The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
TOP FESTIVE TV FUN
TOP Billy Connolly: My TV PREVIEWS PICK Absolute Pleasure – Boxing Day, STV, 9.30pm
Just because one of the greatest stand-up comedians has retired from live performance, that doesn’t mean he’s going to disappear. Heaven forfend. In this welcome catch-up, we visit The Big Yin at his Florida Quays abode. It’s a sunny portrait of well-deserved familial contentment (there are cameos from wife Pamela and daughter Scarlett). He’s in fine fettle too; this isn’t blind fanboy sentiment talking, he’s as sharp and funny as ever. Slower in body, but not in mind. Classic stand-up clips are woven throughout, most of them chosen in support of Connolly’s entirely wise and unpretentious philosophising about life and
the art of comedy.
Superworm – Christmas Day, BBC One, 2.30pm
This year’s animated
adaptation of a book by allconquering children’s author
Julia Donaldson takes place within the insect community. Our titular hero is an unusually long and strong invertebrate who protects his neighbours as a matter of
course. He’s a truly amazing guy. Superworm’s dramatic life is thrown into turmoil when he’s kidnapped by an evil wizard lizard and his lumbering crow accomplice. They force him into digging for buried treasure, which is no way to treat a selfless super-being. Fortunately, his friends mount a daring rescue mission. A sweet little Christmas diversion for all the family. Voiced by Rob Brydon, Olivia Colman and
Matt Smith.
Quentin Blake: The Drawing of My Life – Christmas Day, BBC Two, 4:10pm
The beloved children’s illustrator Quentin Blake is best known for his association with Roald Dahl, but that’s only part of his story. As this delightful profile reveals, Blake’s canvas is broad. He continues to make the world a kinder,
brighter place with ongoing projects such as his artworks for NHS wards. A quietly inspiring figure, Blake has encouraged generations of children to write, draw and engage with their
imaginations. Now aged 88, he comes across as a lovely man with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. And his instantly recognisable style is a wonder to behold. The programme is packed with tributes from some of the
artists he’s inspired.
Terry Pratchett’s The Abominable Snowbaby – Christmas Day, Channel 4, 7.30pm
The animated warmth continues with this touching parable about overcoming prejudice. It begins with a
quaint English town waking up to a massive blanket of snow. The locals are quite delighted, until they discover that the blizzard has brought with it an enormous Yeti infant. He’s vulnerable and alone but they treat him with
opprobrium. Step forward a kindly old grandma (Julie Walters) who forms a bond with this misunderstood
creature. Beautifully animated in the traditional 2-D style, The Abominable Snowbaby is testament to the all-encompassing wit and compassion of its late author. Even if you don’t have any children in your vicinity, it’s worth tuning in for.
Boxing Day, BBC One, 5: 50pm
David Tennant stars as gentleman explorer Phileas Fogg in this eight-part adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic 19th-century adventure yarn. We all know the basic gist of the story – tired of his stuffy lifestyle, Fogg accepts a daring wager to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days – but co-creator Ashley Pharaoh (Life on Mars) has taken some liberties. That’s fine in theory, these texts should never be set in stone, but depositing Fogg and co into the real-life horror of the French Revolution creates a peculiar tonal imbalance. It’s as if Pharaoh feels the saga requires some gravitas, when surely the whole point of Verne’s work was fantastical escapism. A curate’s egg.
A Very British Scandal – Boxing Day to Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm
A spiritual sequel to Russell T Davies’ excellent drama about Jeremy Thorpe, this miniseries explores broadly similar themes. The bitter divorce between the Duke and Duchess of Argyll caused
headline-grabbing uproar in the early 1960s. The duchess’ reputation was dragged
through the mud, while the duke was upheld as some sort of victim. The story
unfolds within an ingrained culture of rampant misogyny. A potentially powerful piece, but here’s the problem: the
protagonists (played by Paul Bettany and Claire Foy) aren’t especially interesting. He’s a despicable swine, and she’s an aloof enigma. Writer
Sarah Phelps, whose work I admire, struggles to make us
care.
Jools’ Annual Hootenanny – Hogmanay, BBC Two, 11.25pm
The most bittersweet night of the year might be alleviated by some enjoyable musical interventions. Take your pick: you’ve either got the Hogmanay 2021 offering on BBC One Scotland, or Jools’ Annual Hootenanny on BBC Two, which kicks off at 11.25pm.
His guests are Lulu, Gregory Porter, Ed Sheeran, Ruby Turner and – as the bells strike midnight – the Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards. You presumably know the score by now. Jools’ show will end with an all-star version of Enjoy Yourself by The Specials, which always strikes me as an unintentionally cruel song to perform under these
circumstances.