episode. subjects like genetics do not receive the Investigation they deserve. The ethics of doctors are explained away as 'following NaZi policy' and it feels like an opportunity has been missed here to look at the moral and seientific parallels today.
(Louisa Pearsoni
SITCOM SERIES
SO WHAT NOW? 8801, Mon 26 Mar, 8.30pm 000
While the BBC's comedy zone has continued to hover precarioust above the trapdoor marked ‘dumper'. Lee Evans' movie career has faltered due to a lack of Hollywood roles for rubber-faced. physical comedians not called Carrey. It would seem then, the perfect wheeze fer the corporation to invite the pint—sized comedy giant to pen and star in his own sitcom.
So What Now? finds neurotic obsessive Lee. recently thrown out by his wife. moving in with flatulent Stu and lusty landlady Heather. What follows is a grotesque hybrid of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and The Odd Trip/e. with any pretence at plot being substituted for the inevitable string of physical gags featuring Evans at his frenetic. apoplectic best. While the temptation exists to whine that we've been through all this with Frank Spencer. Evans does. in fairness. find some innovative ways to smash up rooms. most notably employing popped champagne corks. radiators and fish tanks. (Allan Radcliffe)
DRAMA SERIES TEACHERS Channel 4, Wed 21 Mar, 10pm 000
Not another rasr. gritty look at the state of Our secondanr educational system penned by one of those Northern elder statesmen of the beam; left-handed hammer. Instead. this is a rather guirky and charming cross between Bi/ly Liar and To Sir With Love.
Andrew Lincoln (so very poor as Egg in This Life but remarkably good herei plays a late twentysomething teacher in a middle-ranking Bristol school whose professional life is a messy battle between wanting to be the kids' friend and favourite teacher and trying to actually teach anything. Guided through life's pitfalls by three equally (‘lysfunctional fellow teacher pals. he is almost always led up dead ends. This is cleverly-scripted sassy stuff. if a little obVious at times. and even when the plot and envrronment fail to conVince. the sheer mercurial moodiness of the lead characters does. (Paul Dale)
DRAMA SERIES
THE HUNT Scottish, Sun 25 Mar & 1 Apr, 9.30pm .0
Ina Mills & Boon-style two-part drama. flawed beauty Amanda Holden stars as a troubled young woman having difficulty deciding whether she should stay
COMEDY/ DRAMA SERIES
HAPPINESS
Amanda Holden tracks down men in The Hunt
faithful to her husband or shag some rakish. young Iothario instead. Should sound familiar to anyone keeping up With the last year's tabloids. Still. Holden's personal experiences With Messrs Dennis and Morrissey no doubt gave her every confidence to get to grips With the role of Sarah Campbell in this new drama from Adrian Hodge (Lorna Doone. Day/d Copperfield). Leaving London to start a new life in the country With her rock concert promoter husband. Sarah har- bours hopes of saVing her ailing marriage. That is until she meets the local landowner and Right Honourable womaniser. They have nothing in common and yet there's an instant spark of sexual chem- istry. ‘Will she or won't she’?‘ and 'if she does. what on earth Will happen next?’ scenarios
BBC2, Tue 20 Mar, 10pm .000
Paul Whitehouse’s motivation for his first post- Fast Show creation is based on sound, simple fact. ‘l’m looking down the wrong end of a barrel at 40, so I thought I’d write something about happiness, and the inability to find it.’ Alongside pal and co-writer David Cummings, that is exactly what he’s done. And, thankfully, his stab at comedy drama has worked a treat. Having lost his wife in a freak, yet desperately comic, road accident, Danny Spencer is wondering where his empty life is headed. His work gives him some satisfaction; as the Iisped voice of Dexter, the animated kung-fu nurse bear, his appeal to children is wide, just so long as he doesn‘t show his face. However, it’s his friends who are failing to provide him with the necessary emotional succour and giving him the most thumping headaches. Among their number are Danny’s ex-girlfriend Rachel (Fiona Smack The Pony Allen) who’s pregnant and married to the irritatingly insensitive Terry (Mark Spaced Heap); drunkard chums Sid (Pearce Ouigley) and Charlie (Johnny Vegas); and Angus (Clive Russell), a man who unadvisedly insists on acting ten years
younger than he should.
ensue to dreary effect. (Catherine Biomleyl
DOCUMENTARY SERIES THE MEN WHO CHANGED FOOTBALL
8801, Tue 13 Mar, 9pm 00
The somewhat melodramatic title refers to the money men who changed Er iglish club football which. as everyone who is stupid enough to believe pundits knows. is now The Best League In The World. Looking at the current megabucks world of the English Premiership. it's easy to forget that only twenty years ago. English football was a total shambles and national disgrace.
Hooligans ran amuck. players" shorts were too tight. and Glenn Hoddle was in the charts: the 80s Sure were dark times. With Thatcher at the helm there was rapid
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filt ring into the orld of football. This series charts We listen t".t‘. financial retolution ripping thrOugh the breakawaxs and break- throughs II‘ league org dlllSdllUl‘. and teleamitt coxeiagt: ‘.'.lll‘ a kind or irritating smugness guaranteed to remind you why the Stir; were such guff in the first place.
(Doug Johnstonei
l’ll M
THE MOUSE THAT ROARED Channel 4, Mon 19 Mar. 1.30pm .000
That dangerous iiioioii. George W. Bush. should; be made to match this film. Boasting the eccentric IOVOlLIllOIldfl, spirit of the Ealing coriiedies, Alfonse concerns the tiny Duchy of Grand Fenwick. which declares war on America based on the assumption that defeated countries .itlways experience an economic boom.
Pre-empting Dr Strange/eve. comic genius Peter Sellers takes three roles: duchess. prime minister and army chief of the invading nation. Jack Arnold directs. bringing a touch of the fantastic he explored in The /ricr‘edih/e Shrink/rig (via/i to the proceedings. such as ten chainmail-clad invaders marching triumphantly through the streets of New York. A marvel. (Miles Fielder)
Slapstick nonsense and subtle fun
Bog standard relationship comedy drama sub-Cold Feet stuff, you might think. Yet, rarely for such fare this has, within its opening ten minutes, at least three laugh-out-loud moments of both slapstick nonsense (dypso falls off bus and into manhole) and subtle fun (getting to the wrong funeral on time). All of which leaves you forgiving it for its later lapses. (Brian Donaldson)
at .xi. SE HILS CHAINED E4. Mon 19 Mar. 10.30pm 000
t7: iiana is the Duke ot l-‘ieit ‘rd's .laughtei, Hannah tones spending mt irreg; lx’aiei‘. works in a Clasgwx; nightclub; Di.'.'i is a pit ‘tt-ste': and .leni teaches singing. A disparate bunch indeed. lHIT ‘.‘.'Illl arie fundamental thng in imiiiori: the. 'ie all rtliaiiied to Warren the mar insurance salesman. linked by their Wrists and ankles, this motley chain gang eat. sleep. shop and bathe as one t:3iitl«.ir‘ii unit. Over the space of six days (and .‘xrtl‘. flye 1(rant! ti‘ \"v’arien must decide who he's most coriipatible With. tintihaining one girl a day critiI hes left .‘ritli his .fiilled as the televisual ptilyfiia needed to fili the gap left by Big Brother (they‘ve even got loriiier housemate Mel to present ll). Chained is loathsoriie in thr- extreme. But neediess to say. utterly cciiipelling. (Kelly Apterl
ALSO OH
New Found Land: I Saw You iS<:ottlsll. Fri lb Mar. l().30piii) One off drama inspired by The Lrst's loneliy hearts column
Walk On By (BBC2, Sat I 7' Mar. 8.05pm) Ouite siiiiply. a history of popular music Stalked/Stalkers (Channel -1, Tue 20 Mar. ltlpm) Exploring the darkest side of obsession
Ex:S - Worlds Apart (BBCI, Tue 20 Mar. 11;.L§C;)irii Followmg two student ioiirnos thrust into the real world of hackery
NCS lBBCl, Mon 26 & Tue 27 Mar. 9.05pm) Crime thriller With DaVICl Suchet about the UK's FBI
‘4 ‘Ol ti li
ideal mate
“5—?3' Mr 903‘ THE LIST 107