The Herald - The Herald Magazine
PICK OF THE WEEK
SATURDAY
The Young Montalbano (BBC4, 9pm)
Another chance to see the first episode of the prequel to Italian drama series Inspector Montalbano. It’s the early 1990s and the detective (Michele Riondino) is promoted and transferred to the seaside town of Vigata, where he grew up. A local thug with a history of theft is murdered and the evidence points to an elderly shepherd as the killer. However, Montalbano stumbles upon a piece of evidence that could suggest otherwise, while also unravelling the mystery of why a girl tried to murder a judge.
Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things (BBC2, 9.30pm)
She had had one of the great voices of the 20th century and an incredible ability to both interpret a lyric and to improvise with her scat singing. Now this documentary explores how Ella Fitzgerald’s music also reflected the passions and troubles of the times she lived in and the events of her own life. Starting in 1934, when the teenage Ella won a talent contest at the Apollo theatre in Harlem, it traces her career over five decades, but this is no normal biography. Instead, it draws on images and music to evoke the period, although it does find room for some impressive talking heads, including Smokey Robinson, Jamie Cullum, Tony Bennett, Norma Miller and Laura Mvula, who will be reflecting on the jazz singer’s enduring influence.
Princess Margaret: Rebel Without a Crown (C5, 9.30pm)
The Netflix drama The Crown may have taken a few liberties in its depiction of the royal family, but it seems it’s depiction of Princess Margaret as a glamorous rebel wasn’t too wide of the mark. This profile of the Queen’s younger sister looks at how she was determined to live her life exactly as she wanted, even if that sometimes meant bringing the monarchy into disrepute. As a child she was as a mischievous and rebellious princess who loved being the centre of attention, while when she split up with Anthony Armstrong-Jones she became the first major royal to get divorced so since Henry VIII.
Casualty (BBC1, 8.40pm)
When ex-con Mick realises his son, Connor, is being moved to America, he desperately pulls a gun on his social worker, Ruth. In an attempt to escape, Mick shoots Ruth in the leg, and flees the hospital. Later, he returns and takes hostages in the emergency department, and Charlie puts his life on the line to try and protect those around him. Meanwhile, Dylan risks his life for Faith, which makes her question her emotions towards him, and a frustrated Will asks Fenisha to give him a second chance.
Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow (STV, 8.15pm)
Pointless Celebrities is getting some serious competition in the Saturday night gameshow stakes as comedian Alan Carr is reviving not just one but five of British TV’s best-loved formats. Over the next few weeks, we can look
Two male musicians’ lives are endangered after they witness a gangland shooting, and they try to make a quick getaway by donning drag and hiding out in an all-girl jazz band. Unfortunately, the presence of a curvaceous singer and an amorous millionaire make it increasingly difficult to keep up the pretence. Jack Lemmon is hilarious, Tony Curtis looks great in drag,
Joe E Brown steals every scene he’s in, and the incomparable Marilyn Monroe gets to coo her way through I Wanna Be Loved By You.
Captain America: Civil War (2016) (STV, 9.30pm)
A year has passed since the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron and the US Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) insists on the introduction of legislation to control the superheroes. Tony Stark, aka Iron Man (Robert Downey
Jr), reluctantly submits but Steve Rogers, aka Captain America (Chris Evans), refuses to sign, fearful of the consequences of the Avengers relinquishing their independence.
SUNDAY
Jaws (1975) (ITV4, 9pm)
It’s now 45 years old, but Steven Spielberg’s first blockbuster has lost none of its bite. Roy Scheider heads the cast as Brody, a police chief on New England’s Amity Island whose relatively idyllic existence is turned upside down when a great white shark starts snacking on the locals. The mayor is reluctant to close the beaches in case it scares off the tourists, so with the aid of a wealthy expert (Richard Dreyfuss) and a salty hunter (Robert Shaw), Brody heads off to find and kill the beast. It’s a masterpiece of direction,
forward to ‘supersized’ versions of Take Your Pick, Strike It Lucky, Bullseye and The Price is Right. But first up, there’s a chance to shout ‘higher’ and lower’ at the screen as Alan follows in Bruce Forsyth’s legendary footsteps to bring us Play Your Cards Right. The celebrity contestants are daytime TV favourites Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, comedian Chris Ramsey and his wife Rosie, presenter Ore Oduba and his wife Portia, and singer-actress Martine McCutcheon and her husband Jack McManus.
SUNDAY
Tesco: Panic in the Aisles (C5, 7.15pm)
When the coronavirus pandemic first began to
(Julie Walters). Beautifully observed and surprisingly free of mawkish sentiment, Billy Elliot is a heartwarming coming-of-age tale that juxtaposes Billy’s battle of wills with his father and the community’s struggles against the larger forces of the outside world.
MONDAY
Pal Joey (1957) (BBC2, 2.45pm)
This musical drama sees Frank Sinatra as a roguish singer with dreams of owning his own nightclub. However, he ends up in
not plan too far ahead. After all, they are Mexicans in Trump’s America and their visas are in danger of being withdrawn.
Killing Eve (BBC1, 9.15pm)
It’s the penultimate episode of the third season, but is the tension rising? Well, Carolyn is frustrated by the lack of progress in the investigation and is taking it out on those around her, while Eve is focused on Villanelle and finds a clue to her whereabouts in the most unlikely of places. Villanelle and Dasha work together on a hit and the pressure is getting to Konstantin. Spy thriller, starring Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh. with Fiona Shaw, Gemma Whelan, Kim Bodnia, Harriet Walter a dilemma because of two women – one a wealthy socialite, whom he romances in the hope she will finance the enterprise, and the other a naive chorus girl, who it turns out is the true object of his affections. The plot is fine but with a song list including classics such as The Lady Is a Tramp, My Funny Valentine and Bewitched, this is one not to be missed.
Stargate (1994) (Film4, 9pm)
After successfully cracking the hieroglyphic code on an ancient artefact and opening up a portal to other worlds, an Egyptologist joins forces with a hard-bitten soldier to find out what’s on the other side. The alien planet they encounter bears a surprising resemblance to ancient Egypt, and is ruled by a tyrant who has convinced the natives he’s a god, but the humans hope to spark a rebellion and escape home.
TUESDAY
Stalag 17 (1953) (Film4, 12.50pm)
The US inmates of a German Prisoner of War camp stage an escape, but when it goes wrong, they conclude that one of their number must have betrayed them to the Nazis. As far as most of the prisoners are concerned, there’s only one candidate, cynical wheelerdealer Sgt Sefton (William Holden), who seems happy to strike deals with their captors if it gets him a few extra home comforts. He realises the only way he’s going to clear his name is by finding the real mole.
Moonraker (1979) (ITV4, 9pm)
James Bond takes on rich industrialist Hugo Drax, who the British government believe is responsible for stealing one of his
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and Alexandra Roach.
The Ranganation (BBC2, 9.15pm)