LISTINGS TELEVISIDN
I The lite And loves Di A She Devil (BBCI) l0.IO—ll.l0pm. A repeat showing for the Fay Weldon dramatisation. Julie T. Wallace stars as Ruth. opening up her employment agency and using it to infiltrate her errant husband's business.
I The late Show (BBC2)
I I. 15—] l.55pln. The Scottish version of the arts show celebrates the Transmission Gallery’s tenth anniversary. sending along crooning pseud Pat Kane to report on a decade of innovation.
TUESDAY 7
I The Talking Show (Channel 4) 8—8.30pm.
Sandi Toksvig presents the series on communication. with expert speaker Graham Davies assessing the speech styles of John Major. Margaret Thatcher and Neil Kinnock.
I Will! Palms (BBCZ) 9—9.50pln. The concluding episode of the ()Iiver Stone/Bruce Wagner drama. Harry and the Friends are desperate to strike back at the Senator. but it may mean surrendering the vital Go Chip. Queries arising from the series should be addressed to our letters page. where our resident WP expert will be happy to advise. or make up something plausible.
I From Beirut To Bosnia: The Martyr’s Smile (Channel 4) 9—l()pm. A new three- part series on the spread of Islamic lnilitancy. Robert Fisk traces the rise of the anti-Westem Hezbollah movement and their determination to drive the Israelis out of the Lebanon.
I 40 Minutes (BBC2) 9.50—10.30pm. ()n the beat with police surgeon Dr Peter Green who has worked with the South London force since the early 80s. ‘When I started out in Brixton. we were getting a lot more stabbings and bitings.‘ he says. ‘while punch-ups and shootings generally happened more in Streatham. Now things have evened out.‘ That‘s nice.
I EX-S: Ballroom Blitz (BBC 1) l0.20—10.50pm. Donnie Burns and Gaynor Fairweather set out to win the World Latin American Professional Ballroom Dancing Championship for a record IOth time. The cameras follow the pair as they demonstrate their talent at Glasgow Plaza.
WEDNESDAY 8
I Travelog (Channel 4) 8.30—9pm. A special on Japan. with Robert Elms exploring rural apartments and visiting the Buddhist centre on Mount Koya San.
I Seinfeld (BBCZ) 9—9.25pm. The sublime sitcom series continues. with Jerry finding himself stranded at the Party From Hell. and begging a lift home from the ever-wonderful Kramer.
I Stark (BBCZ) 9.25—l0.2()pm. Ben Elton‘s apocalyptic eco-novel makes it to the small screen with the man himself playing nerdy lovesick hero CD. He‘s part of a motley crew of enviromentalists taking on the might ofa global fat-cat conspiracy. See preview.
I The Almost Complete History or The Twentieth Century (Channel 4) 9.45—l0pm. Another quirky revamp of archive material. this time looking at the First World War. How are they going to make that funny?
I Sean’s ShOW (Channel 4)
lO.35—I l.()5pm. The question is: who killed Bobby the builder? Not our Sean surely”?
THURSDAY .9
I ND (Scottish) 7—7.30pm. The arts and entertainments magazine. with Bryan Burnett and Janice Forsyth.
I Hollywood Women (Scottish) 9— 10pm. Lauren Bacall. Roseanne Arnold. Bo Derek. Raquel Welch and Jane Seymour talk about sex and success and whether the two are related.
I The Plague: Fighting For lire (Channel 4) 9—lOpm. The history of the AIDS virus looks at the growth of pressure groups demanding access to drugs. and action by governments. I ilab C Heshitt (BBC2) 9—9.30pm. Stomach-churning stuff tonight as Rab offers to act as a surrogate father as a favour for his pal Jamesie‘s broody wife Ella. How and where will the impregnation take place? I It You See Cod Tell Him (BBC l) 9.40—l0.20pm. Richard Briers. Imelda Staunton and Adrian Edmondson. I Blood And Belonging (BBC2) 9.3()—l().20pm. Michael lgnatiei‘f investigates the situation in his homeland of Quebec where tension between the English and French speaking population is exacerbated by the rather more fundamental grievances of the Cree
eo le. I Film 0n Four: Trust (Channel 4) IOpm—midnight. Hal Hartley‘s slight but poignant drama about a suburban teenager . Maria (Adrienne Shelly). pregnant but unloved by her boyfriend. Wandering the streets she meets Matthew (Martin Donovan) and they attempt to become a normal couple. Which ain‘t easy. I Married With Children (Scottish) l0.45—l I.l5pm. Bud starts dating his 40- year-old English teacher.
FRIDAY 10
I The living Soap (BBC2) 7.15—7.45pm. More student indulgence in the Manchester house. spied on by the BBC cameras. Christmas parties lootn on the honzon.
I Short Stories (Channel 4) 8—8.30pm. Distant Voices, Still Lips is the excellent subtitle for an intriguing film about Scarlet Watt. Britain‘s only black ventriloquist and a hit on the working- men‘s club circuit.
I All Dr Nothing At All (Scottish) 9—lOpm. The second part of the drama series starring Hugh Laurie as compulsive gambler Leo. whose excesses aren’t even stopped by a tragic death.
I Cheers (Channel 4) 9.30—10pm. Sam fails in his mission to stop Diane marrying Frasier. but months later Frasier turns up at Cheers with a tragic tale of being jilted. I Have l Cot Hews For You (BBCZ) IO—l().3()pm. Ian Hislop and Paul Merton I are the captains. Angus Deayton the MC.
1 and the guests are Victor Lewis-Smith and Helena Kennedy QC.
I Clive Anderson Talks Back (Channel 4) 10.30—l l. l0pm. The naked-bonced sultan of smug interrupts another bunch of desperate guests.
I Black Tie White Hoise (BBC I) ll.20pm—I2.30am. A cosy chat with revamped pop star David Bowie. looking at his career in the 90s and featuring tracks from his recent album.
I late licence (Channel 4)
12. lO—5.15am. Eddie lzzard and Rhona Cameron host another night’s jolly viewing. opening with camp musical disaster Absolute Beginners.
I Trial By Night (Scottish) 12.35—2.35aln. Bernard Ponsonby and Kaye Adams present another late-night topical debate.
SATURDAY 11
I Casualty (BBCI) 8. I0—9pm. More blood. guts and personal traumas are spilt in Holby General‘s Accident and Emergency Department. with the staff disturbed by a cot death and a stabbing incident involving a Bosnian refugee.
I Perlonnance: The Changeling (BBC2) 8. l0—9.40pm. Middleton‘s gloriously gory Jacobean tragedy is Much Ado About Nothing Quentin Tarantino-style. Bob Hoskins stars as sex-crazed ruthless servant De Flores who murders out of passion for the beautiful. manipulative Beatrice-Joanna (Elizabeth McGovern). I Peel Slowly And See (Channel 4) lOptn—5.50am. A whole night of The Velvet Underground. introduced by Debbie Harry. Highlights include live footage. Andy Warhol’s Chelsea Girls and brief appreciations. of the group front rock luminaries like Peter Buck and Bono. See preview.
SUNDAY 12
I Sports lleview or The Year (BBCI) 7.30—9.20pm. The annual round-up of sporting highlights. Last year‘s ‘personality’ was dull Brutnlnie Nigel Mansell. There are eminently more deserving candidates this year. tnost notably our gold medallists at this year‘s world athletics championships.
I To Kill And Kill Again (Channel 4)
9—lOpm. An attempt to discover what
makes a serial ktller. with conflicting theories from criminologists. forensic psychiatrists and behavioural scientists. and particular reference to murderer Jeffrey Dahmer.
I To Play The King (BBC l) 9.05—10pm. The fourth and final episode of Andrew Davies‘s drama finds Urquhart up against it in the opinion polls thanks to the King‘s meddling. Maybe it‘s time to bring back National Service . . .
I War or The Bases (Scottish)
9.15—l l.l5pm. Danny De Vito directs a refreshingly black look at lurve ill his scabrous dissection of the deteriorating romance between yuppie couple Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.
I Tartan Shorts (BBC2) 9.35—l0.50pm. A chance to see three short films produced in association with the Scottish Film Production Fund: Danny McCahon’s A Small Deposit. James Mavor‘s Rain. and Peter Capaldi’s award-winning Franz Kafka 's It 's A Wonderful Life. a dark and funny tale of the inspiration for Metamorphosis.
I M.A.S.ll. (Channel 4) lOpm—l2. 10am. Robert Altman’s movie precursor to the TV series is a substantially darker affair. with Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould as the surgeons wisecracking their way through the Korean War.
MONDAY 13
I Newman And Baddiel -The Road To Wembley (BBC2) 7—7.30pm. The unaccountably popular detestable duo talk about their current tour (culminating in a show at Wembley Arena) and the pop- star-Iike adulation that greets them.
I Cutting Edge: Hoyal Treatment (Channel 4) 9—l0ptn. A powerful report on patient deaths in Gartnavel Royal psychiatric hospital in Glasgow.
I Homicide: life On The Street (Channel 4) lO—l lpm. Bayliss and the abrasive Pembleton have just twelve hours to secure a confession frotn the chiefsuspect in the Adena Watson case.
TUESDAY 14
I Harry Enlield’s Festive Television Programme (BBC2) 9—9.40pm. A repeat showing of last year’s eminently amusing Christmas special with all your favourites including the Old Gits and Scousers.
I Between The lines (BBC l) 9.25—l0.25pm. Neil Pearson stars as Det Supt Tony Clark. called in to investigate the case of police informer Declan Haris who appears to have been executed by the IRA.
I EX-S: Ho More Heroes? (BBC 1) 10.25-1 1.05pm. Richard Jobson looks back at the glory days of punk rebellion and wonders where the equivalent youth rebellion is expressed today. interviewees include the rest of the punk gang who have developed middle-aged media spread.
I The Hotel New Hampshire (Channel 4) l0.35pm-l2.35am. John Irving‘s bizarre fatnin saga of rape. incest. dancing bears and the hotel trade is softened somewhat in Tony Richardson's film version but remains eminently entertaining. Rob Lowe and Jodie Foster are the brother attd sister with an un-sibling-like affection. with Beau Bridges as the vague but loveable father. and Nastassia Kinski as the bear.
WEDNESDAY 15
I Travelog (Channel 4) 8.30—9pm. Julian Clary goes camping on the West Coast of the USA. while Sandi Toksvig plods round Greece by foot or donkey.
I Crime Story: The Stonehouse Affair (Scottish) 9—l0pm. Tony Anholt stars as Labour MP John Stonehouse. whose greed and ambition resulted in him faking his own death and fleeing to Australia.
I Start: (BBCZ) 9.25—l0.20pm. CD and Rachel encounter Vietnam vets Walter and Zimmerman. and begin to infiltrate the Stark conspiracy.
I History or The World - Part One (BBCI) l0.20—l l.50pm. Carry On American-style in Mel Brooks‘s feeble collection of sketches. ranging from the Stone Age to the French Revolution.
I Sean’s ShOW (Channel 4)
l0.35—I l.05pm. Dublin‘s favourite miserablist ttnds love once more. with Trudy (Meera Syal) but the presence of Vinnie Jones looks likely to blight the romance.
I Heavenly Pursuits (Channel 4)
l 1.40pm—I.15am. A warm. if overlong. comedy set in a Glasgow Catholic school where cynical teacher Tom Conti’s pursuit of music teacher Helen Mirren is complicated by the fact that he appears to have gained miraculous powers.
THURSDAY 16
I ND (Scottish) 7—7.30pm. Arts and entertainments in bite-sized chunks from the dynamic duo.
I lite In The Freezer (BBC l) 8—8.50pm. David Attenborough wraps up warm for a look at the wildlife of the Antarctic. following the attempts of the Weddell seals to find food and shelter.
I flab D Heshitt (BBCZ) 9—9.30pm. After a spell injail. Rab returns home to discover that son Burney (Eric Cullen) has become a racist bigot. while Gash (Andrew Fairlie) is into drugs.
I Film 0n Four: The Bridge (Channel 4) IOpm-l l.55pm. Saskia Reeves stars as mother of three. Isobel who embarks on an illicit affair with an artist in a tiny coastal village. Her secret trysts are witnessed by her daughter who betrays her mother. with tragic consequences.
The List 3— I6 December I993 53