“mmwzw "’ The Bear
Based on Raymond Brigg’s best-selling storybook, The Bear is a new short TV film from John Coates, the animation genius behind The Snowman and Yellow Submarine. When Tilly visits the zoo wrth her mum and dad she accidentally drops her favourite teddy into the polar-bear pit. Crying herself to sleep that night, she wakens to find a huge polar bear standing over her. Instead of immediately dying of fright, Tilly embarks on a magical friendship with the bear which leads to an extraordinary adventure. Good, clean fun for all the family and neither an Aled Jones soundtrack nor a Fox’s Glacier Mint in sight. (Peter Ross) The Bear, Channel 4, Christmas Eve, 5pm.
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Phil Kay
Phil Kay feels. . . like a drink. Since he advertises whisky and looks like a dipso Billy Connolly, it’s hardly shocking that the manic Scottish comic enjoys the bevvy, but you might be surprised to learn the extent to which he reckons booze lubricates his act.
This Bloke Walks Into A Bar is a Channel 4 documentary trying hard to focus on the love/hate relationship between booze and stand-up comedy. Vic 'n’ Bob, Johnny Vegas, Rhona Cameron and Owen O’ Neill are among those describing the impact drink has on their lives on-stage and off.
But of all the comedians the programme-makers speak to, only Kay gets wired into the vodka beforehand. 'I thought it would be good to do the interview drunk because you don't often see it done,’ he slurs. ’l’ve got little shooting stars of extra awareness coming off my head. I feel quite invrgorated. I feel good. I'm pissed.’ (Peter Ross)
This Bloke Walks Into A Bar, Channel 4, Tue 22 Dec, 7 7.05pm.
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17 Dec l998—7 Jan 1999 THE LIST5