Do the BBC bods who made this leaden drivel ever watch telly?
Some people don’t watch much telly. They prefer to listen to Radio 3 and go to art galleries, so they can tell their friends that there’s really nothing much on and, anyway, they’re far too busy.
That’s fine. Their loss. But such people really shouldn’t try to make TV themselves.
Against The Law (BBC2), by writer Brian Fillis and director Fergus o’Brien, had all the hallmarks of a programme conceived and executed by people who don’t watch nearly enough TV. It was clumsy, badly constructed, laboured and monotonous, preaching a message so earnestly that it became suffocating long before the end.
The story of a Daily mail journalist, Peter Wildeblood, who was jailed for 18 months in the Fifties for a same-sex relationship with an airman, deserves to be told. Wildeblood was a courageous man, no hero and certainly not a saint, who dared to speak out against an unjust law.
But the film-makers were so intent on seizing the moral high ground and trampling it that this drama-documentary was devoid of all fun. They reduced it to a few seedy love scenes, an interminable court case and some pious dialogue between unlikely inmates at Wormwood Scrubs — interspersed with commentary from gay men in their 80s and 90s who had lived through the era.
even the opening betrayed how ill prepared Fillis and o’Brien were. Typewritten words clattered across the screen and faded away: ‘This is a true story.’
That device is the hallmark of the U.S. crime fantasy Fargo, now in its third season. It’s practically copyrighted. Any TV director worth his salt ought to know that — they might as well have started with monty Python’s theme music and a giant cartoon foot.
And any telly fan would have known the format of historical reconstructions broken up by talking heads is best restricted to Channel 5 documentaries about the Tudors. even then, it’s rubbish.
The problem is that just as the viewer starts to become enthralled by the drama, the illusion is shattered by soundbites. Daniel mays is a fine actor, and he did all he could to transcend the leaden script, but the constant stopstarting wrecked his performance.
‘ Leaden’ is too kind a word, though. Some of this dialogue was heavier than uranium. Scanning a newspaper report about the upcoming inquiry, chaired by Lord Wolfenden and aimed at changing the law on homosexuality, mays had to declaim (to no one in particular): ‘I must have my say. Wolfenden needs to hear the truth.’
All this was a great shame for the interviewees, who were articulate and often witty. Their contributions ought to be edited together and shown again, so we can enjoy their insights in a coherent collection.
For an expert TV production, showcasing a well-honed format to its best advantage, look no further than Long Lost Family (ITV). Now in its seventh season, it’s an emotional express train, running smoothly on rails to bring us jolts of heartbreak and happiness on schedule.
even though the pattern does not change, this show never becomes dull, because every family has experienced the pain of separation in its own unique way.
This time, the researchers had discovered a divorced couple, childhood sweethearts James and marion, who were united by their aching need to find their son: nearly 50 years ago, when they were just 16, they had been forced to give him up for adoption.
We know how the story ends — with tears and heartfelt hugs. It’s no less moving for that.
HIGH JINKS OF THE NIGHT: Wild Alaska Live (BBC1) featured agile black bears in the treetops. Better not get stuck — cats are one thing, but there’s not a fireman in the world who’d fancy rescuing a stranded bear.