On the couch with author Marianne Power
Marianne Power was reared in London by Irish parents. A journalist and author, her new book Help Me! for which she lived for a year according to the rules of self-help guides, is a bestseller in several countries and has been optioned as a film
How much TV do you watch every week?
I don’t want to tell you how many hours because I’m now officially a book writer who should be reading and thinking deep thoughts, not watching hours of the Gilmore Girls.
Who would you like to play you in an adaptation of your book?
Amy Adams but it would also be cool to have an unknown who would “make it their own”…as they say on X-Factor.
Is there just too much good TV now to watch it all?
Yes, it’s mind-blowing how much good stu there is out there. I remember when I rst watched The Wire, being staggered by what television could be, and now it seems like a lot of shows are aspiring to work at this level.
What were your favourite TV shows growing up?
I remember jumping around the sitting room after watching Fame as a kid. As a teenager, I loved Dallas, Dynasty and Wogan.
What are your unmissable shows right now?
I’ve just nished Killing Eve, which was dark and funny, and Hannah Gadsby’s stand-up show, Nanette, on Netflix is a must-watch. It’s not easy viewing but it’s important. Also, it’s not new but can I recommend Please Like Me? It’s an Australian comedy and I loved it so much that after nishing the rst series I went right back to the beginning and watched it again.
How much of a distraction is telly to the writer’s life?
Stephen King says if you’re starting out as a writer, TV is the rst thing that should go because it’s “poisonous to creativity”. But had he experienced the joys of The Good Wife when he wrote that? Huh?
Are there any genres of TV you just can’t abide?
I’m not a fan of costume dramas – they remind me of last-minute homework on a Sunday night.
What shows do you watch the old-fashioned way, i.e. once a week at a particular time?
I’ve been watching BBC’s The Bodyguard, and I quite like the joys of slow television, the excitement of waiting for each instalment and talking about it the next day. I’ll also watch Strictly in real time. I would like to be famous just so I could go on that show. Just putting that out there…
Can we learn any selfimprovement life lessons from watching TV?
According to The Secret, one of the self-help books I followed, comedies can cure many ills – I think it goes so far as to say a good laugh can cure cancer. I’m not so sure about that, but comedy can lift the spirits and be profound; it holds a mirror up to humanity with all our beautiful, ridiculous aws. And documentaries by Louis Theroux and Stacey Dooley usually leave me feeling very lucky with my lot.
Are there any shows you have on box-set, DVR or red button that you haven’t quite got round to watching?
The Sopranos. I know it’s the best thing since sliced bread but for some reason I’m never in the mood to watch it.