“ rv # LISTINGS
All programme times are subject to change due to the extensive coverage of the Gulf War.
; FRIDAY 8 3
I I Never Sang for My Father (Channel 4) 33o : Zilpm. Powerful.emotionaldrama feattzz mg Melvyn Douglas as a crotchety. inlert .‘Illlg old man trying to stand in the out o :niddle-aged son Gene I lackman's ma: :: tee. Douglas's performance earned him .21‘. i )scar nomination.
I Sumo (Channel 4) 5.3(i—(ipm. Naked
dat is payers or arcane culture'.’ The
Chill 9 is yours. Look out for the huge
Haw nan Konishiki. The DumpTruck to his miles. and apparently back on top
lot In
I Travelog (Channel 4) 8.3(l-9pm. The ot'l-iieit travel show. not entirely ruined by it). ihcrt films. who is quite possibly the most ll rilating presenter ever to clog your screens this side of Esther Rantzen.
I Cheers t('hannel 4) ‘)—-‘).3()pm. All together In tw. Norrrm! Tonight our tubby hero leai ns that his favourite eaterie. the Hungry Heifer. is threatened withclosure. and launches a rescue attempt.
I The Boys from the Bush: Going Walkabout (BBCl I‘lfiiL-llllllpm. More highjinks from the Melbourne Confidential marriage bureau-cum-detective agency boys. .l\ Dennis breaks a foot while helping out in the brothel. Well. that'shis stoiy .
I Arena: The Strange Story of Joe Meek (BBC: l i).3i)-1().30pm. Meek wasthe main figure behind the skifflc movement of the mid to late 50s. This documentary looks at the mysterious circumstances surrounding Meek's suicide in 1967. shortly after he had shot his landlady. Foul play. or just the natural result oflistening to too tnany Lonnie Donegan albums?
I MacGregor across Scotland (BBCI) lllZiL-ltlfillpm. OtirJimmie heads forthe sparsely populated west coast peninsula of Ardnanturchan. an area undergoing rapid
change as incomers buy up houses. and the
local community declines.
I Whose Line Is ltAnyway? (Channel 4) 117-1 1.3(lpm. lmprovising guests this week include the very wonderful Paul Merton. and f'inbarr Saunders in a frock.Julian Clary. play ing the usual sillygames
'3‘. .0
I The Funny Farm (Scottish)
11.10-1 1 .40pm. The man in the shades Stu Who? introduces Fred MacAulcy.The Comedy Store Players. The Humpff Family and the hard-hitting American comichmmy Tingle.
MEDIA
SATURDAY 9
I My Girl Sal (Channel 4) l-2.55pm. First of a Rita llayworth double bill seesour Reet starring opposite Victor Mature in a lavish song-and-dance spectacular about the life ofsongwriter Paul Dresser. Plenty of prancing around in top hats and tails
I Bless This House (Scottish) 2.40—4.2(lpm. The legendary Sid James and his immortal dirty laugh are the stars of this sitcom movie. Sid gets somewhat irritated by his new neighbours. hardly surprising when you consider that they are Terry Scott and June Whitfield.
I The Man with the Golden Gun (Scottish) 7.40—9.55pm. Roger ‘Facial Expression Moore is Bond. searching for professional assassin Scaramanga. and ubiquitous lovely assistant Mary Goodnight. Do people still watch this stuff'.’
I The Land of Europe: A Place in the Country (Channel 4) 8-9pm. First of a new ScottishFuropean co-production. Sec panel.
I John Sessions' Tall Tales: Neighbours And '
Lovers (BBCZ) 9.30-9.55pm. Everyonc's favourite clever dick continues his series ofshort one-man dramas with a tale of DH. Lawrence waking up in downtown Erinsborough. full of ‘plumed serpents coiling in the flames ofhis desire for Gail Robinson.’
I Rhythms of the World: Cane Lena ( BBCZ) li)—l().55pm. The Caffe ofthe title has been a leading venue for acoustic musicin the L'SA since 1960. This show isthe memorial concert for the founder. Lena Spencer. featuring Spalding Gray. Arlo Guthrie and Kate and Anna McGarrigle among the performers.
I Small Stages: Me and My Friend (Channcl4) ill—11.30pm. Another production from the alternative theatre circuit. Gillian Plowman's play looks at the plight of four former psychiatric patients learning to cope with everyday life.
I Twin Peaks ( BBCZ) 10.55—1 1 .4()pm. Repeated from previous Tuesday. Things hot up for Agent Cooper to the extentthat journalists have even stopped making the requisite references to doughnuts.
IThe Full Wax (BBCI ) 1 1.05—1 1.40pm. Professional busybody Ruby Wax introduces comedienne actressTracy Ullman. and posz around in Joanna Lumley's house. trying to unearth some of those naff New A vengers costumes.
I Ashes and Diamonds (BBCZ)
11.4(lpm-l .25am. The third in Polish director Andrzej Wajda's classic trilogy is set in May 1945. The war is over but in the aftermath Polish society is divided against itself.
I After Dark (Channel 4) l l .5()pm-—‘.’. Still somewhat jittery after Oliver Reed‘s impersonation of Roger Mellie. apparently calling Kate Millett 'bigtits‘ amongst other things. A tough act to follow.
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SUNDAY 10
I Jesse James (Channel 4) 2—4pm. Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda are the James brothers. who become folk heroes after staging a series of train robberies. This rousing western began a Hollywood trend for glamourising the baddies ofthe west. although Jesse meets a stickyend. I Viv on Sunday (Scottish) 3—4pm. First of a new chatshow series with Viv Lumsden. See preview. I Scottish Eye: Fish Eye View (Channel 4) 5—5.3(lpm. The documentary programme follows the migratory route of a young salmon and. in the process. reveals the extent of pollution off the west coast of Scotland. I Scotland‘s Larder (Scottish) 6—6.30pm. Perhaps a more accurate title would be Scotland‘s Lard. Derek Cooper looksat the Scots’ reluctance to consume their own fruit and vegetable produce. unless deep-fried and covered in salt and sauce. I Screen Two: Fellow Traveller ( BBCZ) 9—10.35pm. A stylish thriller set during the McCarthyite witch-hunts of the 50s. starring Daniel J. Travanti as a sinister Marxist psycho-therapist. Ron Silver plays a blacklisted scriptwriter investigating the suspicious suicide ofhis movie star friend. Directed by Philip Saville. the film won rave notices on its cinema release. A.
as.
I Raising Arizona (Channel 4)
9.45-1 l .4()pm. T\' premiere ofJoel and Ethan Coen's wild. pacy comedy. Ex-con Nicholas Cage marries policewoman Holly Hunter and they try to solve their childlessness problem by kidnappingone ofa set ofquintuplets. After this. things get complicated with various escaped convicts. and the Lone Biker ofthe Apocalypse getting in on the act. A riotous. and occasionally somewhat dark. farce.
I Sunday, Bloody Sunday(BBC2) 10.35pm—12.20am. Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson both earned Oscar nominations for their performances in John Schlesinger‘s story of a love triangle with a difference. as the two principalsare rivals for the affections ofyoung designer Murray Head.
MONDAY 11
I Smashing Time (Channel 4) 2—3.5(lpm. It's the swinging 60s. and Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave are a pair of innocents from somewhere grim-oop-north. who get involved in all sorts ofzany adventures. Be fair. it was 1967.
4 \‘II‘
I Roseanne (Channel 4) (v—(i.3ilpiii. Repeats of the first series. tiot tobe confused with the new series starting on Friday. Tonight. a tornado hits town. Now that never happens in Fresh Fields does it‘.’ IThe Brits1991 (BBCI ) 7.3prm. It probably won‘t be as entertainineg appalling as previous years. although it remains as out of touch with new developments as ever. The six-y'car-old Happy Mondays will be happy with their nomination for best new batid.
I The Other Love (BBC: ) 9-- 10.30pm. Lindsay ‘Bionic' Wagner plays a pushy marketing director who strikes up a more than professional relationship with author Jack Scalia on a publicity tour. Things are complicated by the fact that she‘s already married.
IThe Manageress (Channel 4) to -l 1pm.
More double-dealing in the hectic world of
second division football. as Gabriella and the lads head for Italy for a friendly. Meanwhile. the chairman is hatching dastardly plans. Billy The Fish was never like this.
I Sport in Question (Scottish)
li).45>-l 1.45pm. Archie MacPherson atid his eccentric hairstyle tackle topical sporting issues. with the help ofgtiests Allan Wells. John Beattie and Gerry McNee.
I Eye of the Cat (Scottish) 12.4ti—2.4nam. Michael Sarrazin and Gayle l ltinnicutt star in a suspense thriller about a young heir trying to hasten his inheritance by murderous means.
: TUESDAY12
‘ I Boom (Channel 4) 5—5.3(lpm. The \magazine programme for children and
J'voung people with special needs returns
,gl‘or a new series. This time. each rogramme will be recorded ‘as live' . so that it can retain a large element of topicality.
I Remote Control (Channel 4) o3li-7pm. The worst contestants. the most smartassed presenter. and the shoddiest production values of any quiz show ever '.’ You are thejury.
I Elkon (Scottish) Tito—Rpm. Seottish's Innovative magazine show . covering religious. ethical arid social issues.
I Assignment: Return of the Native ( BBCS) 7.40—8.3(lpm. The first in a new series follows former newspaper editor Donald Woods as he returns to his native South Africa for the first time it) thirteenyears. ln an etnotional personal essay he reflects on recent changes and future options.
I The Secret Life of Machines: The Video Recorder (Channel 4) t’v-ofiiiptn. Definitely worth 3i) minutes of \'l lS. as slightly eccentric Tim Hunkin tells usof the vital advances made by the inventors ofcurling tongs. that ultimately led tothc high-tech double-speed. Nicatn stereo gadgets oftoday.
I Twin Peaks (BBCZ) 9—9.5llpni. Things get so hectic in this episode lltat ev en David Lynch himselfturns up as art FBI chief. Meanw hilc Agent Cooper is raiding One-Eyed Jack's. and Leo Johnson COITTC.‘ home.
I Spender: Dance Girl Dance (BBCl) 9.3(l—ltl.25pm. More Geordie capers with undercover etiinmmy Nail. this week taking on asleazy night-clubow ner, IThe Oprah Winfrey Show (Channel 4) 11—! 1.50pm. Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys attd rap act lee-T are the guests. discussing the fraught topic ot’obscene lyrics. at distinct bone of contention In the L'SA at the moment.
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The List 8—21 February 1991 67