SOCIAL I)i {AM/t ESCAPING EXECUTION Sky One, Thu 5 Jan, 9pm 0000
It’s human nature to think there’s no smoke without fire, to assume a person on Death Row must have committed a heinous crime. But the staggering miscarriages of justice on display here would make even the staunchest supporter of capital punishment think twice. Originally an off- Broadway play, and a huge hit at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Escaping Execution (or The Exonerated, as it was formerly known) started life as a series of interviews with 60 people wrongfully sentenced to death.
Drawn from across America, and all walks of life, their stories were whittled down to six innocent men and women whose convictions were overturned. False evidence, poor representation and in some cases blatant prejudice led to each of the sentences, altering their lives forever. On stage, the actors are perched on stools, using minimal movement throughout. The words, taken from testimonials and court transcripts, say it all. And it’s a relief to see that the medium of television hasn’t forsaken the play’s staging in favour of flashy re-enactments. The six actors sit or stand alone on screen speaking their lines, with the odd facial close-up for maximum impact.
Aidan Quinn portraying the shy, sensitive Kerry Max Cook and Susan Sarandon as peace-loving Sunny Jacobs make the most impact, largely because their stories are the most heartbreaking. Between them they lost entire decades of their lives, faced unspeakable prison brutality and yet triumphed over adversity, which makes watching Escaping Execution a truly humbling experience. (Kelly Apter)
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rrrurderous terrier called Montemerency. it contains much bickering. lrypoclrondrra. dallness and drinking on the way. In this docurrrentary. (,‘irrlt Rhys Jones. Rory McCrath and Dara ()"Bnarn retrace the route III a tiny boat and .‘rllttl should have been a (:harrrrrng homage to a beloved novel turns rrrto frustrating vrewnrg. leetotal Rhys Jones' utterly unpleasant character rs largely to blame. and the fact that none ol the men seems to give a toss about the poor dog they've dragged along rs rII researched at best. McCrath and O'Brrarn are amusing enough. the Ir'rslrrrran spending a lot of trrrre cr'rngrng. and the scenery rs dreamy. but oh. what a missed opportunity. (Ashley Davres)
CRIML DRAMA REBUS
Scottish, Mon 2 Jan, 9pm .00.
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Hannah was never Rebus. was he? Just a brt too clean cut. a bit too handsome to play Ian Rankrn's famous Edinburgh inspector. lharrklully. Ken Stott has stepped into the role. and he's exactly the kind of haggard. put-upon. chubby but grultly charmrrrg lrgure the show needed from the start.
The first in this new series is llre Falls. and rt heralds the welcome 2xpansron to the role of Rebus' colleague Siobhan Clarke (Room to my Batman' as he puts it) played ably by Claire Price. The story involves murder. incest and even a brt of romance. and rs played equally for squalid darkness and grrrn humour (Rankin hrrnselt even ar,)pearing in a Hitchcock-ster walk-on part). a balance whrch works well despite having to cram a lot into a short trrne thanks to a rock solid script and direction.
(Doug Johnstone)
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
TV editor Brian Donaldson picks his highlights of 2005
I No matter how hard the British try, we just can’t escape the natural conclusion that Americans do addictive drama so much better. The year kicked off with the secrets and thighs of Desperate Housewives and ended with polar bears and mysterious hatches in Lost. In between, the E4-only climax of Six Feet Under had us either in tears or torment over its curveball ending. Still, the Brits made gallant dramatic efforts this year with the starkly brilliant Bleak House and the fun-filled Funland (though what was Rome all about eh?). While Jerry Springer: The Opera had the hysterical wing of the Ecclesiastical Party freaking out, the nation slept through the so- duff-it’s-brilliant Nathan Barley.
I But hats can reluctantly be dotted to Ricky Gervais. who I so wanted to hate this year. Yet. Extras proved to be a more than adequate addition to his comedy CV (though I'm more than willing to conclude that Stephen Merchant is actually the real genius of that writing duo). And then the lucky blighter gets Channel 4 to pay his flight for a New Year special wrth Larry David. who continues to create the ongomg show of the year with the magnificently queasy Curb Your Enthusiasm.
11') Dec 2()()f‘)»lf> Jan 2006 THE LIST 107