Television
HOW MR Drew managed to restrain himself from giving those young fellas a clip round the ear on Mr. Drew's school for boys last Tuesday night on Channel 4, is beyond me!
Stephen Drew is the deputy head from Educating Essex who has put himself in charge of a summer school for 11 problem boys. He is given just four weeks to try and tame these kids and if he does it, it will be a bloody miracle!
All of them appear to have been diagnosed with ADHD although watching them insult the teachers and beat the living daylights out of each other I would say the only thing wrong with them is BOLD.
The teachers are all terrified of them and the first drama lesson descends into chaos when the boys start spraying water and beating each other up. Eventually the teacher calls Mr. Drew who calmly walks in and removes the trouble makers.
There's 11 year old Clarke whose mother describes him as ‘unique’. Not the word I would use to describe Clarke. He tells Mr. Drew that he's not the problem, the teachers are. ‘It would be nice Mr. Drew if you just left me alone. If you don't I will just get worse and worse. I am a problem child.’
Then there's Zane whose mother said she lost control of him from day one when he nearly died as a baby and has been spoilt rotten ever since.
Mohican haired Max asks Mr. Drew why is he so fat. His poor mother sits there with tears streaming down her face, saying she is so ashamed of him. Max couldn't give a toss.
And yet by the end of the first episode, Mr Drew and his band of troubadours are actually starting to make progress with the boys, bringing them to the library and getting them to read books. Poor oul Mr. Drew looks worn out. Whatever they're paying him isn't nearly enough!
The heady world of bingo was examined on TV3 on Wednesday night with a new two part documentary Bingo Nights. A snapshot of the local community was how one man accurately described it as the programme captured the spirit of bingo nights in halls throughout the country visiting Waterford, Wexford, Galway, Dublin and Limerick. As 78 year old Angela who's been playing bingo for 40 years in rural Galway put it, ‘If you don't get to Bingo, they'd think you were dead!’
There's a lovely sense of camaraderie as the crowd, mainly elderly women, meet up every week, checking on each other, sharing sweets and gossip and generally having the craic. For many it's a lifeline, probably the only social outlet they have. Some of the Dublin ladies forget they have their mics on and they start cursing to beat the band only to realise they can be heard. ‘Oh Margaret I'm scarlah!’
This week the programme visits The George in Dublin where bingo is glammed up every week by Shirley Temple Bar.
ONES TO WATCH
Derek, Channel 4, Wednesday 10pm
Ricky Gervais has come in for a lot of criticism for his portrayal of special needs care worker Derek, but those who have slated him appear to have missed the point.
Derek as a programme is hard to categorise. It's not a comedy, although there are some genuinely funny moments. It's not a drama and it's not a documentary. It is, I suppose, whatever you want it to be.
Gervais has always maintained that he's not taking the mickey out of people with learning difficulties but it is taking the mickey out of our attitudes towards people with learning difficulties.
The programme is set in an elderly care home and follows the characters who live and work there. All of Gervais's family are care workers and you definitely get the sense of him knowing exactly what kind of world it is. Derek is touching and poignant and funny and sad. It is Ricky Gervais at his absolute best.
Billy Connolly's Big Send Off, Wednesday 9pm
Death has always been a subject of great interest to Billy Connolly and in this two part series he takes a good hard look at the subject. He journeys to his hometown of Glasgow and to various parts of the US to get an insight into the rich variety of attitudes , belief systems, rituals and customs in relation to death. He also addresses his own mortality and he describes how he found out he had Parkinsons. Finally he talks to his old pal Eric Idle about their own funerals and how they would like to be remembered.
Eurovision Song Contest, RTE2, Thursday 8pm
Sure you'd have to watch even if it's only to slag off the British entry! This is the second semi final coming live from Copenhagen. Ireland faces contestants from 14 other countries including Norway and Greece.
Our entry this year stands a good chance. Singing Heartbeat, Can Linn fronted by the gorgeous Kasey Smith is a real eurovision song. It's poppy, cheesy, catchy and very camp. Everything a eurovision song should be. G'wan Ireland!
SOAPWATCH
Coronation Street
One of Coronation Street's much loved characters, Lloyd suffers a major heart attack this week after competing in a charity race against his pal Steve McDonald. A lifetime of drink and fags have finally caught up with him. Poor Steve is devastated and thinks it's his fault as himself and Lloyd had a right old barney before the race. He promises Lloyd that he'll give up the booze and fags as well in order to support him.
Meanwhile Anna's sordid little secret finally gets the better of her and
she breaks down and tells Roy she's done something really bad. Roy urges her to talk to Owen about it but will she listen to his advice?
Emmerdale
Over in Emmerdale Val is in trouble again and ends up in a police cell with Pollard and Diane, after becoming involved in a fracas outside the Woolpack. Once she is released she decides to make a speech in the Woolie about living with HIV. She addresses all the fears and myths surrounding HIV and tells them what it's like to have to face such prejudice. This is a really daring storyline for Emmerdale and one that is being dealt with, with great humour and sensitivity.
Eastenders
Poor oul Carole is facing up to the realities of her Cancer in Eastenders and has been taken to hospital following her collapse. She confides in David that she is terrified but David is too caught up in his own worries to really care. He can't cope when she shows him her wig and Carole picks up on it. He is such a lousy git! Meanwhile Sonia is really shaken by her gene test results and makes an appointment to see a geneticist.