MEDIA
lISTINGS
I Cheers (Channel 4) 9—9.30pm. Inthe second episode of the ninth series, Sam cons a Boston Celtic's star, Kevin McHale, into appearing for a Cheers team. Unfortunately for the star‘s future career, Woody proves as adept on the court as he is at serving behind the bar.
I A British Betrayal (BBC2) 9.30-10.30pm. With the aid ofBBC archive film this programme attemptsto find out how and why British officers sent 30,000 Cossacks and anti-Tito Yugoslavian partisans home to Joe Stalin and almost certain death. Were theyjust obeying orders?
I The Golden Girls (Channel 4) 10—10.30pm. Blanche‘s estranged sister turns up with a new novel she hasjust penned, which, it turns out, is all about Blanche‘s life.
I Deadly Nights: Night and the City (Channel 4) midnight—1.50am. An intriguing new late-night series ofclassic films noirs kicks off with this 1950 tale of underworld double-dealing in the London wrestling game. Richard Widmark stars as the sporty spiv alongside Gene Tierney, Googie Withers, Hugh Marlowe and Francis L. Sullivan.
SATURDAY 12
I'Alio, 'Aiiol (BBC1)6.55—7.25pm. No wonder the Europeans find it hard to take the British seriously. The same mix of cheap innuendo and 'frogs‘ with funny voices combine to make this one of our most popular programmes.
I Sound Stutt Olango Legacy (Channel 4) 7—8pm. A new film about the life and work of the virtuoso jazz guitarist. D jango Reinhardt.
I Bergerac: The Oarir ilorse(BBC1) 8.10—9pm. Jim Nettles is back on his beat, ifonly for a flying visit. Once again, he
gets up to his neck in the intrigues of the busy little island of Jersey. Doesn't anything else. other than major crime, happen on the island?
I French and Saunders (BBC2) 9~9.30pm. A repeat showing of their very popular previous series.
I An Audience With the Corries(BBC1) 9.20—9.50pm. BBC Scotland‘s tribute to the late Roy Williamson continues with this repeat ofThe Corries' rousing melodies.
I The Late Show Special: The WarThat Never Ends (BBC2) 9.30-10.30pm. Ben Kingsley, Bob Peck and Alec McCowen star in this modern rendering of Thucydides’ classic dissection of the abuses of political power in The History of the Pelopenesian War Between Athens and Sparta (434-41 1 BC). Aiming to ‘hold up a modem mirror to our current confusions’. the play is sub-titled ‘an invitation to think straight‘ and is broadcast three days before the UN deadline for Saddam Hussein‘s withdrawal from Kuwait.
I Small Stages: Saint Oscar (Channel 4) 10—11.30pm. Five outstanding productions from the alternative theatre circuit will be faithfully reproduced on screen over the next few weeks. Tonight, Stephen Rea plays Oscar Wilde in an irreverent musical biography of the life of the Anglo-lrish wit and author.
I Tvrln Peaks (BBC2) 10.45pm—12. 15am. lfyou‘re not fed up with the whole thing already. then this is a repeat ofTuesday‘s ‘Who killed Laura Palmer? Round 2‘.
I Whisky Galore (Channel 4) 2—3.30pm. One ofthe very best vintages from the Ealing cellars. A shipment of whisky goes down off the coast of Toddy, somewhere off the west coast of Scotland, and local spirits soar. The island‘s population, desperate for a drop or two. outwit the pompous authorities and make off with the booty. The ensuing drinking scenes in Alexander Mackendrick‘s rendering of Compton Mackenzie‘s novel would bring a tear to a glass eye, so it would.
I The Natural World: Lands oi the Midnight Still (BBC2) 7.15—8.05pm. The richly varied wildlife of Norway and Sweden provide the subjects for this two-part documentary.
I Only Fools and Horses (BBCI) 7.15—8.05pm. Del is planning to get wed just as soon as Raquel can find her husband and divorce him. Meanwhile Peckham‘s favourite son gets caught up in a local villain’s birthday celebrations.
I That's Lite Special: The Scandal of Cooitham Court (BBC1)9. 10—10. 10pm. Esther Rantzen‘s strong interest in the welfare of children continues in tonight’s ‘special‘ programme. which recreates the trial of a principal teacher at a boarding school who was found guilty ofabusing children in his charge. Points raised by the reconstruction will then be debated by a panel of ‘experts on child abuse‘.
I Screen Two: Heading Home (BBC2) 9.20—10.45pm. The first in the new series of twelve plays on BBC2 stars Joely Richardson as a young lady with a literary bent and Gary Sid and Nancy Oldman asa property developer with a bent business. I Everyman: Some of My Best Friends (BBCl) 10.10-11pm. With anti-semitism apparently on the rise throughout Europe, Everyman examines its ugly manifestations in Britain and reveals what they describe as ‘a very British form of prejudice‘, which, in its various subtle forms, is harder to fight. At the moment, the question dividing the Jewish community is whether they should raise their voices against this threat and thereby risk making it worse, or simply ignore it and hope it will eventually go away.
I Plaza Suite (Channel 4) 10pm—12.05am. Neil Simon‘s trio of playlets set in Suite 719 of New York‘s Plaza Hotel all star Walter Matthau in three separate roles and the veteran actor has a ball.
I Kangaroo (BBC2) 10.40pm—midnight. Tim Burstall's 1985 adaptation ofD.H. Lawrence‘s partly-autobiographical tale of a young couple seeking to start a new life in Oz in the 205. Everythingis hunky-dory until they become attracted to ‘The Diggers‘, a secret fascist army led by the charismatic ‘Kangaroo‘.
I The New Avengers (Scottish)
12. 15—1 . 15am. Steed, Purdey and Gambit take on the last ofthe Cybemauts. Ah. they don‘t make ‘em like that any more.
MONDAY 14
I The Fresh Prince oi Bel Alr(BBC2) 6.30—7.05pm. The hit US comedy gets a showing over here, thanks to the Beeb‘s yoof programme. Def 1] . Executive producer Quincy Jones describes the show in which Will Smith plays a precocious rap artist sent from Philadelphia to California to stay with his rich relatives, as ‘A clash of cultures'. Thanks Quincy.
I Horizon: Keen as Mustard (BBC2) 8.10—9pm. As the threat of war in the Gulf looms ever larger, this unusual feature examines the tests that were carried out in Australia during World War Two when the Allies believed that Japan was about to use mustard gas with much more devastating effect than it had been used in the First World War.
I Wildlife on One: Backstreet Bandits (BBCl) 8.30—9pm. The fascinating world of the urban raccoons who survive in the big North American cities alongside the human population.
I The Manageress (Channel 4) 10—1 1pm. A deserved second showing for Cheri Lunghi's attempt to infiltrate the stoicallly male world of the football dressing room. However, as the viewing public now know, courtesy of BBC’s United, things are slighty more colourful in the real dressing rooms. However, the first run drew praise from players and managers ahke.
I The New Venturers(BBC1) 10.10—10.40pm. Under an initiative set up in Scotland by ‘Auntie’ along with the
SDA and the Open College. 300 companies were examined to find Scotland‘s most enterprising small business. Among the finalists looked at tonight are Cadies Guides in Edinburgh. who organise spook-walks for tourists. the Waterside Bistro in Haddington and the Scottish Deer Centre in Fife.
I Georgy Girl (Scottish) 12.40—2.3()am. A late-night sitting for the 60s classic, in which an overweight dance teacher finds the swinging of the 60s. epitomist by her flatmate. hard to cope with.
I Eliton (Scottish) 7.30—8pm. The weekly religious magazine, aimed at a younger audience than Highway.
I Twin Peaks (BBC2) 9—9.50pm. Oh come on, everyone knows who did it by now. if you don't then write to us at The Liston the back ofa five pound note, and we will put you out of your misery.
I Without Walls: J'Accuse. The Genius at Mozart (Channel 4) 9—9.3()pm. The fast-becoming-renowned antidote to the celebratory style of many arts programmes tackles Mozart. Even they may have a hard time making a case against him however, unless they take the ‘he was the Andrew Lloyd Webber ofhis generation‘ line.
I Spender (BBC!) 9.30—ll).25pm. The world's most unkempt cop gets sent out to the oil rigs of the North Sea in this promising detective yarn. When will The Brown Bottle make his first appearance? I Culloden: Tough Times (BBC2) 9.50-10.30pm. Sec preview.
I Film 91 (BBCl) 1025-1055an (‘lint Eastwood has shocked the movie world by agreeing to tackle the challenging role ofa wise old tough guy in Rookie while Derek Jacobi is leading a l80-strong cast in The Fool. Barry will be looking at these and others, as well as taking a flick through the top ten box office smashes.
I Town and Country (Channel 4)
l 1pm—midnight. Singer/songwriter John Prine presents this new series oleountry and western.
WEDNESDAY 16
I Excess (BBCl ) 7.35—8pm. How about this for a turnaround in your career? Richard Jobson, former member of the fab punk band the Skids (immortalised in song by oldtime rockers The Who in ‘The Skids Are Alright‘), will be presenting BBC Scotland‘s arts and entertainments programme for the next eleven weeks. Tonight he will delve into the world of pantomime dames.
The List 11— 24 January 1991 61