The Herald - The Herald Magazine
THIS WEEK’S BEST FILMS
MONDAY
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) (Film4, 6.25pm)
In what was once believed to be the third and final instalment in the franchise, legendary adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) goes in search of his father (a perfectly cast Sean Connery), who has been captured by the Nazis. At the same time, he’s asked to help locate what could be the final resting place of the fabled Holy Grail – a subject which has obsessed Dr Jones Snr all his life. However, it’s not long before Indy realises both his quests are linked. Steven Spielberg had some making up to do after the lacklustre second film and he more than manages it with this cracking yarn. Ford and Connery have great chemistry, and there’s also an eye-catching turn from River Phoenix as the young Indiana.
The Little Stranger (2018) (Film4, 9.00pm)
Dublin-born director Lenny Abrahamson is best known for his work on Oscar-winning drama
Room, but the rest of his cinematic output is pretty impressive too. His most recent feature-length project is based on a novel by Sarah Waters of Tipping the Velvet fame. It’s a dark gothic tale set in Warwickshire in 1948 starring Domhnall Gleeson as Dr Faraday, who takes on a new patient at Hundreds Hall, a crumbling mansion that’s been the home of the aristocratic Ayres family for more than 200 years. The current owners – a mother, son and daughter – seem haunted by the place and its past, while Faraday himself is shocked to find how closely their story is linked to his own. Ruth Wilson, Charlotte Rampling and Will Poulter also star.
TUESDAY
The Mother (2003) (BBC4, 9pm)
May (Anne Reid) and her ailing husband Toots (Peter Vaughn) decide to visit their grown-up children in London. Son Bobby (Steven Mackintosh) is more or less indifferent, but singleton daughter Paula (Cathryn Bradshaw) is a bit more interested. The anguish deepens as Toots dies, and May is
drawn into a passionate relationship with Paula’s married boyfriend Darren (a pre-Bond Daniel Craig). Written by Hanif Kureishi (The Buddha of Suburbia, Intimacy), The Mother is a poignant and deeply moving portrait of grief, sexual desire and miscommunications between the generations. Not for the easily upset or offended.
reef mantas which begin their own courtship dances after feasting.
Alexander Pope: Rediscovering a Genius (BBC4, 8.10pm)
You may not have heard of Alexander Pope, but he’s the man behind phrases such as “fools rush in where angels fear to tread” and “to err is human; to forgive, divine”. This documentary, starring Simon Callow and Harriet Walter, charts the life of the 18th-century poet, whose work dealt with surprisingly modern issues, including women’s rights, freedom of speech, the environment, corruption in government, and what it means to be a moral citizen. Emilia Fox narrates, while
12 Years a Slave (2013) (Film4, 11.25pm)
Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) lives with his family in 1841 Washington City. Following a meeting with two seemingly respectable gentlemen, Solomon is sold into slavery. His first master, Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), is kind – up to a point – but fate delivers the lead character to sadistic Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender). This master spites his unfeeling wife (Sarah Paulson) by taking a shine to one of the slave girls, Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o), and Solomon is caught in the crossfire. Based on Northup’s autobiography, 12 Years a Slave made a big splash at the Oscars, and deservedly so. Steve McQueen’s bravura third feature is a sensitive yet unflinching portrait of suffering that delivers its message of brutality and endurance with the full force of a sledgehammer to the solar plexus.
WEDNESDAY
Dance with a Stranger (1985) (Talking Pictures TV, 9.05pm)
Miranda Richardson made an incredible film debut in director Mike Newell’s atmospheric drama telling the story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain. Ruth (Richardson) is managing a club in 1950s London, when she falls for David (Rupert Everett), a would-be racing driver from a wealthy family. They begin a passionate affair, but their romance seems doomed as he’s hard-drinking, has little money of his own, and it’s unlikely his family will accept her. However, their relationship continues, even as Ruth is set up in a flat by another admirer (Ian Holm). When it seems like David has found someone else, Ruth is plunged into murderous despair.
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contributions also come from John Cleese.
Angela Black (STV, 9pm)
Joanne Froggatt, Michiel Huisman and Samuel Adewunmi head the cast of this absorbing thriller, written by Harry and Jack Williams, the team behind The Missing and Liar. Froggatt is the eponymous character who, at first glance, appears to have the perfect life: she’s a mum of two, volunteers at a dogs’ home and is married to the charming Olivier (Huisman). However, beneath that veneer lies a terrifying truth: Angela is a victim of domestic abuse and trapped in her marriage. A possible way out falls into her lap when she’s approached one day by private investigator Ed (Adewunmi), who reveals Olivier’s most sinister secrets to her, changing the course of the frightened woman’s life. Can she trust this stranger, and dare she use his information to break free?
Tom Parker: Inside My Head (C4, 9pm)
In October 2020, 32-year-old Tom Parker of The Wanted was diagnosed with grade four incurable glioblastoma. This film follows Tom and his wife Kelsey as they manage his diagnosis, explore possible treatments and meet fellow brain cancer patients. At the same time, Tom attempts to pull together an ambitious fundraising concert at the Royal Albert Hall, calling on famous friends to help pull together the event, whose proceeds will be split equally between Stand Up to Cancer and The National Brain Appeal.
A Year In Provence with Carol Drinkwater (C5, 9pm)
To a generation, Carol Drinkwater will forever be Helen from the 1970s run of All Creatures Great and Small, but for the past 35 years, she’s been renovating a Provence olive farm with husband Michel. In this six-parter, Carol offers a glimpse at their life, revealing how she and Michel met, before visiting a lavender farm in Sault and Fort Royal, where the Man in the Iron Mask was jailed for 11 years. Meanwhile, Michel deals with storm-damaged trees, and welcomes Carol’s nephew Marvin for the summer.
MONDAY
The Goes Wrong Show (BBC1, 8.30pm)
If you always made a beeline for the gag reel on DVDs, relishing moments when the cast fluffs a line or some bit of set decoration doesn’t do as it’s told, then this comedy really is the gift that keeps on giving. Here, the Cornley Drama Society has its hands full with an American prison-break drama, packed with intrigue, excitement and double crosses. It’s also full of errors, as the cast struggle to escape from the set, their costumes and – bear with us – a phone box. There’s a bizarre talking bird, a flying system which operates at random and a prosthetic chin with a life of its own. Plus, none of the cast understand the plot and Robert’s terrified niece Lucy makes her debut.
Paul Merson: Football, Gambling & Me (BBC1, 9pm)
You don’t have to be a football fan to be riveted by this film, in which the former Arsenal star tries to understand why his life has been blighted by gambling and explores the relationship between betting and football. Paul meets fellow professionals Keith Gillespie,
John Hartson and Scott Davies who lost over £15 million between them, and Dr David Erritzoe of Imperial College London, who aims to pinpoint the neurobiological basis of the addiction. He talks to pressure group Clean Up Gambling about how the industry has evolved, and meets the families of three men who took their own lives due to gambling, before asking whether an entire generation is at risk of following the same, dangerous path he trod.
Blair & Brown: The New Labour Revolution (BBC2, 9pm)
This second of the five-part series examines life at the top as Labour are swept to power in 1997 after almost 20 years of Tory rule. While Prime Minister Tony Blair faces a steep learning curve, Chancellor Gordon Brown hits the ground running but both are successfully introducing the country to New Labour. However, when the fiercely loyal teams at No 10 and No 11 Downing Street start to turn on each other, the cracks in the glossy facade begin to show, and the battle between Blair and Brown suddenly turns personal.
Nature and Us: A History Through Art (BBC4, 9pm)
James Fox tells the story of our ever-changing relationship with the natural world, using some of the world’s most extraordinary artworks. It begins in ancient times and our earliest relationships with nature: prehistoric hunters’ cave paintings, before moving through the advent of agriculture and our first cities, to the arrival of the great religious faiths, including Hinduism and Christianity. James examines how humankind wrestled with our place in nature, and tried to control the forces shaping our world.
Cops on Trial: Dispatches (C4, 10pm)
In the aftermath of Sarah Everard’s murder by a Met police officer, reporter Ellie Flynn examines the scale of sexual misconduct by serving British police officers, the ultimate betrayal of trust by some of those tasked to protect us and who wield immense power. She meets those who went to the police as the victim of a crime, and long-term partners of officers still in post. Plus, new and exclusive research reveals the shocking truth about serious allegations and proven sexual misconduct spanning the whole country.
TUESDAY
The Great British Bake Off (C4, 8pm)
Bread week may have been a nice palate cleanser after the opening cake and biscuitthemed episodes, but many viewers will be pleased to see we’re now back on the sweet stuff, as it’s Dessert Week. Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will be asking the remaining bakers to put their twist on a classic pavlova, before they tackle a toffee technical. Then it’s time for the all-important showstopper, which this week involved creating a delicate dessert wrapped in intricately patterned sponge. It may all sound delicious, but it’s going to be tense in the tent – luckily Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas are on hand to lighten the mood (although after Jurgen responded to his German version of theme to the Flinstones by admitting he wasn’t familiar with ‘the text’, Matt might give his translation skills a rest.)
The Yorkshire Vet (C5, 8pm)
It’s another busy day for the vets, kicking off as Julian Norton has his hands full at the practice literally – after 18 rats are brought in, while
Peter Wright rushes out after getting an emergency call from his old friend Ivor. He has discovered that one of his calves is limping, and Peter suspects her leg is broken. Elsewhere, David deals with a stray dog that’s been brought into the animal hospital, prompting a search for the owner, and Matt