MEDIA
I First Tuesday (Scottish) 10.40—11.4(lpm. Swing under the Swastika. the tale ofjazz music under the Nazis. who were lessthan keen followers.
I Showtime At the Apollo II (Channel 4) ll.5()pm-12.5(lam. Although tonight‘s show is a compilation of the best of the last series. next week things get underway proper. with a return of the amateur nights to the Harlem venue. As ever. the vivacious audience form a large part ofthe show's attraction.
WEDNESDAY 3
I The Trials otLile (BBC1)8—8.5()pm. ‘Whisperin' ‘Dave Attenborough takes on natural life in all its infinite varieties. in the third part of his trilogy about life on earth.
I Without Walls (Channel 4)
9.15-10. 15pm. An innovative new arts programme sets sail into the busy lanes plied regularly by The Late Show etc. This one is different. its makers claim. Without a presenter. the show is linked by a disarming armadillo called Douglas. Tonight the programme includes Photo Romans — a short detective story told through still photographs. Each tale is set in a different European city. tonight‘sonc is in Barcelona. Also. J'Accuse. a gloves off. no messing attack on a fewcultural icons- tonight that Dutch artist with one ear. wassisname‘.’
I Canned Carrott (BBCl)9.30—l(lpm. Despite the title. Jasper is sober asa judge. as he assumes the role of incompetent detective alongside Robert Powell.
IWitness (BBCl) 10—1 1.50pm. Harrison Ford. Kelly McGillis and the man from Mamma‘s pizza place in Edinburgh‘s Grassmarket. star in this tale of big city crime getting mixed up in the Amish community of Pennsylvania. Packed with beautiful imagery. the juxtaposition ofthe two cultures lend an ordinary cop tale a power of itsown. ISexTalk(Channcl4)11—11.5()pm. lnstead ofthe usual free and frank discussion. Mik Scarlet. who is himself wheelchair-bound. presents a documentary on how disabled people come to terms with their sexualitv.
I" s ,4,“ ‘ __. I Sid Caesar‘s Show of Shows (Channel 4) midnight-12.35am. The best ofSid‘s shows. which went out between 1949—54 and featured the output of gag writers Mel Brooks. Woody Allen. Neil Simon and Larry Gelbart (later responsible for M‘A ‘S‘H).
THURSDAY 4
I Bab C. Nesbitt(BBC2) $9.3(lpm. Rab tries to give us a puntcr‘s-eye view ofthe Govan by-election. as various prospective MP5 embark on an urban safari and encounter Rab‘s own unique political analysis.
I Black Faith: A Mighty Voice (Channel 4) llpm—midnight. First in a series oftbree programmes examining the burgeoning black churches in Britain. it focuses on the
IThe Lite of PythoniBB(‘l)
l().2(l—l 1.20pm. ‘lsthisthe right programme for an argument.” Probably not. The BBC gave birth to Python and here they are out to honour their own. ()ld footage and recent interviews examine the remarkable effect the series had on British culture.
I Scottish Women Scottish
exclusively female debating arena. in which 100 Scots females. not all at once. air their views. Tonight the issue under
and the establishment of black churches here.
I It Can‘t be Winter We Haven't Had SummerYet (Channel4) midnight—1.40am. Charlotte Boisjoli is left alone after 40 years of marriage.when her husband. on whom she has always been dependent. suddenly dies. Aftera winter in mourning she sets out to seek new experiences and books a trip to Japan. A moving and accomplished first feature from Quebec filmmaker Louis Carre.
early history of Caribbean Christianity I i
I Opinions: The Mad Pursuit otthe Oriverless Troika (Channel 4) 8.3(l—9pm. Peter ‘Rent~a-Learned ()uote‘ Frank. from Essex University. is given longer than he normally gets on .‘v'ews at Ten to air . his opinions about current Soviet domestic and foreign policy.
I Monty Python's Flying Circus ( BBCZ) 9.30— 10pm. Featuring Mr Howard Stools from Kendal. who measures exactly half an inch long.
i FRIDAY 5
z;
A ‘ g ,
11.15—1 1 .45pm. The return ofthe
scrutiny is the poll tax.
I Future Feature: Ouatermass ll 11.()5pm—12.4(lam. Prof Quatermass finds out that a top government base is in fact churning out black and white movies starring professors with unlikely sounding surnames! Well. actually he discovers that the plant has been taken over by dehumanised beings. With more than a faint echo of Siegel's Invasion ofthe Bodysnatchers it should provide SF fans with a good after-hours lock-in.
SATURDAY 6
I Wagner's Ring (BBCZ) (T. Ill—8.50pm. Broadcast in conjunction with Radio 3 so you can listen to the whole ten episodes in stereo. should you wish to.
I Last Train To Medicine Hat (Channel 4) 3-9pm. In Canada the railways built the nation — or was it the other way round'.’ In either case. they were. as Sellarsand Yates would have put it. a good thing. Unless you were an Indian. in which case they were a disaster. Now. the magnificent scenery is enjoyed by rail buffs only- while travellers take the plane. ()ne ofthe final acts in the (ioing (completely) Loco season on this channel was to send a reporter across the Rockies by train.
I Top Gun (Scottish ) 9.2” 11.20pm.
laughable plot line. extremely dodgy
underlying ethics but the flying scenes make it all. well. less detestable. Tom Hunky Cruise endeavours to be the top fly-boy at the US Navy School in San Diego. Inevitany he falls for for his instructor Kelly McCiillis.
I Little Big Man (1313(3)
l l.1(lpm—l.25am. Dustin Hoffman is the 121 year-old Red lndian who claims tobe the only survivor of the battle of the l.ittle Big I lorn. This picaresque retellingofhis life among both the tribes and the whites. is not afraid to indulge in a spot of heroic debunking a humane and humorous movie.
I Tina Turner Live in Concert (Sky Movies) 3—9.4(lpm. Sky's Movie Channel have purchased the television rights to her Foreign Affairs concert and are making such a song and dance about it it would be churlish of us to ignore it.
SUNDAY 7
I Equinox: The Light Stuff (Channel 4) 7—8pm. Students from the Massachusetts Institute of'l‘echnology attempt to recreate the flight of Daedalus. Kind of what they used to do there back in the Sixties. only this time no drugs are involved.
I Born Talking ( BBt‘Z)S.t)S—a.55pm. Jonathan Miller. who must have at least popped out waving his arms around like he does now. cxpounds more of his theory about how we come to start chattering.
I Screen One: One Last Chance ( BBCI) 9.20- 10.55pm. Marina Sirtcs and (ieorge Jackos star as a couple ofterminal gamblers in what has so far been a consistently entertaining and thought-provoking series ofplays.
I Raging Bull (Channel 4)
ll). lSpm— l2.4()am. Robert De Nirostars as middleweight champion Jake La Motta in Scorsese's searing indictment of masculine values. The tale of the Bronx boxer hits home with a painful intensity as De Niro gracclessly slides from chirpy young champ to punchdrunk old slob.
I The South Bank Show ( Scottish)
10.35—1 1.35pm. Roy l.ichtenstein's cartoon-based paintings took the art world of the Sixties by storm. Tonight. he talks to Melvyn about his subsequent success.
MONDAY 8
I Panorama: Who Pays ForThe Party (BBCl ) 9.3(l—lll. lllpm. ()n the eve ofthe Tory Party Conference. Panorama asks just who will fund the massive campaign that they plan to mount at the next election'.’ Well. it winnac be me.
I Centrepoint (Channel 4) 10—1 1pm. Channel 4's flagship autumn drama contrasts the heady days of the late Sixties and their effects on a generation with the current political climate. Bob Peck. Murray llead. Cheryl Campbell and Derrick ()‘Connor star in this drama that spans three decades as a man seeks to find out what really happened to his missing father.
I Sport in Question (Scottish)
10.45—11.45pm. Archie has persuaded Wallace Mercer to appear on the programme. which should lead to a lively exchange of views with the studio audience. Also chipping in their tuppence worth will be Steve Cram and Julie Welch. neither of whom has recently tried to purchase a football club.
I Fresno (Channel 4) llr-midnight. The feudin‘ families ofCalifornian agriculture work each each other up into a lather. in this soap of soaps.
TUESDAY 9
I Critical Eye: Bites (Channel 4 ) ‘)~ lllpm. Female genital mutilation is still practised throughout the world. Britain included. This programme explores the social context in which such barbaric practices are carried out.
I Rita Budner ( BBCZ) 9—9.3“an More wisecracks from the frail ex-dancer.
I Viewpoint BO: Cambodia. the Betrayal (Scottish) 10.40—1 l .4llpm. Apparently. the peace agreement in Cambodia ain't all it‘s cracked up to be and indeed may soon be cracking up for good.
I Showtime at the Apollo (Channel 4)
l l .Sllpm— 12.50am. Once again the joint will be jumping. though they were unable to confirm quite who would be leading the leaping.
WEDNESDAY 10
I The Trials of Life ( BB( '1 ) t’wsfiopm. ‘For it is here on this very channel that l have done two very. very famous and important programmes.’ And here he is. in histhird and final series.
I BAFTA Special Tribute to Sean Connery (Scottish) 9— lllpm. "l’hanks 0. how does this work'." Followed at 10.40pm by the film The Next Man. in which a girl triesto murder the Saudi ambassador to the l'N. Not the movie he would want to be remembered for.
I Without Walls: For Love or Money? (Channel 4) 9. lS~ 10.15pm. Which isthe real motivating factor for artists these days'.’ Cash. acclaim or merely the desire to express themselves? A mixture of all three probably. though few of them would admit it — the wall-less team investigate.
I Portrait of a Marriage ( BB( ‘2)
‘).25~ 10.25pm. The final chance for the two upper-class lovers to tramp across liurope and over other people's feelings.
I Sid Caesar's Show of Shows ( Channel 4) midnight- 12.30am. The very. very famous (at least he was in the Fifties)comedian with a tremendous array ofgag-writcrs should be worth catching in this rerun of his shows.
THURSDAY 11
I Business Matters (BB( ‘2 ) n.45- 7.10pm. Nothing against Adam Faith. but since seeing him as Mr lindell's side-kick in Budgie it's hard to take hisopinions seriously. However. tonight he looksinto British Rail. Are they on the right track'.’ I Transformers ( BBCZ ) 9.3m 10.30pm. Socrates for six year-olds. American professor Mat l.ipman strongly believes that kids should be taught before they learn and should run before they walk etc. Anyway you are the ref. judge for yourself.
I Your Cheatin‘ Heart ( BBCI) Ill—10.50pm. John Byrne’s second major six-parter for BBC Scotland has a band setting out on the road north from Glasgow once again. John Gordon-Sinclair stars as the hapless reporter dragged down in the little-known world of the Scottish country and westernophile. See Main Preview.
I Black Faith: The Blood of Jesus (Channel 4) llpm-midnight. Second in the three-part series on the black chuchesof Britain. it looks at the formation ofthe churches and the methods ofvvorship involved in them.
84 The List 28 September— 1 1 October 1990