TV
Reviews
SOClAl. DOCUMENTARY
JONATHAN MILLER’S BRIEF HISTORY OF DISBELIEF BBC4, Mon 11 Oct, 9.30pm 0...
At the memorial service that followed the Twin Towers tragedy, the congregation joined the choir in a rendition of the hymn ‘The Lord is My Shepherd’. As Pascal Boyer, a famous French professor of anthropology, points out early on in this first episode of Jonathan Miller’s newest television project: ‘Some shepherd!’ Miller, a life long atheist (or, as he prefers to label it, ‘disbeliever’), sets out on a personal, historical and intellectual journey to try and map some sort of timeline of atheistic belief. Ultimately, Miller genuinely believes that this movement of agnosticism, doubt, godlessness, heathenism, heresy, impiety, irreligion, irreverence, nihilism, nonbelief, Pyrrhonism and skepticism - call it what you will - is as deserving of documentation and clarification as the established religions. It’s a fascinating, if rather taxing ride and Miller, like all great broadcasters, does not believe in patronising the viewer. From the very beginning he pitches things at a level of woolly wordy academic disregard, pointing out that there will be no computer graphics or historical recreations for the simple reasons of distraction; and that the main arguments in this story are philosophical ones and as such cannot be
adequately visualised.
Luckily, Miller has some grade A friends, so we get to hang out with Arthur Miller, Richard Dawkins and philosophers such as Colin McGinn and Boyer between long stretches in which our host paces up and down various cathedrals and synagogues expounding on his own loss and lack of faith. A brave, faintly anachronistic attempt to decipher the alleged mythology and magic that surrounds us. (Paul Dale)
US COMEDY ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT 8802, Wed 13 Oct. 10pm coo
Having scooped the Emmy Award for top comedy show last month. all you can do is expect very big things from Arrested Development. And while there are dunk}, laughs aplenty to be had. the jerky camera stuff
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The Bluth clan is in CllSlS. Having seen the patriarch iJeffrey Tamper chucked n choky for financial irregularities. the mantle of leader shifts to son Michael iJason Batemani, Un‘ortunately. his atten‘ipts at FEIl‘ll‘g in the not-prudent
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:Sll ‘ .lr“,»'\l.‘lfi BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Sky One, Thu 15 Oct, 9pm 00.
“If it ain’t hroke. don't lix it' might he the adage for many TV shows. But as the original 80s series of Battlest.‘rr Orr/actrcrr was a loft hyhrid of Buck Rogers. Star l."i/.'2.r:; and Star Trek lyrithout the kitsch, class or comedy of any of them). the makers have done a hit of 're» imagining' and cranked up the sex, Vl()l(3ll(l(3 and grit.
So. [)irk Benedict's womanising Lt Starhuck is now a u'rornan and the cute kids have heer: Jettisoned in favour of stroppy teens. Also. l'l attempting to bring the series up to speed ‘.‘.’llll contemporary TV sci l. there is a myruao of technological. enmronmertal and social guirks to outline. Perhaps this is why the first episode is a tad muddled. thying as it is to naii l/YPD Blue-style tensior‘ c'ttt) an expanszye. urttarnzliar framework. Battlestar G.’rla<,‘.‘rc.':‘ "as the poter‘t:al to develop into a great cult sc:-‘ series hut s u"'.kel‘, to he much 'l‘fj'€:.
rlvlark Robertson
CHAT SHOW THE JOAN RIVERS POSITION Five, Sun 10 Oct, 11.05pm 00
Oh. how the mighty have fallen. Once feared and adored for her COruscating Wisecracks and risdue repartee. the
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()li(,£t‘ii()ll(lll’,, .'.'hile responding to *.'ir:-‘.'.'ers‘ sex conundra ‘.'.'e get a glimpse ol the old sassiness. Miserahle from the Midlands requests the secret to a good threesome. ‘l or me a threesome these days Is rue and two yihr'ators.' gulps .Joan. Other'vrise the one liners are horrihly scripted and contrived for a British audience. the funny lady delivering her lines wrth all the conVIction of an accidentally resurrected corpse. (Allan Radcliffei
(Jlillvll. DRAMA TRIAL AND RETRIBUTION Scottish, Mon 11 & Tue 12 Oct, 9pm 0.
Writer and producer Lyr‘rda La Plante has been churning out tl‘ese crime dramas ever since the ‘vrs‘. Prune Suspect. hut .-.'h'le the frerluer‘ic; of their appearance .s reliable as ClOCk‘.’/OTK. would that the dualit, was so predictable. There's no denying the force 0‘ some of La Plar‘te's .vcrk. but she
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Kings of Comedy Channel 4. Fri 8 Oct. 10.30pm. An octet of funny folk (half old school. the other half new talent) are cooped up in a house together for a few weeks, with you the viewer voting for one to get their own show at the end of it all.
Geldof on Marriage/Fathers Channel 4, Mon 11 8. Tue 72 Oct, 8pm 8 9pm. Sir Bob gets a welcome chance to talk about something other than starvation as he explores the issue of the modern family and its virtual breakdown.
Who Do You Think You Are? 8802, Tue 12 Oct, 9pm. Each week. a different celeb takes a trip into their heritage and potters around their family tree, with fascinating results. Bill Oddie is first up with Meera Syal and David Baddiel appearing later.
Hex Sky One, Sun 17 Oct, 9pm. It's Charmed meets Buffy crossed with As If with some very pretty boys and gins gathering together for a spunky new drama about a boarding school built on some ghostly land.
Boxing Academy Five, Mon 78 Oct. 70pm. Young pugilists get a period of intensive schooling from celeb trainers in this latest reality bunfight. Got to be better than The Farm, surely?