TELEVISION
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A selection of television highlights, listed by day, in chronological order. Television Listings compiled by Eddie Gibb.
FRIDAY 10 g
I Moviewatch (Channel 4) (3.30 7pm. Johnny Vaughan and a bunch of trrovie buffs give their verdicts on Star Trek: I (iv/relations and Nicholas Cage in 'I'rappet/ in l’arat/r've.
I Dperavox r BBCZ) Ho» spin. New ' series of arnmated interpretations of famous operas. starting with lSi/et's Carmen. The first film uses digitally altered lrve action. backed by the voice of soprano Jean Rtgby. I Bottom rBBt‘zr 9 -‘)..‘s(lprrt. Last episode of the Adrian lidmondson and Rik Mayall comedy. in which Richie and liddie provoke a riot during a street carnival. I Ellen (Channel -1) ‘) 0.30pm. lillen's teaching sty le at the writing group corrres under fire from an anonymous critic. I DOCTOI’ Finlay (Scottish) ‘)-- lllptrr. When Dr liinlay (David Rintoul) has his mother to stay. she reveals an embarrassing fact abotrt his past life. I Rising Damp (Channel .1) 0.30 input. Rigsby is on the prowl arid Ruth calls the police to investigate. I Dangerfield (BBCl ) (no -l(l.2()pm. Nigel l.e Vaillant is the police surgeon called to examine a suspect in an arson I The High Lite (BBCZ) 9.30.. toptn. Final take-off for Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson in this high camp airline site‘om. I The Day Today (BBC‘Z) to —t().3nptn. l.ast ill the series of repeats of this television news satire with Chris Morris. Patrick Marber and Steve Coogan. I Roseanne (Channel 4) ill-10.30pm. It's Thanksgiving and the (‘onnor' family gathers for a dining table light. I A Cry in the Dark (BBt‘l) l().2()pm 12.15am. Meryl Streep and San) Neill star it) this powerful film version of the bizarre ‘dingo baby' case which obsessed Australia in the early 80s. The couple claitrr their child was snatched from their tent on a catrrpirrg trip bill after a media outcry are tried for mttrder. I The Hunter (Scottish) l().3()pm -l2.l5am. Steve McQueen in his last filttr as notorious bounty hunter Ralph Thorson who becomes the hunted. I Jo Brand Through the Cakehole (Channel 4) lt)..‘s()~l 1.05pm. Will boxer Barry McGuigarr go the distance with heavyweight corrtedian Jo'.’ I The Word (Channel 4) ll.()5prrr~12.()5am. Bands. American gossip and embarrassed interviewees in the usual trash culture stew. I The Mrs Merton Show (BBCZ) ll.l5—l 1.45pm. Comedian Caroline Hook. New Order bassist Peter Hook’s missus. adopts the persona of the nation's agony aunt for this new clratshow. I Duckman (BBCZ) l l.-'15pm—12. 10am. An orange-haired duck with a caffeine addiction is the newest recruit to the adult animation hall of fame. I Beavis and Butthead (Channel 4) 12.05—12.40am. Birdbrain humour from the cartoon slackers in short trousers.
SATURDAY 11
I Correspondent (BBC2) 7.15-8pm. Another collection of films from the BBC's foreign correspondents. including a report on the growing interest iii the occult in ltaly.
I The Dancing Room (BBCZ) 8-8.5()pm.
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I ‘The good times were just sensational, we had so much tun,’ says Pink Panther director Blake Edwards. ‘The bad times were about as bad as they can get. . . I think he lived a great part of his lite in hell.’ Edwards is, of course, talking about Peter Sellers whose lite-long battle with deep depression was counter-balanced by comic genius. Arena kicks on a new season with an absorbing three-part profile of Sellers,
based on interviews with close triends and colleagues, plus 16mm film the actor shot
as a documentary of his own life. The programme examines Sellers’s extended theatrical family, and in particular his stilling relationship with his mother; the creation of the Goons with Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan, and his breakthrough in the movies with the classic comedy I’m All Right Jack in which he plays an awkward union boss. ‘He was as good an actor as Alec Guinness or Laurence Olivier,’ remembers theatre director Peter Hall. ‘But it’s not enough to have the talent, you have to have the talent to handle the talent, which I think Peter didn’t have.’
Arena begins on Saturday 11 February at 8.50pm on BBC2.
group of dancers aged 8-74 and featuring traditional Hungariatr music.
I Arena (BBCZ) 8.5040an New series of Arena starts with a three-part profile of Peter Sellers. See photo caption.
I Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush (Channel 4) ‘)—l().()5pm. Chris Evans presents more gameshow fun. before sending a couple of lucky audience members packing.
I The Shadowy Third (BBC 1)
t). l5 -lt).()5pm. Another film from the
‘Ghosts‘ season. with Tim Piggott-Smith as a surgeon whose bed-ridden wife is convinced he has killed their daughter. The housekeeper knows the family's dark
secrets btit is keeping them to herself— for
I Paul Merton — The Second Series (Channel 4) lt).()5—l().35pm. Singular comedy from the King of Sardonica
5 involving a standard lamp. :1 beer tnug and
a traffic warden.
I Is This Your Life? (Channel 4) l().3S—l 1.20pm. As it 'appens. Jimmy Saville will be lightly grilled by Andrew
Neil in this set-piece interview intended to
get behind the masks of those in public life.
I The Danny Baker Show (BBCI)
ll.()5-l 1.50pm. Danny reunites the New Avengers — Joanna Lumley. Patrick McNee and Gareth Hunt.
i I Inside the Vatican (Channel 4) 4—5pm.
New four-part series presented by Peter
; Ustirtov charting the history of the Vatican, starting with Constantine the
Great. the Roman emperor who made Christianity the state religion. I The Clothes Show (BBCt)
. 4.55- 5.20pm. Jeff Banks returns for ; another series of the popular fashion
magazine. which includes a report from
Australia about sheep with such fine wool
they have to wear raincoats. I Reality on the Rocks (Channel 4)
8—9pm. New series frorn eccentric
performance artist and sometime Bron/(side character Ken Campbell. who
wrestles with the ideas in Stephen
llawking‘s A Bricj'Hixlorv of 771716. His
journey begins in Hackney and ends atop
a rrrountain in the Canary islands. where Campbell travels to heat the echo ofthe
I Moving Pictures (BBCZ) 8.20—9.10pm. The excellent movie magazine presented by Howard Schurnan returns for a new series. including an interview with Oliver Stone about the fuss surrounding Natural Born Killers. plus a preview of the equally controversial lttdian film Bandit Queen. I Tippett’s Time (Channel 4) ‘)—l()pm. Michael Tippett is 90 this year and widely regarded as Britain’s greatest living composer. This profile. based on an in- depth interview with Tippett. includes
excerpts of the composer‘s work.
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I The Buccaneers (BBC t) 9.05-10ptn. Second episode of the controversial (read: too tnuch sex) adaptation of Edith Wharton‘s last. unfinished novel. England‘s most eligible bachelors flock to
, be presented to the four young American
women whose arrival ill Runnymede is causing a stir.
; I The Trial of 0.J. Simpson (BBCZ) : 9.10—10pm. Another weekly instalment of ‘ the rrtedia event of the year. featuring
court footage. interviews and expert commentary.
I Rik Mayall Presents (Scottish) 9.45—10.45pm. Minicab driver Toby is a single parent struggling to bring up his daughter while ptrtting himself through law school. Their lives are changed by a late night fare that turns into a noirish nightmare.
I A Bit of Fry and laurie (BBC 1) lO—lt).30pm. Classy toff comedians Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie transfer to BBC] with their new Comedy Charter. which reads thus: ‘In a tnodern society. jokes rrrust be delivered on time. lfa viewer experiences any delivery where the timing is too slow or the timing is too quick or if the joke fails to deliver at all, then the commission will be only too happy to look into it.‘
I The Road (BBCZ) l()-10.50prri.A film about an environmental campaign against the building of a series of by-passes along the A36 which links the Midlands to the south coast.
I Coupe de Ville (Channel 4)
lO—l 1.50pm. Excellent road movie about three brothers who drive their father's 54 Cadillac across America. to be with their mother on her 50th birthday.
I Heart of the Matter (BBCl)
LISTINGS TELEVISION
the victims ofcrime are increasingly being taken into account by judges when passing sentence. Should the British judicial system move in the same direction? A Scottish High Court judge proposes the idea of ‘victim impact statements‘ which would illustrate to the court the result of a criminal’s action.
I Don’t look Down (Scottish)
1 1—1 1.45pm. Scottish ans magazine presented by Janice Forsyth, with items about the CCA‘s Bad Times season and alternative radio stations. plus music from Grahame Skinner‘s new band Cowboy Mouth.
I The South Bank Show (Scottish) ll.45pm—l2.45am. Melvyn Bragg talks to Jonathan Miller about his production of Mozart‘s Cost/an tune at the Royal Opera House.
I Concertos from Coventry (BBC2) 7.20—9pm. Live broadcast from Coventry cathedral to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Dresden. Coventry‘s twin city. The BBC Philharmonic plays Michael 'l'ippett‘s Piano Concerto and Beethoven‘s 4th Piano Concerto.
I Cutting Edge (Channel 4)‘l-10pm. Eleven people die on Britain’s roads every day; Cutting [fr/ye investigates the causes of these accidents and asks how many are easily preventable.
I Deceived (Scottish) 9—] 1.40pm (includes News at 'Ien). Goldie Hawn stars in this racy thriller about a New York art restorer whose husband dies in mysterious circumstances. revealing a hidden life she never suspected.
I Blood and Peaches (BBCZ)
9—10. 15pm. Two part drama about a group of Bradford teenagers. See preview. I Panorama (BBCI ) 930-10. l0pm. Report on the differing average life expectancy between Britain’s rich and poor. ‘We are dealing with an epidemic of poverty-asstxiated ill-health.‘ says Dr Harry Burns. Glasgow Health Boards director of public health. ‘Generations are being scarred by this.‘
I NYPD Blue (Channel 4) lO—lt).55pm. An investigation opens into a shooting accident that left a baby dead. while lnterrral Affairs' investigation into Kelly concludes.
I Bomber Harris (BBCl) to. 10—1 lpm. Repeat of this single drama starring John Thaw as the mart who brought terror and destruction to Germany duritrg World War ll with his tactic of ‘saturation bombing'. I Tommy Davidson: lllin’ in Philly (Channel 4) 10.55—1135pm. The star of In Living Colour does his stand-up routine. I Face to Face (BBC2) 11.15—11.55pm. Jeremy lsaacs interviews American playwright Arthur Miller. now in his 80th year. whose work includes Death ofa Salesman and The Crucible. Fora while in the late 50s. Miller‘s work as a writer was overshadowed by his celebrity marriage to Marilyn Monroe.
I Medea (Channel 4) ll.35pm—l.35am. Pasolini’s interpretation of the tragedy of Medea who colludes with Jason to steal
L Televised dance piece performed by a - Big Bang. (0.30-1 [,()5pm, 1" America, the wishes of the Golden Fleece.
The list Ill-7T th IQQS 77