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'.

A Day In the Lifer

'Lifers' (Channel 4) was grim viewing. The programme makers spent time with some of the prisoners in for 'Life' in Gartree Prison; most were in for murder and all of the crimes described were disturbing and shocking; it made the abstract very real. Yet this 'Cutting Edge' documentary was quite dispassionate when it came to the offenders who didn't appear to feel remorse and compassionate towards those who did. There was a particularly bleak outlook for the inmates sentenced to die in prison; of course most of them have committed terrible crimes but for there to be no prospect of rehabilitation made for depressing telly. One of the contributors (yes, they had a choice on whether to participate or not) wryly observed that his stodgy Christmas Dinner was not what the 'Daily Mail' would have referred to as a 'slap-up meal'. We saw the Probation Board at work and the sterling work of the prison psychologists; a prisoner rightly called the latter the 'gatekeepers' in the system, with the power to recommend that a person be let go to an open prison, set free or kept in jail. There were lighter moments, the production and confiscation of 'hooch' (illegally brewed alcohol, more like rocket fuel) for example, but these were few and far between. Yes these men have done appalling things, but 'Lifers' never lost sight of their humanity and eschewed the 'zoo-like' angle of many American prison progs (which 'thetvreviewguy' will admit to watching also). Chilling but informative; worth doing time with.

Duty Bound To Watch This

'Line of Duty' (BBC2) is one of the best things 'thetvreviewguy' has seen all year. Set in a Police Force which is obviously the Met, the plot is compelling.  The opening almost explicitly mirrors the de Menezes shooting and sets up the premise of the series; DS Steve Arnott, (Martin Compston shining as the naive young copper) alienated from his colleagues after telling the truth, gets re-assigned to fight police corruption with AC-1. They target a charismatic black police officer, Tony Gates (played brilliantly by Lennie James) who they suspect of doctoring his clear -up rate. His mistress, (Gina McKee, superb in the role) is responsible for a fatal hit-and-run which Gates gets sucked into. There's an undercover operation directed by a Superintendent Ted Hastings, a figure whom Gates calls a 'zealot' (Adrian Dunbar has rarely been better, with his character bearing all the scars one would expect from a Catholic, ex-RUC Officer). 'Line of Duty' has a remarkable ensemble cast; from Vicky McClure as DC Kate Fleming (ambitious and highly-motivated) to Neil Morrissey. The dialogue is crisp, the pacing is spot-on and Jed Mercurio has produced an excellent piece of scriptwriting which had 'thetvreviewguy' rhooked after five minutes of the first episode. BBC 'score', this TV Cop Drama at its best; 'Line of Duty' is a short, sharp, shock of a series that promises much for the remaining episodes.

Nearly Everything Else is Funnier

'A Short History of Everything Else' (Channel 4) is yet another comedy quiz show; 'thetvreviewguy' can barely turn on the telly without seeing a bunch of celebs/comedians sparring in a panel game. The criteria for success, apart from viewership, aren't that many; can you be vaguely original and make the audience laugh? Despite the efforts of host Griff Rhys Jones, warhorse of the British Comedy scene, the prog fails to present any sort of unique selling point apart from a look back at old news clips instead of contemporary ones. Marcus Brigstocke and Charlie Baker make decent efforts but the show just looks messy; a 'What's My Line?' mystery guest who had news value once only adds to the, er, high concept nature of the programme. Now it doesn't completely suck; it's not a Mrs B****'s B*** or the (un) like. It just never takes off and is like an awkward first meeting up of a Stag Weekend Party; awkward, testing the waters, with the promise of more humour down the road. Channel 4 commissioning editors take note; TV doesn't always have to re-invent the wheel but comedy shouldn't be production line either - just re-design the wheel now and again. 'A short History of Everything Else' is a good gig for those taking part but not such a good one for the viewers; a distinct 'meh' with a shoulder shrug thrown in.