The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
MOVING MEDITATION
TV PREVIEWS
I Am Ruth – Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm
with Paul Whitelaw
The latest instalment of this female-led anthology series is an incredibly moving meditation on the teenage mental health crisis. As with
every I Am… film, the story was co-devised by writer/ director Dominic Savage and his lead actor, who in this case is Kate Winslet. She plays a single mum who’s desperately concerned
about her teenage daughter, Freya (Winslet’s real-life
daughter Mia Threapleton). Freya is in the throes of clinical depression, an illness exacerbated by her engagement with social
media. If you have personal experience of the issues raised, please tread carefully as it may prove distressing. I can, however, assure you it’s presented with the utmost
care and sensitivity.
My Dead Body – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm
Six years ago, a young woman named Toni Crews was diagnosed with a rare form of tear gland cancer. Her infected eye had to be removed. Toni chronicled her treatment via social media, her courage, humour and honesty inspiring a huge online community. When she discovered that her cancer was terminal, Toni was determined to continue raising awareness
of the disease. A remarkable decision ensued: Toni not only agreed to donate her body to medical science, she also gave consent for it to be on public display – the first dissection of its kind in nearly 200 years. Told in Toni’s own words, this touching documentary explains why she chose that option. It’s a fitting tribute.
The Secret World of Christmas Chocolate – Tuesday, Channel 4, 9pm
This fascinating series, which focuses on the often hilarious rivalries between some of Britain’s biggest consumer brands, is an absolute delight. It features candid contributions from major industry players, most of whom seem to agree that fighting bitter turf wars over crisps and whatnot is a trivial pursuit. Which isn’t
to say they didn’t take their jobs seriously, as you’ll see in
this account of the decadeslong battle for Christmas market dominance waged by Quality Street, Roses, Ferrero
Rocher and Mars. They have to strike a tricky balancing act between comforting tradition, while offering something their rivals can’t compete with. But woe betide the visionary who strays too far outside the box.
I’m an Alcoholic: Inside Recovery – Wednesday, BBC Two, 9pm
2022 marks the 75th anniversary of Alcoholics Anonymous in the UK. This thought-provoking documentary examines the religious foundations of the organisation, and asks – without judgment – what those tenets mean in today’s more secular society. The beating heart
of the programme, however, is its sensitive focus on an AA group, where members talk movingly and openly on camera about how going through this process has changed their lives for the better. Their anonymity is protected. The stories contained herein are often very sad and raw, but they also provide some hope for anyone affected by alcoholism. It’s a valuable piece of work.
Cops in Crisis: Dispatches – Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm
Public trust in Britain’s police forces is at an alltime low. The daily news headlines are crammed with allegations of serious misconduct and a toxic inside culture. Many of those within the forces bemoan an increasing lack of resources with which to tackle heightened demands. But that’s of zero comfort to the victims of crime. In this new Dispatches report, we hear from frontline police officers who have recently quit, their belief in the job at hand having been tested to breaking point. They just could not continue in good faith. The programme also hears from people who have been profoundly let down by the police. That failure has had a devastating impact on their lives.
Christmas at Blenheim Palace – Thursday, Channel 4, 8pm
I have no idea if Winston Churchill ever went all-out at Christmas, I’d like to imagine he donned a Santa hat at least, but these days his birthplace of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire doesn’t hold back when it comes to celebrating the festive season. It transforms into a winter wonderland for the benefit of a yearly intake of around 250,000 awestruck visitors. This cheerful programme provides unprecedented behind-thescenes access to a vast and rather stressful operation in which the palace stages family-friendly highlights such as a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s muchloved fairy tale The Snow Queen, with each opulent state room representing a different part of the story.
Unreported World – Friday, Channel 4, 7.30pm
Channel 4’s investigative series reveals that toad venom is being sold in Mexico as a possible cure for mental illness and drug addiction. Inevitably, concerns have been raised about the safety and psychological effects of this unregulated psychedelic drug. Reporter Guillermo Galdos hooks up with a controversial doctor who swears by his treatment. He claims his drug, extracted from a toad found only in Mexico and the southern United States, is now more valuable than gold on the black market. But could there be something in it? Galdos meets a psychiatrist whose clinical trials, using a synthetic version, have apparently caused an 80% remission of chronic depression in his patients.