TV
CFllME DOCUMENTARY BESLA
Channel 4, Thu 21 Jul, 9pm .00.
As the recent coverage of the school attack in Cambodia shows, there are some crimes which are almost beyond comprehension. It’s one thing for some gun nut to go berserk and randomly take out bystanders in some misguided act of revenge upon a merciless society, but for a group of individuals hell-bent on their ‘cause’ to inflict agony on children can only ever be understood by those perpetrating the crime. The Chechens may have seen their own babies slaughtered by Russian troops down the years, but kidnapping and torturing infants will never get Putin round a
negotiation table.
In one way, all these acts of war succeed perfectly. As terrorism by spectacle, 9/11, the Moscow theatre siege and the Beslan school atrocity were cultural cliffhangers. As the world’s media descended upon the tiny border town to witness the torment suffered by relatives outside the school gates and to wait for some drama to pour out of the building, the terrorists had us all in their blood-drenched hands.
This documentary perfectly sums up the horror, firstly showing scenes of joyful Beslan kids preparing for their first day at school in September 2003, then cutting to the suffering of the innocents exactly one year later. The footage from within the school is powerful and poignant as we see the rebels hooking explosives on the gym’s basketball hoops, and frightened, semi-naked children covered in victims’ blood and their own dirt while a pile of dead fathers is seen below a window. Terrifying, horrific and compelling. (Brian Donaldson)
88 THE LIST 7-—21 Jul 200:3
SOCIAL DOCUMENTARY CLASS IN BRITAIN
Channel 4, Sun 10 Jul, 8pm 0000
In the Opening episode of this diverting dOCumentary series. iOurnalist and author Michael Collins sets Out on a deeply personal investigation into how. in the 21 st century the white working class. Once feted as the salt of the earth. are now
decried as the scum ol the earth. Collins' opening allegation — that the working class is now seen as a pariah, the last portion Of SOCICly that can be legitimately denigrated — seems at first a trifle over the top. Offenswe even.
But his subsequent argument is thought provoking. From comic characters such as Little Britain's Vicky ‘yeah- but-nO—but' Pollard to
the superabundance Of deriswe terms such as ‘chav'. ‘pikey' and 'ned'. Britain's burgeoning underclass comes in for more than its share Of flak in popular culture. More worryingly. Collins unearths copiOLis eVidence of the grovnng trend for broadsheet newspapers to tar the working class with the brushes of Violent racism and rampant xenophobia. Highly watchable and an Original take on an age- Old British obsession. (Allan Radcliffe)
WESTERN DRAMA DEADWOOD Sky One, Sun 10 Jul, 10pm oooo
Coming like a bolt from the blue tor a spur in the crotch). HBO's latest few-holds barred series Deadwood astonished and repelled Viewers alike on its first fora y onto Our screens last year. Much amazement revolved around the blistering performance Of Ian Love/0y McShane as the bullying whorehouse boss and the fact that they were able tO kill Off a major character in episode four; histOry dictated as much. Of COurse. but still where's the artistic hcence?
The Outlaws and inbreeds are back for a second season of savagery and sarcasm with a few new Curses opined for all yOur
bantering needs. Tensions are rising as CIVilisation begins to creep ever slowly towards the largely lawless enclave Of Deadwood and the golden years may soon be coming to an end for Swearengen and co. A bloody wrestling match in the street between Al and sheriff Seth (Timothy Oliphant) brings some relief but the bad times are just around the corner. Hold on to your Stetsons. (Brian Donaldson)
DRAMA TFllLOGY
TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH BBCZ, Thu 7 Jul, 9pm .0.
This is a IaVish BBC adaptation of the William Golding sea trilogy and while there is plenty tO like here. it's a mite disJOinted in places. The story concerns a yOLing aristocrat Edmund Talbot. played Syinpathetically by Benedict Cumberbatch l’Oh. for a name like that). and his passage to Australia on a rickety Old ship in the early 19th century. The ship is peppered With excellent although rather overblown characters. but Golding's original examination of the ridiculousness of the English class system gets a little lost in the effort to make the drama seem more like a visceral swashbuckle Of a thing.
The first part Of three is entertaining. bawdy fun. but in the second episode the ship and the plot hit the doldruins. To make matters worse. a second ship turns up. captained by Charles Dance. the Sighting Of whom is undoubtedly considered bad luck by superstitious seafarers and tele‘JISIOlT reViewers alike. lDOug JohnstOne)
A Bear’s Tail Channel 4, Fri 8 Jul, 10.35pm Patsy Kensit. Davina McCall and Sean Pertwee put their reputations on the line as they join Leigh Francis. AKA Avid Merrion, Otherwise known here as the Bear. whose excitement tends to be only too ODVIOUS. Filthy. so it is.
Dispatches: Women Bishops Channel 4, Mon 71 Jul, 8pm Catholic intellectual Christina Odone ponders over the future Of the religion as church leaders get set to debate this hot potato once again. Spelling Bee Scottish, Thu 74 Jul, 9pm Chris Tarrant puts a bunch of F-list celebs under the spotlight to see if they can spell 'charidee event’ properly. We won't even embarrass them by naming names. Harry Potter at the Castle Scottish, Fri 75 Jul, 7 7.45pm The COuntdOwn commences as lots Of nippers get set to stay out way after their bedtime in honour of the JK Rowling bandwagon. The Shield Five, Sat 76 Jul, 17.05pm OK, we got it wrong last ISSLle (not Our fault. honest) with the timing Of our review Of the excellent new series of telly's tOughest cop show. Glenn Close joins Michael Chiklis for more brutal baton- wielding and crime- busting corruption. Extras BBC2, Thu 27 Jul, 70pm Ricky Gervais brings us the long-awaited follow- up tO The Office with a bunch of extraordinary A-Iist celebs in tow.