MEDIA
I Without Walls (Channel 4)
9. 15—10. 15pm. Jean-Michel Basquiat went from unknown graffiti artist to much-feted apple of the art-world‘s eye. selling work for $30,000 a throw. in the space ofa few years. In 1988 he died ofa heroin overdose. Geoff Dunlop‘s one-hour documentary chronicles the rapid rise and still more rapid fall from grace. of this exciting young talent.
I Blackadder Goes Forth: Maior Star (BBC1)9.30—10pm. In an effort to bolster morale. General Melchett and Darling decide a concert party is in order. Strangely Blackadder volunteers. only to see his hopes of a trip to Blightyscuppered by Melchett falling for the gorgeous ‘Georgina'.
I Die Kinder(BBC2) 9.25—10.25pm. Miranda ‘Who‘s Oueen?‘ Richardson in an altogether different role as an estranged mother. in this complex chase across Germany.
THURSDAY 29
I Scottish Action On Employment (Scottish) 6.30—7pm. Bob Tomlinson looks at how management. workers and unions can prepare for redundancy. I Nocturne (Channel 4) 9L 10.05pm. Part thriller. part drama ofsexual repression - Joy Chamberlain‘s short film has Lisa Eichorn returning to her mother's home and trying to unravel her past.
I Harry Entield's Television Programme (BBC2) 9—9.~30pm. Some of the material ain't brilliant but there's always a gem or two to make it worthwhile. As ever. Harry is a genius when it comes to coming up with a catch phraseg‘Only me. ooh you don‘t want to do it like that.‘ will soon be adopted by annoying buggers everywhere. I Smith And Jones (BBCI )9.30—10pm. Mel becomes a stewardess. after one expires during a flight. and Griffeulogises at the funeral of a dead game show host; plus footage of an early Hitchcock advert.
I Nicholas Craig: The Naked Actor(BBC2) 10.10—10.30pm. The committed Iovey takes us through the actor‘s constant search for authenticity.
I Pictures Oi Europe (Channel 4)
10. lS—midnight. To coincide with the European Film Awards (held in Glasgow this weekend) Channel 4 has commissioned a special documentary about the future of European cinema. Does the phrase have any real meaning?
How will filmmakers respond to the single
market? Will they merely churn out Europuddings? An impressive array of film-folk give their opinions.
I Paisley Votes: ey-Election Results Special (Scottish) midnight—l .30am. Live from Paisley Town Hall. two-for-the-price-of-one election results.
FRIDAY 30
I Richard Oimblehy: Voice OiA Nation (BBC2) 9.30— 10.30pm. One of the most revered voices on British TV is celebrated in this hour longtrihute.
I Omnibus: Tales Oi Ordinary Murder: ilian Malan In South Atrica(BBC1) 10.50—11.40pm. A member ofthe family responsible for the creation ofapartheid and author of the much praised My Traitor's Heart returns to investigate various manifestations of violence in South Africa. Ile reveals the true complexities rather than offering glib solutions.
I Facing Up To AlOS: Women Talk Safety (BBC2) 11.25—11.55pm. Women speak about their doubts and difficulties with practising safer sex.
SATURDAY 1
I Night on Hundred Stars (Scottish) 7.30—10pm. A parade ofTV folk. including Jim Davidson. David Frost. Russ Abbot. Shakin‘ Stevens and Stanley Baxter. turn out to pay tribute to producer David Bell. I Adventures: TransAntanlc (Channel 4) 8—9pm. Six men went through seven months of hell hauling themselves across the Antartic tundra from west to east. without motorised help. in order to draw attention to the fate ofthe continent — it‘s being invaded by trippers determined to draw attention to its fate. I Saturday Night Clive (BBC2) 9.30—10.15pm. Kenny Everett joins Clive for a shuftie at TV around the world. I Red Hot And Blue (Channel 4) 10.05—11.35pm. Some of the world‘s best known voices pay tribute to the work of the late great Cole Porter in this compilation film screened to mark World AIDS Day and to heighten awareness of the dangers posed by the HIV virus. See preview. I Common Threads: Stories From The Guilt (BBC2) 10.15—11.40pm. Dustin Hoffman narrates this remarkable Oscar-winning documentary on the now famous AIDS Memorial Quilt. To date. the quilt has some 13.000 panels and covers over 13 acres. The film deals with just five stories from it. the victims ranging from an Olympic athlete to an 11-year-old haemophiliac.
SUNDAY 2
I The Gold Brush - Paint's Green Revolution (Channel 4) 7—8pm. Equinox investigate the pressure that paint manufacturers are under to go green. What if you don't want green?
down Texas way and reviews Peter
I Coronation Street: Episode One (Scottish) 7.15-7.50pm. Eeh. who‘d have thought it were 30 years ago that the Street started? As the mournful music swelled at the end of the first programme. shopkeeper Elsie Lappin had already said farewell to the series and a lucrative contract with Granada. Next week: The List's cut out and keep guide to the Street‘s first 30 years.
I It’ll Be Alright On The Night (Scottish) 7.50—8.50pm. If you‘re one ofthose people who can't stop doing Denis Norden impressions. then this is the programme for you. Another 60 minutes ofout-takes linked by Norden‘s atrocious puns. which keep him smiling at least.
I House Of Cards (BBCI ) 9—10pm. The Chief Whip is busy laying the seeds of doubt about the PM‘s ability to rule in the final episode of Andrew Davies‘s screenplay (based on Michael Dobbs‘ novel). Little did they know the real thing would be far more intriguing.
I Four-rotation State Of The Art Five (Channel 4) 9.30—l0pm. Five young British animators are featured in this last documentary of the Four-Martinis season. The group all dabble with the type of surrealist puppetry that Czechoslovakia shipped over in job lots to the BBCduring the 70s.
I Scottish Books (Scottish) 11.55pm—12.25am. Norman MacCaig‘s work comes under srutiny.
I Home At Large (BBCl ) 8—8.3(ipm. Investigative reporter George Hume unearths some notable characters.
I Nature: Frozen Assets ( BBCZ) 8.30-9pm. The USSR is currently the world‘s biggest producer ofoil. However. the oil-fields of Western Siberia. though crucial to the Soviet economy. are an environmentalist's nightmare. Now. Soviet environmentalists have found the freedom to speak out on these issues.
I Taggart: Oeath Come Soitly(Scottish ) 9—10pm. The hard-nosed. nae nonsense copper is back. tripping over dead bodies on the streets of Glasgow.
I European Film Awards (Channel 4) 10pm—12.20am. After Berlin and Paris. Glasgow hosts this annual awardfest. Ingmar Bergman. who has never agreed to sit on a jury before. is president ofthis year‘s panel and Channel 4 will have exclusive edited highlights of what is an increasingly important bash in the film world. See Feature (page 5) and Film Index (page 23).
I Film 90(BBC1)10.10—10.40pm. Presumably putting Barry on Monday is a cunning plan to divert the attention offilm buffs away from the glittering awards ceremony on Channel 4. Barry takes a trip Bogdanovich's follow up to The Last Picture Show — Texasvz'lle (nice shirts) starring Cybil Shepherd and Jeff Bridges. He also takes a gander at Fantasia. now50 years old. which has. unlike Barry. recently been restored.
TUESDAY 4
I Now Then (BBCl ) 4.35-5pm. Nora tribute to Jimmy Saville. but a new series aimed at introducing children to the wacky world of archaeology. Each programme is centred around one particular dig going on at the minute.
I Focal Point (BBCI ) 8—8.30pm. The investigative team are out on the streets once more. determined to right wrongs. or at least. report on them.
I Suilsm (Channel 4) 8.30—9pm. The programme looks at a community of Sufists living in the heart of Texas. Sufism being a form of Islamic mysticism they are a real hit with their neighbours.
IAIDS Now (Channel 4) 9—l0pm. One of the programmes that has been updated since its first transmission last year looks at whether there will be a heterosexual epidemic ofthe HIV virus in the next five
I Clive James Meets . . . (BBCI) 9.30— 10.20pm. In another exclusive TV scoop. Clive talks to 79-year-old ex-pres Ronnie Reagan about his extraordinary life. Reagan‘s that is.
I From The Heart Of The World: The Elder Brothers' Warning (BBCI) 10.20—11.50pm. The Kogi. an ancient civilised tribe living in seclusion in northern Columbia. have recorded this message voluntarily to pass onto the outside world in an effort to stop us from destroying it. The message reads
. . . ‘Oi. stop destroying the world or we‘ll come down and thump you.‘
I Paul Sykes At Large (Scottish)
10.40—l 1 .40pm. As ifspendinng out of the last 26 years in captivity wasn't enough. Sykes' father was a prison officer who used to beat him regularly. Well at least he was used to it.
WEDNESDAY 5
I Trials Of Life (BBCl ) 8-8.50pm. In this week‘s episode. the great man finally cracks. He starts talking to the animals— communicating with fireflies by using a torch. thumping on the ground to strike up a conversation with a mole rat and sticking his head out the window and yelling at cats. A couple ofepisodes short of the full series. if you ask me.
I Bookmark: Stanislav Lem (BBC2) 8.10—9pm. One ofthe world‘s finest SF writers the great Pole rarely suffers interviewers. This is his debut on British TV. Now nearing 70 he finds himself increasingly isolated in the SF world as he refuses to see the subject as mere fantasy and imagination.
I J'Accuse (Channel 4) 9. 15—9.45pm. Rock journo. Sean 0‘} Iagan is given 30 minutes by Without Walls to air his theory that the Rolling Stones are a bunch of middle aged. clapped-out old rockers who now epitomise everything they used to rebel against and should quit now. Keith Richards reply is awaiting translation.
I Blackadder Goes Forth (BBCI)
9.30— 10pm. The intrepid and thick trio. end up behind German lines where Capt Blackadder reminds them of the Huns‘ well-known brutality: ‘Their operas last for three days and they have no word for fluffy.‘
THURSDAY 6
I Scottish Ouestions (Scottish) 7.30—8pm. A report from the Houses of Parliament where questions on Scottish affairs have today been allowed. I Cheers (Channel 4) 8.30—9pm. Even though it‘s a repeat of an American repeat it‘s still worth catching and provides a good warm-up for the comedy that is coming up on the Beeb. I Hush-A-Bye Baby (Channel 4) 9—10.30pm. Margo Harkin's award-winning film set against the backdrop of the Irish supergrass trials in the north and the anti-abortion referendum south of the border is now most notable for the appearrance of Sinead O‘Connor as one of the friends of fifteen-year-old Goretti (Emer McCourt). who ends up pregnant to a boy lifted by the army. I Harry Entleld's Television Programme (BBC2) 9-9.30pm. For some reason Thursday has been designated ‘good comedy night‘ on BBC. Harry and his motley crew of characters get things offto a flyer. I Smith And Jones(BBC1)9.30—10pm. Tonight. the pair learn how to talk at the right speed for spaghetti westerns and how to iron masonic uniform. I Nicholas Craig: The Naked Actor ( BBC?) 10. 10—10.30pm. In this enthralling glimpse backstage at the world of the real Iovey. Nicholas Craig takes us ‘up the mountain— from the first tingle in the tum of rehearsals to an actual performance‘ and destroys once and for all the myth that the director is simply someone who has been to Oxford and wears the same clothes every day.
84 The List 23 November— 6 December 1990