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'.