Making amends awkward but touching
We Meet Again (Living Channel, tonight) sounds like a family reunion, but it’s nothing like it. It’s a programme where people can say they’re sorry, right wrongs or express their appreciation. The downside is they have to invite a camera crew to their private moment. That’s intrusive. But it’s the price they pay.
So far we’ve had a woman who wanted to say sorry to a boyfriend she jilted 40 years ago, a man who sought to apologise for bullying a classmate and a mother of three wanting to thank a bone marrow donor for saving her life.
The BBC programme then sets out to bring the people together. While I got the impression the boyfriend was delighted to be jilted, there was real human drama in the other two cases.
Jon Howell has been troubled for mob bullying Simon Pierce and searched for him for 10 years.
‘‘I bullied Simon and damaged him,’’ he admitted. He’d be a poster boy for Trevor Mallard.
When Simon, who managed a pub, was found, he admitted it was ‘‘a period of my life I’d like to forget’’. The bullying, mostly physical, lasted 10 years.
‘‘I’ll accept his apology but there’s no forgiveness.’’
I couldn’t decide if I wanted a ring side seat or prefer the confrontation to take place privately but public glare is the price of reconciliation. Simon accepted Jon’s apology and saw the pain in his face.
‘‘I do forgive you,’’ he said. It was compelling and rewarding television.
Lisa, 46, had aggressive leukemia, and wanted to thank a donor whose bone marrow was an ideal match. Neil was found in the north of Scotland.
‘‘I came from Shetland where we looked after each other,’’ he explained.
We Meet Again is one of those programmes you discover when you’re looking for something else. If we had such a series here I’d want to apologise to the woman whose bra I fell into 30 years ago in Christchurch.
I tripped in Manchester St, lost my balance and plunged into her cleavage. I can still remember the scream. I was so close to it. A wire from her bra got stuck in my nose and I couldn’t move. The rest was a blur.
Someone came to our rescue, removed my nose and, with drops of blood staining the footpath, I said sorry and ran. She deserves far better than that, at least a TV series. This was no storm in a C cup.
There could be no greater family dynasty than the Reagans. Granddad has retired as New York Commissioner of Police, Frank, his son, has the job, and the siblings are now working their way to the top.
Blue Blood (TV3, Sundays) could be about the Borgias with a truncheon, but it’s not. The family works together to keep the streets as clean as their noses. But when fourth generation Nicky, gets arrested for possessing cocaine, granddad (Tom Selleck) quietly runs her defence from his desk, 500 metres away.
Out in the precinct, four prostitutes all confess to killing their pimp. Only one of them is guilty but they want to share the sentence. ‘‘We’ll divide our time behind bars.’’
Meanwhile Father Quin, the Reagan’s priest, befriends a young hoodlum and then gets shot by him.
‘‘He’s a tough old goat,’’ says Frank. No kidding.
The series has a touch of Christmas goodwill which is probably why TV3 schedules it at 11pm when only burglars can watch.
If the Reagans grew a trunk and four legs, they’d feature in David Attenborough’s Life (Sky 74, Tuesday). Three generations of African elephants survive in the mud near a water hole.
Baby gets stuck, mum proved helpless in pulling him out but granny intervenes and shunts her out of the way. She then gives junior a helping trunk. We should have awards for nepotism.
I watched Room 104 (Soho 2, Mondays) with anticipation. The scene is simple. It’s set in a New York hotel bedroom with an adjoining bathroom and explores characters who pass through.
That sounded promising and the first episode lived up to expectations, well almost. Meg, a babysitter, looks after Ralph while his dad goes out. But Ralph has an alter ego, Ralphie. Now the bathroom is important because out of it leaps Ralph or his doppelganger.
But in true Hollywood fashion they both appear and Meg, now unhinged, strangles Ralphie to protect Ralph. Until that moment I was impressed but two alters is one ego too many.