This article was originally published in The Courier on 27th April 2019.
NEXT WEEK’S TV
OUR DEMENTIA CHOIR
WITH VICKY McCLURE
Thursday,
BBC One, 8pm
People
with dementia often recall the melodies and lyrics of their favourite songs,
which can be a calming influence leading to significant moments of clarity. In
this moving series, the Line of Duty
star teams up with leading experts to test our emotional and physical responses
to music. They assemble a 20-strong choir comprised of people living with
dementia, following them over three months as they rehearse for a live
performance. Why McClure? Well, as we know, television law decrees that
programmes of this nature must be fronted by a famous face, but she does have
first-hand family experience of the illness. It’s a valuable experiment aimed
at proving that life doesn’t end with a dementia diagnosis.
BANGED UP: TEENS
BEHIND BARS
Monday,
Channel 4, 9pm
In
this new series, eight wayward British teenagers are sent to one of America’s
toughest jails for seven days as part of a radical intervention programme. The
basic goal is to put the fear of God into them to ensure that they never end up
in prison for real. They find themselves rubbing shoulders with hardened
criminals and tough guards, including the star of the show, Lieutenant Robbie
Stokes, an army veteran and barking disciplinarian straight out of a sweaty US
chain gang drama. If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably laugh when he
yells “What in tarnation are you crying about?!” at some poor kid. Naturally,
he’s more subdued during his interview segments. It’s all part of the game.
BAKE OFF: THE
PROFESSIONALS
Tuesday,
Channel 4, 8pm
Twelve
new teams of professional patisserie chefs pick up their spatulas and hope for
the best as this popular series returns. You know the score: over the first two
days, the first six teams face a series of challenges, after which they’ll be
ranked. Whoever is in last place will be asked to leave the competition. It
really is as simple as that. During the opening heat they’re tasked with
reinventing Linzer tortes, the Bakewell tart and the red velvet cake, a dessert
classic, in under five hours. As usual, co-hosts Liam Charles and Tom Allen are
joined by exuberant judges Cherish Finden and Benoit Blin. “Wow me, excite me
and blow my mind away!” exclaims Finden. No pressure.
FORENSICS: THE REAL
CSI
Wednesday,
BBC Two, 9pm
By
my reckoning, ‘real CSI’ documentaries probably outnumber the fictional CSI
shows they set out to debunk. We all know these crimes aren’t solved by genius
maverick cops, hence why we presumably find some comfort in programmes such as
this in which diligent, unglamorous experts go about their duties with the
utmost seriousness. The actor David Caruso isn’t going to help you in your
direst hour of need, but these people might. In Newcastle, a single shot is
fired through a window in the dead of night. Neither the injured woman nor her
boyfriend who made the 999 call saw anything, so it’s up to the forensics team
to piece the incident together. Please, don’t have nightmares.
LAST WEEK’S TV
THE IMPORTANCE OF
BEING OSCAR
Saturday
20th, BBC Two
Spread
over 90 generous minutes, this revealing tribute to the genius of Oscar Wilde
featured presentations of key scenes from immortally witty and profound works such
as The Importance of Being Earnest
and The Picture of Dorian Gray, plus
learned contributions from the likes of Wilde’s grandson, Merlin Holland, and –
inevitably - Stephen Fry, who examined the myriad ways in which Wilde’s life
influenced his work.
LINE OF DUTY
Sunday
21st, BBC One
Jesus,
Mary and Joseph! I still can’t decide what shocked me more: Ted’s incorrect
spelling of ‘definitely’ seemingly confirming that he’s the powerful bent
copper who’s been pulling the strings, or undercover cop Corbett (very special
guest star Stephen Graham) getting offed by the OCG for being a rat. And we
still have two episodes to go. What a show. What a grin-inducing fairground-ride.
JOHN LEE HOOKER: THE
BOOGIE MAN
Friday
26th, BBC Four
One
of the greatest bluesmen of the 20th century, Hooker was an
idiosyncratic innovator with a raw, sensual, funky, hypnotic sound all of his
own. He only needed one chord to create his volcanic boogie. This solid doc
traced his journey from extreme poverty to living deity status, via warm contributions
from family members and disciples such as Keith Richards and the lesser-spotted
Van Morrison.
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