Roman All Over Town

'Meet the Romans with Mary Beard' (BBC2) is presented by the enthusiastic and extremely  knowledgeable Mary Beard, Cambridge Professor of Classics, and has already been marked by too much discussion about her appearance which, 'thetvreviewguy' isn't going to discuss. What he is more than happy to look at is Rome and how Professor Beard conveys classical history with panache, vigour and, perhaps most importantly to the non-expert viewer, humour. Augustan Rome, far from being the 'civilised' centre of Empire (where, of course, slaves and women were second hand citizens), was a a brutal, dangerous place where living in the suburbs meant residing with cut-throats and vagabonds in an unpoliced, cheek-by-jowl existence. Beard's history was fascinating because she looked at tombs, dwellings and shops of ordinary Romans - the middle class, for want of a better word, between slaves and Senators. Thus, when looking at the Forum, she referred to Plautus' guide to the seedy side of the historical complex. We were taken underground to see how Rome was built upon narrow streets, where according to a contemporary account, you could shake hands from one opposing window to the other. This was a city of around one million people, a total that would not be surpassed until London in the 19th Century; this was truly a city on an epic scale. Professor Beard should be commended for making the past come to light and by showing us, like any good historian does, how we differ to and what we have in common with, the Romans.

Grim (Reaper) Up North

Take a middle-aged, dowdily made-up detective M'am played superbly by Brenda Blethyn, set it up North where Geordie is the lingua franca, add in some nice back stories about her colleagues and personal life and you have 'Vera', ITV's latest top-cop-one-stop Sunday evening doorstopper. Criticised for being slow-moving, 'thetvreviewguy' quite likes the sedate pace interjected with the odd moments of action; no ultra-violence here or CSI-style trickery but the simple devices of plot and character. The extra presence in the series is the beauty and isolation of the North-East; Newcastle and Gateshead look great while the local countryside gets a full showcasing. Now 'thetvreviewguy' enjoys his crime fiction and Vera hits a lot of 'like' buttons; credible characterisation, believable plotting and some good use of humour. While the Scandinavian detective with his/her earnest dourness maybe the stock copper du jour, there's always room for a throwback to the more traditional poh-lease i.e. old fashioned is welcome in going against the grain in this instance. There are very few absolute truths in life; one of them is probably that detective fiction will always be popular as we like to uncover the who, what, why, wheres and hows behind any good story. 'Vera' should get a good run and Brenda Blethyn is already well on the way to becoming a British, gulp, 'National Treasure'.

Turn and Face the Strain; Britain in the '70s'

The 1970s were the growing years for 'thetvreviewguy'. Now a long time ago, some of the momentous social changes in Britain that took place in that decade were well-covered in Dominic Sandbrook's entertaining retrospective, 'The 70s' (BBC2). In what should be seen as a comparison piece to Francis Wheen's excellent book 'Strange Days Indeed', Sandbrook recaps some of the main seismic shifts that took place from 1970-1979. Even pre-Thatcher, there was a move towards house ownership as the mortgage market was loosened up. Foreign holidays became more affordable and served as a companion status symbol to owning your own home. Britain went onto 'Europe', that strange, exotic continent that began beyond Dover and Edward Heath sought to be a One Nation Tory. But, Sandbrook argues, while the 70s is cited as the zenith of left-wing trade union power, the most militant group of all, the miners, had a materialistic outlook to wage improvement. Personal mores changed as Britain finally moved into Larkin's post-1963 world. Sandbrook makes some interesting observations; the growth of wine purchases in the decade reflected greater disposable income and aspiration. Age is a funny thing; for this reviewer, it does not seem odd to have to wait months for a phone to be installed, have the national TV station close down at 4pm everyday 'for a break' and pile into a car boot on the way to a beach to get sunburnt. Ah yes, they were the days my friend.

Horror in Paradise; 'Norway's Massacre'

The Breivik killing spree is one of those moments in life where reality resembles a horror movie. 'This World - Norway's Massacre' (BBC2) was a sombre, reflective look at one of the biggest non-war time spree-killings in Modern Europe. Narrated with care and compassion, the documentary interviewed parents and friends of many of the victims; it is still hard to believe that such murderous actions took place. At time of writing, Breivik's trial is underway; the only question to be determined is if he was really insane or not. The horrifically meticulous planning for his 'operations' would suggest that he knew only too well what he was doing; this whole process is a huge test for the decency of Norwegian society as they seek to combat 'hate with love'.  Special legislation will probably have to be enacted to keep Breivik off the streets; his likely sentence of 21 years would see him released as a middle-aged man. Norway is a small society and was deeply traumatised last year. 'Norway's Massacre' talked to the Police and Emergency Response teams; blame can not be put on them for any delay in reacting even though they have apologised already. This was essential viewing and reminded the viewer that sometimes, documentaries do not have a happy ending and we're left with more questions than answers; this is one of those instances.

Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy

Peter Taylor is, to use that often ascribed but frequently falsely attributed phrase, a Reporter's Reporter. Now a globally renowned intelligence expert and a distinguished Northern Ireland correspondent with an outstanding rolodex of contacts, a Taylor documentary has something most hacks can only aspire to; instant credibility. 'Modern Spies' (BBC2) is a showcase for Taylor's considerable skills; his quiet, persistent, understated form of reporting, his forensic skills in building up a case with facts, his respect for good sources (both on and off-record) and above all, a true impartiality which lets the viewer make up their mind based on the objective evidence presented before them. Taylor interviews Foreign Secretaries and Spooks, ‘Curveball’ and former Spy Chiefs; he looks at 'honeytraps' and tradecraft...he addresses rendition and human rights and he does so with considerable care to let the story build from the foundation of its own facts. 'Modern Spies' will interest anyone mildly diverted by the Spooks World; but this is a milieu more John Le Carre than James Bond, it is a universe of greys and increasingly, an I.T. one, dependent on data mining and electronic espionage to defeat whatever the 'enemy' now is. Taylor's 'Modern Spies' raises questions of quis custodiet ipsos custodies which have always been with us and probably always will be. ‘Modern Spies’ tells it as it probably is rather than how Cubby Broccoli would have us see this shadowy world of intelligence and counter-intelligence.

We Go Down to the River

Trevor McDonald is an English institution; a distinguished reporter and a newsreader famous for the phrase 'and finally'. 'Mighty Mississippi' (ITV) is the perfect vehicle for McDonald as he travels across the vast river, sharing the journey with an envious 'thetvreviewguy. It is an awesome feat of nature with both a shameful and glorious history. The contrast between the plantation mansions and slave huts where the former inhabitants were chained to the land is still deeply moving, 150 years after the end of slavery. That's how close and relevant slavery is to US history, about five generations ago; it has left a searing scar on the US body politic and McDonald was clearly moved in particular by the inhumanity of slaves being counted and valued as chattel in a ledger book from before the Civil War. Yet from the depths of slavery came hope in the form of music and specifically Gospel Music; McDonald brought us to a church that rocked, where the congregation rejoiced in harmonies developed on the plantation fields. You can't tour the Mississippi either without visiting New Orleans and remembering Hurricane Katrina, another time in American history when being black and poor could have cost you your life; the criminal tardiness of the Katrina aftermath would not have been allowed to happen in New Hampshire or Orange County. 'Thetvreviewguy' looks forward to the next instalment of 'Mighty Mississippi', escorted by the ever-affable Trevor McDonald.

Minute Observations

BBC Radio 4 is a testament to civilisation and you can be no more civilised than by tuning into 'Just a Minute', the panel game show running for aeons. Now why are you writing about a radio programme 'thetvreviewguy' I hear you asking? Well the format has been replicated on BBC2 and, despite fears that yet another radio migration would backfire, 'Just a Minute' is proving to be a great success. Hosted by the ever living Nicholas Parsons, the show is the eptimome of wit and wordplay. How difficult can it really be to speak for a minute without hesitation, deviation and repetition? Extremely difficult if the experience of the guests (usually comics) is anything to go by. The fun is in avoiding the interruptions and sabotage from the other contestants. It would be wrong to say 'Just a Minute' has a cult following; it has a select listnership and these same listeners should give the TV version a go. Tick, tock, tick, tock...a minute can be a very long time indeed and this format has proved timeless. There's so much dross out there and it's nice to find a Sea of Tranquility of sophistication in a barren Moon of grey lifeless crud. Definitely worth a least a minute of your time if not more, 'Just a Minute' will keep 'thetvreviewguy' clock watching for the forseeable future.