This article was originally published in The Courier on 18th May 2019.
NEXT WEEK’S TV
HATTON GARDEN
Monday
to Thursday, STV, 9pm
Despite
taking place just four years ago, the notorious burglary of the Hatton Garden
Safe Deposit Company has inspired three films. The most recent, King of Thieves starring Michael Caine
and Ray Winstone, was released only last year. You would, therefore, be
forgiven for presuming that this four-part dramatisation of the biggest
burglary in English legal history is surplus to requirements. Fortunately, it
isn’t. Co-written by esteemed factual dramatist Jeff Pope (Philomena; Cilla; Stan & Ollie), it’s a typically
well-researched affair boasting more depth and detail than its predecessors. A
strong cast including Timothy Spall, Kenneth Cranham and David Hayman flesh out
Pope’s compelling account of how an unlikely gang of elderly crooks (almost)
got away with it.
THATCHER: A VERY
BRITISH REVOLUTION
Monday,
BBC Two, 9pm
29
years after her turbulent reign was vanquished, Margaret Thatcher is still one
of the most divisive figures in British politics. You don’t have to be a fan to
enjoy this exhaustive five-part documentary charting her rise and fall, it’s
fascinating. It begins, aptly enough, with her early 1970s emergence as a
prominent political figure and milk snatcher. Only the second woman to hold a
position in a Conservative cabinet, Thatcher was a tirelessly driven
workaholic. She was also, in the words of Ken Clarke, “a bizarre character, one
of the most unlikely human beings I ever met.” He’s joined by other notables
such as Shirley Williams and Norman Tebbit. It also boasts a wealth of rare
archive footage.
ALASTAIR CAMPBELL:
DEPRESSION AND ME
Tuesday,
BBC Two, 9pm
Much
like Thatcher, infamous Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell could hardly be described
as a sympathetic political figure. However, to his credit, he’s had a long
history of talking publically about his mental health issues: Campbell has
struggled with depression for most of his life. In this candid documentary, part
of a short series of programmes tied in with Mental Health Awareness Week, he
explains and explores the various ways in which he’s learned how to live with
his condition, in the hope of getting a better understanding of it. He talks to
psychiatrists, doctors and members of his own family. The nuanced and sometimes
drily funny results are the most valuable thing he’s ever contributed to public
life.
VICTORIAN SENSATIONS
Wednesday,
BBC Four, 9pm
The
rapid change of Britain in the 1890s made Dylan’s decision to go electric in 1965
look like a big fuss about nothing. In this lively new series, mathematician
Hannah Fry, psychotherapist Philippa Perry and – not to be outdone - actor Paul
McGann traverse a decade in which the electrified modern world sparked into
life. Our host in episode one is the engaging Fry, who provides a wry account
of the dawn of this brave new electric age. She describes it as “an unregulated
free-for-all where enthusiasm still exceeds understanding.” Britain was
experiencing progress on an unprecedented scale, hence the sheer number of
weird and wonderful developments it went through. You can’t beat a bit of
eccentric Victoriana.
