This article was originally published in The Courier on 24th March 2018.
THE SECRET HELPERS: Wednesday, BBC Two
THE FUNERAL MURDERS: Monday, BBC Two
When gazing in despair upon this hate-strewn boulder of ours, it’s
easy to forget that good people still exist. THE SECRET HELPERS is a charitable reminder. Maybe humanity will prevail after all.
The
premise behind this quietly heartening new series couldn’t be simpler. Brits dealing with
difficult circumstances receive friendly advice from pragmatic strangers around
the world. While monitoring them via camera, these earthbound guardian angels
beam trouble-shooting words of wisdom into the brains of our protagonists
through hidden earpieces.
Their
loved ones are obviously aware that a documentary is being filmed, but they
have no idea about the secret helpers. That adds an element of mild peril to an
otherwise upbeat project; will they get found out while chatting, seemingly to no one, during
an advice session?
They’re
essentially being asked to live a lie for a week, albeit for benign reasons.
First
up was Dan, who’d suffered a massive double stroke. Despite having recovered
for the most part, he now experiences anxiety and chronic tiredness. He was on
the verge of getting married, and worried that his symptoms would make
mincemeat of his duties at the wedding.
Fortunately,
his secret helpers got him through it. They included twinkly Sister Una from
Ireland, a traditional South African healer, two retired New York cops and a
health and lifestyle guru (and former Playboy
model) from Norway.
Their
simple yet non-patronising advice helped Dan with his speech, stress levels and
diet. Watching him overcome his fears via the kindness of strangers was
surprisingly touching. Sure, they're presumably getting paid for taking part, but only a dead-inside cynic would doubt their sincerity.
The
helpers getting dressed up to watch Dan’s wedding from their corners the world
was rather charming. For a few days this disparate group became emotionally
invested in the lives of people they’ll probably never meet. That connection
extends to the audience too. We’re all entwined by the same fears and
empathetic impulses.
Our
second Brit-in-need Brett was assisted by Dan's team plus a pair of female
Italian chefs. He was worried that he wouldn’t be able to cope with premature new-born
twins and a wife recovering from major surgery. Sister Una, a former nurse and
midwife, was of particular help. The South African sage taught him a lullaby to
send the twins to sleep. It was awfully sweet.
If
mishandled, this show could easily come across as cloying and twee, but it’s
put together with such a winning lack of cynicism it works a charm.
Let’s
not get carried away, though. Human beings are also capable of heinous acts of
violence and prejudice. In THE FUNERAL MURDERS, the estimable
documentary film-maker Vanessa Engle presented a sobering account of the lethal
attacks that took place during two Irish Republican funerals in March 1988.
By
speaking to representatives from all sides – IRA, RUC etc. - Engle highlighted
the immovable stalemate and conflicting narratives that characterised The
Troubles. Republicans and Loyalists are so diametrically opposed, it’s simply
staggering in hindsight that the ongoing peace process ever got off the ground
at all.
Supported
by harrowing archive footage of the attacks, Engle met people whose pain and attitudes
haven’t softened in the intervening years. The only difference is that now they
don’t live in a divided nation scorched with almost daily acts of political
violence. While that progress should never be taken for granted,
those deep divisions still prevail.
“Who
will be believed?” mused one commentator, when asked about historical legacy.
“Whoever shouts the loudest.”
With
typical sensitivity and probing open-mindedness, Engle cut to the human heart
of this complex, inflammatory issue. It was a sad, blunt, riveting film, steeped in lingering shock and senseless loss.
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