document to their undoubted courage in taking on all that Rommel, the SS and the Luftwaffe could throw at them.

Met the Rains Down In Africa

David Attenborough has educated more people about nature and wildlife than probably anyone left on this planet, a planet Attenborough has documented for sixty years now. His latest series, 'Africa' (BBC1) doesn't fail to please or reach the extraordinary standards of previous ventures. Attenborough is, rather as Lonesome George was, the Master of all he surveys. He is extremely generous to his camera team, crediting their amazing work and he has long dominated Sunday nights with his brand of exceptional television. Sir David, as he is known in Britain, spoke to us as an Elephant mother stayed with her dying Calf. The pathos in the scene was astonishing, the camera work exceptional and the whole segment was very moving. We saw the beauty of the Rift Valley and how Africa, like the rest of the planet, is climate dependant - how the heat fired up the savannah during drought, and how the rain brought new life to the fore when the torrents come down. We witnessed the splendour of the flamingo, one of the oddest but extraordinary birds alive, and how they perched in acidic waters that would scald this reviewer fairly sharpish. We observed how nature seems cruel and harsh but also beautiful. 'Africa', and programmes like it, have done more for the Green Movement over the last forty years than anything else; we should cherish Attenborough for making it so.