Oil's Well That Ends Well

If you grew up in the 1980s in Ireland, you'll remember 'Dallas' (TV3) as part of a modernising influence in the land thirty years ago. It was condemned from pulpits, complained about on the Gay Byrne Radio Show and spawned an appalling but emminently catchy 'Country N' Irish' hit, 'I Shot JR'. It got huge ratings; even allowing for the lack of channels, it brought in the viewers. How does it bear up to the original? The older cast members are mortal after all, and have noticeably aged; although Linda Gray, legs of Mrs Robinson in the 'Graduate' movie poster, still looks pretty good (however who knows what magical face stuff the some of the cast has been using to stay young)? There's still  the same story - the Ewings and their Oil, good and bad (Bobby and JR) and Larry Hagman still exudes baddy-ness, perfect as a the Miltonic Satan, a decent actor in his own right (remember his turn in 'Primary Colours?'). While 'thetvreviewguy' probably won't be following the series, it still has the iconic opening theme (with the Credit Montage updated) and while there's still lashings of sex (no nudity of course), and some nice bits in dialogue, the younger characters just ain't got the moxy of their 1980s predecessors. But as a nostalgia trip, and a smart take on the attractions of villains, it's still pretty good and reassuring, remnding us in the background that Rick Perry won't be President.

Cloth; Wiping the Face of Crime

'Touch of Cloth' (Sky 1) is fairly funny stuff as is to be expected from anything written by Charlie Brooker (Daniel Maier is the writing partner on this one). The TV Cop Show is an easily satrised format but Brooker has some nice lines that any fans of his would have recognised instantly as his rapid wit and snark. The cast is superb, playing every gag line with a set-in-stone straight face delivery.Why Charlie Brooker feels the need to work for a Murdoch channel is anybody's guess but this is funny, if not quite ground-breaking ('Police Squad' anyone?). John Hannah (who once played Ian Rankin's Rebus, and not for laughs) is Jack Cloth, a troubled, stubbled, quasi washed-up Copper. He is joined by the excellent Suranne Jones ('Coronation Street', 'Scott & Bailey'), playing, in the best pun and funniest joke in Episode One, Detective Constable Anne Oldman. Julian-Rhind Tutt ('Green Wing') does his usual stuff as Cloth's Boss, who is called, er, Boss. Throw in a couple of cast members that were in 'Teachers' over a decade ago and you have a great mix of acting talent, good writing and decent production values. While 'thetvreviewguy' wasn't totally in awe, he enjoyed the hour; Charlie Brooker is not God (!) but he is one of the more original and witty writers around today. And he's married to Konnie Huq. Bastard.

London's Burning; 2011 Riots

The 2011 Riots in London and other parts of Britain defy easy categorisation. 'The Riots - In Their Own Words' (BBC2) looked at the events of last August through the eyes of rioters, police and some clergy. The programme was a result of a joint research project between the LSE and The Guardian and the rigour behind the investigation was evident from the start. The two-parter started with the rioters; what happened, what was their motivation and what were the consequences. The motivations were several; some saw this as 'political' - wanting to protest after the death of Mark Duggan, others saw an opportunity for looting while another group just got caught up in the madness of crowds. The scale of the rioting was astonishing and for a few days in August 2011, law and order appeared to have collapsed in many parts of London. The consequences for many were severe - the courts handed down exemplary custodial sentences 'pour encourager les autres'. All the rioters were played by actors, who were so convincing that 'thetvreviewguy' thought he was looking at the real people. The testimonies from the Police were no less dramatic; all had never faced public disorder on such a scale before and many expressed fear for their safety. The decision not to deploy rubber bullets was probably the right one; Northern Ireland residents may have looked at this ironically, to say the least (alright for one part of the UK, not for another). 'The Riots - In Their Own Words' never sought to give pat answers or take a particular slant; it was an intelligent, thoughtful and important piece of work that left the viewer either confirmed in their prejudices or asking themselves more questions about what happened in August 2011.

Hoop Dreamers

Well, that was different. Normally, 'thetvreviewguy' has very little interest in elite sports and likes the odd football game (that's soccer to his American friends), a little bit of jogging and playing (and generally not watching) tennis. So what is he to make of the Olympics (BBC/RTE) coverage? Well, perhaps it's best to acknowledge that there were lots of Olympics going on, including: the corporate takeover of the five rings, the honest efforts of 'clean' athletes, the expectation/media event and the marketing and character of London itself. Overall, the professionalism of the BBC was superb and conveyed the enthusiasm for the tournament while, understandably but hardly commendably, in a way true to most nationalities, moving into hyperbole overdrive very quickly once the medals started coming in. RTE, for a 'small country' broadcaster covered the Irish athletes and events with just the right mix of objectivity and excitement as they did in their coverage of athletes from the bigger nations. Going on past years, the Olympics never make any money for the host country, are forgotten about by those of us, i.e. the majority, who only watch athletics once every four years, and suck out all other television programmes like a Black Hole for the three weeks they are on. So, in non-ranking order, the highlights for 'thetvreviewguy' include parts of Danny Boyle's opening ceremony, London as the star of the show, some great sporting achievements and Boris Johnson getting stuck on a zip-chord.

Briefs Encounter

Criminal lawyers don't really enjoy the best of reps among most of the general public and 'The Briefs' (ITV) will have confirmed their many prejudices about the field; an industry in itself, slightly 'tricky' and enabling the 'revolving door' system of charge/release/charge. This fly-on-the-wall doc followed Manchester criminal law firm Tuckers as they met their clients and the series producers sure picked some real oddballs (not just the lawyers) to feature, some of whom seemed to be serial repeat offenders well savvy about their rights. However...the 'Briefs' appeared conscientious and to be doing the best for their hapless clients (there, that should be enough not to get 'thetvreviewguy' sued). In one instance,Tuckers succeeded in getting the charges dropped against a possible murder suspect who, to this reviewer anyway, really did appear to have been wrongly charged in the first place. And...if, you were to end up in a prison cell being charged with a crime you didn't commit, or were looking for mitigation, you'd want the best, sneakiest, smartest, most devious lawyer on your side. For many, there's an instinctive reaction to regard the field as a bit spivvy but the presumption of innocence is really important in any well functioning democracy. Defence lawyers will always seek new lines of attack when it comes to winning their case. 'The Briefs' had some good access and was never patronising but left the viewer slightly in despair about the universal theme of Crime and Punishment. While not discussing into the socio-economic casues of crime, 'The Briefs' was a very good insight into the human face of the wrong end of the law; worth more than a 'brief' look.

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.